elearning_label_higher_education
Proyectos
Development, Testing, Evaluation and Dissemination of an Innovative e-Business Course aimed at SME needs of e-skills in the future
27 Enero 2003
The e-Future project will develop, test, evaluate and disseminate an innovative e-Business course to assist SMEs in moving to the forefront of global e-Commerce competition.
The basis for this development is firstly, that European SMEs lack the necessary knowledge to take full advantage of the vast possibilities provided by e-Commerce and secondly, that Europe is therefore lacking as regards global competition within e-Business in general.
The course itself, to be developed in 5 languages (DA, HU, EN, PT & ES) will provide practical tools for SMEs to be able to explore their own future business potential.
Content is expected to focus upon issues such as: consumer demands, sales strategies, new methods and technical solutions, all relating to e-Business and will be output onto a final CD-Rom. Beyond development of the course, initial piloting will take place with SMEs across each of the partner countries with the results being evaluated and influencing the final development of the course.
A dedicated website will also be established to further promote the activities and results of the project and a series of additional dissemination activities is planned involving the circulation of information to all European Information Centres (currently a network of 275 centres) and a planned individual partner approach (HU) to the remaining associated countries.
The course itself, to be developed in 5 languages (DA, HU, EN, PT & ES) will provide practical tools for SMEs to be able to explore their own future business potential.
Content is expected to focus upon issues such as: consumer demands, sales strategies, new methods and technical solutions, all relating to e-Business and will be output onto a final CD-Rom. Beyond development of the course, initial piloting will take place with SMEs across each of the partner countries with the results being evaluated and influencing the final development of the course.
A dedicated website will also be established to further promote the activities and results of the project and a series of additional dissemination activities is planned involving the circulation of information to all European Information Centres (currently a network of 275 centres) and a planned individual partner approach (HU) to the remaining associated countries.
Proyectos
From Theory to Nursing Practice, Innovative Clinical Training Process to Facilitate Vocational Integration
26 Enero 2003
The project aims at improving the quality of vocaional training and skills of nursing staff by means on the ICTs.
The CLINIPASS project is targeted at nursing care students who are unable to cope with real situations and for salaried nursing personnel who have to address the constant development of medical technologies and increasingly specialised hospital services. Inter alia, these situations are caused by deficiencies in training, where the role of professional practice is being increasingly reduced.
The partners wish to put in place an innovative training process which will facilitate the vocational integration of student nurses and improve the quality of vocational training and skills of nursing staff who need to be retrained. A 'clinical skills laboratory' will be created as a learning environment.
Besides improving skills, it will include simulations of real situations and a multimedia corner with creation of a database of the main nursing care courses and graded tests. Case studies and records of clinical scenarios will be interpreted and analysed.
This training will also be supported by a CD-ROM (EN, FR, PT) and an Internet site (EN, FR) and will be disseminated throughout Europe via publications in professional reviews and congresses.
The partners wish to put in place an innovative training process which will facilitate the vocational integration of student nurses and improve the quality of vocational training and skills of nursing staff who need to be retrained. A 'clinical skills laboratory' will be created as a learning environment.
Besides improving skills, it will include simulations of real situations and a multimedia corner with creation of a database of the main nursing care courses and graded tests. Case studies and records of clinical scenarios will be interpreted and analysed.
This training will also be supported by a CD-ROM (EN, FR, PT) and an Internet site (EN, FR) and will be disseminated throughout Europe via publications in professional reviews and congresses.
Proyectos
European Foundation Certificate in Banking
26 Enero 2003
The EFCB project will design, develop and introduce a standard, foundation-level certificate across the European banking industry.
The project aims to work with young banking personnel (at the start of their career), in addition to individual employers from the banking sector and professionals from national bank training institutes, in the introduction of a European foundation-level certificate in Banking
Due to the wide-ranging partner base (20 partners across 17 countries) there will be certain supplementary elements of the certificate, which might change (from country to country), however there will be a core curriculum which will be taught across the range of partner countries.
