National distance learning portal “Nikola Tesla”

Project e-islands

Zvonimir Stanić, CEO

• CARNet (Croatian Academic and Research Network) was created in 1991.

as a project of the Ministry of Science and Technology of the Republic of

Croatia

• CARNet is:

• Internet service provider for academic, research and school society in

Croatia,

• 10 Gbit/s connection to Geant2 network,

• provider for e-content service

• manages central DNS service.

• institution with the purpose of facilitating progress of individuals, as well

as that of the society as a whole, through the use of new information

technologies

• Vision: “Croatia in the society of knowledge”.

About CARNet

• providing equal access to information and communication technologies to all

population groups

• increasing of information literacy of the entire population

• to achieve these goals CARNet and the Ministry of Science, Education and

Sport have developed and implemented a whole set of services and

technologies:

• network infrastructure (Internet access, online computer classrooms,

smartboards, videoconference classrooms)

• e-content (LMS, e-library, E-learning academy, on-line encyclopedia)

• educational and promotional activities, users support

Target users: all students and teachers in universities as well as all pupils

and teachers in primary and secondary schools (about 760.000)

The Government of the Republic of Croatia aims to

develop information society

• Fully operational Learning Management

System

• Purpose: to foster information literacy and the

quality of teaching and learning in universities

and schools

• access to educational content at any time,

from any place, only precondition is a

computer connected to the Internet

• Digital educational materials for secondary

schools

• Courses about Web design and multimedia,

E-courses on programming for schools

• ECDL courses

National distance learning portal “Nikola Tesla”

Digital educational materials for secondary schools:

Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and English

• lessons for all curriculum topics for secondary schools

• high quality educational materials with rich multimedia presentation and

interactive elements, including simulations of experiments

• teachers and pupils visualize problem and its solution through audio

and video materials

• Education Support Department in CARNet produce, collect and

encourage use and implementation of digital materials in teaching.

• It is esential to carefully create implementation and to build it into

teaching process taking care of appropriate forms and methods of work,

and also taking care of possibilities and interests of every pupil

Project “Tesla in school”

• Objects of the project:

• creating teaching methods that ensure proper usage of ICT in class

• encouraging the implementation of class materials from Portal

• Encouraging implementation of other tools for informatization of

education system

CARNet gives advisory help and coordinates project

http://www.carnet.hr/teslauskoli

• December 2008 - July 2009

• Users – secondary school teachers of

mathematics, physics, biology and chemistry –

48 teachers from 18 secondary schools (approx.

3500 pupils)

Project results

• Performance of a number of teaching hours with the use of materials

from the Portal Nikola Tesla

• materials made by teachers (class preparation and video materials)

are published on Portal for schools (www.skole.hr)

• teacher and pupil surveys

• recommendations for further work with the materials

76 % of pupils find this way of

work interesting or very

interesting

“ we did exercises on computer and it is more interesting than traditional way of doing exercises”

59 % of pupils answered that

this way of teaching motivated

them, or motivated them a lot

“ I have an impression that almost all pupils participate in class with this way of work and that interest for work in class increased. At the same time, it is very simple and clear what is really important in class contents”

75 % of pupils estimated that

they participated more than

usual in class

“ I liked most that we were all active, there was a working environment, we all understood stuff better”

74 % of pupils see the purpose of

digital class contents in teaching

and they find the connection with

the examples from everyday life

“ I liked it because with video and audio contents we can prove theory, so I see the implementation and it’s very interesting”

What do teachers say?

about digital class contents…

• “experiments that can't be made in classroom are realized with

great demonstration (simulations and animations) ”

• “possibility of endless repetition”

• “pupils are more active, more motivated and more comfortable,

relaxed and working ambience is achieved”

• “the implementation of content in everyday life is clear”

• “class contents are more simple and explained in pictures”

• Partners in project:

• e-Croatia (Central State Administrative Office for e-Croatia)

• Ministry of science, education and sports

• CARNet

•Odašiljači i veze (OiV)

• Project started in 2006, financing was provided by Government of

Croatia.

• Greatest challenge: "How to enable pupils from low inhabited islands

with low commercial activities, connection to the Internet and access

to modern technologies?“

• 2008 Cisco Networkers Innovation Award,Category: Most Society

Impacting Network of the Year

e-Islands

• Enabling "e-learning" & “remote teaching” on low inhabited and

depopulating Croatian islands.

• Connecting 21 primary islands schools via wireless/radio

infrastructure and connecting it to CARNet backbone.

• Installing newest available technology for e-learning (H.323

videoconference system, wireless infrastructure, smart boards) .

e-Islands project

• Stopping and reducing negative demographics trends on remote islands.

• Increasing quality of educational system on the islands.

• Connection to the Internet via CARNet network.

• Providing access to the network services that are provided by Ministry of

science education and sports.

• Installing newest technology in classrooms, for distance learning

(videoconference codecs, audio&video systems, smart boards...).

e-Islands project enables:

How?

By organizing classes in the parentschools (mostly on the mainland)or on the bigger, more populated

Islands) for the branch schools on theislands

Using standard videoconferencetools for video and content sharing:

Videoconference terminals&

Smartboards

parent school remote location

Education Process - Three stages

Education of teachers in the project E-islands

CARNet has organized three cycles of education for teachers so far:

– 1st cycle: symposium of all the teachers-participants at one

location with a theme Usage of VC system in schools

– 2nd cycle: symposiums at parent schools (main locations) with

a theme Technical side of the VC system usage and digital

educational materials (Portal for distance learning: Nikola Tesla

http://lms.carnet.hr)

– 3rd cycle: VC symposiums at main and remote locations with a

theme Delivering of lessons with VC equipment

CARNet experience (1/2)

• Lack of technical knowledge of the teachers using VC equipment (and

IT in general – ECDL?)

– Constant education by CARNet & AZOO

– CARNet helpdesk

– Pupils are more familiar and IT friendly with installed technology

then the teachers

• Schools are afraid that they “can break” equipment

– Not likely :-)

– 5 year warranty

• Teachers have to put extra hours in preparation of materials for VC

teaching then in “normal” conditions

CARNet experience (2/2)

• Children and teachers have no need for constant everyday ferry

traveling

• Class can now go on during bad weather

• Pupils want to stay longer in school (new high tech.)

• Pupils like new methods of teaching (LMS)

• High speed Internet connection

Future of e-islands project

• Connecting more islands to CARNet network

• Broadband Internet for local community

• Wireless Hot-spots

• Telemedicine

• Establishing Internet kiosks to extend tourist services

• Panoramic web cameras...

Q&A