Digital culture refers to the practices, habits, and values that emerge from people'sinteractions with digital technologies, such as the Internet, social networks, and mobile apps,among others. In the curriculum of basic education, it is necessary to work with elements of DigitalCulture so that students can exercise digital citizenship in a critical and reflective way. However,research indicates that teachers, many of them digital immigrants, do not have appropriateresources from the Digital Culture to teach their classes while students, digital natives, observe theidiosyncratic logic and dynamics of school with their reality and notice a great mismatch. Based onthis context, the question is: what are the elements of digital culture that contribute to the reflectionand criticality of students in the teaching of Philosophy in high school? The aim of this text is tohighlight the resources of digital culture that contribute to the reflection and criticality of studentsin the teaching of Philosophy in high school. The methodology is a qualitative bibliographicapproach. As a result, it was observed, in existing research, that the digital resources adopted inpedagogical practices contribute to the teaching of Philosophy and that, depen ding on the resourceused, they allow: illustrating philosophical concepts and theories in a concrete way; stimulatephilosophical and critical reflection; develop critical skills; stimulate debate; share ideas andopinions on philosophical topics; democra tize access to illustrative, representative and interactivephilosophical content; offer different perspectives according to the context and pedagogicalintentions.

Quantitative data about the use of various tools in the Learning Management System (LMS) in the year 2004, the academic year 2009-2010 and 2018 at a small Swedish university confirm the notion that increased use of educational software usually does not lead to a wider use of collaborative pedagogical methods. This paper aims to explain why lecturers predominantly use LMS to distribute documents to students, rather than to facilitate collaborative learning and interaction. A survey of lecturers and students’ perceptions collected in the spring of 2019 with an online questionnaire provided additional qualitative data.

The authors discuss the situation with restrictions due to the Corona pandemic and a change of LMS in the years 2019-2022 as a problem to both the education process and the collection of data, but also as an opportunity to accelerate the implementation of on-line digital methods. It remains to be seen if the increased use of off-campus methods in 2020 to 2022 will be persistent over time.        

In their conclusions the authors assert that a wider use of the tools for interaction depends on pedagogical practices built on social constructivist, learner centered theories of learning. They suggest that if higher education is only justified by the impact on economic growth, creation of new jobs and new products rather than as a means for personal growth and development, it works as a barrier to the use of pedagogical methods intended to elicit student activity and promote the creation of learner communities and shared perspectives. 

I denna rapport presenteras en undersökning av lärares upplevelse av utbildning och support under bytet av lärplattform 2021-2022 vid Högskolan i Borås. Syftet var att samla den undervisande personalens upplevelse av en komplicerad process och ge underlag för reflektion och eftertanke för alla inblandade. Dessutom berörs några frågeställningar som måste beaktas när organisationen av teknisk och/eller pedagogisk support skall planeras.

nclusive education requires teacher education initiatives that enable pedagogical practices committed to students’ singularities. This article aims to systematize contributions to teacher education towards educational inclusion provided by research conducted at the master’s and doctoral levels in Education. We selected studies published from 2016 to 2019 in the Catalogue of Theses and Dissertations maintained by the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES), and we used the following descriptors: “inclusão escolar” (educational inclusion), “formação docente” (teacher education), “Ensino Fundamental” (elementary and middle school). With regard to our theoretical foundations, our study builds on the work of authors such as Campos (2009), Marques et al. (2020), Nóvoa (1999, 2017, 2019) and Zwierewicz et al. (2020). Methodologically, it is based on bibliographic review with a qualitative approach. Results show that teacher education is one of the pillars to build educational inclusion; creativity and collaborative work are critical; teachers’ work environment should allow them to re-signify reality as they re-signify themselves, mobilized by reflections on their own pedagogical practices and by recognition for initiatives committed to educational inclusion principles.

The purpose of this article is to present conditions implied in the use of Learning Management Systems (LMS), at the University of Borås (UB), Sweden, specifically in 2004, 2009, 2010, and 2018, highlighting patterns that characterize the routines adopted by the teachers. Utilizing quantitative and qualitative approaches, the exploratory research included the analysis of courses in area of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). In addition to a general analysis of the respective courses, a questionnaire was applied to 76 professors and 926 students from the mentioned courses. The pattern of use is analyzed by means of classification of tools in four groups; distribution tools, communication tools, interaction tools, and course management tools. The results confirm that LMS is widely utilized to distribute documents to students, while the tools facilitating interaction and collaboration are used sparingly and this pattern is consistent over time. Despite an increase in the total use of LMS, there is no increase in the use of digital tools for interaction in Higher Education, which indicates the importance of promoting a wide use of collaborative methods and of encouraging interaction.

