COLLABORATIVE ELEARNING NETWORK POSSIBILITIES IN AGRICULTURE

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COLLABORATIVE E-LEARNING NETWORK POSSIBILITIES
IN AGRICULTURE

• L. Várallyai1, P. Lengyel1, L. Gaceu2
• University of Debrecen, Hungary
• 1Faculty of Agricultural Economics and Rural
  Development,
• Department of Business- and Agricultural
  Informatics
• 2Transilvania University of Brasov, Romania,
  Faculty of Food and Tourism

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Introduction

• All educational institutions over the world use
  computer network-based learning for expanding
  learning opportunities separated by time and
  distance.
• Collaborative learning is an approach to teaching
  and learning in which students are required to
  work together in the learning process.

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Introduction

• In rural regions the e-Learning is able to
  provide new ways of organizing
• teaching
• learning
• management of educational opportunities.
• It is generally accepted that information to
  sustain and increase agricultural production is
  spread over
• different agencies
• notably farmers
• universities
• research institutes
• extension services
• commercial enterprises
• non-governmental organizations.
• However, this knowledge is often poorly
  documented or hard to access. In this regard
  learning systems and digital repositories for
  agriculture could be remedies to overcome this
  problem.

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Open source software

• The use of Open Source Software (OSS) has taken
  off over the past decade, regarding the cost and
  performance of commercial software products view
  of open source e-learning development.
• The use of OSS has grown rapidly mainly in the
  higher education community. The OSS gives
  opportunities for
• using teaching
• learning
• sharing of information world wide in agriculture
  too.
• Moodle is provided freely as Open Source Software
  (under the GNU/GPL). It can run on any computer
  because it based on PHP, and can support many
  types of database.

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Collaboration platform

• In January of 2009 Moodle has a large and diverse
  user community about 612,000 registered users
  78 languages 203 countries.
• In Hungary more than 180 Moodle sites are
  registered. A few belong to agricultural
  education institution and there are 3 official
  registered systems at the University of Debrecen.
  
• This data demonstrate that system can be joint
  platform for cooperation. Within the NODES
  European e-Learning project we selected this
  system as a joint platform. The members of the
  project (FR, E, IRE, H, CZ, RO) implemented the
  Moodle system creating the LMS.
• Today there are a lot of registered servers in
  agricultural sector in Hungary as well as world
  wide. We have strong co-operation on e-learning
  with Life Scince University Prague and
  Transilvania University of Brasov.

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Using Moodle Portal in UD-Debrecen

• In 2007 our department decision was introducing
  the Moodle framework by tentatively. We prepare
  e-books and revising questions to the appropriate
  subjects. We have serious help from a HEFOP
  project.
• In connection with introducing a new system is
  key issue the student attitude. We have not any
  problem with it, because the students recognize
  the advantages of the system, which are the next
• Every curriculum and study-aid are in one
  location
• The results of test can be seen right away after
  finishing it for the students
• Every information get to faster and more exactly
  to the students
• The homework of the students can be uploaded
  directly to the Moodle server and dont have to
  send e-mail to the teacher
• Acceptance of the system was positive by the
  students.
• Proposal introduce the system in Faculty level.
• After the favourable reception of the dean, we
  introduced the system in Faculty-level.

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Using Moodle Portal in TU-Brasov

• In the last decade, Transilvania University of
  Brasov, has built up a TRAINING EDUCATION ICT
  TOOLS in the frame of Leonardo Pilot Projects
  Transnational Networks.
• Virtual Electro Lab The goal of the project
  consists of developing a complex training system
  that includes the correlation of the courses,
  seminars, workshops and testing systems with the
  virtual and remote experiment elements.
• Renewable Energy Sources Environment Management
  Friendly ICT The project aims to develop a
  dynamic, user-friendly e-Training tool that will
  empower the interested users to browse along the
  technological development, sensing good practice
  projects around the world.

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Using Moodle Portal in TU-Brasov

• Building a Web-based Trainers Wide Open Resource
  for Learning and Development - WBT World The WBT
  project aims at creating the premises for
  improving the quality of the Internet-based
  courses at all levels.
• New Strategies Of Competence Acquisition For
  Lifelong Learning In Energy, Transport,
  Environment Engineering The objective was
  developing new strategies for increasing the
  trainers lifelong teaching and learning
  competences by using interactive methods and
  modern training programmes in energy - transport
  - environment engineering.
• Valorisation of an Experiment-based Training
  System through a Transnational Educational
  Network Development. The project aims were to
  create a transnational network in the domain of
  virtual and remote experiment for e-learning
  based on integration and optimisation of existing
  products.

