Facts

1. PresentationTeacher education in Iceland University of EducationSólrún B. KristinsdóttirHead of the Mediacentre Iceland University of Education

3. Facts • 103.000 m³ • Half way between North America and the European mainland. • 280.000 inhabidants • Icelanders are using more computers and internet than most other nations • The weather is typical of a mild coastal climate, the average temperature in Reykjavik in July is +10.6° C and in January -0.9° C.

4. and figures about Iceland • 200 compulsory schools • Capital area 65 schools • 85 schools have less than 100 students • 10 schools have more than 600 students • 42.500 students in compulsory schools • 4000 teachers • 82% whith occupational education • 1000 attended In-service courses 2000

5. Educational system • Pre-school 6 months – 6 years • 15% of 2 years and younger • 75% 3 – 6 years • Primary and lower secondary 6 – 16 years compulsory • 42.000 pupils in 200 schools

6. Educational system • Upper secondary 16 – 20 years • 85% enter • 30 schools • Colleges • Technical, vocational, arts • 6 Universities

7. Iceland University of Education -IUE • 2000 Students • About 230 Members of staff • About 50% distance learning students -leading to new approaches in how to conduct the education

8. Teacher education • B.Ed. 3 years • Qualified fo teach at primary and lower secondary level • B.A. B.S. + didactics • Qualified to teach at upper secondary level

9. Teacher Education in Iceland • The Department of Undergraduate Studies includes five divisions: More than 1800 students are enrolled. • Division of Early Childhood Education • Division of Primary and Lower Secondary Education • Division of Upper Secondary Education • Division of Sport and Physical Education • Division of Developmental Therapy • Most programmes are offered both as a full time residency programme and by distance education. Four of these divisions offer three-year programmes, 90 units (180 ECTS), leading to a B.Ed.-degree

10. Art Education Craft Design and Technology Danish as a foreign language English as a foreign language Geography Home Economics Icelandic Life Sciences Mathematics Physical Education and Sports Physics and Chemistry Social Studies and History Religion Textiles Music. Division of Primary and Lower Secondary Education A choice of fifteen subject specializations:

11. Postgratuate studies • The postgraduate programme offers courses from 15 to 60 units (30-120 ECTS) for professionals in education and social work. • Some about 450 students are enrolled at the postgraduate level in the Iceland University of Education. • All of them are taking part in Distance Education.

12. Web-Based education • Distance education in IUE is more or less webbased • Webbased education calls for a different support service of the educational institusions. • Computer technology – Educational technology – Instructional design • Staff developments

13. Difference between on campus and distance learning • Students ditributed over the country and abroad • Learning communities • Teacher-students relationship • Dropouts from distance students • Teaching style • Communication technology in reaching students

14. The service of the Mediacentre includes: Setting up the webcourses Instructions on how to use the course tools for: Students Staff The Support Service

15. The role of the Media Centre • Workshop – computers, laptops, computer projectors, cameras, video cameras, sound editing equipments • In sevice assistance for staff and students regarding production of teaching and learning material, software and ICT

16. Personnel- MediaCentre • 6 members of staff • 3 Computer technicians • 3 Educational technologists

17. Computer techincians in the MediaCentre • Their role is to serve the students and the staff at the desk, telephone and e- mail • Facing problems such as students access to the net and online – courses, editing of videos and sound, printing, students´ and staffs´ problem with various softwear

18. Teachers in the MediaCentre • Emphasise on the • pedagogical use of the courstools • importance of the communication tools • planing their course regarding time schedules, assignments

19. The Media Centre – staff developments • Staff develpoment provided by the Media Centre includes: • Courses in how to use the coursetools • Open Wokshop – teaches can come at a given time with any problems regarding the Web, Courstools and softwaer they are using (mainly Microsoft) • Individual assistance

20. Teachers in the MediaCentre • Development of an Icelandic course tool Netskólinn • Developing websides for courses, Náttúrufræði • Implementing databases to various web sides Soljak

21. Future developments • All courses at IUE will be offered at the Web • Students can choose if they take the course on the web or at the campus

22. Future developments • Courses at the IUE will be offerd to people who wants to add to their education – preeschool/primary/secondary teachers, art/craft/sport teachers, ddevelopmental therapists/special needs teachers • IUE is growing to the Net - based Universities ideas • Developments in the Nordic countries is a cooparation between Universities in offering courses on the Veb and the students can take courses in different Universities. Model known in USA and UK(OU)

23. Courswear developments- connecting faculty not computers The predictions of Stephen Downes, Thomas Cyrs, and others, is that courseware is going to change dramatically over the next five year or so. The generic toolsets are going to get better, and more discipline-specific tools. It makes more sense to teach faculty to think in terms of tools and what they can do than in terms of creating courses packaged in standalone units. • Ultimately, it seems that universities that thrive in an online environment will do so because they are able to offer something that other schools cannot. For us, that "something" is in large part the experience and expertise of our faculty, so it makes sense to use the technology to connect faculty -- not courses -- to students.

24. Some history of Iceland • Iceland was setteled by Nordic people in the 9th century • The language is Icelandic. It is more or less the same language that the Nordic countries spoke when the settlers came to Iceland. To the other Nordic countries Icelandic is in a way like Latin to the Italians

25. ...more history • In 930 the Icelandic settlers founded one of the world´s first republican goverments • Iceland lost it´s independancy in 1262, Gamli sáttmáli, and became a part of the Norwegian /Danish kingdom • In 1918 it regained it´s independancy from Danmark and in 1944 the present republic was founded • The country is governed by Althingi (parlament)

26. Economy • Nearly three quarters of merchandise export comes from the seafood industry and half of all foreign exchange earnings • Income per capita is among the best in the world • High standard of living • Life expectancy at 81,3 for women and 76,4 for men