This issue of Seminar.net contains three articles that were written in connection with a Norwegian e-learning conference titled “Networked collaboration, sharing and response”. The conference was held in Mars 2008 in Trondheim, and the presentations from the conference is available (in norwegian language) at http://www.nvu.no.

Dr. Morten Flate Paulsen is Professor of Online Education at NITH and Director of Development at NKI Distance Education (www.nki.no) in Norway. In the article he presents his theory of “Cooperative learning”. The article describes how he developed a virtual learning environment that allows students to have optimal individual freedom within online learning communities. This article demonstrates that cooperative learning can be implemented successfully through a set of instruments or means. Paulsen reports positive results from surveys and experiences with cooperative learning, and relate these to issues like web 2.0, transparency, learning partners and individual progression plans.

 

"… it is a major challenge to guide pupils in a field they believe they master."

 

Carl F. Dons is an associate professor in pedagogy at Sør-Trøndelag University College, Department for Teacher and Interpreter Education. This article aims at answering the following research question: How can we prepare student teachers to deal with pupils who have a wide range of day-to-day experiences of the digital world? Dons argues that today's student-teacher training does not realize the potential for learning found in the rich media environments youth exist within. The article points out some perspectives on how the technological culture of children and young people should influence the professional training of student teachers. The article concludes by summarizing some findings from a research project in general teacher education, which demonstrates how this might be done.

 

Experiences with electronic test tools – reduced teacher hours? 

Dr. Kristin Dale is an Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Agder (UiA) in Norway. Her paper deals with methods for giving more feedback to students in order to improve educational quality. Given that individual feedback is a time-demanding task teachers might find electronic tools for assistance with student feedback helpful in order to reduce teacher workload. The article reports from dr. Dales experiences with electronic multiple – choice tests in giving mid-term feed-back to students in undergraduate studies. The aim of the article is that it will provide advice to teachers who consider using electronic test-tools.