Interview on elearning Paolo Ferri

i-AFIEL (Innovative approaches for a full inclusion in eLearning)

i-AFIEL Newsletter
Number 2 – April 2007

i-AFIEL (Innovate Approaches for a Full Inclusion in eLearning) is the European project
started in February 2007 in Valencia to distil, assess and disseminate the most effective
methods and processes used in the e-learning to drawing all parts of society into the
digital culture age. Seven organisations from Spain, Italy and the UK are working
together in the eighteen months project funded by the Education Audiovisual and
Cultural Executive Agency (EACEA) of the European Commission.

Projects on focus
In the first phase of I-AFIEL, a deep analysis is being conducted to tune criteria and
methodology based on 10 successfully executed and tested projects, which have been
pre-selected by the project’s partners.

Title Project Leader Application
Country Context
INTERNAUTA Stimulation citizens’ interest in intelligent Spain Valencia Region
use of Internet, through media literacy
training. Very practical interactive course
approach successfully adapted to target
groups needs.
COMPTE TIC Integral ICT programme to improve Spain Valencia Region
accessibility to Valencian businesses. SMEs
enabled incorporating ICT into productive
processing, and enhancing enterprise market
visibility.
E-LANE Demonstration of eLearning support to EC European project
bridge the digital divide in several Latin (@lis)
America countries, addressing digital literacy
and long life learning.
Principles for Regionwide continuous medical education Italy Lombardy Region
radiation programme, focused on radiation protection,
protection implemented by eLearning to train at large
scale the Health personnel.
Info and Initiative to devise on-line training process UK Wallsall Region
guidance for to help citizens advice counsellors to work
Deaf people with Deaf People.
IALL Internet for Autonomous Lifelong Learning, Italy, European project
promotion of basic English and ICT skill to Romania (Socrates-Grundtvig2)
adult autonomous learners through an
Internet On-line Resource Centre.
eLearning for Provision of information and resources to Italy, European project
Adults adults teachers & learners on how to design, Turkey (Socrates-Grundtvig2)
develop and implement eLearning courses.
ELBA Electronic Book for Adults, with creation of Italy, European project
an electronic book on poetry and philosophy Spain (Socrates-Grundtvig2)


for adults easily accessible from the
network.
SEE-EU A See EU Tool on sustainable energy for high Romania European project
school education. E-tool for science teachers (Socrates-Comenius)
to better develop and sustain teaching
methodologies; specific CV generated.

As highlight of the month, I-AFIEL has chosen and offers to your attention the project
INTERNAUTA.

INTERNAUTA is a comprehensive digital literacy programme promoted by the Valencian
regional government, through the Regional Vice Minister for Telecommunications and
Information Society, that aims to increase the knowledge and use of ICT by citizens. It is
implemented with the collaboration of the Foundation Valencian Office for the
Information Society (www.ovsi.es).
The programme has received the support of over 20 sponsors of different kind: financial
entities and telecommunications and services providers.

The objective of the INTERNAUTA project is to increase the smart use of Internet among
the Valencian citizens trying to allocate the Valencian region at the same level that the
EU more advanced countries.
Furthermore the aim is not only from a quantity point of view, but even from a quality
one in the sense that the citizens trained are encouraged to begin interactive-citizens,
ready to use ICT in the daily life.
The key target group are all the Valencian citizens, especially those more ate risk of
digital divide.

INTERNAUTA is composed by 3 training levels offering a complete itinerary training
curricular. Each of them is followed by the release of the correspondent certificate. The
first level was launched last 25th October 2005 and is still running and the second level
started last 17th April.
These are the characteristics of the trainees according to each level:

1) Basic User of Internet: he/she is able to satisfy a daily need thanks to the smart
used of Internet (most of them: elderly people; men over 45 years old; women
over 36 years old; groups with special needs, as for instance, handicap people,
immigrants, long period patients, etc.).
2) Medium User of Internet: he/she acquires knowledge that allows him/her to
manage communication, transactional, information and entertainment operations
thanks to Internet.
3) Advanced User of Internet: several objectives and contents of the most advanced
level will be defined in co-operation with universities and other agents of the
training field.

The selection of the target group works according to the level of digital divide risk and
this criteria facilitates the implementation and the success of the project from 2 points of
view:


It allows to adapt the training materials to the concrete interests of the trainees,
-
in this way the training is more attractive and effective.
It allows to call, in a more heterogeneous way, the target groups with common
-
interests facilitating the access to the training.

