Distance Teaching and On-line learning: enabling effective co-operation across national boundaries

Abstract

In September 1999 as part of a Socrates/Erasmus exchange programme between the North East Wales Institute and Technical University in Liberec (Czech Republic), a module was developed for final year undergraduate students in Information Systems which used innovative teaching, learning and assessment methods and in which assessment was used as a vehicle for learning, to motivate students and to help develop as well as demonstrate student ability. The module tutor was based in the UK and the module followed by final year undergraduate students in the Technical University of Liberec. The module exposed students to a range of topical, controversial and sometimes provocative issues embracing technical, social, cultural and political themes, stimulating in-depth enquiry and analysis, and generating sound, articulate debate. The module used as a basis: self - and peer assessment, student - led seminars, group working, the use of electronic discussion lists, e-mail and the WWW. Using interviews, questionnaires, observation and documentary evidence, we have been investigating what kinds of learning were enabled and what factors seem to help and hinder learning and we were able to draw out some general issues about the impacts of such approaches on student learning and module delivery.