1. Presentation Teacher education in Iceland University of Education Sólrún B. Kristinsdóttir Head of the Mediacentre Iceland University of Education

3. Facts m³
Half way between North America and the European mainland.
inhabidants
Icelanders are using more computers and internet than most other nations
The weather is typical of a mild coastal climate, the average temperature in Reykjavik in July is +10.6° C and in January -0.9° C.

4. and figures about Iceland
200 compulsory schools
Capital area 65 schools
85 schools have less than 100 students
10 schools have more than 600 students
students in compulsory schools
4000 teachers
82% whith occupational education
1000 attended In-service courses 2000

5. Educational system Pre-school 6 months – 6 years
15% of 2 years and younger
75% 3 – 6 years
Primary and lower secondary 6 – 16 years compulsory
pupils in 200 schools

6. Educational system Upper secondary 16 – 20 years Colleges
85% enter
30 schools
Colleges
Technical, vocational, arts
6 Universities

7. Iceland University of Education -IUE
2000 Students
About 230 Members of staff
About 50% distance learning students -leading to new approaches in how to conduct the education

8. Teacher education B.Ed. 3 years B.A. B.S. + didactics
Qualified fo teach at primary and lower secondary level
B.A. B.S. + didactics
Qualified to teach at upper secondary level

9. Teacher Education in Iceland
The Department of Undergraduate Studies includes five divisions: More than 1800 students are enrolled.
Division of Early Childhood Education
Division of Primary and Lower Secondary Education
Division of Upper Secondary Education
Division of Sport and Physical Education
Division of Developmental Therapy
Most programmes are offered both as a full time residency programme and by distance education. Four of these divisions offer three-year programmes, 90 units (180 ECTS), leading to a B.Ed.-degree

10. Division of Primary and Lower Secondary Education A choice of fifteen subject specializations:
Art Education
Craft Design and Technology
Danish as a foreign language
English as a foreign language
Geography
Home Economics
Icelandic
Life Sciences
Mathematics
Physical Education and Sports
Physics and Chemistry
Social Studies and History
Religion
Textiles
Music.

11. Postgratuate studies
The postgraduate programme offers courses from 15 to 60 units ( ECTS) for professionals in education and social work.
Some about 450 students are enrolled at the postgraduate level in the Iceland University of Education.
All of them are taking part in Distance Education.

12. Web-Based education Distance education in IUE is more or less webbased
Webbased education calls for a different support service of the educational institusions.
Computer technology – Educational technology – Instructional design
Staff developments

13. Difference between on campus and distance learning
Students ditributed over the country and abroad
Learning communities
Teacher-students relationship
Dropouts from distance students
Teaching style
Communication technology in reaching students

14. The Support Service The service of the Mediacentre includes:
Setting up the webcourses
Instructions on how to use the course tools for:
Students
Staff

15. The role of the Media Centre
Workshop – computers, laptops, computer projectors, cameras, video cameras, sound editing equipments
In sevice assistance for staff and students regarding production of teaching and learning material, software and ICT

16. Personnel- MediaCentre
6 members of staff
3 Computer technicians
3 Educational technologists

17. Computer techincians in the MediaCentre
Their role is to serve the students and the staff at the desk, telephone and e- mail
Facing problems such as students access to the net and online – courses, editing of videos and sound, printing, students´ and staffs´ problem with various softwear

18. Teachers in the MediaCentre
Emphasise on the
pedagogical use of the courstools
importance of the communication tools
planing their course regarding time schedules, assignments

19. The Media Centre – staff developments
Staff develpoment provided by the Media Centre includes:
Courses in how to use the coursetools
Open Wokshop – teaches can come at a given time with any problems regarding the Web, Courstools and softwaer they are using (mainly Microsoft)
Individual assistance

20. Teachers in the MediaCentre
Development of an Icelandic course tool Netskólinn
Developing websides for courses, Náttúrufræði
Implementing databases to various web sides Soljak

21. Future developments All courses at IUE will be offered at the Web
Students can choose if they take the course on the web or at the campus

22. Future developments
Courses at the IUE will be offerd to people who wants to add to their education – preeschool/primary/secondary teachers, art/craft/sport teachers, ddevelopmental therapists/special needs teachers
IUE is growing to the Net - based Universities ideas
Developments in the Nordic countries is a cooparation between Universities in offering courses on the Veb and the students can take courses in different Universities. Model known in USA and UK(OU)

23. Courswear developments- connecting faculty not computers
The predictions of Stephen Downes, Thomas Cyrs, and others, is that courseware is going to change dramatically over the next five year or so. The generic toolsets are going to get better, and more discipline-specific tools. It makes more sense to teach faculty to think in terms of tools and what they can do than in terms of creating courses packaged in standalone units.
Ultimately, it seems that universities that thrive in an online environment will do so because they are able to offer something that other schools cannot. For us, that "something" is in large part the experience and expertise of our faculty, so it makes sense to use the technology to connect faculty -- not courses -- to students.

24. Some history of Iceland
Iceland was setteled by Nordic people in the 9th century
The language is Icelandic. It is more or less the same language that the Nordic countries spoke when the settlers came to Iceland. To the other Nordic countries Icelandic is in a way like Latin to the Italians

25. ...more history
In 930 the Icelandic settlers founded one of the world´s first republican goverments
Iceland lost it´s independancy in 1262, Gamli sáttmáli, and became a part of the Norwegian /Danish kingdom
In 1918 it regained it´s independancy from Danmark and in 1944 the present republic was founded
The country is governed by Althingi (parlament)

26. Economy
Nearly three quarters of merchandise export comes from the seafood industry and half of all foreign exchange earnings
Income per capita is among the best in the world
High standard of living
Life expectancy at 81,3 for women and 76,4 for men