Evaluation of an Educational Video Production Environment

In this paper, a cloud-based solution for the easy production and meaningful distribution of video-based learning material is presented and evaluated. Using this system, lecturers can produce video material with their own computers anywhere, at any time. The system enables the production of longer lecture videos as well as short videos, each containing only one of the course's topics. The system also handles video sharing for students automatically in a meaningful way through the course's table of contents. An evaluation of the first production version of the video production and distribution system was carried out by collecting qualitative material from the lecturers and students.

Temporal Differences in Participation Modes in Video-Based Blended Learning Practice

In traditionally organized education, the education provider also determines the teaching schedules. Education in accordance with the blended model and based on videos can be realized, when so wished, in such a way that the student will be free to decide about his/her time use. In this kind of environment students can still study in accordance with the proposed pedagogical model at a pace determined by lecture sessions so that the previous lecture is always seen before the next face-toface teaching session. Study can also completely adapted to one's own pace. In this case, the student watches the lecture videos before an exam, not worrying about the pace of face-to-face teaching. This resea…

Producing Lecture Videos from Face-to-face Teaching

There is a clear demand for lecture videos in modern education. Nevertheless, the desire to keep face-to-face education remains as well. In such a case, the natural option is to produce videos in face-to-face teaching situations rather than in a studio environment. The challenge this kind of production faces is how to make it to cover an entire degree program cost-efficiently while serving the purpose intended. This article explains the demands set for video production in the context of face-to-face education at the scale of a degree program and how to effectively respond to them in practice. The paper also evaluates the effectiveness and impacts of the production model developed in connect…

The Role of the Learning Styles in Blended Learning

Education that is in line with the blended model and carried out with the help of videos enables, above all, flexible participation in study. Various participation modes enabled by video are suitable for different kinds of learners. The interaction when study ing with videos differs from that in face-to-face teaching. Among other things, videos allow pauses in study and enable study in peace. This study examines the role of various learning preferences, so-called learning styles, in blended learning. The study is based on a learning style mapping made for students and on data collected over several years about their study participation styles in education that is in accordance with the blen…

SmartCampus Project

The aim of the SmartCampus project is to create an environment which enables high-quality, flexible and effective studying, both as traditional face-to-face and online. A focal result of the project is the CiNetCampus environment, developed in connection with the Master’s education in mathematical information technology. It increase flexibility in education with the help of video lectures and add interactivity to lecture videos. It was also possible to integrate other functionalities to the environment that are useful for teaching and studying. This paper focuses on the presentation of the CiNetCampus environment and the functionalities implemented for it. The paper also highlights the impa…

The Role of Log Entries in the Quality Control of Video Distribution

Diversification of university teaching with the help of video lectures has become much more common during the past few years. Once videos have become an essential part of teaching arrangements, whoever organizes the teaching must also pay attention to factors related to videos in quality system work for teaching. In the video production process it is the factors related to video transmission that exert influence on the usability of videos and set limitations for their production. A lot of information about those factors can be obtained from the media server log files. The particular focus of this paper is on the functionality of the connection between a server and a client and its effect on…

Collaboration network for inspiring children and youth into science, mathematics and technology in Finland

The importance of STEM education is widely recognized. Despite the value of the sector and good associated employment prospects, young students generally lack interest in science and engineering. This is reflected in the difficulty universities experience in recruiting qualified students for STEM subjects, which in turn is reflected in business life and is a factor slowing down countries’ economic development. In Finland, efforts have been made to solve this challenge by launching the LUMA Centre Finland network, which consists of 13 university-related centres promoting STEM issues throughout Finland. This paper describes the network and its objectives, with a special focus on the activitie…

Aikuiskoulutuksen monimuotoistaminen koulutusteknologian avulla : case Kokkolan yliopistokeskus

Development of Network Security Education

Distance education has grown tremendously over the last decade. Internet technologies have enabled a large-scale dispensation of lectures, exercises, and training. Virtual Learning Management Systems (LMSs) offer a number of tools to realize distance education and distance learning. In this work, we present a virtual system architecture for training cyber security professionals with hands-on skills. The architecture is based on a VirtualBox virtualization environment. Guest machines are installed on an instance of VirtualBox. The installed environment offers a safe and isolated workbench for experiments. After installation and configuration of the environment, students perform a number of i…

Teknologioilla parempaa pedagogiikkaa

Blended learning in master studies in Mathematical Information Technology — Impacts on attendance and learning outcomes

Blended learning based on lecture videos and face-to-face teaching provides good opportunities for students for participation in education, regardless of time or place. This article examines the impacts of blended learning, as it has developed in connection with master studies in information technology, on participation in education and on learning outcomes. The solution is based on face-to-face teaching and the use of streaming lecture videos. According to the results, the use of lecture videos increases participation activeness, and the increase in participation has a positive impact on completion of courses. However, the use of lecture videos does not seem to have any clear-cut effect on…

Open Badge Concept in Education - Benefits and Challenges

Digital learning badges offer new possibilities alongside conventional certificates. The Open Badge concept is one of the most common implementations of learning badges in use. The concept was piloted and the services required by it were developed in a project carried out in Finland in 2014. This research highlights the utilization opportunities noted in connection with the Open Badge concept and also challenges related to it. The paper also discusses some applications created during the project that enable the utilization of the concept. peerReviewed

