| Abstract: | Abstract The article is a report on a development project arising from collaboration between the Department of Education in the University of Oulu, the university training school in Oulu, and some secondary schools in Northern Finland. The key aims of the project have been to promote the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in teacher education and in schools, to develop methods for distant education, and to train student teachers in telematics instruction in biology and geography. The concept of pedagogical action, socio-cultural communicative perspective, constructivist views of pedagogy, ideas of reflective teachers and learners, and new forms of assessment provided the theoretical basis for the project. The main findings were that student teachers are able to plan, conduct, and evaluate telematics instruction. The greatest problems are technical problems and lack of time. Sustained and effective communication between students, local teachers, student teachers, and supervisors is seen to be the key to the successful cooperative work in developing curricula and instructional methods in telematics learning environment. |
