Towards the Information Society - the Case of Finnnish Teacher Education

Abstract

Department of Applied Education, University of JoensuuP.O. Box 111, 80101 Joensuu, Finlande-mail: {juhani.rautopuro, susanna.pontinen, jari.kukkonen}@joensuu.fiReceived: May 2006Abstract. The use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in education is one im-portant competence that student teacher should develop in their academic studies. To be capable ofusing ICT in education, students should study both pedagogical and technical issues. In order toaffect student teachers’ willingness to use ICT in education, more attention should be paid to theirlearning experiences. In this research, student teachers’ attitudes toward the use of ICT in educa-tion were studied before and after the web-based course. Based on students’ learning experiences,attitudes and evaluations of the web-based learning environment, dimensions of a successful web-based learning environment were examined. According to the results, “motivation and accuracy”,“learner-interface interaction” and “learner control and self-directed learning”are the dimensionsof a learning environment that encourages student teachers’ to use ICT in education. A well de-signed learning environment also gave a realistic overview and knowledge of the possibilities andlimitations of the use of ICT in education.Key words: ICT in education, teacher education, dimensions of a good online learningenvironment.