Rahvaluule e-kursused: uudishimust kogemuseni

• Main Author: Tiiu Jaago
• Format: Article
• Language: Estonian
• Published: Eesti Kirjandusmuuseum 2008-01-01
• Series: Mäetagused
• Subjects: tertiary education; e-learning; virtual learning environment; WebCT; folklore teaching methods
• Online Access: http://www.folklore.ee/tagused/nr38/jaago.pdf
• ISSN: 1406-992X; 1406-9938

There are three types of online folklore courses available at the University of Tartu: epublications of open access study materials (subject web sites, e-lectures, and e-textbooks), video lectures (e.g., on DVD), virtual e-learning environment with limited access(three main e-learning platforms are used in Estonia: WebCT, Moodle, IVA). In this article I focus on my eight years of experience with WebCT, having worked as a learner, course compiler (including designer) as well as the lecturer.The need for web-based courses increased together with the growth and the broadened opportunities in the use of WWW. The fact that the web site of Estonian Folklore (www.folklore.ee) already featured a number of electronic databases as well as e-publications introduced the need for the use of these materials in educational work. WebCT enables the user to present material in written and audio format, present lore texts as audio or video recordings or images and thus present web lore in an entirely natural context. Present-day students have grown up in the computer era, which is why searching the Web for material is as natural to them as searching for information in books once was. At the stage of familiarising myself with WebCT (2000–2002) I put together course materials while the web materials were technologically integrated by Lehti Pilt, education technologist at the University of Tartu. In 2003–2004, I acquired skills of preparing a WebCT course (formulate the subject, determine the e-course structure, consider learning assignments and methods, the use of WebCT devices, etc.) and by 2006 I had developed skills of designing the course, taking part in courses and seminars, compiling courses and carrying these out. This was an active process of acquiring new information which consummated with the introduction of the new version of WebCT in 2006, which for me was a serious setback: I had to do extra technical work at converting the courses from the old version of WebCT to the new one. Regardless of that, WebCT has turned into an equal (though not alternative) work environment to conventional learning (traditional classroom sessions). This, however, is not a common apprehension: students who are not comfortable with computer communication are sure to mention it in formal feedback, while the opposite version (of students officially protesting against traditional learning) is very rare indeed. In informal feedback, however, preferences and objections of both types of learning are proportional. On the one hand, it seems that at its present stage, the students and the general public of the university has accepted the use of WebCT (or other interactive learning environments). This learning environment is nothing extraordinarily new or novel and people are readily willing to join these courses. Many have their own experiences and have formed prejudices. On the other hand, it is not exactly the case in actual discourse: people speak about WebCT as an alternative type of learning, the creation of web-based courses are not perceived as something that a lecturer has to be skilled in, course participants dare to object to the choice of virtual environment (which would not be possible in terms of traditional classroom learning, as this might lead to the question of why they had entered the university in the first place).