The effect of time and place dependence when utilizing video lectures

In many learning institutes, diversification of teaching with the help of various technologies has become an essential part of educational arrangements. With the increase in the use of networks for teaching purposes, the use of streaming videos is now one of the possibilities to be reckoned with in trying to increase flexibility in studies. Specially recorded on-demand videos provide the students with better chances to decide when, where and how to study. Information on how students use on-demand videos can be obtained, apart from student questionnaires, from the log files of a media server. These files offer an information source that, on the one hand, is diverse but, on the other, cumbers…

Raising Awareness of Students’ Self-Directed Learning Readiness (SDLR)

This paper describes the mapping of self-directed learning readiness (SDLR) for adult students applying for a master’s degree program delivered entirely as distanced learning. Since SDLR is strongly linked to both adult learning and online education, developing of self-directed learning (SDL) skills should be taken into consideration in our degree program. Making future students aware of SDLR is the first stage in introducing self-directed learning methods and practices in learning environments. The easiest way to do this is to have students answer an SDLR self-assessment questionnaire and give them feedback regarding their SDLR level. This paper presents how this is realized and provides t…

Flipped Learning Experiment in Video-Based Education

Videos intended for educational use have increased significantly in recent years. This is partly due to the increasing use of videos for entertainment purposes, as well as an increase in broadband connections. Educational videos may include short video clips, screen capture videos or, for example, recordings from the classroom teaching situation. Videos can be utilized in revising, for compensating absences, making teaching more flexible or for developing presentation skills. The recording also enables the re-use of lectures. This allows completely new types of educational solutions, such as the implementation of flipped learning. In flipped learning, activities traditionally carried out in…

Distance Learning with Hands-on Exercises : Physical Device vs. Simulator

This Research to Practice Full Paper presents a comparison between a physical device and a simulator in a distance learning context. Programming embedded devices is very commonly taught using embedded hardware. One of the most used solutions is the Arduino microcontroller platform, which allows small embedded applications to be built and commanded in a programming language. However, there are some challenges in using physical devices for educational purposes. These challenges are particularly acute in distance learning or when the course needs to be scalable to a varying number of students. To address these challenges, we explored the potential of a simulator as a replacement for a physical…

Choosing a study mode in blended learning

Education providers aim to meet today's education requirements by employing, among other things, education technology solutions that increase flexibility. This has also happened with the master's level mathematical information technology degree directed to adults. In the degree program, lecture videos brought in together with face-to-face teaching provide good opportunities for flexible educational arrangements. Education with the help of videos can be arranged in such a way that students themselves will be able to choose their study mode in accordance with their needs. When students themselves can choose their study modes, many different ways to take advantage of the flexibility provided a…

A Blended Learning Solution and the Impacts on Attendance and Learning Outcomes

Blended learning based on lecture videos and face-to-face teaching provides good opportunities for students for participation in education, regardless of time or place. The article describes a blended learning solution that is based on face-to-face teaching and the use of streaming lecture videos as it has developed in connection with master studies in mathematical information technology. The particular focus of this article is on the use of lecture videos and the impacts of blended learning on participation in education and on learning outcomes. According to the results, lecture videos have become very popular among students. Moreover the use of lecture videos increases participation activ…

Open badge factory project consortium

Open Badges in Higher Education

Open Badges is an open source code concept developed by the Mozilla Foundation to identify the learner's knowledge and skills and to display them in a modern way. Although the concept was originally meant to display informal learning, it can also be applied to formal education. Indicating competences electronically makes it possible to display competences for which traditional certificates are unsuitable. It also enables completely new features such as a restricted validity period for a certificate. The Open Badge concept also can make education marketing more effective, and it might be thought as a future solution for identifying competences acquired earlier when moving from one study leve…

Diversification of adult education with the help of video lectures

For some years now, adult education and working while studying have had an important role in the modern society. Mature-age study brings with it some special features, such as time use limitations, which must be taken into account when creating educational programmes for the students concerned. Above all, flexibility must become a major feature of participation in education. In relation to the Master Studies in Mathematical Information Technology at Kokkola University Consortium, the aim for some years now has been to increase that flexibility by diversifying traditional lecture teaching with the help of real-time and on-demand video lectures. With the help of the results presented in this …

From face-to-face to blended learning using ICT

This study examines the development of the education model created in connection with the Master Studies in Mathematical Information Technology. The model has developed from the first stage, where there was only face-to-face teaching supported with Learning Management System, to a stage where studying is possible also fully in online and students may choose themselves how much to take advantage of technology in their studies. The examination of the development of the education model is made from the viewpoints of accessibility, increased role of technology and interaction. In earlier studies, the education model has been evaluated for example from the viewpoints of changes in the participat…

How Do Students Blend Their Studies Based on Time and Place?

The flexibility of participating in education can be improved by utilising lecture videos. By producing videos of contact teaching lectures and offering them to students as real-time videos and recordings, opens up new participation opportunities regarding time and place. This study examines an environment in which students can freely choose their mode of participation for each individual lecture. The objective has been to identify possible changes in participation by looking at participations between 2008–2012 and in 2017. According to the results, teaching bound to a specific location has disappeared almost entirely. Participation in teaching is instead mostly done using videos. Students …

Business Cooperation - Improving The Working Life Relevance of Higher Education

Education programmes should provide students with the skills for working life. This is important not only for students, but also for companies. Skills refers, in addition to competence in a specific area, to general competencies, working life practices in common use and, for example, knowledge of software used in the business world. It is even more important to take into account the needs of working life when teaching adult students, who often study alongside work with the aim of progressing in their careers. In spring 2019, Kokkola University Consortium Chydenius conducted a survey targeting information and communication technology (ICT) companies in its local area. The results highlighted…