Web 2.0 Teacher Community in a National Health E-learning Network

Introduction

The e-learning term for the first time is found in the seminar held by American society of Training and Development. It defined that e-learning is to transmit the teaching content or experience by computer science and technology. And it stated that e-learning is a learning process that user uses various multi-media to achieve the learning purpose. E-learning can involve a greater variety of equipment than online training or education, for as the name implies, “online” involves using the Internet or an Intranet. (Alden, 1998) CD-ROM and DVD can be used to provide learning materials and its scope of application can be divided into online learning, computer learning, virtual classrooms and digital co-operation. After that, Egan (2000) believes that not only E-LEARNING delivers the learning content via the Internet, but also it can apply the management of learning content (Egan, 2000).

With the advances in information technology and network development, we use the Internet to set a new teaching mode that it is not limited to time and space. And with the transmission speed of information, the learning becomes diverse, it known as the “E-Learning”. Taiwan in 2001, we strongly advocated the knowledge-based economy in order to look forward to enhancing the whole country of the competitiveness. Since 2002, Ministry of Education promoted “e-Learning National Science and Technology Program.” The value of e-learning had reached 15 billion NT until 2007 and the annual growth rate had been 67% (National Science & Technology Program office for e-Learning, 2008).

For the provision of the resources of primary and secondary school teachers and students to use Internet to support teaching and learning, Ministry of Education had the project “Challenge 2008: National Development Plan” since 1993 to begin to build the six learning networks- Health, Life, Natural, Science, Arts and Cultural. “Health e-Learning Network” of the six learning networks is a nine-year education to build and development the resources of e-learning on health and physical education. The service target is for the primary and secondary school students and teachers. Moreover, it combines the primary and secondary school teachers and scholars on health and physical education in order to develop of practical and high quality of e-learning content and a plenty of lesson plans, material, knowledge, and multimedia learning modules for teachers. It also trains students to establish the basic health and to enhance the health of people by self- health-management (Cheng, 2006).

Health e-Learning Network in year 2008-2009 plans to continue the expansion of diverse and more innovative learning resources and digital content and strengthen the popularity of teaching and learning of teachers and students. And it provides the assistant to the front line teachers of the primary and secondary school to start to combine the e-learning resources into their teaching. We also contact practically to the teachers in their teaching environment, and lead the teachers to teach through HeN. According to the different user, Health e-Learning network provides the teacher edition besides the original editions for the students and the public. We add a new “Teacher's Edition” in accordance with the needs of the teachers. Therefore, HeN makes the front-line teachers to be able to use the website more convenient and easier to find the proper teach material. “Teacher's Edition” website provides the usable resources, special for teachers.

This platform of HeN is developed by National Taiwan University school of Medicine, the team of medical informatics since 2003. We hope to instill the right concept of medical knowledge and health care to everyone. And we also hope to base on the basic education and use the web to support the students, so that students can learn the accurate knowledge of medicine and health care through the HeN. It can enhance a health life and promote discrimination and analysis of health news clearly. Teachers can also retrieve health information through the Web site to help students develop positive learning attitudes. The general public can break the health related rumors through the professional website to find the most credible health information and to protect the health of themselves and their families.