Browsing by Author "Karunanayaka, Shironica"

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    Open Access
    First Experiences in Collaborative Online Learning: A Case Study
    (2006-10) Karunanayaka, Shironica
    PCF4 // Using online methods for learning is rapidly growing among higher education institutions all over the world, especially in Open and Distance Learning contexts. The Master of Arts in Teacher Education (International) Program of the Open University of Sri Lanka integrated collaborative online learning in the course, “The Teacher Educator as an Educational Technologist”. Using a web-based Learner Management System, an interactive learning environment was created, to enhance collaborative learning among students. This study investigated the successes and impacts of the initiative, and challenges faced by students who were novices to online learning. The online learning environment supported students to interact with the subject matter content, with each other and with the teacher. As a result of this experience, students were gaining confidence in self-regulated and reflective learning, while developing a social bonding among them. Although they faced certain challenges such as coping with the technology and changing from conventional approaches, a sense of achievement was claimed once the activities are completed. This paper elaborates on the roles of teachers and learners in a collaborative online learning environment, and also stresses the necessity for design of interactive learning grounded in pedagogy, in order to ensure a successful learning experience for learners. // Paper ID 206
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    Open Access
    MATE (I) Story
    (2008-09) Karunanayaka, Shironica; Gunawardena, Chandra
    PCF5 Sub-theme: Livelihoods // Most countries give priority to teacher education, yet professional development of teacher educators who develop teachers is left as a responsibility of teacher educators themselves. It is rarely that teacher educators get the opportunity to update their knowledge or to acquire needed skills to perform effectively as teacher educators. In Sri Lanka, teacher educators have access mainly to research degree programs. To address this unmet demand, in 2000, the Department of Education of the Faculty of Education, Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL) launched a professional development program, the Master of Arts in Teacher Education (MATE) program, especially designed for teacher educators in the country. // Paper ID 791
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    Open Access
    Online Learning to Enhance Teacher Professional Development
    (2008) Karunanayaka, Shironica
    The dramatic changes in the information and communication technologies (ICTs) over the last few decades have had significant implications for new teaching and learning approaches. Modern educational technologies offer the potential for drastic changes in teachers’ roles, aiming at improving the quality of teaching-learning process. Teachers of today face many new challenges in order to cater for students who grow up with the emerging technologies. The inadequacies in the conventional approaches in teacher education to meet the complex demands thrust upon the teaching profession has led to increased use of open and distance learning methods in teacher professional development programs. Continuing professional development of teachers, especially in the use of ICTs to support teaching and learning, has currently become a crucial need. // The Faculty of Education of the Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL) offers several professional development programs of study using ODL techniques, aiming at expanding opportunities for personnel in the field of education to enhance their professional competencies. “Teacher Educator as an Educational Technologist” is one of the courses in a practitioner-oriented professional development program for teacher educators, Master of Arts in Teacher Education- International (MATE-I) program. This course was developed as a fully online course, using the learning management system (LMS) Moodle. This is offered as a stand-alone course to practicing teachers and teacher educators who desire to develop their competencies in the use of educational technology (ET). The duration of this course is six months, and the participants are awarded a certificate after successful completion of it. // Paper ID 298