Training Materials

Citation

(1999), "Training Materials", Education + Training, Vol. 41 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/et.1999.00441dad.001

Training Materials

Training Materials

Classrooms for Distance Teaching and Learning: a Blueprint

Keywords Europe, Distance learning, Information technology, Universities.

Over the past four years a consortium of European universities, working within the EU-sponsored Blueprint for Interactive Classrooms, has been developing prototypes and resource materials for people interested in setting up and using interactive telepresence teaching facilities over ISDN and satellite networks. While many education and training organizations are turning to videoconferencing and other two-way interactive systems for teaching, the members of this consortium found that there was a lack of freely available practical resources for others interested in setting up their own facilities.

The network of universities ­ in Belgium, Finland, France, Ireland and Italy ­ has built five fully-functioning "telepresence" teaching sites. The researchers aimed to provide distance learners with greater access to more effective courses, at low delivery costs.

The result is Classrooms for Distance Teaching and Learning: a Blueprint, which provides practical information and advice for other institutions interested in setting up such classrooms.

The guide contains information on topics from furniture placement to technical guidelines. The advice is sometimes complex, but should be within the reach of most teachers and administrators. Most of the equipment is available off-the-shelf.

The consortium says that interactive "teleteaching" ­ using, for example, ISDN-based videoconferencing ­ is only one option in a mixture of media, but will probably provide an effective resource for institutions embarking on distance teaching. It can be used to reach learners in another campus, to bring in outside expertise and for group and collaborative work. Advice is also given on the general media mix, matching the technology with the aims of the course, and designing facilities in the most effective way.

A range of demonstration teaching facilities built by each of the participating universities provides a working laboratory for testing and evaluating various technologies and support systems for teaching at a distance. These include: the interactive teleteaching classrooms, studio and mobile facilities at Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium; the telepresence classrooms and other facilities at the audiovisual centre of University College, Dublin; the interactive classroom at the Universite de Nancy II, France; the facilities for teaching at a distance at the Politechnico di Milano, Italy; and the range of facilities managed by Helsinki University of Technology, Finland. All the facilities can be visited by appointment. Staff and users of the systems regularly run open days and offer their experience to interested parties.

Further information on the Blueprint for Interactive Classrooms initiative is available at http://www.linov.kuleuven.ac.be/bic