A Target Group-Based Approach for the Use of Learning Management Systems

1. The 5th International Scientific Conference eLSE eLearning 2.0 and Innovative Practices with eLearning, Bucharest, April, 9-10, 2009 New Learning Ahead – A Target Group-Based Approach for the Use of Learning Management Systems in the Education of Professionals for Intermodal Inland Waterway Transportprof. Corina Guiţă *) Daniela Leopold **) Sabine Piribauer **) *) Romanian Maritime and Inland Waterways Training Centre, Galaţi, Romania **); ***) Via Donau, Vienna, Austria

2. A Target Group-Based Approach for the Use of Learning Management Systems I.Introduction a. What are LMSs? Learning Management Systems (LMSs) are software implementations or (web-based) platforms developed for the use in an educational context. These include the didactical illustration of learning content as well as the management of courses (e.g. collaboration tools for students, administration of students). EWITA - European Web Platforms and Training Concepts for Intermodal and Inland Waterway Transport funded in the Marco Polo

3. A Target Group-Based Approach for the Use of Learning Management Systems LMSs are commonly used: • to make course documents available; • to administrate homework and; • to create courses with specific content for students. EWITA - European Web Platforms and Training Concepts for Intermodal and Inland Waterway Transport funded in the Marco Polo

4. A Target Group-Based Approach for the Use of Learning Management Systems b. EWITA project • Proposed in the 1st call of the Marco Polo-II Programme of the European Commission • ProjectDuration:01/06/2008 – 31/05/2010 • 9 Partners:Via Donau (AT), Imagination (AT), CERONAV (RO), SPB (NL), EIA (int), FH Steyr (AT), Imagination (AT), PBV (BE), ROC Zeeland (NL), Schiffahrts-Verlag Hansa (DE) • 36 Participants within Industrial and Educational User Forums EWITA - European Web Platforms and Training Concepts for Intermodal and Inland Waterway Transport funded in the Marco Polo

5. A Target Group-Based Approach for the Use of Learning Management Systems b. EWITA project • EWITA consists of two different platforms: • INeS(Inland Navigation eLearning System) Danube (for the Danube corridor) • INeS RMS (for the Rhine-Maas-Schelde corridor) • Languages: English, Romanian, German and Dutch • The platforms will be available at the beginning of 2010 EWITA - European Web Platforms and Training Concepts for Intermodal and Inland Waterway Transport funded in the Marco Polo

6. A Target Group-Based Approach for the Use of Learning Management Systems b. EWITA project INeS Danube and INeS RMS will be used in schools, training centres and universities with special focus on nautics and logistics, as well as by practitioners who wish to be informed about the latest developments in this field. They will provide IWT-specific content presented in learning modules. EWITA - European Web Platforms and Training Concepts for Intermodal and Inland Waterway Transport funded in the Marco Polo

7. A Target Group-Based Approach for the Use of Learning Management Systems c. Identification of target groups • Freight forwarders (trainees and employees of the dispatch) • Ports (sales assistants) • Manufacturing industry • Shipping companies (skipper, sales, dispatch, trainees) • Educational institutions (universities, shipping colleges, training centres) EWITA - European Web Platforms and Training Concepts for Intermodal and Inland Waterway Transport funded in the Marco Polo

8. A Target Group-Based Approach for the Use of Learning Management Systems II.The didactical design of the target group-based approach • The target group-based approach isbased on thediversity of the potential users • The target group-based approach facilitates a deductive approach for the transfer of content • The user gets a general introduction in the field, and in a next step he is confronted with the content tailored for the target group EWITA - European Web Platforms and Training Concepts for Intermodal and Inland Waterway Transport funded in the Marco Polo

9. A Target Group-Based Approach for the Use of Learning Management Systems • 2.1Basic level • General information about intermodal inland waterway transport will be consolidated within a basic level • The user might be familiar with some of this content, but this is part of a deductive approach • It aims the formation of common knowledge within a group of learners, to assure that the basics have been addressed, before getting immersed with the customized content • The complexity of content in this level has to be elementary, but diversified • The level of interaction and use of multimedia has to be very high, using a lot of pictures, simulations and videos. EWITA - European Web Platforms and Training Concepts for Intermodal and Inland Waterway Transport funded in the Marco Polo

10. A Target Group-Based Approach for the Use of Learning Management Systems II.The didactical design of the target group-based approach 2.2 Target group-based access • It is assumed that the user has knowledge regarding the general information outlined in the introduction • The focus will be on the content and not on pictures or videos • The content will be handled differently in the target group-based access EWITA - European Web Platforms and Training Concepts for Intermodal and Inland Waterway Transport funded in the Marco Polo

