**2. Advanced pedagogical approaches in tertiary education**

Advanced pedagogical approaches in tertiary education represent innovative efforts in the realm of human activities in the 21st century. Various approaches such as interactive online learning, web-based courses, hyperlinks to websites on the Internet, collaborative learning, online discussion forums, "guided didactic conversations," or "tutorials in print," and blended learning have become significant constituents of innovative learning and teaching techniques and methods.

A plethora of pedagogical activities both in their classical and contemporary forms have been provided by many Slovak higher educational institutions. One of the reasons, except for a unique support of information and communication technology and Internet media, is goodwill (for the universities) and demand (from learners) for this more convenient form of teaching and learning model.

At the outset, it is necessary to stress that in accordance with all these modern pedagogical and didactical approaches the winners are the learners. It has been noticed that such an innovative process of education receives less interest from the teachers, although various lengthy articles, papers and/or books dedicated to this particular matter emphasise the

Advanced Pedagogical Approaches at Slovak Universities 37

language patterns and collocations, working with dictionaries and other e-reference tools. Furthermore, they have taken advantage of the eclectic approach based on language performance, as they believe that most learning is preparation for actual performance. Particular negative observations, based on generally acknowledged experience, have been connected with instructors' (teachers') involvements. Both during synchronous and/or asynchronous learning there have been numerous complaints concerning the enormous burden of establishing the necessary contacts between learners and teachers (instructors). In most cases, learners did not have access to the Internet during the week, therefore they could devote their attention to the required resource materials only at the weekends or they

The second experience results from the implementations of the Leonardo da Vinci Project, REDILEM, involving nine partners from six European countries (Austria, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, the Slovak Republic, and Sweden) to create a new type of education for SME managers, managed and organised both by representatives of the Slovak Technical University in Bratislava and the University of Economics in Bratislava. The purpose of the project was to combine the theoretical interdisciplinary education with practical training within a learning network. It was intended to support managers of newly

The starting motivation of the project was the intention that products and experiences from the project gained should help various groups of inhabitants to ensure their continual education, and life-long reception of proper knowledge and skills, the improvement of skills and competence, the improvement of quality and the strengthening of relations between professional education and innovations, as well as the creation of new work-places and the improvement of conditions for employment and to improve entrepreneurial abilities and increase competitiveness, especially in regions with high rates of unemployment and restricted possibilities of learning, by the creation of a system of interdisciplinary distance learning for current and prospective managers of Small and

One of the particular aims was to provide learners with interdisciplinary education, since their present education was considered to be excessively one-sided (their orientation was overly technological), in order to increase their flexibility and adaptability to the changing labour market needs, to raise their competitiveness as well as their abilities to co-operate with domestic and foreign partners, mainly their customers and other SME managers. Another important goal was to support the socio-economical development in regions with

Syllabi, curricula and teaching materials have been designed as a new type of educational material, which requires a form and content of modern e-based learning materials providing an effective and low cost opportunity to gain target-oriented information and knowledge. Therefore, specific study materials have been produced. Reference materials for these courses need specific texts and materials, where reasoning is inevitable; some experts refer to them as "guided didactic conversations" or "tutorials in print." The teacher shall guide learners through the course material via the study guide, ask questions, give instructions and explanations, and communicate in a "language", which learners can easily understand. The design of such teaching materials should resemble the atmosphere and situation

high rate of unemployment and with a limited access to learning opportunities.

characteristic for traditional classroom learning and teaching.

were constantly forced to visit some public facilities, e.g. an Internet Café.

established SMEs.

Medium-sized Enterprises.

importance of web-based education, e-learning and blended learning pedagogical activities. Some of the former and recent results in connection with tertiary (university) education at Slovak universities will be presented throughout this chapter.

A research project KEGA (3/3078/05) entitled "Web-Based Training for Business English and German" has been implemented at the University of Economics in Bratislava, Slovakia. The project has been designed to foster work-related language skills. This particular course has been designed as a blended form of study. It has benefited from the combination of faceto-face classroom learning and an instructor driven presentation and social interaction, which is delivered, online. Throughout the elaboration of this web-based teaching material the authors have accommodated different learning styles (visual, aural, verbal, and social), made the course accessible to learners with special needs, provided a variety of opportunities to accurately assess progress, applied a blend of learning theories (the cognitive learning theory, which promotes learners to control their own learning; and the constructivist learning theory, which challenges learners with tasks that refer to skills and knowledge just beyond their current level of mastery), and so they have set the course apart from the norm.

They have clearly defined the learning objectives, identified the skill gaps of the potential learners, selected the right content, built in a good instructional design including assessment and utilised subject matter experts when creating content. They have also established a support for an effective blended programme, communicated the importance and urgency of the learning programme to their learners, instructed them how to learn online, ensured learners' success by providing them with appropriate technical support, and tried to keep all the learners motivated by facilitating and supporting the entire programme.