The core curriculum is expected to include; introduction to financial services, banking practice and operations, accounting, economics, marketing/selling, information technology, law and management/supervision. The certificate will be offered through a range of different distance-learning methods with certain partners further considering web-based learning options.
Acceptance of the proposed common certification model is further guaranteed with each of the project partners representing a lead organisation in European banking thus having direct impact upon the sector.
Beyond development for the banking sector, the outcomes of the project might then be considered and adapted for use within other sectors (i.e. insurance) where there might be an overlap in subject matter.
Due to the wide-ranging partner base (20 partners across 17 countries) there will be certain supplementary elements of the certificate, which might change (from country to country), however there will be a core curriculum which will be taught across the range of partner countries.
The core curriculum is expected to include; introduction to financial services, banking practice and operations, accounting, economics, marketing/selling, information technology, law and management/supervision. The certificate will be offered through a range of different distance-learning methods with certain partners further considering web-based learning options.
Acceptance of the proposed common certification model is further guaranteed with each of the project partners representing a lead organisation in European banking thus having direct impact upon the sector.
Beyond development for the banking sector, the outcomes of the project might then be considered and adapted for use within other sectors (i.e. insurance) where there might be an overlap in subject matter.
Proyectos
Creation of a European Career Management Training Foundation
26 Enero 2003
It aims at developing an e-learning plaform to develop training courses in the fields of career management, career coaching and outplacement.
The ECMTF project will design and introduce a series of training courses for those seeking, or already undergoing, initial or continuing training, particularly in the fields of career management, career coaching and outplacement.
Of the three courses to be developed, the first will be addressed to senior, more established instructors, whereas the remaining two will be addressed to new practitioners or those considering entry to the profession.
All of the courses will be based upon current certification criteria for career management professionals as established by the International Board for Career Management Certification (IBCMC Europe). Activities will involve initial analysis of existing training, definition of up-to-date skills profiles (to meet current industry needs), adaptation of requirements for certification, introduction and piloting of the three training courses and development of an e-learning platform for final course output.
The proposed result is a certified vocational training course available through an electronic learning environment (e-learning). A dedicated project website will be established to act both as a common platform for partner communication and as the final vehicle for training output. Further dissemination is planned via electronic mailings and the circulation of project reports (CD-Rom format) to a wide range of relevant national and regional bodies across the partner countries.
Towards the end of the project, the results and achievements of ECMTF will be presented at an international conference for the industry, in addition to the hosting of a specialist press event.
Of the three courses to be developed, the first will be addressed to senior, more established instructors, whereas the remaining two will be addressed to new practitioners or those considering entry to the profession.
All of the courses will be based upon current certification criteria for career management professionals as established by the International Board for Career Management Certification (IBCMC Europe). Activities will involve initial analysis of existing training, definition of up-to-date skills profiles (to meet current industry needs), adaptation of requirements for certification, introduction and piloting of the three training courses and development of an e-learning platform for final course output.
The proposed result is a certified vocational training course available through an electronic learning environment (e-learning). A dedicated project website will be established to act both as a common platform for partner communication and as the final vehicle for training output. Further dissemination is planned via electronic mailings and the circulation of project reports (CD-Rom format) to a wide range of relevant national and regional bodies across the partner countries.
Towards the end of the project, the results and achievements of ECMTF will be presented at an international conference for the industry, in addition to the hosting of a specialist press event.
Proyectos
Knowledge Centre for Employment Improving Measures and Training for People with Learning Disabilities
26 Enero 2003
It will enhance the information available regarding European support programmes to assist people with learning disabilities in their integration into the labour market.
LABOr is a project financed by the Leonardo programme of the European Union and run by EASPD and sixteen other organisations throughout Europe. The project grew out of the need to bring together material on training and employment measures for people with learning disabilities and to improve the flow of this information across borders. There are training and employment schemes that cater for the needs of the disabled in general, but little specific information is available on the employment situation of people with learning disabilities.