In order to contribute to an inclusive, democratic society aware of the instructional demandsof the collective within the scope of the educational space, this study outlines someapproximations between the ‘Creative School’ and 'Citizen School' projects. The analysisdiscusses that both initiatives, with their converging and diverging characteristics, are mutuallycomplementary and contribute to global education. Contributions include the guidingprinciples of the International Network of Creative Schools (RIEC) and the experience reporton eco-pedagogical practices issued by the Federal Institute of Santa Catarina, São José Campus(IFSC/SJ), Brazil, which were historicized by means of Digital Information andCommunications Technologies (DICT). In the analyzed experience, digital didactic gameswere deemed as a disseminating instrument of creative eco-pedagogical projects (CEP) andcontributed so that environmental education activities taking place in the Campus were notdiscontinued, but rather resignified by the new subjects who were given the opportunity toengage in such activities.

Spridningen av Covid-19 under vårterminen 2020 ledde till krav på en snabb omställning till fjärr- och distansundervisning vid högskolan i Borås. För att få en översikt av lärares reflektioner och erfarenheter kring omställningen genomfördes en enkätundersökning under vecka 21 och 22. Med hänsyn till behovet att få en snabb och överskådlig bild användes en enkät med 11 frågor som besvarades genom att välja bland givna alternativ, men respondenterna inbjöds även att kommentera och utveckla sina synpunkter via mail.

Syftet med undersökningen var att utvärdera stödet för distansundervisning under perioden och bidra till utvecklingen av högskolans framtida organisation av stödet för digitala hjälpmedel i undervisningen.

This study compares the use of Learning Management Systems (LMS) in two universities; University of Borås in Sweden and University of Jaen in Spain. The focus is on the lecturers perceptions about Online Asynchronous Discussions (OAD) and three groups of lecturers are compared; two groups from Borås, divided according to whether they teach mainly Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM; N=31) or Arts and Humanities (A&H; N=45). From Jaen all respondents (N=35) work at the department of education and all but one person selected A&H as their field. The results are similar for the three groups, with lecturers from the STEM field appearing slightly more reluctant to promote online discussions.   

The authors suggest that a major barrier to the use of online asynchronous discussions to elicit student activity and the creation of shared perspectives is the attitudes of lecturers and students whom look at education foremost as a way to acquire subject specific knowledge and a diploma rather than a mean for personal growth and development. It is argued that by teaching students to exercise freedom of expression in a responsible and constructive way universities can justify academic freedom in a democratic society.

This paper presents a project, funded by Erasmus +, Strategic Partnership and conducted in by three European universities from; Sweden, Spain and the UK, in cooperation with a software company. The project aims to remediate the problem of masters' students who do not get their degree within the allocated time or even drop out from universities. The underlying cause is identified as students that have the formal prerequisites to register for a master's programme may still lack crucial previous knowledge and/or abilities to manage the studies.

The suggested solution was to develop learning resource modules for four different master's programmes in Europe and create a HTML5-platform to house them. The modules are intended to illustrate the different abilities and level of previous knowledge that applicants are supposed to bring into their studies by a suitable entry profile for the master's course identified by lecturers.

The access modules provides potential students with a self-assessment test divided in twelve parts. A visualization of the level of the twelve different skills or field of knowledge are then compared to the suitable entry profile for the master's course. Whenever weak spots in the prospective students´ ability are identified, the students are presented with a series of learning interventions designed to remedy flaws in their ability.

The authors argue that the use of similar access modules could improve enrolment, completion rate, time-to-degree and retention in a wide range of educations.

This paper presents a project, conducted by three European universities and a software company, funded by Erasmus +, Strategic Partnership. The project addresses the problem that sometime masters´ students do not get their degree within the allocated time, if at all. Apparently some students with the formal prerequisites to register for a master's programme still lacked the actual abilities to manage their studies.

The solution was to design an online HTML5 platform to house self-assessment and learning resource modules for four different master's programmes in Europe. The modules were intended to illustrate the level and abilities that potential applicants were supposed to bring into their studies by a self-assessment test. In case lacking abilities were revealed, the modules offer learning resources to mitigate those gaps.