As a courseware package and learning management system, they have chosen Moodle that enables the instructor to create powerful, flexible and engaging learning experiences. All the resource materials involve texts, which are intended to convey specific details, and facts that learners can marshal in support of an argument, they are also used for vocabulary enhancement and are supported by JavaScript.

In order to increase the interactivity within Moodle, they have applied the Hotpotatoes Suite. It has allowed teachers to use various evaluation tools to check the quality and accuracy of the acquired knowledge and skills.

Moodle has been suitable for the creation of adequate patterns for the rehearsal of failed answers. When a learner is unable to complete a language problem correctly, it is demonstrated repeatedly until he/she can manage to resolve the problem without mistakes. This technique functions to keep learners revisiting problem areas until their performance improves. Rehearsal is then delivered more widely over time until problems no longer require practice. Rehearsal is more broadly applied for learning new business-related vocabulary. The course uses online newspapers as large collections of authentic texts, which can contribute to rendering learning a foreign language more effective since students will be faced with real language. Throughout the rehearsal task the main emphasis has been to assist learners in getting started in building up a technical English vocabulary. The authors have used the lexical approach which argues that language consists of meaningful chunks that, when combined, produce a continuous coherent text. Activities used to develop learners' knowledge of lexical chains include intensive and extensive online reading in the target language, repetition and recycling of online activities, noticing and practicing

importance of web-based education, e-learning and blended learning pedagogical activities. Some of the former and recent results in connection with tertiary (university) education at

A research project KEGA (3/3078/05) entitled "Web-Based Training for Business English and German" has been implemented at the University of Economics in Bratislava, Slovakia. The project has been designed to foster work-related language skills. This particular course has been designed as a blended form of study. It has benefited from the combination of faceto-face classroom learning and an instructor driven presentation and social interaction, which is delivered, online. Throughout the elaboration of this web-based teaching material the authors have accommodated different learning styles (visual, aural, verbal, and social), made the course accessible to learners with special needs, provided a variety of opportunities to accurately assess progress, applied a blend of learning theories (the cognitive learning theory, which promotes learners to control their own learning; and the constructivist learning theory, which challenges learners with tasks that refer to skills and knowledge just beyond their current level of mastery), and so they have set the course apart

They have clearly defined the learning objectives, identified the skill gaps of the potential learners, selected the right content, built in a good instructional design including assessment and utilised subject matter experts when creating content. They have also established a support for an effective blended programme, communicated the importance and urgency of the learning programme to their learners, instructed them how to learn online, ensured learners' success by providing them with appropriate technical support, and tried to keep all

As a courseware package and learning management system, they have chosen Moodle that enables the instructor to create powerful, flexible and engaging learning experiences. All the resource materials involve texts, which are intended to convey specific details, and facts that learners can marshal in support of an argument, they are also used for vocabulary

In order to increase the interactivity within Moodle, they have applied the Hotpotatoes Suite. It has allowed teachers to use various evaluation tools to check the quality and

Moodle has been suitable for the creation of adequate patterns for the rehearsal of failed answers. When a learner is unable to complete a language problem correctly, it is demonstrated repeatedly until he/she can manage to resolve the problem without mistakes. This technique functions to keep learners revisiting problem areas until their performance improves. Rehearsal is then delivered more widely over time until problems no longer require practice. Rehearsal is more broadly applied for learning new business-related vocabulary. The course uses online newspapers as large collections of authentic texts, which can contribute to rendering learning a foreign language more effective since students will be faced with real language. Throughout the rehearsal task the main emphasis has been to assist learners in getting started in building up a technical English vocabulary. The authors have used the lexical approach which argues that language consists of meaningful chunks that, when combined, produce a continuous coherent text. Activities used to develop learners' knowledge of lexical chains include intensive and extensive online reading in the target language, repetition and recycling of online activities, noticing and practicing

the learners motivated by facilitating and supporting the entire programme.

enhancement and are supported by JavaScript.

accuracy of the acquired knowledge and skills.

Slovak universities will be presented throughout this chapter.

from the norm.

language patterns and collocations, working with dictionaries and other e-reference tools. Furthermore, they have taken advantage of the eclectic approach based on language performance, as they believe that most learning is preparation for actual performance. Particular negative observations, based on generally acknowledged experience, have been connected with instructors' (teachers') involvements. Both during synchronous and/or asynchronous learning there have been numerous complaints concerning the enormous burden of establishing the necessary contacts between learners and teachers (instructors). In most cases, learners did not have access to the Internet during the week, therefore they could devote their attention to the required resource materials only at the weekends or they were constantly forced to visit some public facilities, e.g. an Internet Café.

