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Distance Education of the Subject PC and Internet in the Slovak Republic Dr. Vladimir Harasta, EuCoNet



After some decline, we witness a growing interest in distance education (DE), emerging from need to understand new technologies, especially the usage of computers. DE may be characterized as a separation of teaching and learning in time and space while the distance is bridged by specially prepared media and organization of study. On academic level DE provides an opportunity for education of people who have otherwise no access to conventional courses because of their employment, family situation, or simple of those who prefer studies open in offering when, where and how to learn. Mainly that is the case of senior students.

In principle, DE may be organized in three main ways through:
  • Specialized institution with the status of university, with a structure for tutoring and network of local study centers as e.g. Open University in Britain or The Fern Universität Hagen in Germany.
  • Various forms of cooperation between different institutions of distance education. They are usually controlled via one institution which provides development and organization services. The Féderation Interuniversitaire de l`Education à Distance in France, Open Learning Foundation in Britain or The National Technological University in the USA belong to this category.
  • Some of traditional institutions also offer DE programs or some mixed forms of on-campus and distance education.


In Slovakia we perform the latter form only: Self-study combined with consultations at prescribed times, at weekends usually, or in the form of block seminars and examinations. Study materials are mostly in printed form, exceptionally on CD`s or Internet. Possibility to watch records of live lectures as far as we know has not yet been used up to now in spite of its technical simplicity.

Open distance courses devoted to PC and internet have started this year at Technical University in Bratislava and Technical University in Kosice within the Department of Continuing Education. Effectiveness of the course in Kosice (that is being evaluated by the Slovak Ministry of Education) was tested in the school-year 2002 - 2003 on the sample of 110 teachers from various schools in the Kosice region. The duration of the course was 8 months. The entry fee was set to symbolic amount of SKK 100 (EUR 3).

The course consists of one common introductory meeting and 8 units, which the participants studied by distance. Each unit was completed by homework for which the participant could win 100 points maximum. To be successful in a particular unit the student needed to gain 80 points minimum. To obtain the certificate of course completion it was necessary to succeed in 3 units minimum. The study units were following:
  1. Introduction to PC
  2. OS Windows - Elementary
  3. OS Windows - Advanced
  4. MS Word - Elementary
  5. MS Word - Advanced
  6. MS Word - Preparation of Large Documents
  7. Internet
  8. MS Power Point - Preparation of Presentations

All study material was accessible on Internet, in the printed form or on CD- ROM however not in interactive form. All participants had access to Internet at the University twice a week and there was a possibility to consult issues with tutors via e-mail or telecom.

Some of the results and experience from the (pilot) course
From the total number of participants, 121:
23 participants (19%) did not succeed in any unit;
58 participants (53%) won certificates - with a success in 3 units minimum; from that number, 32 participants (26%) succeeded in all 8 units.

Number of consultations:
0 69,4% participants
1 - 3 24,5% participants
3 6,1% participants

Study mode:
Independent 34,7 % participants
in pair work 42,9% participants
in a group 22,4% participants

In general, the participants evaluated the course positively, mostly they appreciated the work with Power Point. There was not any significant difference between students according to ages, professions or sex.



Reference:
Harcarufka R.,Harcarufkova K., Orbanova I.: Winning of a feedback and its use in a distance education. AULA, Vol.11, Nr.3, p.23 (2003)