CSCL A Nordic Perspective

Creating a functional and successful Virtual Interactive Learning Environment (VILE) requires both researching the potential building blocks of a VILE and ‘real-life’ (RL) strategizing, planning and implementation of large scale information-systems in large, complex organizations. Some issues requiring both academic and practical experience are becoming apparent that must be addressed if one thinks about opening up a VILE at one’s institution. As a former IS-consultant, working with specifying, planning and implementing enterprise-wide information-systems, who’s now gone researcher in the field of multimedia & education I believe I can bring some new insights from this ‘double take’ on the exercise. The issues identified and discussed in this article are: • The importance of discussing and deciding the reasons and goals of designing and implementing a VILE. • The importance of creating a development plan that ensures early successes. That is: What to offer, how to offer it and in what sequence to develop the many possible content-elements of the VILE. • The realization that the choice of pedagogy not only deeply affects the amount of resources required developing, implementing and delivering on-line courses or course-help. It also greatly influences the demands of the design, structure and content of courses or course-help as well as the potential for student-teacher and student-student-communications in the VILE. There are further issues such as problems with accreditation and (economic) compensation for scientific works delivered online but these belong to the domain of national, and international, law and academic politics, and will not be covered here. For the purposes of this article problems of accreditation and copyright are considered solved and not an issue. Why are VILE’s the next insanely great thing With the technical advances in Internet technology, especially in the area of Computer Mediated Communications (CMC) and Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL), but also in the drop in cost and required prequalifications of producing high quality multimedia-content for the web, it’s apparently becoming feasible to: • Create a coherent environment for learning – not just stored courses • Allow synchronous and asynchronous communications to smooth the path of learning. • Streamline test and assignment reporting. • Integrate administerial and academic functions into a cohesive unit • Save money or teach more for the same amount • Provide for improved quality of learning