ViLM: Visualization of Learning and Teaching Strategies with Multimedia in Teacher Education

The ViLM-Project at the University of Paderborn (Germany) in the faculty of computer science started in October 1998. The aim of ViLM is to use Multimedia and Hypermedia in a Teacher Education Program to support students of computer science (informatics) in modelling effective teaching. By ViLM students shall integrate new technologies into their teaching and learning processes and use Multimedia as a very convenient tool for selfassessment of their educational practice in the class room. Teacher students in informatics usually participate in a course of class room work to gain experience in teaching students, organizing learning processes, developing teaching strategies and creating and testing curricula for informatics in secondary schools. The evaluation of this practical teaching experience takes place in face to face meetings and discussions between teacher students and their tutors who observe class room work. The concept of ViLM now provides teacher education with a highly integrated course of theory and practice in teaching informatics. Therefore, supported by Multimedia, it aims to improve classroom teaching. The steps of ViLM: • In a problem based course with the topic ‘methods of teaching informatics’ at university, teacher students should become acquainted with typical class room situations. They should be prepared to develop their own course materials and to plan informatics lessons together with their fellow students. Materials and concepts of teaching will be delivered in form of webbased documents on a hyperwave-server and can be accessed by all participants of the course. • During this period of ViLM-Project students also visit schools to attend lessons in informatics and to analyze the teaching strategies of teachers and the students’ concepts of learning. Theoretical assumptions about teaching informatics and practical experience of class room situations will be discussed with their tutors in the course at university. • After having been prepared for school practice at the university course, teacher students now have to teach informatics in the class room on their own. They will be observed by some of their fellow students and their tutors. The communication and collaboration in the class room will be recorded by two video cameras, one for the teacher’s and one for the students’ perspective.