The access modules provides potential students with a visualization of twelve different skills and knowledge as compared to those identified by lecturers as necessary for study on the master's course. If there are weak spots identified, the students are presented with a series of learning interventions designed to remedy their ability flaws.  

The authors suggest that providing potential students with this kind of material can raise their awareness of what the programme really takes. In this way students with false expectations can be avoided and the ones who applies come better prepared, which the use of access modules potentially can leads to improved enrolment, completion rate, time-to-degree and retention in a wide range of academic programmes.

This article presents findings from an action research project. It is based on data from participants in a Learning Management Systems (LMS) course given to educators in Cuba, Guatemala, Peru and Brazil. The data were first collected from the participants during the course, and approximately one year later, the participants were asked to fill out another questionnaire outlining their experiences after the course. The course used Live USB-Mediated Education (LUME), a method based on a complete package of course material and programs executable from portable memory devices, thus allowing participants to work on any computer on their own time. The results show that positive attitudes about open educational resources (OER), educational software and collaborative methods go together and are likely to result in a wider use of computer-facilitated methods and free digital material. The authors assert that the lecturers’ pedagogical motivation rather than their technical skill determine whether and to what extent they will use educational software; additionally, the results indicate that to reap the pedagogical benefits of educational software, teachers must understand how information sharing and collaborative methods can improve learning and teaching.

This article presents a staff development project, intended to increase the use of educational software in higher education. The data was collected in four Latin American countries where university teachers attended a course about Learning Management Systems (LMS) built on the LUME method. LUME is an acronym for LiveUSB Mediated Education, a method based on a complete course package executable from a portable memory device.

The process of planning appropriate changes in a course is outlined by reflecting on previous results. Some critical aspects of teachers’ education are identified and the authors argue that pedagogical motivation and collaboration rather than technical skill decide the long-term results.

The authors assert that educational software have the biggest impact on the students when it is used to facilitate social constructivist methods. In order to reap the pedagogical benefits of educational software teachers must understand how sharing the information and the collaborative learning can improve learning and teaching in high education.

Syftet med Projekt Loftet vid Högskolan i Borås (HB) är att utforma en lokal för framtidens undervisning, utifrån aktuell forskning om lärandemiljöer. Här skall lärarna få en plats där de kan utveckla sin undervisning, prova pedagogiska och metodologiska idéer och bli förtrogna med aktuella tekniska hjälpmedel.

Arbetsgruppen har på rektors uppdrag arbetat med frågan hur en mötesplats med lärande i fokus, där lärarna skall kunna utveckla sin pedagogik och teknik, med såväl pedagogiskt som tekniskt stöd bör utformas. Denna rapport har även som intention att förmedla arbetsgruppens tankar om hur användningen av ett rum för aktivt lärande skulle kunna utnyttjas för att utveckla undervisning och lärande vid Högskolan i Borås.

Förutom aktuell forskning har intervjuer med studenter, lärare och forskare samt studiebesök vid andra universitet tjänat som underlag för gruppens diskussioner.

Gruppen föreslår att en bred fortbildning för lärare med tonvikt på kollaborativa och elevcentrerade pedagogiska metoder initieras, för att motivera lärarna att utnyttja lokalens möjligheter.

Ett förslag på utformning av rummet redovisas i rapporten.

A ampliação da Educação a Distância - EaD no contexto brasileiro e internacional vem sendo

acompanhada por uma série de desa%os, implicando, minimamente, na necessidade de compatibilidade

entre a oferta, as possibilidades pedagógicas para o uso de Recursos Educacionais Abertos

- REA e as especi%cidades de aprendizagem de cada contexto. Considerando a relevância da

EaD para o acesso e a democratização do Ensino Superior, este estudo tem como objetivo re&etir

sobre desa%os enfrentados na criação ou adaptação de propostas de ensino para a modalidade ou

projetos semipresenciais, destacando soluções que permearam esse processo em diferentes iniciativas

impulsionadas pela Universidade de Borås - HB (Suécia). Trata-se, portanto, de um relato de

experiências que apresenta soluções criativas planejadas a partir dos desa%os observados na implantação

de propostas em diferentes países, cuja intenção é colaborar para que outras instituições

e outros pro%ssionais interessados facilitem o processo de inserção da EaD.

Palavras-chave: e-learning, Recursos Educacionais Abertos, Ensino Superior.

