Keeping in Touch…A Minimalist Approach to ODL

Claus Nielsen

EUCEN-Conference, Vienna October 17-19 2002

Master of Mediation and Conflict Resolution

MMCR Elements:

• Mediation

• Conflict resolution

• Negotioation

• Personal training

EUCEN-Conference, Vienna October 17-19 2002

MMCR Details

• A new education for adults

• Part-time study combined with full-time work

• 60 ECTS over two years

• Only admission with work experience

• Price: 16.000 €

• Involves personal coaching and supervision

• Students meet once a month for a weekend

EUCEN-Conference, Vienna October 17-19 2002

A Problem Arises…

MMCR needed easy means of communication and continuously contact between students, teachers and guest lecturers. As the programme includes only few face-to-face lessons a virtual bridge between the lessons was needed.

EUCEN-Conference, Vienna October 17-19 2002

Creating a Forum

During design of MMCR all focus group interviews centered on the personal meeting between the university and focused students with relevant work experience. On-line facilities were not in high demand.

To exchange information, papers and supplement face-to-face learning the University of Copenhagen chose to use an on-line forum.

EUCEN-Conference, Vienna October 17-19 2002

Choosing a minimalist approach

Use of ODL should:• Provide a continuously forum for discussion and contact• Replace time consuming and trivial processes

(providing basic information on e.g. changes in schedules and distribution of papers)

• enable students to make presentations and writing papers together despite geographical distances

The use of ODL should not:• Replace traditional teaching methods• Restrict the students from valuable personal networking

EUCEN-Conference, Vienna October 17-19 2002

Pedagogical Aspects

The ODL-platform shall provide a foundation for the face-to-face lessons and give a high level of preparedness.

The ODL-solution should help structure the learning proccesses and help evaluate on the training feed back each student get’s through the programme.

The critical dialogue with teachers, network-facilitating meeting of adult students and meeting guest lecturers will be at the core of the learning paradigm.

Feed back and counselling on mediation sessions can be taken to greater depth through personal counselling via the forum.

Blending learning methods give a learning profile that can be made to fit to all types of studies.

EUCEN-Conference, Vienna October 17-19 2002

Benefits of Simplicity

User-friendly

Initial investment low

Instruction needed minimal

Normal computer skills sufficient

No system integration troubles and easy system support

The platform can undertake more advanced tasks if the need arises

EUCEN-Conference, Vienna October 17-19 2002

University of Copenhagen

Founded 1479

35.000 students

7000 employees

6 faculties

More than 100 different studies

Currently expanding in the CE and e-learning sectors