Elearning in Latvia: current status and problems

1
E-learning in Latvia current status and problems

• Prof. Boriss Misnevs
• Transport and Telecommunication Institute

2
Why computers still are very rarely used in
teaching?

• 44 not enough time
• 36 lack of specialized premises
• 44 lack of knowledge
• 34 lack of knowledge how to organize teaching in
  this way
• 44 no motivation and stimulation (including
  financial)

3
Proportions of Enterprises with Internet Access

• In Finland - 99
• In Denmark and Austria both - 98
• In Poland - 89
• In Lithuania - 88
• In Cyprus - 86
• in Latvia - 80

4
Information society benchmarks
5
Typical Development Directions of Application of
Electronic Technologies In Education

• Interactive multimedia rich study materials in
  the CD-ROM format
• Virtual learning environments and Learning
  Management Systems
• Online learning
• Blended learning.

6
Open Distance Learning (ODL) and e-learning

• At the beginning of 1994 Board of Distance
  Education was officially created at the Latvian
  Ministry of Education, Science and Culture.
• In December 18, 2001 Cabinet of Ministers
  (Government) discussed this issue and delegated
  to Ministry of Education and Science the
  responsibility to elaborate this project as a
  Concept of Virtual University.

7
Riga and Latvia regions

• Still HE institutions are active in implementing
  modern technologies in education and in
  particular regional institutions are quite
  successful in this respect.

8
E-learning Tools

• The University of Latvia is using WebCT in its
  E-University project (is moving to Moodle)
• TTI, RSEBA are using Moodle environment,
• RTU is using BlackBoard product (is moving to
  Moodle)
• Vidzemes Augstskola (VA) - e-learning system
  Dokeos

9
National programmes initiatives

• ICT for educational quality (Latvian government
  program for 2007-2013 Informacijas un
  komunikacijas tehnologijas izglitibas kvalitatei
  IKTIK).
• Education Development Concept Paper 2002-2005

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The goals of the Education Development Concept

• Ensure education accessibility for the population
  of Latvia in the context of lifelong learning
• Increase cost-effectiveness of education in all
  stages and types of education

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Lifelong learning policy

• The creation of a lifelong learning system in
  Latvia started in 1993
• The Education Development Concept Paper 2002-2005
  defines lifelong learning as a priority of the
  education policy.
• A national programme the Development and
  Implementation of a Lifelong Learning Strategy
  (until 2010) has been developed and approved
  within the framework of European Social Fund.

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The national programme includes seven projects

• the development of a lifelong learning strategy
  and action plan (a national level project)
• regional lifelong learning support system
  development and capacity strengthening projects
  (6 similar regional projects covering the whole
  territory of Latvia).

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Long-term objectives of LLL

• the introduction of a balanced and modern
  education system and employment policy meeting
  the labour market requirements (especially during
  the time period of 2000 to 2010 by 10)
• provide lifelong learning in line with the
  populations interests, abilities and regional
  economic development plans
• ensure capacity of the education sector for the
  implementation of a lifelong learning strategy in
  long term

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Short-term objectives of LLL

• develop unified conceptual approaches and a
  strategy regarding lifelong learning
• define education objectives for the development
  of human resources in the planning regions
  concerning economic development goals
• reduce disparities regarding access to education
  services among regions of the country and local
  governments
• strengthen capacity of the education sector and
  its influence on the promotion of the
  population's economic activity
• enhance cooperation in the planning regions among
  sectors, fields and institutions in order to plan
  and coordinate the development of lifelong
  learning in a harmonized manner.

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Informatization of school network

• The Ministry of Education and Science has been
  carrying out the school network informatization
  process since 1997.
• On average, there is one computer per 16
  educatees in education institutions.
• Computer science is a compulsory subject at all
  education institutions.

16
Social-cultural reflection

• Lots of children with Russsian speaking parents
  dont use Latvian as their first language when
  they are communicating with their family members
  at home.
• Some schools are working with 70-80 of children
  with parents with Russian cultural background.
• The diversity of cultures is reflected within the
  e-Learning materials (Russian and Latvian).

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Main suppliers of e-learning education in Latvia

• Universities and other higher education
  institutions
• Public Employment Service
• Municipalities
• Vocational Education Centre
• Private companies.

18
Some National and EU projects in which Latvia is
participating

• KALEIDOSCOPE - Contact person in Latvia - Atis
  Kapenieks http//www.noe-kaleidoscope.org/pub/part
  ners.html
• eMapps.COM - Contact person in Latvia Ms Solvita
  Udre, mezazile_at_inbox.lv
• UNIFIED ELEARNING ENVIROMENT FOR THE SCHOOL STREP
  - Contact person in Latvia Prof. Jurijs
  Lavendels, jurisl_at_egle.cs.rtu.lv
  ipkat_at_egle.cs.rtu.lv

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National policies for fostering e-Learning

• There is no policy for fostering the supply and
  take-up of e-Learning in Latvia. Institutions
  which develop e-Learning are doing this on their
  own initiative or were stimulated from outside

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Current supply of e-Learning courses

• On-line e-Learning courses mainly are offered by
  higher education institutions.
• Offline e-Learning has become more commonplace
  since books and magazines have sometimes become
  supplemented by CD-ROMs.

21
E-Learning take-up by enterprises/employers

• Today, staff training by enterprises (employers)
  is common practice
• Usually the ICT equipment (CD-ROMs, etc) is used
  in the same place where the training takes place
• There are many private companies involved in this
  business.

22
Overall supply-demand match with regard to
e-Learning in the country

• It is difficult to answer the question because
  nobody has investigated proportions between
  demand and supply of e-Learning courses.

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Problems regarding e-Learning

• The first one is the service awareness by public.
  
• The second one is affordability of the service

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Final conclusion

• The penetration of (broadband) internet
  connections at households are the weakest within
  Europe.
• The instructional method is mostly more
  traditional. New aspects and forms of e-Learning
  like game based learning and social software now
  are only finding its ways to schools,
  institutions and companies of Latvia
• The best examples are multimedia e-learning
  courses of the Riga Technical University Distance
  Education Centre, e-learning program of
  Turiba and E-university of the University
  of Latvia.

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Boriss Misnevs Dr.Sc.Eng., Assoc. professor Study
programs Vice-rector
Phone [phone] Fax
371-67100660 E-mail bfm_at_tsi.lv http
www.tsi.lv
Transport and Telecommunication Institute 1
Lomonosova st., Riga, LV-1019, Latvia