VCSE Guidebook/Creating regional (e-)learning networks/Overview of educational technologies for regional e-learning networks

6.5. Overview of educational technologies for regional e-learning networks

The offer of educational and communication tools in the Web has sky-rocketed in the past years due to the Open Source movement and Web 2.0 applications; with the rise in (partly freely accessible) educational tools, the opportunities for applying learning and knowledge-building methods and methodologies in virtual contexts has developed as well. Virtual collaborative and communicative settings are nowadays rather commonly used, yet highly dynamic.

The use of a tool and/or medium however is not enough to provide useful learning and knowledge building unless the aims and purpose for using that technology are clearly put forward. The challenge is about how to make educational technologies and methods for knowledge transfer beneficial for regional actors in order to enhance regional learning in the future.

This section provides an overview of possible applications and methods in regional learning activities in which educational technology plays a central role. In this case, the technologies aim at enabling, facilitating and supporting knowledge transfer between different actors. The table below gives an overview of such applications and methods which can be considered state-of-the-art as of 2008. The overview aims at looking beyond rather traditional applications such as e-mailing and web pages. Furthermore, methods were chosen which are already applied at the partner universities in the VCSE or are intended to be used in the near future.

Application in Regional Learning	Example
Knowledge Maps visualize knowledge, on the web also interactively with semantic navigation	University of Graz: YSM – Science Map/ to give individuals, enterprises and institutions access to knowledge offered by the University of Graz
Story telling for transmitting experience, explanations, application to an audience with the help of audio or video files, e.g. for intergenerational learning e.g. podcasts	RCE Graz Styria: Intergenerational Learning
Expert workshops and/or discussion rounds, e.g. presentation by an expert accompanied with live chat for asking questions from general public e.g. web conferencing, live streaming tools	University of Graz: Bildung Bewegt (see VCSE regional learning approach below) University of Macedonia: A 36-hours teleconference seminar on “Environmental Management Systems” addressed to local/regional businessmen.
Learning Communities for exchanging and storing expert knowledge on specific topics, best practice, lessons learned experiences, etc. e.g. forum, learning management system, platform	University of Graz: MINEC - Network of former mining Cities (established within the framework of the INTERREG Project READY) in order to exchange problem-solving strategies for future development. University of Lueneburg: Wiki based knowledge management system for local actors in tourism dealing with adaption strategies for climate change University of Macedonia: Trans-boundary Network the Development of Environmental Education Material between Greece and F.Y.R.O.M. (in the framework of Interreg III/PHARE CARDS 2006) in order to develop innovative environmental educational material for all level of education (primary, secondary and higher education). Charles University Environment Centre: Forum of University Teachers – cooperation on development of e-learning environment concerned with sustainability within Czech and especially Prague-based Universities
Knowledge café is a meeting/workshop in which a group of people have an open conversation on a topic to bring out collective knowledge, share ideas, and thus create common knowledge of the topic, not by experts e.g., virtual learning environment (forum) chat)	University of Graz: One method in the process of mission statement with municipalities
Encyclopaedias and dictionaries on various sustainable development related topics e.g., Wiki	Charles University Environment Centre: Enviwiki – sharing and building knowledge about sustainability issues with students, teachers, regional actors
Specialized virtual helpdesk for any interested local/regional actor or the general public e.g., functional mailbox	University of Macedonia: The EMAS Office serves an important focal point for the dissemination of all relevant information and lessons learned regarding environmental management in the service sector in Greece both via a physical info-desk and a virtual helpdesk (emas@uom.gr).
Virtual company, students working and learning on regional issues of sustainability through a web-based virtual consultancy company, e.g., software for on-line project collaboration (eRoom)	Open University Netherlands: In the context of RCE Rhine Meuse, an interesting application is the link with the Virtual Environmental Consultancy, which occasionally conducts research projects commissioned by the RCE
E-journal for methodological discussions: space for dialogue and building community of university teachers who contribute, reflect and review work of the others	Charles University Environment Centre: Periodical reviewed forum for discussing all pedagogical aspects of environmental education on university level, including promotion of e-learning method: Envigogika.
Research program on e-learning in sustainability education on university level and developing links with stakeholders beyond academia	Charles University Environment Centre: coordinating actors from local universities and supporting creation of the RCE on national level.

Application in Regional Learning Example Knowledge Maps visualize knowledge, on the web also interactively with semantic navigation University of Graz: YSM – Yellow Science Map to give individuals, enterprises and institutions access to knowledge offered by the University of Graz .

Story telling for transmitting experience, explanations, application to an audience with the help of audio or video files, e.g. for intergenerational learning e.g. podcasts RCE Graz Styria: Intergenerational Learning.

Expert workshops and/or discussion rounds, e.g. presentation by an expert accompanied with live chat for asking questions from general public e.g. web conferencing, live streaming tools University of Graz: Bildung Bewegt (see VCSE regional learning approach below) University of Macedonia: A 36-hours teleconference seminar on “Environmental Management Systems” addressed to local/regional businessmen. Learning Communities for exchanging and storing expert knowledge on specific topics, best practice, lessons learned experiences, etc. e.g. forum, learning management system, platform University of Graz: MINEC - Network of former mining Cities (established within the framework of the INTERREG Project READY) in order to exchange problem-solving strategies for future development. University of Lueneburg: Wiki based knowledge management system for local actors in tourism dealing with adaption strategies for climate change University of Macedonia: Trans-boundary Network the Development of Environmental Education Material between Greece and F.Y.R.O.M. (in the framework of Interreg III/PHARE CARDS 2006) in order to develop innovative environmental educational material for all level of education (primary, secondary and higher education). Charles University Environment Centre: Forum of University Teachers – cooperation on development of e-learning environment concerned with sustainability within Czech and especially Prague-based Universities

Knowledge café is a meeting/workshop in which a group of people have an open conversation on a topic to bring out collective knowledge, share ideas, and thus create common knowledge of the topic, not by experts e.g., virtual learning environment (forum) chat) University of Graz: One method in the process of mission statement with municipalities. Encyclopaedias and dictionaries on various sustainable development related topics e.g., Wiki Charles University Environment Centre: Enviwiki – sharing and building knowledge about sustainability issues with students, teachers, regional actors .

Specialized virtual helpdesk for any interested local/regional actor or the general public e.g., functional mailbox University of Macedonia: The EMAS Office serves an important focal point for the dissemination of all relevant information and lessons learned regarding environmental management in the service sector in Greece both via a physical info-desk and a virtual helpdesk (emas@uom.gr).

Virtual company, students working and learning on regional issues of sustainability through a web-based virtual consultancy company, e.g., software for on-line project collaboration (eRoom) Open University Netherlands: In the context of RCE Rhine Meuse, an interesting application is the link with the Virtual Environmental Consultancy, which occasionally conducts research projects commissioned by the RCE. E-journal for methodological discussions: space for dialogue and building community of university teachers who contribute, reflect and review work of the others Charles University Environment Centre: Periodical reviewed forum for discussing all pedagogical aspects of environmental education on university level, including promotion of e-learning method: Envigogika . Research program on e-learning in sustainability education on university level and developing links with stakeholders beyond academia Charles University Environment Centre: coordinating actors from local universities and supporting creation of the RCE on national level.

Table 3. Examples of methods for regional e-learning, as of 2008.