ITI Articles

Over eighty percent of New Zealand Tertiary College’s students choose the distance-learning mode of study. The introduction of ecelearn, New Zealand’s only fully web-based learning environment designed specifically for early childhood educators, this year has meant that dropping assignments in the mail is now as obsolete as writing with a typewriter, as the students log on, do their coursework and submit assignments online.

ecelearn has been built by Auckland-based New Zealand Tertiary College, one of the country’s largest private early childhood education, degree-providing, training providers.

Lecturers are just an electronic message away for personal comment and tuition; fellow students are online in the discussion forums; course notes and reference material are downloadable from virtual classrooms; assignments can be sent in via the system.  Students are able to create drafts, and review and edit the drafts before they submit their assignments.

ecelearn is a comprehensive learning management system. It allows NZTC’s lecturers to track how students are progressing in their studies, manage courses and engage in heightened communication opportunities at a distance.

NZTC Chief Executive, Selena Fox, says the system is based on international distance learning standards and guidelines, and is built with innovative technology advances based around a Microsoft platform. It is one of only a few worldwide that has been designed specifically for early childhood trainee teachers, and NZTC has high hopes for its export potential.

“We are not aware of any other system that offers the depth of experience that students find on ecelearn,” Selena said. “The feedback we have had from overseas gives us confidence that ecelearn will be as valuable to United States and European students as it is to New Zealand student learners.”