elearning_label_training_and_work
Projects
Generic e-Learning Environments and Paradigms for the New European Information and Communication Technologies Curricula
12 November 2002
The ICT skills shortage will be addressed through the development of new contents; the investigation of different mechanisms and the development of a pilot e-learning environment.
The project addresses the ICT skills shortage through the following activities:
1. New Curricula Content development, based on the New ICT Curricula guidelines proposed by Career Space Consortium, focusing on five different strands: Undergraduate, Postgraduate, Non-traditional learners, Multidisciplinary Curricula and Training;
2. Investigation of different innovative instruction/content delivery mechanisms, corresponding to the new pedagogical paradigms based on the new ICT Curricula and e-learning platforms of the partners.
3. Development of pilot pan-European collaborative e-learning environment.
4. Evaluation and validation of the approaches and dissemination of the results.
1. New Curricula Content development, based on the New ICT Curricula guidelines proposed by Career Space Consortium, focusing on five different strands: Undergraduate, Postgraduate, Non-traditional learners, Multidisciplinary Curricula and Training;
2. Investigation of different innovative instruction/content delivery mechanisms, corresponding to the new pedagogical paradigms based on the new ICT Curricula and e-learning platforms of the partners.
3. Development of pilot pan-European collaborative e-learning environment.
4. Evaluation and validation of the approaches and dissemination of the results.
Articles
Teleworking in Rural Areas: a Reality in the Pyrenees
14 November 2002
ICT directly provides new jobs opportunities assuming that jobs applicants have the required competencies or can access on-line training sessions. Telework is an alternative for reviving depressed areas and create new fields of expertise.
Ribes de Freser is a small town placed in Pyrenees mountains, in Girona (Spain), a 1 ½ hour' drive from Barcelona. As many other mountain areas, the Freser Valley suffers from a lack of people living there all year. Many houses, flats and villas are only occupied in the summer or during weekends, by non-residents living in the city who like the natural landscape -but only for short periods of time.
It is in that scenario that the centre known as Televall is trying to attract people who aim to live all year in Ribes de Freser and telework from that village. Televall offers advanced infrastructure, technical support and connectivity (128 Kb line) with 3 servers, several computers and some facilities (plotters, scanners... ), also with meeting rooms, training classrooms and other equipment and facilities.
When Televall began its operations and teleworkers landed in the town in some number, a completely unexpected problem appeared: there were very few flats to rent in the area, due to the town's heavy summer residential specialization. So Televall added a new function to its offer and now is promoting the construction of new buildings in the area and the restoration of old masias (traditional country houses).
Ribes de Freser is a small town placed in Pyrenees mountains, in Girona (Spain), a 1 ½ hour' drive from Barcelona. As many other mountain areas, the Freser Valley suffers from a lack of people living there all year. Many houses, flats and villas are only occupied in the summer or during weekends, by non-residents living in the city who like the natural landscape -but only for short periods of time.
It is in that scenario that the centre known as Televall is trying to attract people who aim to live all year in Ribes de Freser and telework from that village. Televall offers advanced infrastructure, technical support and connectivity (128 Kb line) with 3 servers, several computers and some facilities (plotters, scanners... ), also with meeting rooms, training classrooms and other equipment and facilities.
When Televall began its operations and teleworkers landed in the town in some number, a completely unexpected problem appeared: there were very few flats to rent in the area, due to the town's heavy summer residential specialization. So Televall added a new function to its offer and now is promoting the construction of new buildings in the area and the restoration of old masias (traditional country houses).
Projects
3D Electronic Learning
12 November 2002
The aim of this project is to give an e-learning format to two training courses in the field of 3D developed in the framework of the Leonardo da Vinci program.
The courses match the training requirements of the technical and audio-visual companies (3D-TECH: architecture and engineering and 3D-AUDI: advertising, film and cartoon).
Projects
A European Lifelong Learning System on ICT in Education for Pioneer Teachers
12 November 2002
It aims at creating a community of pioneer teachers spreading new ideas through interpersonal channels. It has developed a system for lifelong learning, knowledge sharing and co-operation.
ULEARN is a project carried out in the framework of the European program "e-Learning". This project aims at creating a stable community of "pioneer teachers" in Europe through a system which supports teachers' lifelong learning, sharing knowledge and cooperation.
ULEARN deals with the definition and design of an organisational model for a European virtual system of excellence on ICT in education, the definition of a common European curriculum of ICT skills in education, the implementation of a pilot of the system, the definition of a transferability strategy to extend the pilot to a larger scale and to make the system evolve into a stable structure.