The use of Open Educational Resources (OER) by a number of Latin American lecturers and their students is presented. The respondents were divided in four groups, one each in Cuba, Guatemala, Peru and Brazil. They all participated in a course given by the first author of this paper about the use of learning management systems in the year 2010-12. In that course only OER were used and the participants were strongly encouraged to utilize OER in their work. Two weeks into the course the participants responded to a questionnaire with a number of statements about the use and sharing of free material on the internet.

In this study the lecturers´ opinions about the use of OER at that time are compared with the use of OER by the lecturers and their students about one year after the course was finished.

In all four groups the answers to the first questionnaire showed that, even though the idea to utilize free course material in higher education was new to most of them, the lecturers were positive to the idea of utilizing OER and most of them were prepared to make material of their own available to others.

The results from the first and the second occasion are strongly correlated; the conclusion is that the attitude of the lecturers is of critical importance for the acceptance of OER. The results are consistent with the assumption that many lecturers can find plenty of useful free course material once they are made aware of OER and have methods to disseminate it to their students.

The authors adhere to the opinion that OER could increase the quality of education and contribute to the availability of education worldwide. In order to stimulate the production and dissemination of OER the authors recommend that institutions of education worldwide encourage lecturers to take part in the free sharing of material on the internet.

This thesis contributes to the quality of engineering education and the accessibility of education worldwide by promoting computer-enhanced teaching and learning. It uses the epistemology of John Dewey (1859-1952) and the action research methodology first advanced by Kurt Lewin (1890-1947). A mixed methods approach that combines qualitative case studies with quantitative research methods is used.

In the first of three case studies engineering students working on their final degree projects participated. To elicit interaction, a learning management system (LMS) was used and the students were strongly encouraged to discuss various aspects of their work.

The second case focused on the barriers to a wider utilization of educational software in engineering education. The case is delimited to lecturers at the School of Engineering at the University of Borås. The investigation focuses on the lecturers’ reluctance to use educational technology and the slow uptake of new pedagogical methods in engineering education.

The third case study covers three subsets of participants. A course intended to improve lecturers handling skills and motivation to utilize educational software in a pedagogically sound manner was given in Cuba, Guatemala and Peru.

The first case demonstrated that computer-enhanced collaborative learning can improve the learning experience and performance of engineering students. The second case showed that LMS tools that facilitate traditional methods are used routinely, whereas lecturers often refrain from using features intended to facilitate collaboration and the creation of communities of learners.

The third case study investigated the use of a complete course package, with all course material and software contained on the same USB drive (LiveUSB Mediated Education, LUME). It is asserted that LUME can facilitate constructivist pedagogical methods and help overcome the reluctance of lecturers to utilize educational software in a pedagogical sound way.

A Learning Management System (LMS) can be analyzed by sorting the features into four groups; tools for distribution, tools for communication, tools for interaction and tools for course administration. This classification was used for the first time when the use of LMS at the School of Engineering, University of Borås, in the year 2004 and the academic year 2009-2010 was investigated. The results from this longitudinal investigation confirmed the suspicion that lecturers used the available LMS predominantly to distribute documents to students, and that the pattern of use did not change over time. In this article the authors asserts that this classification is necessary to convincingly demonstrate the pattern of use and to analyze the pedagogical application of an LMS. The classification system works regardless of what brand of LMS is used, and it allows the connection between educational procedures and features in the LMS to be analyzed. Today, platforms, similar to a LMS are used in industry and government to handle information, staff development and internal communication. The possibility to analyze the use of such platforms may have beneficial effects on society beyond and outside universities.

Se expone la experiencia alcanzada en el desarrollo docente-metodológico de las asignaturas relacionadas con la formación investigativa (Metodología de la Investigación Científica), y su impartición semipresencial con el empleo combinado de un Sistema de Gestión del Aprendizaje (SGA: MOODLE), las TIC y las técnicas de Elearning (Enseñanza flexible basada en Problemas), donde se emplean diversos recursos y actividades de la plataforma (Foros, Videos, Encuestas, Cuestionarios, Tareas, etc.) para lograr la motivación y adecuada orientación del desarrollo de la investigación de los participantes durante la elaboración de un proyecto científico-investigativo.

LiveUSB Mediated Education (LUME), em português ‘Educação Mediada por Memória USB’, é um método para a educação assistida por computador. Foi desenhado com a intenção de distribuir cursos completos em locais nos quais o acesso à Internet é pouco confiável e/ou o acesso a computadores é escasso. A forma de distribuir cursos, empregando o método LUME, foi publicada previamente por Garrote, Pettersson e Christie (2011) e por Garrote e Pettersson (2011). Essas publicações utilizam dados compilados durante a aplicação de cursos de formação docente de universidades integradas ao Projeto USO+I, descrevendo obstáculos enfrentados e possibilidades visualizadas durante o desenvolvimento da proposta formativa, tais como a combinação de métodos pedagógicos inovadores com Tecnologias de Informação e Comunicação (TIC) e Recursos Educacionais Abertos (REA).

