The blending of three channels for delivering a comprehensive and innovative distance learning course

TIPS “T-learning to Improve Professional Skills for intercultural dialogue” is a twoyear Leonardo da Vinci project co-funded by the EU Lifelong Learning Programme. The project started in November 2007 and will finish in October 2009. The purpose of the project is to support cultural mediators around Europe to improve their skills and competences through the T-learning approach, an integrated methodology exploiting the potential of E-learning, M-learning and TV-learning. The TIPS T-learning system hosts various tools to encourage both interactivity (e.g. selfassessment quizzes) and interaction (social software). TIPS beneficiaries will benefit from an on-line course supported by a mixed methodology where E-learning is supported by Mlearning and TV-learning. The triple system exploits the benefits of distance learning tools and specific learning objects are developed for each tool offering a solution to compensate for any weaknesses that might be present in the other methodologies. Thus ensuring high quality interaction, portability, multimediality, simulations and no limits of space and time. These intrinsic qualities of the TIPS system are expected to positively impact cultural mediators’ learning process by promoting customised training able to fit different learning styles. Within the framework of the TIPS project, the concept of integration can be considered as a leitmotiv concerning the pedological, methodological and technological components. The pedagogical component promotes different learning styles such as, visual, auditory and kinaesthetic through the use of the different instruments (i.e., personal computers, smartphones and the television). The didactic component offers cross-references encouraging users during a session to access other Learning Objects, on the same course topic, through the different didactic tools. For example, during an audio lesson the system will indicate a film on the same topic available through the TV-learning platform. The technological component provided by the three platforms are linked through a comprehensive database able to track students’ training paths and allow tutors to make statistical analysis.