Project VIRTA

Education Services Centre

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Background

• In basic education, some school subjects have very few pupils in each school

• Minority religions

• Minority languages (mother tongue)

• Expenses are quite high• Transportation

• Salaries

• Equipment

• Sustainable development

• Distances limit pupils’ options• Especially extra languages

• Problems with current methods of distance education

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Project VIRTA in short

• Began in 2008• Funded by Finnish National Board of Education and the city of Turku• Search for new (technological) methods for distance education

• Inexpensive• Accessible• New technology => new educational possibilities

• Targets lower comprehensive school education (7-12 years old)• Adobe Connect Pro• Pilot programs

• Orthodox religion• 9 schools, 17 pupils, small groups

• French• 2 schools, 12 pupils, large group

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Adobe Connect Pro

• Web-based• Video conference software• No local installations needed• Variety of tools (whiteboards,

audio and video files etc.)

Equipment needed• Computer with internet connection• Headset (microphone/earphones)

or conference microphone• Web camera

Video

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Results from surveys, interviews and exams

Pupils

• Feels like a computer game: 11%

• Easy to ask for help: 93%

• Feels like the teacher is in the same room: 32%

• Most distracting thing – poor audio quality: 82%

• Best technical help during lesson – assistant: 82%

• Likes to continue in distance education: 71%

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Results from surveys, interviews and exams

Teachers

• Requires a lot of work

• Teacher also becomes an ”IT-expert”

• ”Education first” => system not designed for education

• Increases both teacher-pupil and pupil-pupil interaction

• Easy access to demonstrative material (video, audio)

• Enables new teaching techniques

• Class control is better than in near education

Exams

• Average scores same as in near education

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More school-related possibilities

• Distance consultation• Multiprofessional teams (teacher, school social worker etc.)

• Hospital school’s follow-ups

• Shared expertise (eg. special schools => reg. schools)

• Etc.

• Teacher / principal / parent meetings

• Extension studies

→→ Saves time, money and environmentSaves time, money and environment

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Contact information

City of Turku

Education Services Centre

Project VIRTA

Project manager

Päivi Luomapaivi.luoma@turku.fi

Project assistant

Antti Huttunenantti.huttunen@turku.fi