The LABOr partners collect information on legislation, on labour market policies, on methods and approaches, but also on case studies, on good examples, on measures, schemes and processes that worked, on individual success stories. They carry out interviews with different stakeholders because the partners want to look for information on the places where it can be found best: with people with learning disabilities, with service and training providers, with employers, with authorities.
Once it is gathered, all material will be edited by a scientific team before it is made available on the virtual, website-based Knowledge Centre, which will become the main source of information for the stakeholders who are directly involved in the integration process of persons with learning disabilities.
The website information will be in English, French, German and Dutch and is based on the material from the interviews and on scientific review of good practice. It will contain:
-descriptions of methods of training or supporting people in jobs for providers;
-signposts to relevant legislation and practical experiences for employers;
-models of training and employment policies for authorities;
- guidance on getting help with finding a job for people with learning disabilities, along with information on the work experience of others;
-specific success stories and relevant examples of good practice for all stakeholders.
Visitors can forward questions, ask for advice or participate in an interactive forum. A helpdesk provides all types of advice and solutions to specific problems. Support in consulting the Knowledge Centre will be organised locally with the project partners.
The information gathered with the different stakeholders and available on the Knowledge Centre will be used to support providers in fine-tuning their training and employment services, to advise the local, regional, national and European authorities in order to increase the opportunities for people with learning disabilities to become employed.
The LABOr partners collect information on legislation, on labour market policies, on methods and approaches, but also on case studies, on good examples, on measures, schemes and processes that worked, on individual success stories. They carry out interviews with different stakeholders because the partners want to look for information on the places where it can be found best: with people with learning disabilities, with service and training providers, with employers, with authorities.
Once it is gathered, all material will be edited by a scientific team before it is made available on the virtual, website-based Knowledge Centre, which will become the main source of information for the stakeholders who are directly involved in the integration process of persons with learning disabilities.
The website information will be in English, French, German and Dutch and is based on the material from the interviews and on scientific review of good practice. It will contain:
-descriptions of methods of training or supporting people in jobs for providers;
-signposts to relevant legislation and practical experiences for employers;
-models of training and employment policies for authorities;
- guidance on getting help with finding a job for people with learning disabilities, along with information on the work experience of others;
-specific success stories and relevant examples of good practice for all stakeholders.
Visitors can forward questions, ask for advice or participate in an interactive forum. A helpdesk provides all types of advice and solutions to specific problems. Support in consulting the Knowledge Centre will be organised locally with the project partners.
The information gathered with the different stakeholders and available on the Knowledge Centre will be used to support providers in fine-tuning their training and employment services, to advise the local, regional, national and European authorities in order to increase the opportunities for people with learning disabilities to become employed.
Proyectos
Accreditation and Certification of Work-Related Qualifications during Job Placements
26 Enero 2003
The project aims at recognising and certifying skills and competences acquired in transnational work placements in the hotel, catering and administration sectors.
PRACTICERT will develop, test and disseminate a conceptual framework and series of templates for the recognition and certification of skills (including language skills) and key competencies acquired in transnational work placements, in the hotel, catering and administration sectors.
The project both recognises and builds upon the existing activities of EUROPASS. Following initial analysis of the involved sectors, as regards existing certification practices, new methods and materials for certification and accreditation will be developed by the partnership.
The materials will be particularly aimed at trainers and assessors and will provide both content and evaluation criteria, as regard the assessment of training undergone abroad. The material will form actual training modules to be produced in EN and all partner languages (DE, FR, IT & PL) and will be output in the form of a 'Manual on Accreditation & Certification', also containing templates of materials and outline descriptions of assessment procedures.
Dissemination of the project results and training materials is planned through the broader framework of the related TransNet project, which encompasses all EU Member States, plus a number of associated countries.
Further promotional activities will comprise articles in relevant press and journals, awareness raising through partner internet sites and promotion through a number of regional and/or national events across the partner countries.
The project both recognises and builds upon the existing activities of EUROPASS. Following initial analysis of the involved sectors, as regards existing certification practices, new methods and materials for certification and accreditation will be developed by the partnership.