The second experience results from the implementations of the Leonardo da Vinci Project, REDILEM, involving nine partners from six European countries (Austria, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, the Slovak Republic, and Sweden) to create a new type of education for SME managers, managed and organised both by representatives of the Slovak Technical University in Bratislava and the University of Economics in Bratislava. The purpose of the project was to combine the theoretical interdisciplinary education with practical training within a learning network. It was intended to support managers of newly established SMEs.

The starting motivation of the project was the intention that products and experiences from the project gained should help various groups of inhabitants to ensure their continual education, and life-long reception of proper knowledge and skills, the improvement of skills and competence, the improvement of quality and the strengthening of relations between professional education and innovations, as well as the creation of new work-places and the improvement of conditions for employment and to improve entrepreneurial abilities and increase competitiveness, especially in regions with high rates of unemployment and restricted possibilities of learning, by the creation of a system of interdisciplinary distance learning for current and prospective managers of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises.

One of the particular aims was to provide learners with interdisciplinary education, since their present education was considered to be excessively one-sided (their orientation was overly technological), in order to increase their flexibility and adaptability to the changing labour market needs, to raise their competitiveness as well as their abilities to co-operate with domestic and foreign partners, mainly their customers and other SME managers. Another important goal was to support the socio-economical development in regions with high rate of unemployment and with a limited access to learning opportunities.

Syllabi, curricula and teaching materials have been designed as a new type of educational material, which requires a form and content of modern e-based learning materials providing an effective and low cost opportunity to gain target-oriented information and knowledge. Therefore, specific study materials have been produced. Reference materials for these courses need specific texts and materials, where reasoning is inevitable; some experts refer to them as "guided didactic conversations" or "tutorials in print." The teacher shall guide learners through the course material via the study guide, ask questions, give instructions and explanations, and communicate in a "language", which learners can easily understand. The design of such teaching materials should resemble the atmosphere and situation characteristic for traditional classroom learning and teaching.

Advanced Pedagogical Approaches at Slovak Universities 39

Effective experience is crucially associated with feedback in e-learning education. At the University of Economics in Bratislava, some of the subjects are constantly delivered and supported via e-learning applications. A reliable experience was provided by one of our

Feedback plays a crucial role in the provision of incessant inducement and motivation for students. A teacher should not only explain new knowledge but also motivate students to continuous preparations. Some students are satisfied with the number of lectures attended which allow them to pass the exams successfully, others would need more time for being dealt with. Such students highly evaluate the presence of e-based learning materials which to a certain extent provide frequent contact with the teaching materials and help them reach

The implementation of ongoing feedback through classical questionnaires could also be realised by using different test-systems, assignments or other applications. Realistic feedback is possible to be achieved by checking a variety of students' assignments, too. The number and quality of assignments received from students renders answers to many questions, which include solutions that enable teachers to understand how well they execute their work. It should also be pointed out that a continuous control of students' work acts as a prerequisite for achieving better results. Selected findings will be later presented here

A teaching experiment was carried out to detect the impact of Moodle utilisation on feedback frequency increase in education during a semester. Full-time students engaged in the field of Database systems and data warehouses were selected for the realisation of the experiment. They were third year students with sufficient experience in the utilisation of IT, and therefore the application of the given system was not a novelty for them. The total number of students, and other participants in the experiment was two hundred. They were divided into six groups. All the results of students' work were continuously evaluated. The obtained results were later compared with the results of the Automated Information System

The author of the experiment tested the hypothesis which assumed that there had been a direct correlation between the number of solutions and the average number of points scored on the test. Contingency tables were generated based on these results, which reflected the relation between the number of solutions and the average number of points scored, and also the dependence of the overall assessment upon the average number and regularity of the

These results indicate the necessity of introducing various forms of feedback between teachers and students. At universities, feedback should occur mainly in the realisation of various tasks, forums, discussions, project implementations, and the like. It is assumed that these assignments must be continuously evaluated and this form of evaluation can act as a stimulus to students' activities. The LMS Moodle seems to be a very appropriate means for

The e-learning application of knowledge management as a tool of assessing students' performance was accomplished at the University of Technology in Kosice (eastern Slovakia).

**3. Explanation of the motivation of the authors** 

using Moodle in connection with the implementation of feedback.

of the university. The results of the experiment are described below.

the required levels of attainment.

assignments faced.

the implementation of the abovementioned.

colleagues.

In order to ensure the quality of the teaching process a manual in the field of "Pedagogy and Methodology" was accomplished. University professors and teachers were trained how to use "multimedia applications" within the framework of the teachers training. The aim of the teacher-training course was to support the teaching staff in course design, particularly in specific methodology and pedagogy, e.g. in distance communication, dialogues, tasks, and other learning activities. On the other hand, the course was designed to support the teachers of web-based learning in developing their paper-based study guides in compliance with the study materials. Furthermore, these study materials were accessible on specific websites and allowed learners to access more detailed information packages. These hyperlinks were selected and provided for learners by experts in the related fields.

