Both the Centre for Continuous Education and Open Distance Learning and the Teacher
Training Department intend to develop and to extend and, also, to establish a collaboration
for open distance learning, in which the Teacher Training Department will offer the
programs, the curricula, the didactic methods and strategies for the training of teachers and
the Centre for Continuous Education and Open Distance Learning will offer the logistic and
material support.
When we refer to the quality of education we have to make, in the first place the distinction
between the quality of products and the quality of services. It is now clear that education
and training are services, delivered through teaching. In this case we can define two quality
perspectives: the traditional approach - to consider the quality of teaching from the
perspective of conformity with the design - and the total quality management approach –
the quality of education and training is seen as the effectiveness of the service towards the
students. We consider that in our days the real challenge for teachers and trainers is to
develop didactic approaches that can meet both quality requirements at the same time.
We can define the teaching quality dimensions by analogy with the services quality
dimensions:
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71. TEACHER-RELATED FACTORS
1• the teacher’s scientifical competence - in higher education, where adult students are
more knowledgeable and more critical, competence expectations for the teacher are such
as: be experienced and knowledgeable in the area, be able to back up assertions with facts
or research findings, have something new to offer, new ideas and new ways of approaching
problems, be credible to students.
2• the teacher’s didactic and pedagogical competence is maybe the most important factor in
the enhancement of the learning quality in individual pathways. It includes the ability: to
transmit knowledge and skills by translating them into ideas and concepts that are
understandable by audience, to stimulate students’ interest in the subject area, to prepare
students for learning throughout their lifetime.
3• the teacher’s style characteristics considered to facilitate the learning process include:
good communication, motivation, enthusiasm and commitment to the ideas, interest, sense
of humor.
4• the teacher’s commitment and motivation is probably the determining factor for
educational effectiveness closely interwoven with the professional attitude of teachers
(ethical behavior, desire for continuous improvement, openness to feed-back).
12. CONTENT-RELATED FACTORS
1• the relevance and appropriateness of the course content - in adult higher education the
courses that are found to be of high quality are typically referred as relevant, practical,
inspirational, dynamic, informative and solution centered.
2• several practical aspects are considered to contribute at the course perceived quality: the
respect for the nature and volume of subject matter, the transparency of the logic of the
course, the clarity of the expectations from the students.
3• other quality characteristics of the course include : interactivity, group dynamics, use of
practical applications, education support material, enjoyability, the particular teaching style
3. NON-FORMAL FACTORS
1• the learning environment – includes the development and maintenance of service such
as: access to libraries, provision of self study materials, study guidance, tutoring, use of
particular software and other opportunities for individual learning, the encouragement and
facilitation of personal involvement in school-related activities
2• the transfer of knowledge, skills and attitudes in the learning process – is, in big part the
responsibility of the student himself; in this case the learning process is to some extent
beyond the control of the teacher and the University
3• the extra-curricular functions and services of the university – research, guidance services
(placement services, first employment, further studies), consultancy, advice, development
of values and attitudes (moral values, citizenship, social behavior), personal and cultural
development of students (sport, gatherings)
For the project Bridging Insula Europae we realized like first step some interviews with ODL
experts which gave us some reflections about e-learning in educational system at national
level. “Bridging Insula “ experts were chosen from all areas : sciences, mathematics,
techniques, informatics, languages and communication.
Matei Cornel teach techniques and informatics subject at the “ Nicolina” Technical High
School of Iasi, Romania. He says:
” The concept of e-learning represents a modern way of learning (in classroom or at the
distance). This modern way of learning has specific characteristics determined by the digital
technology, which supports it and covers a wide range of applications and educational
processes such as:
• computer-assisted learning
• internet-based learning
• digital television, satellite-based learning, etc.
The curricula and the materials used for such processes are handed out free and
electronically to the beneficiaries, i. e. our students.
The e-learning method is usually an interactive one which offers the students immediate
answers to a learning sequence
The introduction of ICT in education by using the Internet as a pedagogical tool , offers to
the students a wide perspective of what learning is and allows everyone to obtain directly
the necessary information, be it at home or at work.
ICT offers a series of advantages which have been already noticed:
• fast access to information
• separation in time and space
• flexibility
• possibility of on-line evaluation
• fast way of communicating among teachers, researchers and students.
About the Barriers and limitations in e-learning the teacher says”
• The teachers’ and the students’ attitude towards the ICT education and e-learning is
positive.
• The e-learning based project can be implemented in the teaching – learning process,
but it isn’t very used.
• In what concerns the evaluation through e-learning at the exams we can say that
there is such a possibility but it isn’t widely used; it is mainly used for the teachers’
exams and for the database of the national exams.
• There is enough time for the education through ICT and e-learning, and the national
curriculum have 2 ICT classes a week.
• The teachers are guided and encouraged by the school to adjust to these new
methods.
• There is a large number of teachers who use this system and the European
dimension, if I may say so, is implemented in our school by e-learning, which is a
method used especially in English, French and History classes.
• In conclusion, I totally agree with the ICT education and with the use of e-learning
at a large scale.
Arseniuc Iuliana teach informatics subject at the “ I.C.Stefanescu” Technical Collegefrom
Iasi and she
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ICT used by ICT used by school development e-learning positive problems teachers materials
students teachers suport for of into curricula atitude for caused by experience published for
teachers educational ICT and e- the use of to make ow n teachers
ICT and e- learning ICT materials
learning
“here is enough time for the education through ICT and e-learning, and the national
curriculum gives the ICT 2 classes a week.
There are situations when teachers adjust easily to the implementation of e-learning but
they make considerable supplementary efforts both in school and at home.
The teachers are guided and encouraged by the school to adjust to these new methods.
There is a large number of teachers who use this system and the European dimension, if I
may say so, is implemented in our school by e-learning, which is a method used especially
in English, French and History classes.
I totally agree with the ICT education and with the use of e-learning at a large scale. “
In conclusion, the use of the new technologies facilitates new relationships among
institutions, community, teachers, family and the person who studies.
The global educational balance has changed from the closed pedagogical approach, trusted
to an institution where the educational coordination was done by the teacher, without
involving the family, to an open, transparent pedagogical approach, where the students’
initiative is encouraged, making them aware of the need to create continuous learning
abilities.
Bibliography:
http: //www.edu.ro
http://www.google.ro
www.e-scoala.ro