The materials will be particularly aimed at trainers and assessors and will provide both content and evaluation criteria, as regard the assessment of training undergone abroad. The material will form actual training modules to be produced in EN and all partner languages (DE, FR, IT & PL) and will be output in the form of a 'Manual on Accreditation & Certification', also containing templates of materials and outline descriptions of assessment procedures.
Dissemination of the project results and training materials is planned through the broader framework of the related TransNet project, which encompasses all EU Member States, plus a number of associated countries.
Further promotional activities will comprise articles in relevant press and journals, awareness raising through partner internet sites and promotion through a number of regional and/or national events across the partner countries.
Proyectos
Developing and promoting vocational training and education to open up and support new perspectives for social integration and employment for people with mental health problems and their family-carers
26 Enero 2003
It will develop and promote vocational training and education for persons with mental health problems, their family-carers and social & health professionals.
The training will seek to open up new perspectives for the social integration and employment of persons with mental health problems and their family-carers, and to better inform professionals of these new approaches.
A series of training packages will be developed covering areas such as; coping and interaction skills, counselling on access to education, traineeships and work perspectives (including ICT skills), guidelines for trainers and the use of evaluation tools. Packages will then be validated, tested and reviewed across the partner countries through national steering groups and through work with key stakeholders.
Beyond initial testing, the packages will be modified and translated into a range of partner languages for use across the test countries. Beyond this, the project will undergo 'training of trainers' to establish three initial groups of trained 'junior trainers' (individuals with mental health problems, family carers and social & health professionals) able to continue in the promotion and delivery of the developed training packages and methodologies.
To ensure sustainability of the achievements and results of the project a European Network and Centre of Excellence will be established in addition to a dedicated website able to provide ongoing support (to project groups, target organisations and trainers) and remote tutoring/distance learning (for target beneficiaries).
The results of the project will be promoted across the existing partner networks, in each country, and will be further presented through a series of seminars and a final project symposium to external stakeholders and key policy makers across Europe.
A series of training packages will be developed covering areas such as; coping and interaction skills, counselling on access to education, traineeships and work perspectives (including ICT skills), guidelines for trainers and the use of evaluation tools. Packages will then be validated, tested and reviewed across the partner countries through national steering groups and through work with key stakeholders.
Beyond initial testing, the packages will be modified and translated into a range of partner languages for use across the test countries. Beyond this, the project will undergo 'training of trainers' to establish three initial groups of trained 'junior trainers' (individuals with mental health problems, family carers and social & health professionals) able to continue in the promotion and delivery of the developed training packages and methodologies.
To ensure sustainability of the achievements and results of the project a European Network and Centre of Excellence will be established in addition to a dedicated website able to provide ongoing support (to project groups, target organisations and trainers) and remote tutoring/distance learning (for target beneficiaries).
The results of the project will be promoted across the existing partner networks, in each country, and will be further presented through a series of seminars and a final project symposium to external stakeholders and key policy makers across Europe.
Artículos
How Should Universities Develop e-Content?
01 Diciembre 2002
There is a need for European content. However, I am not entirely clear that University staff should be creating it as part of the process of producing courses that they offer. The exceptions to this might be the Open Universities but they have a resource and a process for doing this which is outside of the scope of most staff working as they currently do on much smaller scale initiatives. I am beginning to think your ’normal’ University staff should increasingly be considering foremost the pedagogical or learning design and implementation of e-learning courses in a similar way that they did for courses they were responsible for before the apparent requirement to produce learning materials for ODL courses. I am wondering if we have allowed ourselves to be diverted too easily into a model of ODL that was developed for a different kind of institution to the average
University and for a different time/era.
Basically a lecturer/university professor does not write a book for every course he/she offers so why would we expect them to develop their own e-content. This is not to say that they should not be involved in the ’writing’ of e-content but as a separate activity with different reward structures and incentives - like as it is currently the case for course books. And to this extent it may well be important to work more closely with publishers and indeed the OUs that have publishing arms. (all of which does not exclude such things as preparing power point slides etc. but this is not e-content as I am thinking here).
