The Intellectual Output 4 - Learning Materials Facilitating Inclusion into Online Education
Coordinator: Czech University Of Life Sciences Prague (CZU)
Introduction
The outcomes of IO4 draw from the results of the IO1 (Virtual Mobility Tools), IO2 (International manual of examples of transferable good practices), IO3 (Scenarios of reactions in higher education) and on a separate analysis done by the Working Group in IO4.
The overall aim was to create learning materials for students and staff challenged by the unprecedented transition to the online environment and had certain difficulties adapting to the new situation. In order to attain this, the Working Group IO4 prepared a number of work tasks.
Work task IO4-1: Mapping problems encountered by students and staff when starting online education
The WG members mapped the problems encountered by students and staff when starting online education, mostly by searching for problems/barriers related to the use of new educational practices.
The first step under this task was a literature review of publications and scientific articles produced by not only the consortium universities. Each university representative in the WG analysed the literature on problems related to transitioning to online education at HEIs. The second step was an analysis of each university’s primary data. Several of the consortium universities collected their own data from questionnaires or interviews with their students and staff related to the transition to online education at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, a number of nationwide surveys on these related topics were done in many of the consortium countries. The WG created a collection of relevant publications and, based on the analysis of the institutional or national research, identified and classified the main problems encountered by students and staff at each partner university and country.
Work task IO4-2: Crosschecking the problems against already existing examples of best practices and scenarios of reactions
As the online environment is a very dynamic field, the WG members crosschecked if there were available solutions already in place. They analysed the results of the IO2 focus group sessions and identified the problems that already had a solution in the form of a best practice.
Work task IO4-3: Creation of learning materials for students and staff that facilitate inclusion into online education
The Working Group decided to create two learning modules in LMS Moodle, as this platform is the only one used by all of the consortium universities. One module focuses on supporting academic staff (lecturers), and the second one on supporting students. Each module is a customisable toolkit for each of the nine consortium universities. The module for staff helps lecturers in the didactics of teaching and testing in a virtual setting. They have some theoretical base connected with the practical experiences of lecturers, which are based on the IO2 outcomes and linked with the IO2 COVIMO app. The module that focuses on students helps them to orientate in the online tools used at each university, provides tips for a more effective way of studying online (based on the IO2 outcomes) and allows them to experiment and provide feedback on the virtual mobility tools developed in the IO1 part of the project. Both modules help to ensure inclusivity in a virtual setting and provide tips for working with online platforms (such as LMS Moodle or MS Teams).
Work task IO4-4: Verifying the transferability of the learning materials (How do students and staff from different universities perceive the designed learning materials?)
The consortium partners organised focus group sessions at each university targeted at collecting feedback on the two developed Moodle modules. The gathered feedback pointed out that the virtual mobility tools, such as avatar-based learning rooms, 3D models, virtual labs, and virtual field trips, were perceived as great additions to courses by both lecturers and students, especially at the universities of the partner countries. The feedback suggested that the module for students also addresses legal aspects of online teaching and examinations. The modules were improved based on the feedback.
Links to the modules and their detailed description
The outcomes of IO4 are in the form of two e-learning modules developed in LMS Moodle.
1) Module Learning Materials for Teaching in a Virtual Setting
• To view the course as a guest (free access), click here:
https://projekty2.czu.cz/course/view.php?id=862
• To download the export file of the Moodle course (for administrators), click here:
https://czuvpraze-my.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/personal/josek_rektorat_czu_cz/Evx3yZrmyvdChL8-UuYGDH8BW2h8A7jm4GzIWA62pK-aAQ?e=8VfcIS
(The Moodle versions 3.7. to 4.1. have been tested and are working).
This Moodle course aims to support lecturers in improving their online classes or e-learning materials for online students.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
• Learn the didactics of teaching in a virtual setting (get inspired by others' experiences)
• Learn the didactics of testing in a virtual setting (get inspired by others' experiences)
• Understand the aspect of inclusivity in e-learning
• Check out tips and up-to-date manuals of e-learning platforms (MS Teams and LMS Moodle)
• Get inspired by virtual mobility tools used for e-learning (AR, VR and 360° camera shots)
LIST OF TOPICS:
1) The didactic side of teaching in a virtual setting
2) The didactic side of testing in a virtual setting
3) Ensuring inclusivity in a virtual setting
4) Tips for working with online platforms
5) Literature resources and Manuals for working with online platforms
6) Virtual tools and environments in online education
7) Best practice - Student Community Garden
Example screenshot 1:
Example screenshot 2:
2) Learning Materials for Studying in a Virtual Setting
• To view the course as a guest (free access), click here:
https://projekty2.czu.cz/course/view.php?id=922 (version customized for CZU students)
https://projekty2.czu.cz/course/view.php?id=881 (version prepared for other universities)
• To download the export file of the Moodle course (for administrators), click here:
https://czuvpraze-my.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/personal/josek_rektorat_czu_cz/Evx3yZrmyvdChL8-UuYGDH8BW2h8A7jm4GzIWA62pK-aAQ?e=8VfcIS
(The Moodle versions 3.7. to 4.1. have been tested and are working).
This Moodle course aims to prepare students to study online and/or to prepare new students already online before they arrive to start their studies.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
1) Get familiar with your campus via a virtual experience.
2) Get to know the basic information sources and the necessary IT tools and platforms that you will be asked to use.
3) Get oriented in what is and is not possible to do in the online environment (legal regulations for online studies).
4) Get the best out of the available online support before or shortly after your arrival.
Moreover, you can find tips on how to study online more efficiently and also test several virtual mobility tools that we have developed in the COVIMO project and provide feedback.
• Read tips about studying online
• Visit the Online Student Café
• Test the Augmented Reality scenarios
LIST OF TOPICS:
1) How to study online
2) Tips and Tricks for studying online
3) Testing virtual mobility tools (VR and AR)
4) Literature resources and manuals
Example screenshot 3:
