TRAINING TEACHERS IN E-LEARNING WITHOUT INTERNET ACCESS

In this paper the authors present a solution to the problem of giving practical training in handling information and communication technology (ICT) without depending on internet access. The proposed method is to use an USB-memory to emulate selected educational resources that is otherwise available on the internet or on a local network. How this method can influence pedagogical issues is discussed, it is asserted that the method offers interesting learning advantages beyond the obvious independence of internet connections. The paper describes the planning and implementation of a course about the use of Learning Management Systems (LMS) in higher education, in particular how it was designed to meet the needs of educators in a developing country with slow or unreliable internet connections.
The course was a part of the project USo+I: Universidad, Sociedad e Innovación financed by the European Union, within the ALFA III program, the University of Borås were assigned to design and give a course about LMS to engineering educators in Cuba and Guatemala. The mission to design and implement a course aimed at professional development was in accordance with the intention of University of Borås to develop an expertise in science for the professions.