Pedagogical effectiveness of e-learning environments

Vaste est la bibliothèque des traités pédagogiques,des analyses fouillées de la recherche, des discours lénifiants porteurs de compétences, de méthodes dites nouvelles, de technologies éducatives salvatrices... Elle laisse cependant le formateur de terrain désemparé, incertain dans son action, peu armé dans l’analyse et l’évaluation de sa pratique. À l’intersection de ces courants, voici un ouvrage pragmatique, accessible et non normatif qui balisera le travail de conception du formateur ou du scénariste de ressources et de dispositifs pédagogiques.
Tout en ancrant cet ouvrage dans les besoins et les nécessités d’une société galopante en quête de flexibilité et de mobilité, tout en tenant compte des impératifs du développement des compétences tant au niveau personnel, relationnel que professionnel, tout en définissant les niches d’utilisation effective et féconde des outils que cette société produit, tout en proposant des balises sans négliger les voies de traverse qui permettent de tenir compte des différents besoins et des différents styles d’enseignement et d’apprentissage, les auteurs développent des démarches constructives et cohérentes appuyées sur des modélisations fondées et fécondes.
Ils s’appuient sur leurs expériences de formateurs d’enseignants du supérieur dans le cadre de l’Institut de Pédagogie universitaire et des Multimédias (IPM) de l’UCL. C’est depuis plus de quinze ans déjà que cet institut, et c’était une première en Europe, accompagne les enseignants dans leur développement professionnel pour la qualité des apprentissages des étudiants.

Abstract
This paper provides an overview of the concept and rationale for blended learning. It also highlights the challenges of blended learning in higher education institutions and goes ahead to make recommendations towards its successful implementation.

Advances in technology are enabling different and interesting ways of experiencing education outside the traditional classroom. For example using network technology it is possible for people to follow courses remotely via technologies such as eLearning, podcasts and 3D virtual learning environments. This paper describes research towards the integration of some cutting edge concepts, such as mixed reality, learning design, cloud learning and 3D environments that we have utilised to form a novel InterReality portal and associated pedagogical model. Our InterReality model applies Problem-based Learning (PBL) pedagogy, including co-creative learning, to the realization of a mixed reality laboratory environment for teaching embeddedcomputing and emerging computing applications such as the Internet-of-Things. Moreover our model proposes the use of learning design to structure the tasks and activities, their assignment to roles, and their workflow within a unit of learning (UoL) approach to allow a standardised learning activity construction, and re-use. The main contributions of this paper are the InterReality model and architecture and the supporting pedagogical analysis and rationale.

Schools have a significant impact on the environment through their embodied and operation use of resources and through their ability to shape young minds. Further, school design has a significant impact on the ability of the teacher to teach and the learner to learn.  Currently there is a large investment being made in the renewal of existing schools and the design of new ones  along Ecological Sustainable Design (ESD) or ‘green’ principles (ref). But in the push to produce greener schools, it is important not to forget that that these spaces need to work well pedagogically as well as ecologically, the design of schools should provide effective healthy learning spaces that use energy, water and resources efficiently. This paper briefly introduces Green Star – Education v1 and how it is used, but its main focus is on those aspects of the rating tool that relate to the provision of effective learning environments. This will lead to a suggested definition of what it might mean to create effective green learning environments.

Effective Learning Environments (ELEs) supports teaching and learning by providing the appropriate facilities and environments to carry out learning activities. That is supporting student centred, problem based learning through the ability to use multi communication methods, engagement with knowledge in active, flexible ways and the ability to work at different scales with different sized learning groups.