First Evaluations of Network-Based Education: Preliminary Findings of the ICT Programs Evaluation Project

The educational use of ICT programs evaluation project researches and develops pedagogical models and principles for the design and assessment of network-based education. The study is part of the Finnish Virtual University project KasVi. The research methods used include ethnographic research, a semiotic approach to cultural meanings and narrative analysis. According to preliminary results, the experience of community and the emergence of a student community clearly require shared experiences and mutual trust. A written teaching and tutoring process was perceived as being deeper and more authentic than a spoken one. Tutoring had a more significant role for both teachers and students that face-to-face teaching. In the net, the allocation of time and scheduling seemed to emerge as central factors for a successful course, and increased students' satisfaction. The skill needed to work on a network, which is one component of media proficiency, develops through practical work on a network.