From: fimpsy%cnve.rrze.uni-erlangen.dbp.de@RELAY.CS.NET Subject: Lab Report: FIM-PSYCHOLOGIE, University Erlangen-Nuernberg Date: 15 May 91 14:13 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- FIM-PSYCHOLOGIE Development & Evaluation of Multimedia Open-Learning Systems Institute of Psychology I Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuernberg Maximiliansplatz 3 Secretariat: +49.9131.854735 D-852O Erlangen FAX: +49.9131.854738 E-MAIL: fimpsy@cnve.rrze.uni-erlangen.dbp.de EUROKOM: Walter Kugemann FIM ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE REGION Nuernberg, the old 'Reichsstadt', with it's lovely medieval castle and city, is about 20 kilometers away. Together with Erlangen, Fuerth and some smaller towns nearby they form an urban agglomeration with more than a million inhabitants in 'Middle Franconia'. Politically, this is part of the federal state 'Bavaria', but people here are 'Franconians' and normally do not like to be called 'Bavarians'. Some names associated with our region you might know: Albrecht Duerer, the 'Meistersinger of Nuernberg', Nuernberg pencils, electronic companies such as GRUNDIG, TRIUMPH ADLER, PHILIPS KOMMUNICATION INDUSTRY, Nuernberg toys and toy-railways, MAN, ADIDAS, PUMA, 'Nuernberger Lebkuchen' (gingerbread), the 'Christkindlesmarkt' and - to be reached in less than one hour - romantic towns like Rothenburg, Bamberg, Wuerzburg. Nuernberg airport is about 16 kilometers away with direct international connections to Amsterdam, Bruxelles, Geneva, Copenhagen, London, Milano, New York, Paris, Vienna and Zuerich. At the intersection of seven motorways from all directions, Nuernberg is also a main junction of the German intercity-railway net with trains arriving and departing in hourly intervals. THE TOWN Formerly a small countryside town, the main part of Erlangen was constructed as a baroque planned city exactly 300 years ago, when Markgraf Christian- Ernst of Brandenburg-Bayreuth called the Huguenot refugees to come to his 'Fuerstentum', in order to transfer 'high technology' of the time to Germany. After world war II the number of inhabitants has risen quickly from about 30.000 to 100.000. Three aspects of Erlangen are particularly remarkable: SIEMENS with about 35.000 employees (mainly administration, research & development and medical equipment), the University and the 'Bergkirchweih', since 232 years Franconi- a's biggest annual beer-cum-folk-festival and fair. THE UNIVERSITY The Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuernberg was founded in 1743. Nine faculties are located at Erlangen: Theology; Law; Medicine; Philosophy, History & Social Sciences; Literature & Languages; Mathematics & Physics; Biology & Chemistry; Geosciences and - unique for a German traditional university - Applied Sciences (especially Chemical Engineering, Production Engineering, Computer Science and Material Sciences). Economics and Pedago- gics are located in Nuernberg. 26.000 students, about 20.060 of them in Erlangen and about 9.500 employees, (238 full professors, 393 associated professors). This concept was chosen to force interdisciplinary collaboration between 'classical' sciences and engineering. FIM-Psychologie is part of the Department of Psychology. We closely cooperate with our colleagues in microelectronics and the university-related 'Fraunhofer Arbeitsgruppe' for integrated circuits. FIM-PSYCHOLOGIE, UNIVERSITY ERLANGEN-NUeRNBERG Lectures FIM-TEAM lectures at university Erlangen-Nuernberg on Instructional Psycholo- gy, Educational Technology and Instructional Media. Origin: FIM-Psychology (Distance Studies by Multimedia Use), 1975 FIM-PSYCHOLOGY started in 1975 (FIM stands for 'Fernstudium im Medienverbun- d'= Distance Studies by Multimedia Use). The Federal States of the FRG at that time decided to start an experimental development of multimedia study systems on university level. Psychology - as one of the four projects cho- sen - was located at Erlangen University due to a variety of proceeding experiences made here during the development of learning systems since the end of the sixties. Since then a modular system of about 250 learning units was developed, tested, revised and up-dated, covering al basic topics of psychology and related fields (e.g. Mathematics, Statistics, Biology, Genetics, Physiology, English for Psychologists), mainly based on print-media with growing emphasis on audio and audiovisual parts and on materials, which allow the students to make their own experiences in carrying out empirical tasks. Interactive rather than informative media is one of our most important guide-lines. This program had been originally devised for undergraduate studies in psychology, but in the course of time objectives have changed to the field of life-long learning, freshing-up and grading-up knowledge of past university studies. We also pay more and more attention to 'giving psychology away' to non-psychologists (e.g. engineers, physicians, lawyers, teachers, economists, managers, specialists for the aged, coaches a.s.o.) VSPsy (Vorbereitungsprogramm fuer Studieninteressenten