The Danish Education System
Pre-school
Age 6, level 0, optional
Primary and lover secondary
Age 7-16, level 1-9 (10), compulsary
Upper secondary
Age 17-19, level 10-12, optional
General education:
Gymnasium HF, HHX and HTX
Vocational education and training
Higher Education
Project: ”The Virtual High School”
• 2002-2005
• 70 out of 160 Gymnasiums participated with
development (innovation) work
• From one teacher in one class to the hole school
• A research group followed the project and have
published 3 reports (only in danish)
What is a Virtual High School??
Answer: A School with Virtual Instruction
(”E-learning”)….
• The teacher and the students not nessecary in
the same room (distributed) and/or at the same
time (asynchronic).
• Use of computer based communication:
E-mail, Electronic Conference Systems….
Virtual Instruction: The setting
• Instruction can be organized in:
– Class or groups or pairs or individual
• A theme can be taught:
– Systematic or thematic or project
– Single subject or interdisciplinary
The teachers profession:
What’s it’s all about?
• Select the teaching materials
• Plan and decide:
– The proces:
How the teaching materials will be used
– The organization: e.g. see previous dias
• ”Classroom” work
• Evaluate
The traditional setting
1 lesson = 25-30 students+1 teacher+1
classroom+1 textbook. (Duration: 45 minutes)
A new setting
• Different locations and time
• Written communication (Conf. system,E-mail…)
• Different groups working with interdisciplinary,
problem-centred projects
Why teaching this way?
Pro
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Independence
Self-discipline
Collaboration skills
Communication skills
Differentiated teaching
Responsibility
Problemsolving
Life long learning
Academic ability
Variety
Reflect society
Contra
•Achivements not improved
•Missing the try out in the
classrrom (Measure yourself in
the class)
•Increased work load for both
students and teachers
Variety!
Mixed Mode
Increased work load
The most valuable ressource: TIME
Increased work load –
according to the teachers
• More communication, reading and writing:
– E-mail: Q&A  Q&A…..
– Conferences: Drafts, Agenda, Essays, Logs, Portfolios,
Comments….
– Implication of the greater distance to the students: demands for
more specific and detailed (writen) instructions
– If the school establish and introduces electronic communication
channels there is a natural expectation that you can use them
• Differentiated teaching takes time
• Collaboration and coordination with other teachers takes
time
Writing takes time!
Increased work load –
An example
1 school-year: 3 projects of 1 week each
(1-2 classes)
1000
900
800
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
Teachers in shared
conf
Students in shared
conf
Teachers in group
conf
Students in group
conf
1. proj
2. proj
3. proj
Total
Increased work load –
Solutions
Don’t invent things from
scratch everytime
Who? When? How? What? Rules?
Develop a school-based concept/procedures to spare the time to
think out, negotiations and communication.
Makes coordination, progression and continuity possible
Increased work load –
Solutions
Integrated informationsystem for schools:
Administration, communication, information, documentation,
evaluation, grades, attendance registration,……..
Increased work load –
Solutions
Necessary conditions:
• In-service teachers training (Staff development):
IT and educational theory
• Accessibility to computers, software and Internet
• Support: technical and pedagogical