The basic level, entails a new challenge: to define ‘what do we mean with a training on
Internet’, something apparently simple is more difficult than it seems.

For this level were created ten training modules that learn about the use of the mouse
and the navigator, the most frequents uses of Internet, as well as a module regarding
ethic and security in the Net.

These training modules are explained during an intensive course of 6 days (2 hours
session): module 1: Use of the mouse; module 2: To know the navigator; module 3:
Search tool; module 4: Inter-personnel communication; module 5 : Your first e-mail;
(the citizen is provide of an e-mail account of the Valencian region); module 6: Business
on Internet; module 7: Keep updated yourself: media; module 8: eBank; module 9:
eGovernment (to learn the citizen to process with the public administration and the use
of the digital certificate, provide by the Valencian Certification Authority to each
trainee); module 10: Ethic and security in the Net

A very good added value has been the contribution of the private sector through the
programme ayuda.net created by the Generalitat and where the private sector
participates offering to the trainees a grant of 120 € to acquire harward, the called
‘INTERNAUTA cheque’, as well as offering connectivity facilities.

INTERNAUTA is a non-stop evolving project: it is continuously improving thanks to the
trainees’ inputs, the trainer’s suggestions and the ideas of every agent who joins
INTERNAUTA.

The medium level (UMI) was launched last 17th April 2007 and is addressed to those
who have already got a basic knowledge about the use of Internet and would like to
keep improving and taking more and more advantage from every new arrived into
Internet through new utilities that provide advantages, for instance, to learn to use IP
voice in order to save money when calling, to know and to share pictures and music, to
create a blog in order to let know your opinions or to manage administrative procedures.

Some interesting indicators of the Basic User of Internet (data updated on 26.4.2007):
o 38.953 citizens registered (30.089 have already done the course)
o 1.775 ‘INTERNAUTA cheque’ requested
o 401 classrooms (total number along the region)

Regarding the interim indicators obtained in the Medium User of Internet Internet (data
updated on 26.4.2007), since the launch last 17th have been registered in the
programme 1.261 citizens registered.

The contents of this level are, among others: a review of the contents of the basic level;
the security in Internet; surfing in Internet; advanced research; Internet multimedia;
advanced e-mail; IP voice; eGovernment; WEB 2.0; blogs; etc.


One of the key success factor of the programme is the approach to the citizens: to make
the training more friendly and comfortable have been use television actors. For the basic
level was use the image of a famous Valencian actor and for the second level a ‘TV
family’. These characters are the virtual trainers of citizens, with whom they feel closer.

Further info:
www.internauta.gva.es
satsi@gva.es

i-AFIEL: What does an on-line
teacher need to be effective? Can
Interview of the month
any teacher become an on-line
teacher?
The Italian I-AFIEL team has met at the
EIPA-CEFASS offices in Milan Paolo Ferri,
The on-line teacher should have four
Vice-Director Multimedia Production
essential attributes:
centre and Associate Professor at the
a) Basic competences in CMC
Faculty of Educational Sciences of
(Computer Mediated Communication)
University of Milano Bicocca- Dept. of
management and capacities to integrate
Epistemology and Hermeneutics of
the traditional and multimedia forms of
Education (Disciplinar sector M-PED/03-
teaching. The current problem is that
Eductional studies). Active member of
on-line teaching is seen just a simple
more international academic boards
downloading of materials to the learner’s
centred on educational enhancements,
PC. So the crucial question is: which
and author of several books
traditional contents should be put on-
(www.paoloferri.net/english.htm).
line? And how the new on-line tools
I-AFIEL had the opportunity to raise
could be used for traditional contents?
stimulating Q&A on interesting current
The strategic element seems to be the
and evolving eLearning issues.
capacity for integration of on-line and
traditional teaching methodologies.

b) Capacity to manage the on-line
environment. It was shown that
sometimes on-line communication could
be launched using also the sync
communication tools (ie. Video), that
help the interaction. It is important to
know the managerial tools for on-line
groupware via audio, video etc. For
example it is desirable that a chat or
sync communication could be inserted
every 15/20 days during on-line course;
this would help the participants to
interact and integrate their work better.
Written chat, sometimes being
problematic, can be alternated with
Prof. Paolo Ferri interviewed by Paola Novellini
audio and video tools.