11. A Target Group-Based Approach for the Use of Learning Management Systems II.The didactical design of the target group-based approach • The topics will be very specific and more complex than in the basic level. 2.3 Learning path • In order to motivate the learner to use the e-learning coursesthe target group-based access will include several “learning paths” EWITA - European Web Platforms and Training Concepts for Intermodal and Inland Waterway Transport funded in the Marco Polo

12. A Target Group-Based Approach for the Use of Learning Management Systems Examples of learning paths: • for the target group of the freight forwarders, a problem-based scenario can be developed. This means that the learner is confronted with a problem; he/she gets information needed to solve the problem and reflects about the content through solving the problem; • a deductive approach; giving general information about this topic first and then explaining the topic in a more detailed manner. EWITA - European Web Platforms and Training Concepts for Intermodal and Inland Waterway Transport funded in the Marco Polo

13. A Target Group-Based Approach for the Use of Learning Management Systems III. Implementation of the target group-based approach in the LMS “ILIAS” ILIAS: • is an open source Learning Management System; • supports learning content management and can be used for the design of web-based e-learning.; • provides the possibility to export learning objects into other LMSs ; • is published under the GNU General Public License (cf. ILIAS Information Centre 2009); • is characterized by the open access philosophy of GNU; EWITA - European Web Platforms and Training Concepts for Intermodal and Inland Waterway Transport funded in the Marco Polo

14. A Target Group-Based Approach for the Use of Learning Management Systems III. Implementation of the target group-based approach in the LMS “ILIAS” ILIAS: • gives the user the possibility to customize the software for his own requirements; • providesa lot of features for collaboration and organisation of e-learning courses; • allows the implementation of different multimedia applications (e.g. video, audio, simulations and pictures); • was selected to build the framework for the implementation of the “target group-based approach” in EWITA project. EWITA - European Web Platforms and Training Concepts for Intermodal and Inland Waterway Transport funded in the Marco Polo

15. A Target Group-Based Approach for the Use of Learning Management Systems IV. Conclusions • The implementation of pan-European e-learning platforms will help harmonizing the knowledge in different sectors – in the case of EWITA, intermodal inland waterway transport; • Two platforms (INeS Danube and INeS RMS) will be created accordingly to the various needs of the different user groups; EWITA - European Web Platforms and Training Concepts for Intermodal and Inland Waterway Transport funded in the Marco Polo

16. A Target Group-Based Approach for the Use of Learning Management Systems IV. Conclusions • A high level of using multimedia elements and modern learning technologies will be made for the needs of the target groups (e.g. animations, interactive elements, streaming video and sound); • It is one of the major aims of EWITA project to learn about the needs of the potential users, the target groups of the platforms, right from the start; EWITA - European Web Platforms and Training Concepts for Intermodal and Inland Waterway Transport funded in the Marco Polo

17. A Target Group-Based Approach for the Use of Learning Management Systems IV. Conclusions • The “target group-based approach” is the solution for an e-learning platform which has different groups of users; • The first element of the target group-based approach - basic level includes general information in the field and is an introduction to the e-learning platform for every user; EWITA - European Web Platforms and Training Concepts for Intermodal and Inland Waterway Transport funded in the Marco Polo

18. A Target Group-Based Approach for the Use of Learning Management Systems IV. Conclusions • The target group-based access element contains specific content for the different target groups which is divided in topics and the topics are defined with the help of the user-forum; • Learning path -the third element of this approach defines the composition of the learning objects. EWITA - European Web Platforms and Training Concepts for Intermodal and Inland Waterway Transport funded in the Marco Polo

19. A Target Group-Based Approach for the Use of Learning Management Systems Miscellaneous In EWITA project: • the implementation of this target group-based approach will be finished beginning of 2010; • the e-learning platforms INeS Danube and INeS RMS will be available for anyone interested in intermodal inland waterway transport as well as for the educational and industrial target groups. • For further information about the project, please visit www.ewita.info EWITA - European Web Platforms and Training Concepts for Intermodal and Inland Waterway Transport funded in the Marco Polo

20. A Target Group-Based Approach for the Use of Learning Management Systems Contact Corina Guiţă, corinaguita@ceronav.ro Sabine Piribauer, sabine.piribauer@via-donau.org Daniela Leopold, daniela.leopold@via-donau.org www.ewita.info www.ceronav.ro www.via-donau.org EWITA - European Web Platforms and Training Concepts for Intermodal and Inland Waterway Transport funded in the Marco Polo

21. EVERYWHERE… ANYBODY… ANYTIME… Thank you for your attention! EWITA - European Web Platforms and Training Concepts for Intermodal and Inland Waterway Transport funded in the Marco Polo