This work presents the Italian results of the survey on e-learning supply and demand that has been conducted by the E-ruralnet (the Network promoting e-learning for rural development) partnership in 11 European countries. It gave emphasis on rural areas, that include people who works or lives in rural districts, since e-learning can be considered mean for enhancing lifelong learning opportunities. Three questionnaires addressed to three target groups: e-learning providers, e-learners and a control group. In Italy, the results evidenced that the offer side is mainly composed by private small organisations who develop e-learning content with their own resources and sell a wide offer of e-learning courses to satisfy the exigencies of the a large range of users. The subjects mainly offered are ICT and communications, business and management, while only a small percentage of providers offer e-learning for rural subjects. The main constraints to reach rural areas are the widespread scarce infrastructure (fast internet), ITC illiteracy, nevertheless we have found successful case studies that experimented the use of social networks and e-learning within rural communities even for aiding the rural economy. An additional limit is the lack of support to rural entrepreneurs and employers in ICT and informatics and the culture of people who think not important to have IT skills. However e-learning can be a useful method for training because it is flexible, quick, easy. For a successful e-learning, e-learners should be characterized by self discipline and willingness to learn while technological and organisational aspects connected to delivery and use of innovation are rather important but not priority aspects. On the other hand, the survey concerned the demand of e-learning by users already experienced in e-learning and users who have never attended an e-learning course (control group). E-learners are mainly between 35 and 50 years old and mainly men. They have a high degree of education and in prevalence work in towns bigger than the place where they live. The typology is represented by individual workers and employers in large companies and the reason why they attended the e-course is to increase competences in subjects like ICT and communications, business, technical aspects connected to primary and secondary sectors. E-learning for these users is often paid by the employers and the motivation to start e-learning is the 'personal interest to do better own job and improve career prospects'. About the benefits, the majority of e-learners declared the usefulness of e-learning to improve own knowledge and skills useful in everyday life and personal interests. Control group included users who attended (or never attended) a lifelong training course but never an e-learning course. The motivation to start training was 'to do better own job and improve career prospects' but also 'enlarge knowledge on personal interests'. Among those who never experienced a lifelong learning experience, the main reason was the lack of time and job obligations. Nevertheless, the majority of control group respondents affirmed to be willing to try e-learning.
Offer and demand of e-learning with interest toward rural areas. Italian results from Eruralnet project
2011
Abstract
This work presents the Italian results of the survey on e-learning supply and demand that has been conducted by the E-ruralnet (the Network promoting e-learning for rural development) partnership in 11 European countries. It gave emphasis on rural areas, that include people who works or lives in rural districts, since e-learning can be considered mean for enhancing lifelong learning opportunities. Three questionnaires addressed to three target groups: e-learning providers, e-learners and a control group. In Italy, the results evidenced that the offer side is mainly composed by private small organisations who develop e-learning content with their own resources and sell a wide offer of e-learning courses to satisfy the exigencies of the a large range of users. The subjects mainly offered are ICT and communications, business and management, while only a small percentage of providers offer e-learning for rural subjects. The main constraints to reach rural areas are the widespread scarce infrastructure (fast internet), ITC illiteracy, nevertheless we have found successful case studies that experimented the use of social networks and e-learning within rural communities even for aiding the rural economy. An additional limit is the lack of support to rural entrepreneurs and employers in ICT and informatics and the culture of people who think not important to have IT skills. However e-learning can be a useful method for training because it is flexible, quick, easy. For a successful e-learning, e-learners should be characterized by self discipline and willingness to learn while technological and organisational aspects connected to delivery and use of innovation are rather important but not priority aspects. On the other hand, the survey concerned the demand of e-learning by users already experienced in e-learning and users who have never attended an e-learning course (control group). E-learners are mainly between 35 and 50 years old and mainly men. They have a high degree of education and in prevalence work in towns bigger than the place where they live. The typology is represented by individual workers and employers in large companies and the reason why they attended the e-course is to increase competences in subjects like ICT and communications, business, technical aspects connected to primary and secondary sectors. E-learning for these users is often paid by the employers and the motivation to start e-learning is the 'personal interest to do better own job and improve career prospects'. About the benefits, the majority of e-learners declared the usefulness of e-learning to improve own knowledge and skills useful in everyday life and personal interests. Control group included users who attended (or never attended) a lifelong training course but never an e-learning course. The motivation to start training was 'to do better own job and improve career prospects' but also 'enlarge knowledge on personal interests'. Among those who never experienced a lifelong learning experience, the main reason was the lack of time and job obligations. Nevertheless, the majority of control group respondents affirmed to be willing to try e-learning.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