Este capítulo foi desenvolvido para argumentar, de uma forma geral, os desafios enfrentados pelos docentes universitários quando pretendem ou a eles é requisitada a adaptação de suas disciplinas para a educação a distância ou semipresencial. No decorrer do texto, contudo, não são examinados somente os obstáculos, mas também apresentadas formas de superá-los. Sistematicamente, os desafios são caracterizados no relato das experiências que um dos autores deste capítulo vivenciou durante 14 anos no trabalho acadêmico e na participação em diferentes projetos, período em que as Tecnologias de Informação e Comunicação - TIC assumiram um papel importante na educação e em outras áreas. Para representação do processo vivenciado, foram selecionados projetos, nos quais se utilizaram recursos como a Internet, intranets, CD, DVD, produções multimídia (textos, imagens, áudio, vídeo e outros) e técnicas e ferramentas próprias de e-learning.

In this paper the authors use the theory of communicative action (Habermas, 1984-6) to analyse problematic relationships that can occur between supervisors and PhD students, between co-supervisors and between the students themselves. In a situation where power is distributed unequally, instrumental and strategic action on the part of either party can complicate and disturb efficacious relationships. We use Flanagan’s critical incident technique (Flanagan, 1954) to analyse twenty-five incidents that are told from a supervisor perspective and twentyfive from a PhD student perspective. The analysis reveals that a large proportion of incidents involved power struggles. Other categories include lack of professional or emotional support and poor communication. Rational dialogue based on Habermasian principles might have avoided many of these problems. The analysis concludes with some practical suggestions as to how the use of communicative action theory and critical incident technique can improve supervision, supervision training and the PhD process.

In this investigation a group of lecturers in engineering education in Cuba that took part in an introduction course about the use of Learning Management Systems (LMS) gave their opinions about the future use of LMS. The answers show that the lecturers, even though they had little experience in handling a LMS, believed that they could benefit from the use of a LMS in the future and that they are prepared to use the programs as soon as they get proper training and the access to computers and internet is sufficient. It is pointed out that the possibility to improve efficiency, quality and availability of education by the use of a LMS depends on the system being fully implemented. In view of these findings the authors recommend that universities in developing countries take immediate steps to give lecturers training in the handling of LMS and encourage them to prepare for an extensive use of LMS as soon as the access to computers is sufficient.

This article investigates barriers to a wider utilization of a Learning Management System (LMS). The study aims to identify the reasons why some tools in the LMS are rarely used, in spite of assertions that the learning experience and students’ performance can be improved by interaction and collaboration, facilitated by the LMS. Lecturers’ perceptions about the use of LMSs over the last four years at the School of Engineering, University of Borås were investigated. Seventeen lecturers who were interviewed in 2006 were interviewed again in 2011. The lecturers’ still use the LMS primarily for distribution of documents and course administration. The results indicate that their attitudes have not changed significantly. The apparent reluctance to utilize interactive features in the LMS is analyzed, by looking at the expected impact on the lecturers’ work situation. The author argues that the main barrier to a wider utilization of LMS is the lecturers’ fear of additional demands on their time. Hence, if educational institutions want a wider utilization of LMS, some kind of incentives for lecturers are needed, in addition to support and training.

Este documento es el resultado de la ejecución del "Proyecto USO+I: Universidad, Sociedad e Innovación. Mejora de la pertinencia de la educación en las ingenierias de Latinoamérica", financiado por la Union Europea

This study was conducted to find out how lecturers in developing countries perceive the use of Open Educational Resources (OER). A group of teachers at the Instituto superior Politécnico José Antonio Echeverría, Facultad de Ingeniería Eléctrica (Havana, Cuba) participated in a course about the use of Learning Management Systems that only used OER. After they had been introduced to the concept they answered a questionnaire with a number of statements about the use and sharing of free material on the internet. The answers show that the lecturers were positive to the use of free course material and expressed their willingness to make their own material available. The results also confirm the hypothesis that peer recognition is an important reward for the time and effort spent on producing freeware. The authors assert that extensive use of OER could increase the quality of education, as well as making education more accessible in developing countries. To stimulate the production and dissemination of OER it is recommended that institutions of education worldwide promote the use of OER and encourage lecturers to take part in the free sharing of material on the internet.

