Sustainable university teaching. The experience of the distance learning at University of Ferrara

Abstract

At the University of Ferrara, part of the face-to-face education offered, as of
the academic year 2013-14, has been structured according to a new didactic
model, defined as FAD-Frequenza a distanza (distance learning), which enables
the classroom lecture to be integrated with e-learning methodologies.
Through empirical observation (in the virtual environment) of the
modules taught according to this model, during the academic year 2014-15,
and a questionnaire for students, the technological tools and didactic
methodologies used were investigated.
The results of the investigations show how, alongside the certain benefits
gained from this experiment, particularly for students who for various reasons
cannot physically attend, there was not an optimal use of the paradigms
functional to media didactic processes by the lecturers involved. The
normalization process of technologies in university lecturing must, therefore,
be accompanied by a new didactic model.