Telematics and on-line teacher training: The POLARIS project

Abstract

The link between distance learning and telematics is becoming ever stronger, yielding new solutions to old problems, innovative educational resources and new teaching/learning models. One of the most innovative and promising fruits of this relationship is on-line education, notably a process whereby all the participants (teachers, tutors and students) are linked up in a computer network; the effect of this is the creation of a fully-fledged learning community in which all individuals take an active part and make a valuable contribution to the group. The aim of the paper is firstly to outline the distinctive characteristics of on-line education methodology and secondly to examine the POLARIS project, which proposes an experimental approach for in-service teacher training based on intensive use of computer mediated communication according to the principles of on-line education.