ULEARN deals with the definition and design of an organisational model for a European virtual system of excellence on ICT in education, the definition of a common European curriculum of ICT skills in education, the implementation of a pilot of the system, the definition of a transferability strategy to extend the pilot to a larger scale and to make the system evolve into a stable structure.
Projects
Network for the blind people
12 November 2002
This project aims at the setting up of a European multimedia network allowing blind people to access, through adequate equipment, the data bases of all participant libraries and all information presented on the Internet.
Il Sistema delle Biblioteche di Roma con la consulenza della società OSAR, ha presentato alla Comunità Europea il progetto denominato "A Network for the blind people".
Il progetto, è stato approvato dalla Commissione Europea, nell'ambito del piano di azione europeo eLearning ed ha avuto il contributo europeo (Grant Agreement n. 2001-3445/001-001).
Obiettivo particolare del progetto è quello di favorire l'accesso ai supporti telematici ai non vedenti. Quest'azione deve considerarsi propedeutica alla realizzazione di altri obiettivi specifici ovvero apprendimento a distanza tramite supporti informatici e possibilità di comunicare e scambiare informazioni attraverso l'uso di questi strumenti.
Gli obiettivi del progetto sono:
-creazione di una rete europea multimediale che permettano ai non vedenti di accedere, attraverso una strumentazione adeguata, alle banche dati di tutte le biblioteche aderenti al progetto oltre che alle informazioni presenti su internet.
-sviluppo di programmi di apprendimento a distanza su temi di interesse culturale e linguistico modellati sulle esigenze della specifica categoria.
-sviluppo di canali particolari di comunicazione che permettano ai non vedenti di comunicare tra loro attraverso i centri a loro riservati.
Il progetto, è stato approvato dalla Commissione Europea, nell'ambito del piano di azione europeo eLearning ed ha avuto il contributo europeo (Grant Agreement n. 2001-3445/001-001).
Obiettivo particolare del progetto è quello di favorire l'accesso ai supporti telematici ai non vedenti. Quest'azione deve considerarsi propedeutica alla realizzazione di altri obiettivi specifici ovvero apprendimento a distanza tramite supporti informatici e possibilità di comunicare e scambiare informazioni attraverso l'uso di questi strumenti.
Gli obiettivi del progetto sono:
-creazione di una rete europea multimediale che permettano ai non vedenti di accedere, attraverso una strumentazione adeguata, alle banche dati di tutte le biblioteche aderenti al progetto oltre che alle informazioni presenti su internet.
-sviluppo di programmi di apprendimento a distanza su temi di interesse culturale e linguistico modellati sulle esigenze della specifica categoria.
-sviluppo di canali particolari di comunicazione che permettano ai non vedenti di comunicare tra loro attraverso i centri a loro riservati.
Projects
Model for a European Networked University for e-Learning
12 November 2002
It sets out to create a model for a European Networked University, offering e-learning opportunities. It will be based on experiences from previous projects and activities.
It will include an organisational structure, a quality assurance system, examples of joint courses and study programmes across institutional borders, guidelines and a demonstrator of a practical e-learning environment. The demonstrator will focus on ICT-related studies.
Partners in MENU will constitute the core of a future consortium, a permanent, sustainable ENU, offering courses and degree programmes across Europe. ICT will be extensively applied for administration, contact and information, learning environment and virtual mobility of students and staff. Dissemination of findings will make the model and the consortium available to other institutions.
Partners in MENU will constitute the core of a future consortium, a permanent, sustainable ENU, offering courses and degree programmes across Europe. ICT will be extensively applied for administration, contact and information, learning environment and virtual mobility of students and staff. Dissemination of findings will make the model and the consortium available to other institutions.
Articles
Virtual Internships: Real Experience in a Virtual World<br><em><font color="#888888">
16 January 2003
Supported by the European Commission’s Minerva programme, the idea behind INTERN Project was to explore the extent to which Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) could support a system of Virtual Internships – where European business students take part in in-company placements, supported by ICT rather than by physically re-locating to the company premises.
The colleges taking part in INTERN are all experienced business colleges, who used the INTERN project to test the Virtual Internship approach and to gather information about how such Internships might be improved in the future.
The Colleges taking part were:
· Tietgen Business College, Denmark
· Arcada Polytechnic, Finland
· Buskerud University College, Norway
· Institut de Formation International (IFI), France
INTERN has a number of specific target groups including:
· Managers and Administrators of European Business colleges
· European companies interested in improving the quality and potential of European Business Education
· Institutions and agencies representing the public sector including the European Commission
· Business students and teaching staff interested in taking part in a Virtual Internship
We define a Virtual Internship as one involving the use of an ICT supported environment, where students interact with each other and companies, independent of time and space, and across traditional geographical boundaries.
The purpose of this interaction is to carry out an identifiable and meaningful work-based task, that fits within the student’s compulsory educational curriculum.
The pedagogical model upon which we base our work views the individual learning process as having two dimensions. First of all the difference between tacit knowledge i.e. knowledge that is personal and intuitive and explicit knowledge, i.e. knowledge that is meaningful and communicable. Secondly the dimensions of learning through theory versus learning through practice.
We are not fixed on a specific and rigid ICT infrastructure, but chose tools and support mechanisms that implement cross-border communication, collaboration and knowledge sharing in the most user-friendly and cost-efficient manner possible.
During INTERN we organised 4 specific pilot Virtual Internships on which we base our guidelines and recommendations, they were:
1. An assignment led by Buskerud University College for a Norwegian SME, Tronrud Engineering, to research markets, exhibitions and fairs for one of their products in other countries. This Internship took place from September until December 2001 and involved students in Denmark, Norway and Finland.
2. As assignment led by IFI for a French company, Kremlin, Inc. a leading manufacturer of finishing equipment. The task was to find out more about the Danish market and the potential market for spray equipment. This Internship ran from January until May 2002 and involved students in Denmark and France.
3. An assignment led by ARCADA for ICL Invia, which is a Nordic service provider and operator of advanced information systems. The objective of this Virtual Internship that ran from September until December 2001 was to investigate the use of Information Technology in Customer Relationship Management (CRM) for hotel chains and hotel marketing chains in Finland and Norway and involved students from Finland and Norway.
4. An assignment led by Tietgen for the Danish DFDS Transportation Group, who wanted to carry out a logistic survey of track and trace systems in Finland. This Internship ran from September until December 2001 and involved students in Finland.
See the related article Key elements for a successful project in business education, by the same authors, based in INTERN experience.
The colleges taking part in INTERN are all experienced business colleges, who used the INTERN project to test the Virtual Internship approach and to gather information about how such Internships might be improved in the future.
The Colleges taking part were:
· Tietgen Business College, Denmark
· Arcada Polytechnic, Finland
· Buskerud University College, Norway
· Institut de Formation International (IFI), France
INTERN has a number of specific target groups including:
· Managers and Administrators of European Business colleges
· European companies interested in improving the quality and potential of European Business Education
· Institutions and agencies representing the public sector including the European Commission
· Business students and teaching staff interested in taking part in a Virtual Internship
We define a Virtual Internship as one involving the use of an ICT supported environment, where students interact with each other and companies, independent of time and space, and across traditional geographical boundaries.
The purpose of this interaction is to carry out an identifiable and meaningful work-based task, that fits within the student’s compulsory educational curriculum.
The pedagogical model upon which we base our work views the individual learning process as having two dimensions. First of all the difference between tacit knowledge i.e. knowledge that is personal and intuitive and explicit knowledge, i.e. knowledge that is meaningful and communicable. Secondly the dimensions of learning through theory versus learning through practice.
We are not fixed on a specific and rigid ICT infrastructure, but chose tools and support mechanisms that implement cross-border communication, collaboration and knowledge sharing in the most user-friendly and cost-efficient manner possible.
During INTERN we organised 4 specific pilot Virtual Internships on which we base our guidelines and recommendations, they were:
1. An assignment led by Buskerud University College for a Norwegian SME, Tronrud Engineering, to research markets, exhibitions and fairs for one of their products in other countries. This Internship took place from September until December 2001 and involved students in Denmark, Norway and Finland.
2. As assignment led by IFI for a French company, Kremlin, Inc. a leading manufacturer of finishing equipment. The task was to find out more about the Danish market and the potential market for spray equipment. This Internship ran from January until May 2002 and involved students in Denmark and France.
3. An assignment led by ARCADA for ICL Invia, which is a Nordic service provider and operator of advanced information systems. The objective of this Virtual Internship that ran from September until December 2001 was to investigate the use of Information Technology in Customer Relationship Management (CRM) for hotel chains and hotel marketing chains in Finland and Norway and involved students from Finland and Norway.
4. An assignment led by Tietgen for the Danish DFDS Transportation Group, who wanted to carry out a logistic survey of track and trace systems in Finland. This Internship ran from September until December 2001 and involved students in Finland.
See the related article Key elements for a successful project in business education, by the same authors, based in INTERN experience.
Projects
Internet Laboratory
12 November 2002
A virtual laboratory for collaboration and problem solving for the training of teachers and trainers in e-Learning
Internet laboratory is a team of certified software programmers, engineers, analysts, documentation specialists and other professionals available for outsourcing projects. Our development center is based in Nizhny Novgorod - the third largest city in Russia, having strong reputation for well-established high schools and universities. Our foreign clients can reach us through our affiliate in the United States and all further business relationships will be based on US legislation. So that we can offer our customers a unique combination of US business development and low-cost but high-quality services of Russian software developers. We provide a range of services for all budgets, and deliver them on target, on budget and on time.