Within the Universities themselves more attention should be perhaps be
given instead to such things as :
- staff development and training for the pedagogical/learning design and implementation of e-learning courses ;
- the importance of having a robust e-learning infrastructure ;
- the need to have an institutional e-learning strategy and mission that considers amongst other things issues of inclusion and lifelong learning ;
- recognition of new and different support requirements needed by
staff required to offer e-learning courses ;
- integration and reward for contributions to development of
e-learning programmes or content into staff career achievement/recognition systems.
University and for a different time/era.
Basically a lecturer/university professor does not write a book for every course he/she offers so why would we expect them to develop their own e-content. This is not to say that they should not be involved in the ’writing’ of e-content but as a separate activity with different reward structures and incentives - like as it is currently the case for course books. And to this extent it may well be important to work more closely with publishers and indeed the OUs that have publishing arms. (all of which does not exclude such things as preparing power point slides etc. but this is not e-content as I am thinking here).
Within the Universities themselves more attention should be perhaps be
given instead to such things as :
- staff development and training for the pedagogical/learning design and implementation of e-learning courses ;
- the importance of having a robust e-learning infrastructure ;
- the need to have an institutional e-learning strategy and mission that considers amongst other things issues of inclusion and lifelong learning ;
- recognition of new and different support requirements needed by
staff required to offer e-learning courses ;
- integration and reward for contributions to development of
e-learning programmes or content into staff career achievement/recognition systems.
Proyectos
Certification of Skills and Competences in Commercial Activities in Europe
24 Enero 2003
The project is designed to create a permanent and comparative database of activity profiles for standard commercial jobs in European firms.
The purpose of the CERCOM pilot project is to raise the profile of commercial activities in different countries. Commercial players (marketing and sales) must acquire new skills linked to changes in the conditions in which they exercise their activity and the diversification of distribution methods and networks (e-commerce).
As a result of these changes, vocational mobility and access to training in Europe is adversely affected, over and above the language barriers, competitiveness is limited, mainly as regards SMEs, and equal opportunities for professionals moving from one country to another are restricted.
To create the database, a survey will be carried out in 900 firms. A comparative and prospective study of the necessary skills and the training and accreditation profiles will be carried out to pinpoint the skill requirements whose absence may create barriers to job mobility between European countries.
The results will be disseminated on the partners' Internet sites, via a press dossier distributed to 500 journalists, reports in specialised reviews, a mailshot summarising the project and sent to 4,000 addressees; besides, conferences will be organised in each of the partner countries for the main target groups.
As a result of these changes, vocational mobility and access to training in Europe is adversely affected, over and above the language barriers, competitiveness is limited, mainly as regards SMEs, and equal opportunities for professionals moving from one country to another are restricted.
To create the database, a survey will be carried out in 900 firms. A comparative and prospective study of the necessary skills and the training and accreditation profiles will be carried out to pinpoint the skill requirements whose absence may create barriers to job mobility between European countries.
The results will be disseminated on the partners' Internet sites, via a press dossier distributed to 500 journalists, reports in specialised reviews, a mailshot summarising the project and sent to 4,000 addressees; besides, conferences will be organised in each of the partner countries for the main target groups.
Artículos
Reinventing in a Virtual Way the European Model of University: the Medieval University
24 Febrero 2003
Universities can acquire a significant and crucial role in the production of contents to be put on telecommunications networks.
But to make this happen it is necessary to change universities’ role and system and create new international alliances and new real and virtual spaces to create shared knowledge networks among the different universities in the world and support cooperation among institutions.
Consortia among the best universities in Europe and the new technologies can offer everybody, in an open and democratic way, the teachings of the greatest scientists and intellectual in the world. We shall be able to build in a virtual way the model of university that gave birth to the European culture: the medieval university.
In the medieval universities, curricula were common; students did not belong to a single university, but they could attend courses in all existing universities; in order to follow the lessons of the best professors, they moved from one site to another facing wearying travels on foot or riding a horse to attend a course on law at the University of Bologna or a course on theology at the University of Paris. Masters too travelled from one site to another. The best ones where then called by the universities since their presence gave prestige and power, but above all because they attracted masses of students and youths from all over Europe.
