Experience of blended e-learning in post-graduate training for High School Teaching Qualification

The traditional methods and strategies for educational-learning training in universities do not respond to the learning needs of students applying to "Special Training Courses" (Corsi Abilitanti speciali) that are already experienced teachers and workers, and that for various reasons and motivations are not able to attend classroom courses. In this environment, SSIS Umbria (Post-graduate training for high school teaching qualification) is experimenting a form of blended e-learning aimed at supporting classroom lessons, during which a network approach to knowledge and some forms of collaboration and cooperation in know-how building are integrated Experimentation has proposed integration of on-line activities that students are able to carry out on their own, and other activities to be performed in small learning groups, consistent with the class courses envisaged for teacher training. The experimentation has also allowed to assess, through log analysis, the degree of interest of participants and distribution of their time between the various activities envisaged by the e-learning software. The method for evaluation of participant activities has not been based on a simple recording of the on-line connection time, but rather on the assignation of a previously-set time "token" in minutes to each task performed, according to the commitment forecast for the accomplishment of each single activity. This type of monitoring has been organized by backing up software time-counting of "minute-amounts" coming from on-line practice with tutor control, in order to supervise the respect of an accurate netiquette.