In this paper the authors present research findings from a comparative case study involving the pedagogical use of learning management systems (LMS) at the university level. Two engineering programs are compared, one based at the University College, Borås, Sweden (hereafter UB) and the other at the Instituto Superior Politéêcnico Joséê Antonio Echeverrîa, Havana, Cuba (hereafter ISPJAE). At UB twenty two engineering lecturers were surveyed concerning their use of LMS. At ISPJAE fifteen lecturers were given a course on LMS, provided with tools to use it, and subsequently interviewed about the extent to which they had employed it in their courses. The aim of the case study was threefold. Firstly to compare the lecturers' knowledge and understanding of the pedagogical advantages of using LMS in face-to-face, blended and online learning. Secondly to determine the extent to which an LMS was used and evaluate the pedagogical value of such use. Thirdly to investigate the administrative, technological and pedagogical barriers involved in using an LMS.

Abstract: In this paper the authors argue that although Higher Education researchers have been largely responsible for the creation of the Internet, university lecturers have been far less innovative and active in their use of this form of Information Communication Technology (ICT). To support our case we use our own research to show the manner and extent to which a Learning Management System (LMS) is used by a sample of teachers from an Engineering Department in Sweden. We also analyze the use of interactive LMS tools by lecturers who undertake staff development courses. The teachers in our two samples make very little use of online asynchronous discussions (OADs) either as teachers or as students. We use logic and the literature to explain this phenomenon and make some recommendations for improving the scholarly, innovative and pedagogical use of LMS in both staff development and mainstream university courses.

In this paper the authors analyse the design and implementation of a course about learning management systems (LMS). The course was first given in Cuba and then in Guatemala and Peru, within the project USo+I: Universidad, Sociedad e Innovación, Mejora de la pertinencia de la educación en las ingenierías de Latinoamérica financed by the European Union's ALFA III program. In the course only open educational resources (OER) were used and all course material was stored on USB drives together with the needed software. All programs were executable directly from the memory to meet any problems of limited access to the Internet. Problem based learning was used, with the course divided into two weeks of on campus lectures and workshops followed by distance learning for three months, altogether corresponding to ten weeks of full time studies. The authors propose the term LiveUSB Mediated Education (LUME) for a course package, with course material and software contained on the same USB drive. The participants' opinions about the course and their perceptions about LMS and OER were investigated in order to determine the extent to which the LUME method can facilitate cost-effective computer aided education, especially in developing countries.

A poster presentation about the course of the use of Learning Management Systems (LMS), given by the University of Borås to lecturers in Cuba, Guatemala and Peru.

In this article the authors propose LiveUSB Mediated Education (LUME) as a term to describe the packaging of a complete set of course material together with the software necessary to access the material on a portable memory device. It is argued that the method offers a convenient tool to utilize Open Educational Resources (OER) and can significantly improve the availability of education worldwide. The article gives a description of the design and implementation of a course within the project USo+I: Universidad, Sociedad e Innovación financed by the European Union, within the ALFA III program. The course uses only OER and all material is available from USB-memory sticks to meet any problems of limited access to computers or internet.

In this article the use of Learning Management Systems (LMS) at the School of Engineering, University of Borås, in the year 2004 and the academic year 2009-2010 is investigated. The tools in the LMS were classified into four groups (tools for distribution, tools for communication, tools for interaction and tools for course administration) and the pattern of use was analyzed. The preliminary interpretation of the results was discussed with a group of teachers from the School of Engineering with long experience of using LMS. High expectations about LMS as a tool to facilitate flexible education, student centered methods and the creation of an effective learning environment is abundant in the literature. This study, however, shows that in most of the surveyed courses the available LMS is predominantly used to distribute documents to students. The authors argue that a more elaborate use of LMS and a transformation of pedagogical practices towards social constructivist, learner centered procedures should be treated as an integrated process of professional development.