c) Tutor training is essential for a
successful on-line course. Representing
the central actor of the on-line process,


the role of the tutor is often undervalued the unique instrument allowing the
in comparison with the other project exchange of knowledge between the
staff. The tutor should be re-considered students.
as a mentor, the guide that becomes the Thus, what is becoming strategic is not
central pivot in eLearning. the technology, but the methodology by
which the technology is being used. This
d) Capacity to evaluate and monitor has led to the emergence of the so
the e-learning process. It is important to called ’knowledge technology’.
be able to trace the (quantitative)
analysis of students on-line, even if we
use the mixed approach (qualitative- i-AFIEL: Which educative
quantitative). We use the on-line methodolo-gies could make the on-
(quantitative) tests, the focus groups line learning experience innovative
(qualitative) and short video and effective for adult learners?
presentations.
In my view, the training methods that
i-AFIEL: Which instruments can be could make the on-line learning
used to monitor the ongoing experience innovative and efficient for
development of on-line courses? adult people are the “Communicative
What standards are used to Methodologies” rather then “Training
measure course effectiveness? How Methodologies”. The blended projects,
have those standards evolved? by including on-line training and
traditional in-class training, show the
There are international standards for most successful approach.
delivery, and standards for Regarding the on-line methodology, one
interoperability (called SCORM based on can move from Peer Tutoring to Project
METADATA, originally used in the U.S. Work, when project evolves through the
Navy), which allow specific contents to creation of small working groups.
be hosted on each platform. As already Usually such projects start up with a
mentioned, tracking analysis is used for sync chat. The blended model supposes
monitoring eLearning courses, which the launch of the course in the presence
shows the type of on-line access to the of the tutor, and subsequently the phase
students’ platform. of the active on-line work. Social
research has shown that users need to
i-AFIEL: Which are the innovative e- have a more active role during the
learning components to be fostered training process, for both the on-line
in order to make the learning and also for the traditional training.
experience effective and to create Current on-line courses do not offer
awareness among citizens? concrete elements of activity, but there
are elements for achieving on-line
The innovative aspects of eLearning for visibility of the community (ie. Blogs,
an effective learning experience consist Etune et.c). Such visibility has today
of integrating traditional and on-line become one of the crucial elements to
work methodologies, but not in a total motivate active on-line participation.
substitution of the former with the One speaks about “Digital Native”, about
latter. In this way the on-line tool young people and Multi-Screen Society,
becomes really efficient. Some in which the modality of representing
examples: the world changes, thus consequently
-Social Network instruments (ex. the modality to learn changes. In the
Wikipedia) society of today and the future, the
-Creation of distance interaction “Digital Migrants” (those who have
through dialogue, discussion. In this transferred from real into digital
case the presence of the on-line tutor is context) should cohabit with the “Digital


Native” (those who are born in the i-AFIEL: What are your positive &
digital era). Nowadays we are already negative experiences in on-line
confronted with people coming from teaching/learning? What did you
different cultures. learn and what recommendations do
Some English research has shown that you have for an on-line
direct knowledge of world forms the tutor/teacher/trainer for the future
“cultural imprinting”, so it is possible of eLearning?
that virtual knowledge progressively
distorts the real world. As a I consider the ECDL (European
consequence, different new ways of Computer Digital Licence) as the worst
learning may develop, representing for on-line experience, as procedural self-
the current teenagers a necessity to training experience which has failed the
learn from a screen for example, and expectations.
not just from simple reality. The minimum certified standards were in
For this reason, the future of the an auto-instruction CD-ROM, and the
extended learning environment may abandon rate was about 90%.
require that this necessity is taken into The most successful experiences have
account (This is also connected the next been those of the business management
topic). and school training where traditional and
virtual training has been integrated
i-AFIEL: What does a student need and/or blended.
to learn on-line? Could all students From my own experience I have
learn on-line? understood the importance for the in-
The Gutemberg’s knowledge should class tutor to learn about on-line
transferred into the new codes (in teaching, as well as for the on-line tutor
presence and on-line) of the didactic to learn more the dynamic of in-class
environment, otherwise there is a risk teaching: both are essential. It is also
of losing the arena of different training much more difficult to master the on-
activities. line training process, which is more
Research conducted in the United States challenging than the in-presence one.
in 2006 evidences one additional Succeeding in coaching the students,
problem: the internet represents the and managing the balance between the
essential source for students in Science, control of the process and the freedom
also for carrying out research. This fact of the learner is crucial.
underlines the problem of Home Made, Technology sometimes has its dark
driving to the Social Fragmentation of sides; such as the impression that it is
the common connective texture: sub- the instant solution to satisfy all the
cultures are created through a self- needs. The same phenomenon occurs in
training process, and isolated cultural on-line training, family, and business,
islands are reproduced autonomously. wherever time is of the essence.
There will be a lack of a shared
minimum standard because of the speed i-AFIEL: Do you think that the
of access and dissemination of Italian SMEs are ready to invest in
information. eLearning?