Two types of online courses have been applied, namely synchronous and asynchronous. The synchronous online course (analogical with the team discussion) connected professors and learners within the system and they interacted as a classical (face-to-face) discussion group. Learners could "raise their hands" (electronically), and professors answered their questions, etc. Situations were made similar to face-to-face classroom applications.

The asynchronous online course enabled learners to familiarise themselves with particular topics containing aims, glossaries, explanatory notes, case studies, tests, assignments and exercises, questions for discussion, and further reference materials. The verification of their knowledge was accomplished via tests and case studies, as participants uploaded their solutions into the e-learning system. Each case study ended with a set of questions for discussion. The participants could discuss possible solutions with other colleagues using the discussion forum.

Learners were fully responsible for establishing mutual contact with their peers via particular online systems, but in a shifted time frame. Questions were answered some days later. This kind of learning application seemed to be very popular among learners as they highly appreciated the possibility of having access anytime they wanted. Many of them had limited access to computers, even during their business trips, etc. Professors were forced to control and react to learners on a daily basis in order to serve their needs, which, however, put teachers under pressure and, eventually, was in conflict with their other duties, e.g. research and development activities at their universities, elaboration of textbooks and/or conference papers, study materials, etc.

The next relevant experience is related to activities which greatly focused on the implementation of web-based learning within the educational process at a private Bratislava college in the Slovak Republic. The main aim and motivation was to increase the influence and activity of this private university throughout Slovakia. E-learning was one of the instruments to achieve this goal. Maybe, this was one of the reasons why the stimulation of future players (mainly lecturers) did not meet the right response, and the project was finished after the first trial of its introduction.

Most activities have entailed the elaboration of curricula, study materials, negotiations and supporting resources. Frankly speaking, the "state of the piece of art created" did not satisfy the expectations of the founders of the idea. The end result resembled the experience seen in the above-mentioned two cases – an enormous interest from the learners, but a limited enthusiasm demonstrated by the professors.

In order to ensure the quality of the teaching process a manual in the field of "Pedagogy and Methodology" was accomplished. University professors and teachers were trained how to use "multimedia applications" within the framework of the teachers training. The aim of the teacher-training course was to support the teaching staff in course design, particularly in specific methodology and pedagogy, e.g. in distance communication, dialogues, tasks, and other learning activities. On the other hand, the course was designed to support the teachers of web-based learning in developing their paper-based study guides in compliance with the study materials. Furthermore, these study materials were accessible on specific websites and allowed learners to access more detailed information packages. These hyperlinks were selected and provided for learners by experts in the

Two types of online courses have been applied, namely synchronous and asynchronous. The synchronous online course (analogical with the team discussion) connected professors and learners within the system and they interacted as a classical (face-to-face) discussion group. Learners could "raise their hands" (electronically), and professors answered their questions, etc. Situations were made similar to face-to-face classroom

The asynchronous online course enabled learners to familiarise themselves with particular topics containing aims, glossaries, explanatory notes, case studies, tests, assignments and exercises, questions for discussion, and further reference materials. The verification of their knowledge was accomplished via tests and case studies, as participants uploaded their solutions into the e-learning system. Each case study ended with a set of questions for discussion. The participants could discuss possible solutions with other colleagues using the

Learners were fully responsible for establishing mutual contact with their peers via particular online systems, but in a shifted time frame. Questions were answered some days later. This kind of learning application seemed to be very popular among learners as they highly appreciated the possibility of having access anytime they wanted. Many of them had limited access to computers, even during their business trips, etc. Professors were forced to control and react to learners on a daily basis in order to serve their needs, which, however, put teachers under pressure and, eventually, was in conflict with their other duties, e.g. research and development activities at their universities, elaboration of textbooks and/or

The next relevant experience is related to activities which greatly focused on the implementation of web-based learning within the educational process at a private Bratislava college in the Slovak Republic. The main aim and motivation was to increase the influence and activity of this private university throughout Slovakia. E-learning was one of the instruments to achieve this goal. Maybe, this was one of the reasons why the stimulation of future players (mainly lecturers) did not meet the right response, and the project was

Most activities have entailed the elaboration of curricula, study materials, negotiations and supporting resources. Frankly speaking, the "state of the piece of art created" did not satisfy the expectations of the founders of the idea. The end result resembled the experience seen in the above-mentioned two cases – an enormous interest from the learners, but a limited

related fields.

applications.

discussion forum.

conference papers, study materials, etc.

finished after the first trial of its introduction.

enthusiasm demonstrated by the professors.

Effective experience is crucially associated with feedback in e-learning education. At the University of Economics in Bratislava, some of the subjects are constantly delivered and supported via e-learning applications. A reliable experience was provided by one of our colleagues.
