Getting Teachers Well Trained For E-learning: A Case Study For Developing Ict Skills For Better Learning Requirements

This chapter describes an experience in teacher training for e-learning in the field of adult education. It takes into account the models offered by flexible lifelong learning as the proper way to develop training for teachers in service, considering the advantages of blended learning. It focuses on the features a teacher training course has to fulfill, in order to facilitate in teachers the use of ICT as a tool to reach learning goals. Skills and competences are to be developed to guarantee that teachers not only are able to make proper use of computers, but also, and most important, that they are aware of the mayor challenges ICT brings as a powerful means of communication and as an emerging new pedagogical model. In this context, the learning design should always allow that the teachers, in training, to integrate in their work ICT solutions that fit to the didactic objectives, renew teaching and learning methodology, facilitate communication, give place to creativity, and allow pupils to learn at their own pace. By doing so, they will be closer to the profile of a tutor online, as a practitioner who successfully takes advantages of the virtual environments for collaborative work and learning communication. A case study is offered to point out possible approaches to develop training programmes.