In my view the Italian SME are not yet
ready to invest in e-learning due to two
reasons:
- they have not yet acquired a training
culture;
- the large enterprises have dominated
in 2002-2003 with WBT (Web Based


Training) discovering that all those tools
don’t work for the on-line training.
SMEs need to develop knowledge of
CMC literacy, e-mail for business
administration and the right initial choice
of technological tools.

The conclusion of the interesting
interview was driving the de-briefing to
the reflection of reaffirming once again
the priority of the content (knowledge)
over the form (mediatization), with a
particular attention to the human being’s
evolution, and to the inherent value of
the gratification achieved when the
effort done is compensated at the end
by the attended results.

Events

EUROPEAN DISTANCE and eLEARNING NETWORK

EDEN 2007 ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Naples, 13-16 June 2007

The annual event of this over 15 years Eruropean initiative for distant eLearninng is
titled ”New Learning 2.0?” addressing Emerging digital territorie, Developing
continuities and New divides. The event taking place in Naples is sponsored by ISFOL
and the Italian Ministry for Work and Social affairs.
(http://www.eden-online.org/eden.php?menuId=333)

In connection with the annual EDEN conference, the 6th HELIOS survey on eLearning and
innovation of eLearning systems has been launched, being the last one of the thematic
surveys whose results are available on its website (http://www.education-
observatories.net/helios/reports). Input ti the survey are open till to 25 April 2007.


Event INTERNAUTA
Valencia, 27th March 2007
Last 27th March was held in Valencia one of the several meetings organised by the
Valencia region to join with citizens their experience after the Internauta training. The
direct contact with citizens is very important to keep their interest and to have a direct
feedback from them.

During the event around 150 citizens received their training certificate, had the
opportunity to speak with some regional representatives and to know closer the new
medium user level. In fact, the regional Vice Ministry for Telecommunications and
Information Society, Blanca Martinez de Vallejo Fuster, with the support of a group of
Valencian actors (the image of this second user level) explained that thanks to this
upper level citizens have the opportunity to discover a larger world full of advantages.
During her speech the regional Vice Ministry explained the involvement of Internauta in
the i-AFIEL and the SPreaD projects, both co-funded by the eLearning programme within
which Internauta is explored, studied and analysed from different points of view
(innovative approaches by one hand, and management of digital literacy initiatives, be
other one).

Around 135 citizens fulfilled an anonymous brief questionnaire about their experience in
Internauta. This feedback will be taken into account in the research made by the i-AFIEL
consortium. Most of the citizens’ inputs are very interesting: “I had never imagined a
world so much rich of information”, “I am very happy because I am able to do a lot of
things saving time and without moving”; “I have the possibility to keep in touch easier
with part of my family that live far from here”; “It has improved my relationships”, “Now
I can chat on-line!”; “Now I can buy on-line”; “With Internet I brig the world into my
home”; “I can read the newspaper in Flemish” (Dutchman, 80 years old); “With Internet
boredom does not exist!”…

The I-AFIEL Forum

This monthly newsletter will keep you in touch with our project as it develops, to enable
you to share information and experiences with us to enrich our research and our journey
of discovery.

You can participate by sending your contribution (article, event, new, initiatives, project,
etc.) to iafiel@gva.es. Contributions shall have a maximum length of 900 words and
should be written in English, Italian or Spanish. Also included photos/images, and your
e.mail/telephone coordinates.

For more information please visit www.iafiel.gva.es


i-AFIEL Secretariat
EU affairs Office
Vice Ministry Telecommunications and Information Society
Generalitat de la Comunitat Valenciana
C/Colon 66 – 3° 46004 Valencia (E)
Tel. +34 96 196 1050 Fax. +34 96 1961084
iafiel@gva.es

For further info about the eLearning programme and the eLearning projects of
the call 2006 you can visit:
www.elearningeuropa.info
http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/static/en/elearning/compendia2006/index.htm

Notice: This Newsletter is sent on behalf and for the dissemination scope of the European i-AFIEL project,
co-funded by the Community Programme eLearning. The information herein contained and their use are
not of any responsibility of the European Commission nor of the EACEA Agency.

Interview on elearning Paolo Ferri

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Interview on elearning Paolo Ferri