im Fach Psycholo- gie) a program which enables people interested and considering to study psychology, to get a brief overview on study objectives, vocational perspec- tives for psychologists etc. About fifty universities and other institutions in German speaking coun- tries use our materials. Per year we distribute about 2.5 Mio pages print, 4.000 audio-cassettes, 1.000 video-cassettes and 1.500 training kits. DELTA, PACE, OLYMPUS, 1980 In 1980 we started the development of open learning systems on a nation-wide scale. At about the same time our main interest shifted to continuing educa- tion. In 1986 FIM-Psychology was chosen by DG XIII as the only German con- tractor to carry out a preliminary DELTA study on 'Impact Assessment". DELTA (Developing European Learning through Technological Advance ) will complement the whole scope of new information and telecommunication technologies that will be available during the next decade with applications of learning and instructional processes. In early 1987 we contributed to the preparatory actions of PACE, thus our university became the only German pilot receiving site in 1988. Furthermore we initiated to establish a German user group for the ESA-satellite OLYMPUS 1988. HP (Humanistic Psychology), 1980 Building up from multimedia materials developed by the University Wuerzburg in collaboration with four German broadcasting corporations, we started in 1987 the development of a modular learning system on "Intervention Psycholo- gy". COMETT mmmTEACH, 1988 Our COMETT proposal mmmTEACH under Strand D, which we coordinate in collabo- ration with industries and universities from seven community member-states was accepted in 1988. This modular "Train the Trainer"-programme uses ad- vanced open learning structures, which are developed from the very beginning on a real multinational basis. It offers an easy to handle toolkit, that enables experts working on high technology topics to fit basic skills of instruction into the teaching process. GIM (Gerontopsychology Open Learning System), 1989 With the gerontology research unit at our university and our colleagues at Munich Polytechnics (Fachhochschule) we conceptualized a large-scale open learning system in modern gerontology, which shall start in 1989. GIM is a new form of advanced continuing education by multimedia distance studies. INTERMAPS (Interactive Multimedia Access Publishing Services for DELTA), 1989 to pilot the way of a European Learning Technology Community with two stands of communication o among DELTA participants: to ensure maximum synergy between consortia by an up-to-date exchange of ideas and solutions o from DELTA participants to interested parties in European Educational environment to ensure a rapid and widespread application of the newly developed tools and systems. INTERMAPS Services: 1 INTERACTIVE NEWSLETTER ON EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY o continually updated electronic DELTA Interactive Bulletin Board facilities on EUROCOM ca 4 screens weekly actualized, only readable, open to all users o DELTA Mailbox o Electronical DELTA-forum / only for internal contact, confidential communications between DELTA participants o DELTA complete conferences, if necessary to define or open groups of participants 2 DELTA-NEWS printed o published every 2 months o about 16 pages, broader interest / short informations max. 1 page o 3 language versions / English, French, German with language- and regional accentuations or enlargements, circulation o initial circulation ca. 5,000 o abonnement price yearly 20 ECU, to ensure widespread delivery 3 Multimedia SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL o to publish intermediate results with a minimum of time delay o 100 pages, articles 10 to 20 pages o volume published every 4 months (print, floppy discs, videocassettes) o in English, with detailed summaries in the main languages of the community 4 VIDEO MAGAZINE o a necessary and integral part of the overall interactive package, presenting audio-visual aspects of case studies, complex application environments, opinions, discussions, ... o short videos (4 to 12 minutes) o initial circulation about 1,500 o an hourly broadcast every four months via culture-satellite OLYMPUS backed by distribution of videocassettes on request. Thus national customs-formalities shall be avoided. EQUIPMENT In order to ensure quick and low-cost production of our materials, FIM- Psychology is equipped with specialized facilities for quick in-house produc- tion of print, audio and video: advanced DTP with fully integrated graphics, professional audio and video gathering units (U-matic high band), data communication, satellite receiving, XEROX 9,500 print facilities, 20-places video copying, high volume mailing. THE TEAM While in 1979 up to 25 persons were employed at FIM-Psychologie (and about 130 external authors, experts, consultants were cooperating), we reduced the staff step by step to ultimately 9 persons and 10 student workers at present. Thus we have become quite flexible and effective, and the work is more satisfying.