Case+1

Facilitate Sustainability of Education Development -
A case using Web2.0 in PBL environment at Aalborg University

This case study was about using Information and Communication Technologies in a Problem and Project Based Learning strategy. Problem and Project Based Learning(PBL): is an approach for classroom activity that emphasizes learning activities that are long-term, interdisciplinary and student-centered. Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) can include any of the following; internet, radio, mobile phone, and TV within the pedagogical practices. The case study was hosted by Aalborg University in Denmark. Information was also gathered about the utilization of how ICT may offer students in PBL, personal tools for knowledge construction, reflecting, sharing, and collaboration in project work not only at this University, but schools in India, Thailand, and China. The main Web2.0 tools that were used in this case study were called Ekademia and Lotus Quickplace. Ekademia has a similar platform to Facebook. Most students said that they used this more for the social aspects of the platform rather than for educational purposes. They did use it to collaborate on some school related projects. Lotus Quickplace is a software program that is a non-technical professionals the ability to easily create a browser-accessible workspace to support a task, project, or initiative. Quickplace was used more as the formal place to which teachers would upload their material and course descriptions. PBL has three main learning principles: The cognitive learning approach; learning that is organized around problems and that is carried out in projects, the contents approach; this is interdisciplinary learning that spans traditional subject-related boundaries and methods, and the social approach; which is team based learning with the learning process being social through dialogue and communication. This case went into detail about the PBL and its uses for education at a higher education level. Developing countries schools where looked at in this case study. Since technology has globalized every other aspect of our lives, schools have realized that technology must be integrated into education and this is a look at how that might be accomplished.
 * Case description: **

Aalborg University implemented Ekademia which is a web2.0 learning environment. 180 undergraduate students started Humanistic Informatics in September 2007 using Ekademia. Ekademia was combined with Elgg, open source software, for its social networking or e-portfolio metaphor, and it contains web2.0 features including blogs, personal profiles, podcasting, widgets, RSS-integration and tagging. PBL allowed for more collaboration and transparency between the project groups. They discussed that there needs to be a more concerted pedagogical effort to support students in developing professional skills. In India there are problems with availability and affordability to accomplish the integration of ICT using PBL tools. Thailand ran into issued when it came to traditional teaching and inequality of resource between university and school levels. Students in Thailand are used to following what their teachers tell them and do not take the time to explore information on their own and tend to not ask additional questions. China has a limited amount of classroom space and an exuberant number of students. In 1998 the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic set out to help reform education to bring it in to the 21st century. China’s Medic University is trying to integrate a PBL model throughout the entire institution.
 * Key points: **

The research shows that this is the use of PBL did benefit the students in higher education. The students wanted to see Ekademia for more of the formal aspect of this program then the social aspects. This case talked a lot about the background information of the Web2.0 tools that were used within this study. Even with the amount of background information listed, it was still necessary to find more information on some of the programs that they discussed. This is a work in progress and they even stated that more information and work needs to go into using PBL in an education. With any research or case study you see what things work and what things need improvement on. They showed what worked and what needed to be worked on. The importance of integration of technology especially when it comes to Web2.0 and collaboration in the educational process was very evident throughout the entire paper.
 * Case Evaluation: **


 * Reference: **

Zhou, C. P. (n.d.). //Facilitate Sustainability of Education Development//. Retrieved February 14, 2011, from A case of using Web2.0 in PBL environment at Aalborg University: http://www.ucpbl.net/digitalAssets/9/9835_essay-pbl-ict-sustainabliity-final-version.pdf

http://www.wikipedia.com (for definition purposes)


 * References used by the case: **

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