Answering the needs of the new knowledge markets
The new technologies allowed the mobility of ideas and allowed besides the physical displacement of professors and students also their virtual displacement. The distance university allows interaction between professors and students of the different universities of the world and can actually give and adequate answer to the needs for internationalisation of the university educational systems to supply the skills required by the new labour markets, but also the products required by the Net Economy.
When the Internet-based courses contents and the modes of delivery are carried out by university teachers at international level, control upon contents’ quality is performed by the academic world and users are guaranteed as “consumers of education” since courses suppliers are easily identifiable.
If it is right, as I believe, that the quality brand will determine the competitive challenge on education global market, a distance university based on a network of the best universities of different countries, will certainly win the challenge and will be the absolute protagonist of the new E-Commerce frontier and of the new knowledge markets.
A new balance between unity and diversity
Today distance university can answer the needs of the new knowledge market: exhibit its quality brand; guarantee the user; help transform the traditional universities from an isolated system divided into many classes and subjects and from a repetitive system of pre-established knowledge, in an open system, capable of updating itself and integrating all information available on the Web and creating spaces where knowledge could be exchanged.
Shared knowledge space should be neither homogeneous, nor uniform; we should not unite in order to be cloned or mac-donaldized educational and training systems, but to assure a new balance between unity and diversity: the unity of values and of tradition that memory leaves us, diversity of cultures and languages. Today universities should commit themselves to develop interaction and cooperation virtual spaces, maintaining meeting and communication physical spaces between two generations: that one of youth and that one of maturity, who should move under open skies, without frontiers, to create new knowledge, but also new values.
Consortia among the best universities in Europe and the new technologies can offer everybody, in an open and democratic way, the teachings of the greatest scientists and intellectual in the world. We shall be able to build in a virtual way the model of university that gave birth to the European culture: the medieval university.
In the medieval universities, curricula were common; students did not belong to a single university, but they could attend courses in all existing universities; in order to follow the lessons of the best professors, they moved from one site to another facing wearying travels on foot or riding a horse to attend a course on law at the University of Bologna or a course on theology at the University of Paris. Masters too travelled from one site to another. The best ones where then called by the universities since their presence gave prestige and power, but above all because they attracted masses of students and youths from all over Europe.
Answering the needs of the new knowledge markets
The new technologies allowed the mobility of ideas and allowed besides the physical displacement of professors and students also their virtual displacement. The distance university allows interaction between professors and students of the different universities of the world and can actually give and adequate answer to the needs for internationalisation of the university educational systems to supply the skills required by the new labour markets, but also the products required by the Net Economy.
When the Internet-based courses contents and the modes of delivery are carried out by university teachers at international level, control upon contents’ quality is performed by the academic world and users are guaranteed as “consumers of education” since courses suppliers are easily identifiable.
If it is right, as I believe, that the quality brand will determine the competitive challenge on education global market, a distance university based on a network of the best universities of different countries, will certainly win the challenge and will be the absolute protagonist of the new E-Commerce frontier and of the new knowledge markets.
A new balance between unity and diversity
Today distance university can answer the needs of the new knowledge market: exhibit its quality brand; guarantee the user; help transform the traditional universities from an isolated system divided into many classes and subjects and from a repetitive system of pre-established knowledge, in an open system, capable of updating itself and integrating all information available on the Web and creating spaces where knowledge could be exchanged.
Shared knowledge space should be neither homogeneous, nor uniform; we should not unite in order to be cloned or mac-donaldized educational and training systems, but to assure a new balance between unity and diversity: the unity of values and of tradition that memory leaves us, diversity of cultures and languages. Today universities should commit themselves to develop interaction and cooperation virtual spaces, maintaining meeting and communication physical spaces between two generations: that one of youth and that one of maturity, who should move under open skies, without frontiers, to create new knowledge, but also new values.