All our employees directly involved in software development process are very experienced and we can provide from one to fifty programmers depending on the complexity of the project. Using many years of our experience in problem-solving, we are confident that we will make a successful addition to any company, whether the project is complex or simple.
A combination of profound business knowledge, focused technical expertise, use of mature process management models, multi-lingual capabilities and a pragmatic, quality-oriented approach helps us provide the flexibility you want. We are well-equipped to meet the rising demand for high-quality software products.
We have a permanent Internet connection at our disposal that allows us to communicate with our clients as easy as if we were the next door. Most communication is done via Internet in English. Communications take the form of e-mails, chats, remote access methods and telephone. ILab ensures that all parties have effective communications throughout the course of the project.
All our employees directly involved in software development process are very experienced and we can provide from one to fifty programmers depending on the complexity of the project. Using many years of our experience in problem-solving, we are confident that we will make a successful addition to any company, whether the project is complex or simple.
A combination of profound business knowledge, focused technical expertise, use of mature process management models, multi-lingual capabilities and a pragmatic, quality-oriented approach helps us provide the flexibility you want. We are well-equipped to meet the rising demand for high-quality software products.
We have a permanent Internet connection at our disposal that allows us to communicate with our clients as easy as if we were the next door. Most communication is done via Internet in English. Communications take the form of e-mails, chats, remote access methods and telephone. ILab ensures that all parties have effective communications throughout the course of the project.
Projects
On-Line Intelligent Training System for Internet Marketing by SMEs
11 November 2002
The project will focus on the specific needs of SME employees in the service sector which will be investigated for business-to-consumer e-commerce activities in marketing.
This project will develop an On-Line Intelligent Training System for Internet Marketing by SMEs. The project is based on the findings of surveys and analysis that showed that SMEs are in the very early stages of designing and maintaining their web sites.
They do not feel empowered with the appropriate skills and expertise to market themselves through the medium of the Internet, and employees do not have the skills and expertise to adopt a marketing mix to different markets.This will be achieved through focus groups, interviews, questionnaires and case studies to be carried out in each partner country.
The findings of the case studies will be stored in a database which will be linked to a web site and will provide a benchmarking profile for each case study provided.
The main outcome of the project will be to deliver an on-line intelligent training system for Internet marketing by SMEs that will offer both system and human responses to specific queries and will be translated into the language of each participating country. Other outcomes of the project include the identification of common needs for Internet marketing in the service sector.
The training modules designed will cover technical, strategic and managerial issues related to successful Internet marketing. Each of the project partners and participating SMEs will design a web site in the partner's native language to disseminate information from the start of the project.
They do not feel empowered with the appropriate skills and expertise to market themselves through the medium of the Internet, and employees do not have the skills and expertise to adopt a marketing mix to different markets.This will be achieved through focus groups, interviews, questionnaires and case studies to be carried out in each partner country.
The findings of the case studies will be stored in a database which will be linked to a web site and will provide a benchmarking profile for each case study provided.
The main outcome of the project will be to deliver an on-line intelligent training system for Internet marketing by SMEs that will offer both system and human responses to specific queries and will be translated into the language of each participating country. Other outcomes of the project include the identification of common needs for Internet marketing in the service sector.
The training modules designed will cover technical, strategic and managerial issues related to successful Internet marketing. Each of the project partners and participating SMEs will design a web site in the partner's native language to disseminate information from the start of the project.
Projects
Satellite Multimedia and Rapid Transfer of Education
11 November 2002
The SMART EDU system will improve the quality of, and access to, continuing vocational training by creating an effective tool for Open and Distance Learning.
The primary target groups of this pan-European project are adult professionals from various fields who are participating in continuing vocational training.
The project will be used in the academic, private and the government institutional sectors. The key activity of the project is the creation of a software package for teachers in vocational training organisations to provide a tool for the provision of life-long learning.
The methodology addresses the educational, pedagogical, psychological, technological aspects of implementing the courses in daily life and the target groups’ specifications and trends. The course will be translated into three European languages.
The final products will be the methodology and the SMART_EDU software and manual.
The project will be used in the academic, private and the government institutional sectors. The key activity of the project is the creation of a software package for teachers in vocational training organisations to provide a tool for the provision of life-long learning.
The methodology addresses the educational, pedagogical, psychological, technological aspects of implementing the courses in daily life and the target groups’ specifications and trends. The course will be translated into three European languages.
The final products will be the methodology and the SMART_EDU software and manual.