Frequently Asked Questions
- What do we mean by e-learning?
- What are examples for e-learning material?
- What are advantages and disadvantages of e-learning?
- What are the benefits of e-learning for the Swiss Plant Science Web?
- Who is the target group for the courses?
- Are you still open for ideas on the subject areas?
- What will be the course length?
- Will the students receive ECTS credit points?
- What can I, as a SPSW scientist, gain from participating?
- What does it cost to participate?
- Are the courses a part of existing PhD programs?
- Are the courses designed according to international standards?
- What can I, as a SPSW scientist, contribute?
What do we mean by e-learning?
We use e-learning as the generic term for all Internet-based forms of teaching and learning.
What are examples for e-learning material?
E-learning material typically consists of text enriched by any kind of multimedia content, for instance interactive figures, animations, video sequences or quizzes with instant feedback. These resources are either publicly available via the Internet or accessible on learning platforms (LMS) like Moodle or OLAT that require a password.
What are advantages and disadvantages of e-learning?
Advantages:
- Accessibility—E-learning content is accessible anytime (asynchronous learning) from anywhere (distance learning) with an Internet connection.
- Pause and rewind—The learning pace is individual, and remediation becomes possible without holding back class.
- Multimedia—Interactive content gets the student involved and helps to quickly arrive at the learning goals.
- Quizzes—The instant feedback provided by tests allows immediate and simple assessment of the learning progress.
Disadvantages:
- Cost—The development and maintenance of e-learning content demands considerable resources.
- Motivation—E-learning has to be readily embraced as a teaching and learning tool, otherwise it might not be used to its full potential.
- Self-discipline—Individual learning approaches require a high level of self-discipline.
What are the benefits of e-learning for the Swiss Plant Science Web?
E-learning can help to increase the visibility of research within the SPSW for a broader audience outside the network. For instance, students will be able to review the provided material in order to gain background knowledge about particular research areas of interest for their MSc or PhD thesis.
Who is the target group for the courses?
The content of the SPSW e-learning courses is aimed at MSc and PhD students.
Are you still open for ideas on the subject areas?
The general coverage of the two courses is now set and the framework concepts have been established. However, within the subject areas we are still open for ideas, especially on the teaching material, which we would like to customize according to the specific needs and strengths of the participating lecturers.
What will be the course length?
The courses will cover several lessons wherein the content will determine how much time a student will need to spend. A course can be taught and taken as a whole, or distinct parts of the course can be used as stand-alone modules. The course length will thus ultimately depend on how the course is organized by the lecturer.
Will the students receive ECTS credit points?
It is our goal to integrate the e-learning courses into the existing curricula of the eight SPSW institutions. Depending on the deployment of the content, students can be awarded ECTS credit points.
What can I, as a SPSW scientist, gain from participating?
- The teaching material will be tailor-made for specific needs.
- You can use the course or separate modules for your own teaching activities.
- The content can act as an advertisement for potential MSc and PhD students.
What does it cost to participate?
Participation will be free of charge. The SPSW is funding the development and implementation from January 2011 through December 2012.
Are the courses a part of existing PhD programs?
At the moment (April 2011), the integration of the e-learning courses into existing PhD programs has not yet been finalized.
Are the courses designed according to international standards?
Yes, using international standard formats for course content (SCORM, QTI) will allow for the deployment on various learning platforms (LMS).
What can I, as a SPSW scientist, contribute?
- Ideas for improved or new teaching material
- Revision of the created resources
- Collaboration and shared responsibility with other SPSW scientists with complementary interests