learning - Academic Conferences Limited

Andrea Kelz
bachelor’s programme in energy and environmental management at Campus Pinkafeld, are already
more familiar with our blended learning approach. The same holds true for the teachers as some of
them also teach in the bachelor’s degree programme. The ratings are quite good but there still
remains room for improvement, particularly when it comes to designing collaborative, web-based
activities and making more effective use the learning management system in terms of creating
interactive learning materials. Moreover, there will have to be some sort of qualitative assessment of
blended learning materials and activities on an institutional level.
Table 1: Ratings of bachelor’s degree programme in energy and environmental management
Average student ratings of blended learning modules (all semesters/135 students)
Winter Term Summer Term Winter Term Summer Term
2008/2009 2009
2009/2010
2010
Sufficient time to work on the
blended learning assignments
1.65 1.42 1.43 1.40
Sufficient monitoring and
support by the teacher
1.68 1.51 1.47 1.40
Efficient use of the learning
management system (ILIAS)
1.76 1.60 1.54 1.50
Table 2: Ratings of master’s degree programme in building technology and management
Average student ratings of blended learning modules (all semesters/60 students)
Sufficient time to work on the
blended learning assignments
Sufficient monitoring and
support by the teacher
Efficient use of the learning
management system (ILIAS)
Winter Term Summer Term Winter Term Summer Term
2008/2009 2009
2009/2010
2010
1.53 1.25 1.29 1.20
1.43 1.32 1.21 1.10
1.54 1.35 1.35 1.30
6. Nationwide training and initiatives
About ten years ago a nationwide initiative was started by the Austrian government to expand the use
of e-learning and blended learning at Austrian universities. The programme “New Media in Teaching
at Universities and Universities of Applied Sciences” was started and provided the basis for a cooperation
of all Austrian universities in an association called “Forum Neue Medien Austria” (Forum
New Media Austria). This forum sees itself as a lobbyist for innovation in teaching in higher education.
Their interactive information and communication platform, conferences and newsletters encourage
scientific discourse and are open to everybody who is interested in e-learning. At present the network
of the association encompasses 21 Austrian universities and 16 universities of applied sciences. This
association has been working on general ICT policies and e-learning issues, especially issues of
quality management, legal questions in e-learning, e-learning and career development and e-content
development. For further information please go to http://www.fnm-austria.at. Furthermore, in 2005 the
Austrian ministry of education developed a framework paper for an e-learning strategy and funded
projects of universities which aimed at developing their individual institutional e-learning and eteaching
strategies. Within this initiative nine Austrian universities of applied sciences developed
components for implementing e-learning-strategies in a cooperative way.
Meanwhile all Austrian higher education institutions provide some sort of virtual learning environments
to support and facilitate learning. There are staff members assisting and advising lecturers in
didactical matters as well as in the technical implementation of e-learning and blended learning
concepts and scenarios. They provide support and development in areas such as the didactical
design and production of online learning materials, diagrams and animations, the programming of
interactive learning software, the production of training videos and automated self-control questions
with feedback, as well as the continual adjustment of the e-learning and blended learning courses and
the learning management system in use. As far as learning management systems are concerned,
only recently a web-survey has been conducted, trying to find out what platforms are used at different
universities of applied sciences in Austria. The survey obtained 16 replies. The results so far provided
to the responding universities/campuses show that 10 out of 16 universities of applied sciences in
Austria use Moodle to support online learning. One of the reasons of course is that the Austrian
ministry of education supported the installation and service of this open source learning management
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