In addition to traditional forms of teaching the department has also developed newer forms of learning, e.g. a completely web-based degree course. The department has many years of experience in terms of using elements of blended learning, being one of the first university departments in Sweden to offer distance courses in languages. Umeå's main responsibility in the project will be to offer assistance with online learning in the development of the materials but also in the needs analyses. Further, the university will use its network for promoting our valorisation strategy.
Mrs Pat Shrimpton is senior lecturer of English at the Department of Modern Languages / English, Umeå University.
Mrs. Shrimpton has participated in and directed a variety of projects and produced extensive materials for courses, including distance teaching and decentralised courses. She is responsible for the department's exchange and international programmes. She is the author of published textbooks on language and culture, some of which have been used at the national level in distance and radio courses. She has also been responsible, with colleagues, for developing new curricula to meet the demands of the revised teacher education programme introduced in Sweden in 2001. Her particular interest at the moment is the use of ICT both in language/intercultural teaching itself and in the education of language teachers.

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