When Teachers Learn – Providing Local Teacher Training With Global Best Practice

How can efficient teacher education be made available to everybody, especially to those unable to attend a university nearby? According to MKFC Stockholm College, eLearning is the answer. The institution offers eLearning courses all over the world and looks back on ten years of experience in the field. Currently their system connects teachers in 142 countries without the need of expensive technology.

In a workshop at eLearning Africa the Swedish eLearning school will present their solution “End-to-End eLearning” which can be used for primary, secondary and vocational teacher training. Together with the National Africa Foundation (Ghana), they will demonstrate their unique way to combine theory and practice within teacher training. The approach of MKFC Stockholm College especially focuses on authenticity. Learners benefit from authentic activities within the online learning curriculum. Practical applications and authentic tasks are the core of the training system. In the learning process, students are a part of a net community which connects them with each other as well as to different national and international institutions worldwide giving them access to knowledge from all over the world.

Kalle Hedlund

Kalle Hedlund from MKFC Stockholm College explains: “Our End- to-End model is based on about ten years of experience working with eLearning for empowerment and substantial growth. We have found out that this concept works well all over the world because the learning need comes from the person and the learning happens in an authentic learning environment based on an authentic need.” The Swedish institution was able to establish a range of partnerships across Africa and beyond to support their vision “Education for all”. Therefore they work together with local entrepreneurs in Eritrea, Ghana, Kenya, Palestine, Pakistan, Somalia, Sweden, Finland and soon the Gulf area.

At the eLearning Africa workshop the team will discuss how to make teacher training successful in authentic environments via eLearning. They will also present practical experiences and the integration of the African perspective and focus on the distribution of eLearning using learning management systems and mobile phones. The workshop’s target group are principals, staff from education departments and institutions, researchers and others interested in teacher training. The workshop will take place prior to the main conference on Wednesday, May 28th, 2008. Participants need to register separately for this event.

The workshop will be led by Karl Hedlund, MKFC Stockholm College, Sweden, Olle Lundberg, MKFC Stockholm College, Sweden and Prince M. Obiri-Mainoo, National Africa Foundation, Ghana.

April 29, 2008

More information about MKFC Stockholm College can be found at http://www.stockholmcollege.se/

For details on their pre-conference workshop at eLearning Africa go to:
http://www.elearning-africa.com/workshops/workshop6.php

Newsportal: Designing and Delivering eLearning