Abstract:

In order to design and tutor online and blended learning courses, trainers and teachers need certain qualifications. This paper addresses the competencies teachers and other professionals need in order to plan, implement and tutor e-learning settings. Between 2005 and 2008 different competence models have been developed in articles and by organisations which describe standards and recommendations for the qualification of university teachers and other trainers in this field. In Hessen, a German state, a ‘media competence’ standard for students who become school teachers was developed 2005. This competence profile was implemented in an adopted form at the university of Frankfurt 2006 as a ‘media competence certificate’ for students by the center for teachers training. Until now over 300 student have completed the certificate, which differentiates three areas of competencies:

- Theoretical aspects of media in our society
- practical technical skills
- instructional design and integration of new media in teaching

To receive the certificate, students need to accomplish eleven credit points. Five can be attained by one main lecture and additional tutorials in which the students learn the more practical skills in a project work setting. Another six credits they receive in courses contributed by the different disciplines, mainly the technical didactics such as didactics of physics, of history, of mathematics and so on. Here they focus on the didactical design and the integration of new media into lessons at school. Meanwhile the concept is extended to the phases two (a two year training program after their study years) and three (teachers in their job) of the state’s teachers’ training: Together with the state ministry the university develops a vertically integrated program for teachers’ training on new media from phase one to phase three which in the long run is planed to be documented in an e-portfolio.

But also other trainers and teachers besides school teachers ask for comparable training opportunities. In accordance to the above mentioned discussion the University of Frankfurt has developed a training program for university teachers, trainers and other professionals which consists of 24 single workshop modules. Most of them can be booked independently, but a combination of nine modules, together with the development of a final course concept leads to the ‘e-learning certificate of the University of Frankfurt’. Meanwhile the course program is so well known and popular that the main workshops for the certificate are booked out only several days after their announcement. The whole course concept is based on a broader discussion of a state wide e-learning certificate, for which the universities have developed learning objectives and a standard competence model – which will be presented in the paper. Additionally the University of Frankfurt has developed a program which addresses more the requirements of professionals who want to spend as little time as possible in face-to-face trainings. In only three workshop blocs and two integrated online phases the participants achieve the necessary competences to become e-learning experts. In the paper the results of two different settings of this course concept will be presented and compared: one with trainers who did not know each other before and one inhouse training among colleagues. Also recommendations for online course settings for such trainings can be given.

Keywords:

e-learning experts, competencies, teachers training.