Abstract – This paper is a description of the design and implementation of a course within the project USo+I: Universidad, Sociedad e Innovación financed by the European Union, within the ALFA III program. The course was an introduction to the handling of Learning Management Systems (LMS) first conducted at Instituto Superior Politécnico José Antonio Echeverría, Facultad de Ingeniería Eléctrica, Havana, Cuba. The course was divided as two weeks of on-campus lectures and workshops followed by distance learning for three months, altogether corresponding to ten weeks of full time studies. Pedagogically and methodically the course was planned within the concept of Problem Based Learning (PBL). All course material was open educational resources freely available on the internet. The design of the course also had to consider the problems of limited access to computers and internet, both during the course and in the lecturers´ future practice. The solution was to have the LMS “Moodle” and other software executable from USB-memories and all course material available from the same USB-memory sticks. How this design can meet the given considerations is discussed.

In this paper the authors report on a course that was given in Cuba in 2010. The funding for the course came from the European Union, within the ALFA III program. The project was called US0+I; Universidad, Sociedad e Innovación and its aim was to facilitate the exchange of educational methodology and pedagogy between the partner countries that made up the US0+I consortium. Within this project the University of Borås was assigned the task of giving the above mentioned course about the use of Learning Management Systems (LMS) in Higher Education. This paper describes the design and implementation of the course, with emphasis on how it was adapted to meet the needs of lecturers in a developing country. It also analyzes the results of research data that was collected during the duration of the course. The main aim of the research was to more clearly define key questions and issues in the area of cross cultural use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) as part of a larger action research project concerning ICT and cross cultural equity. The basic question that drives this research project is: What technical, social, economic and cultural differences affect the implementation of LMS in developed as compared to developing countries?

Aiming to implement the Motto “Science for Professions” follow at the University of Borås, the school of engineering has carry out a series of Design-Building Experiences (DBE) aimed to promote the development of specific engineering skills and attributes as well as personal and interpersonal competences on team work and communications, which have been selected from the CDIO syllabus. A total of three DBE activities have been implemented in a one-year master program in Biomedical Engineering. The learning outcome produce from the implementation of the teaching-learning activity has been evaluated from the point of view of the students, through a questionnaire. The answers from the students suggest that the activity has reached the intended goal, especially facilitating the development the students’ own personal and professional engineering skills and attributes. The results of this survey also indicate the remarked concern of the students regarding the assessment of the activity and its contribution in the final grade of the course. In general the implementation of the DBE was a success and provides us with certain new knowledge about implementing student centered learning methods on international master programs.

In this paper the authors present a solution to the problem of giving practical training in handling information and communication technology (ICT) without depending on internet access. The proposed method is to use an USB-memory to emulate selected educational resources that are otherwise available on the internet or on a local network. How this method can influence pedagogical issues is discussed and, it is asserted that the method offers interesting learning advantages beyond the obvious independence of internet connections. The paper describes the planning and implementation of a course about the use of Learning Management Systems (LMS) in higher education and, in particular, how it was designed to meet the needs of educators in a developing country with slow or unreliable internet connections. The course was a part of the project USo+I: Universidad, Sociedad e Innovación. Mejora de la pertinencia de la educación en las ingenierías de Latinoamérica (University and Society: Improving of the relevance of the education in the engineering of Latinoamerica) this project financed by the European Union, within the ALFA III program. The University of Borås was assigned to design and teach a course about LMS to engineering educators in Latin-America.

In this article, the authors report on a study that was carried out at the University College of Boras. Teachers using an online learning platform (WebCT) were surveyed to see to what extent they made use of the various features available to them on the learning platform. The extent to which teachers employed all the features was low. The article provides comparative details about the use of the various features (chat, discussion forums, assessment etc) and analyses reasons for their underutilisation. This case study is used to make more general points about pedagogy of online learning and discusses the need for greater cooperation between all the stakeholders involved in putting courses online. It can be counter productive for a university to simply impose a learning management system upon its teaching staff and decree that they put their courses online. If a university is concerned with quality and innovation in the education it offers its students, then a great deal of groundwork needs to be done if teachers and students are going to get the most out of a move to blended or online learning. This article offers a number of recommendations for ensuring that teachers embrace rather than resist a move to innovative and quality assured online education. (Contains 1 note and 2 figures.)

The purpose of this study was to examine lecturers' attitudes towards learning management systems (LMS), with particular reference to identifying obstacles to increased use. At the University College of Borås, Sweden, 22 lecturers who had used WebCT during the previous 9 months were interviewed. The answers show that most of the lecturers, including those who only used minor parts of the LMS, believed that they could benefit from using a LMS in the future. The study did not support the hypothesis that fear of the complexity of the system or unwanted effects on education are important reasons for lecturers not to use the LMS. When lecturers decide individually to use tools in the LMS, the major concern is the initial amount of work compared with the expected benefits. Due to the benefits of a fully implemented LMS and the results of this study, it is recommended that institutions in higher education take actions to establish LMS as a standard tool, and support development of the lecturers' professional competence.