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E-Learning network possibilities in Agriculture

• The positive feedbacks of e-Learning systems give
  an idea, how can be used it in the adult
  training. Especial target group can be the
  farmers, who are living in rural areas and deal
  with agriculture. They are victim of digital gap
  because of lack of knowledge in using computers
  and lack of broadband Internet connection.
• In Hungary
• 32 of farmers has computer
• 28 of farmers use the Internet
• this rate is very low compare to other sectors.
• The Hungarian National Rural Development Plan for
  2007-2013 period contains actions for developing
  the computer usage skills and Internet
  accessibility in rural areas and extension
  services and activity.
• That is why we would like to create an open
  system for e-Learning and provide training for
  using this technology and service for content
  development and distribution for farmers.

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Training for village agri-economist experts

• In the framework of the National Rural
  Development Plan 2004-2006 carried out 400
  consultants for public-benefit advisory tasks.
  From among the civil servants of the Ministrys
  Agricultural Offices in the counties the village
  agri-economist experts (650) - related to their
  public administration tasks, also supply farmers
  with general information and advice.
• The aim is to increase the number of farmers, who
  make special advisory services by 35.000 between
  2007 and 2013.

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Training for village agri-economist experts

• We organized training for village agri-economist
  experts. The numbers of participants were 21
  village agri-economist experts from Hajdú-Bihar
  county (neighbourhood of Debrecen). It is
  important, because they can be potentially tutors
  of the farmers. Their tasks are the training of
  the farmers by distance learning using the modern
  information and communication technology (e
  -Learning).

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Assessment of the training

• Finally, the participants filled out a
  questionnaire.
• Based on their answers we can say, the village
  agri-economist experts want to learn basic
  Information Technology.
• operating system
• word processing
• spread-sheet handling
• Internet and communication
• According to their opinion this knowledge is
  needed for farmers too in general.
• Nowadays, it seems the most important is the
  Internet and Communication module, because the
  village agri-economist experts help farmers to
  use the IACS (Integrated Administration and
  Controlling System) for filling in application
  form of subsidy.

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The training for employees of Rural/Local
Administration Offices

• Between February and April in 2008 we organized a
  basic Information Technology Training (for
  employees of Rural/Local Administration Offices),
  which based on 4 modules (based on questionnarie
  answers)
• Using a computer and managing files
• Word processing
• Information and Communication
• Spreadsheet handling.
• 80 persons from different rural towns and
  villages from Hajdú-Bihar County in Hungary (From
  the North-Alföld region). 100 contact hours
• The aim of the practice oriented training
  programme was that the participant would be able
  to use the basic knowledge of ICT and they could
  take EDCL passes if they want to take it.
• Learning materials were published on the
  e-Learning system (Moodle).

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Single Area Payment Scheme cooperation with
village agri-economist experts in Hajdú-Bihar
county

• To simplify procedures in connection with
  applications for area payments the Agricultural
  and Rural Development Agency (ARDA) and the
  Central Agriculture Office (CAO) started to
  introduce electronic filling and submission of
  subsidy application forms in 2008.
• Based on the experiences of the users we can say
  that the developers of the system have created a
  well-considered program which is easy to learn
  and accessible to anyone over the Internet. The
  limitation of the system is the capacity of the
  server providing the service.
• In this programme our department helped with
  cooperated student recruiting and education
  platform providing (Moodle)

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Conclusion

• The e-Learning technologies become important
  tools in the
• higher education institutions
• the enterprises and individual persons
• several professional and administrative systems.
• All educational institutions over the world use
  computer network-based learning for expanding
  learning opportunities to students separated by
  time and distance.
• In rural regions the e-Learning is able to
  provide new ways of organizing
• teaching
• learning
• management of educational opportunities
• The future of e-Learning depends on the
  development of professional education programs
  that prepare collaborative teaching and learning
  environments. University of Debrecen is using own
  e-learning system at University of Oradea,
  Romania within joint educational programme.

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Thank you for your attention!