E-learning

Course management by Moodle gives participants and mentors a powerful set of web-based tools for an array of activities such as forums, messaging, assignments and chats.

Strengths:

– Time efficiency:  participants and staff can be more flexible about course ‘attendance’ and there are no travel costs or travel time. Flexible combination work/family life/study.

– Students work independently to solve problems rather than receiving direct instructions on what to do from the teacher. Teachers are viewed as facilitators of learning rather than vessels of knowledge.

– Most student start basic or poor IT skills but quickly became proficient with e-learning techniques and developed their IT skills significantly.

– Students have interval time to react on the forums, reactions are well-considered, ripe, personal and  with great depth.

– Low threshold to post issues on the website. Delicate themes can more easily be discussed in an online environment. Students can open new discussion lines themselves, so they give their own colours to the training.

– High level of involvement in group process with high degree of interpersonal learning.

Weaknesses:

– There is no direct face to face contact between participants and staff. There is no eye contact. Difficult to get to know the appearance of the others. There is no direct feedback about ones interventions.

– Interactions are postponed, no direct interactions, except for the meetings in the chat rooms.

– Worst case scenario: a participant may not be who he pretends he is.