IS THERE STILL A NEED TO ENHANCE E-COMMUNICATION SKILLS AND E-MODERATION SKILLS OF STUDENTS AT A TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY?

More and more teachers are developing complex e-learning designs including online communication and online co-operation during two lessons. Blended learning designs are implemented, more and more teachers are supplementing a blended learning approach by a webinar or other forms of online communication totally based on Web-Technology, very often based on Video conferencing software.

The intensive use of Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) tools in lessons and seminars at brick and wall universities requires a complex set of skills from students and teachers. As of the intensive use of new technologies and social media technologies many lecturers – especially in the sector of Higher Education – are of the opinion that students only should be trained in using and organizing the tools (e.g. communication tools of Learning Management Systems) but not in soft skills or e-moderation techniques.

But the communication skills of young students were skilled mainly in leisure time context (private purposes). Professional e-communication skills and e-moderation experiences – important e.g. for online learning in groups – are almost not available.

The result is that student online-communication with teachers and other student colleagues is imprecise and often vague (lack of coordination/timing).

This paper describes a curriculum design and investigates the utilization of CMC tools with focus on enhancing e-communication and e-moderation skills. The lecture is part of the University`s soft skills catalogue and is a compulsory lecture of the curriculum “Didactic for Informatics” at Master level.

The strength of the program is the mixture of theoretical inputs combined with practical experiences including videoconferencing and other forms of online communication representing main features of them. It will be discussed the methods and developed trainings modules. The de facto learning outcomes of this lesson will be compared with the expected learning outcomes. At last benefits for higher education focusing on e-communication and e-moderation skills by students will be analysed.