The purpose of this study was to examine the attitudes among lecturers and find out if there was a resistance that could be an obstacle to an increased use of LMS (Learning management systems) in the higher education. At the University College of Boras 22 lecturers were interviewed, the sample consisted of lecturers that had the opportunity to use WebCT during the last 9 months. The answers show that most of the lecturers, including those who only used minor parts of the LMS, believed that they could benefit from using a LMS in the future. The study did not support the hypothesis that fear of the complexity of the system or unwanted effects on the education is a main reason for lecturers not to use LMS, when lecturers decide individually to use tools in the systems, the major concern is the initial amount of work compared with the expected benefits. Due to the benefits of a fully implemented LMS and the result of this study it is recommended that institutions in higher education take actions to establish LMS as a standard tool, and the handling a part of the professional competence of the lecturers.

The project is a cooperation between University College of Borås (UB), local Unemployment Agency and European Social Fund. The purpose of the project is to offer practice to unemployed academics at UB, let them develop themselves and find a new job. After 5 months 11of 30 participants have got a job. The project uses a Learning Management System (LMS) to promote group interaction and socialization. An analysis of the use of online asynchronous discussion (OAD) within the LMS has been made and presented in this paper. The purpose of this analysis is to study the group interaction and socialization.

In this position paper the authors compare and contrast two large scale government initiatives to increase online learning in higher education. Both initiatives began around the same time and similar amounts of money were expended. In February 2000 the British government established the UKeU (UK eUniversities Worldwide Limited). The aim was to create ‘a single vehicle for the delivery of UK universities higher education programmes over the internet’. The Government allocated GBP62 million to the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) for the project over the period 2001-2004. On 28 February 2004 the HEFCE effectively scrapped the UKeU after spending just on GBP50 million. UKeU had managed to attract 900 out of a projected 5, 600 students. A House of Commons Select Committee (March 2005) damned the experiment as a ‘terrible waste of public money’. At the beginning of 2002 the Swedish government also allotted a large sum of money (in total SEK470 million) to create the Swedish Net University. The Net University is still in existence and acts as a portal for students wishing to study online. Despite the name it is not a university with academic staff. A small number of technicians and administrators look after a website where students can search for and enrol in courses offered by universities who cooperate in the Net University venture. Its base consists of 35 participating universities. Online course offerings (subjects) have risen steadily from 1,000 in the first year to just over 3000 in 2007. Today about 80 full programmes have been registered. In this paper we study the reasons for the success of Sweden’s Net University and compare it with the failure of UKeU. In our conclusion we make a number of recommendations and point out some important lessons that can be learned from a comparison between two large scale government e-learning initiatives

New technology creates many new teaching and learning possibilities but at the same time places great demands on teachers and learners (Scott, 2001). In March 2002 the Swedish government created the Net University to stimulate and mediate net based learning in higher education. SEK600 million was set aside to be distributed between universities who supported e-learning initiatives. Of the total amount SEK500 million was given directly to universities who offered e-learning courses via the Swedish Net University. Some of this material was packaged in a pedagogically sound way and reflected well on teachers educational designers who cared about and understood the special requirements of e-learners. Unfortunately other material consisted of course notes and lectures that were simply downloaded with a great deal of thought for the learner. More recently the Net University has seen the need for more interactive courses that make use of commercial learning management systems (hereafter LMS). LMS such as BlackBoard, WebCT, Fronter, Ping Pong and others provide a way for teachers and learners to arrange course materials in a clear and helpful way as well as providing useful interactive teaching and learning tools. In early 2006 it hopes to be able to recommend that participating universities use one particular LMS in order to gain the greatest pedagogical and economical benefit for the universities and their teachers and learners. The recommendation follows an exhaustive evaluation process.

The purpose of the project was to improve Project Degree reports, follow-up the students work in different companies, increase the number of reports finished in due time and develop and encourage social interaction and cooperation. After discussions with students the following method was suggested -Web based education tool (WebCT) -Discussion room -Calendar with possibility to make “public” statements, book meetings and announce important common activities as fairs, exhibitions, etc. -Common area with weekly report on progress, working papers, opposition and final report Through the transparency in a common course the result was that the students increased their knowledge, became more dedicated, got continuous and improved feed-back from the instructor and most of all improved quality of the Projects Degree reports.