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March 2007 Volume 3, Number 1 |
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IN THIS ISSUE
UNED OF COSTA RICA CELEBRATES 30TH ANNIVERSARY A NEW BOOK ANALYZES THE CHALLENGES OF DISTANCE EDUCATION INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERS OF CREAD CREAD CONFERENCES 2007 |
It was thirty years ago, on March 3rd, 1977, that Daniel Oduber, at that time President of Costa Rica, signed the State Distance University (UNED-Costa Rica) into law, the first distance education university established in Latin America. On that day the President stated that he was signing the law “on behalf of the hundreds of workers and homemakers whose children would have a greater chance of a higher education … leading to a total revolution in higher education in Costa Rica”. Thus, in the seventies, great expectations, lofty goals and high hopes were used to justify this innovative educational project, designed to promote the learning of large sectors of the population throughout the country. Thirty years on, and into the twenty-first century, as we find ourselves living more and more in the so-called information age, en route for the knowledge society, this reasoning seem even more relevant. At the same time, the technological development experienced by human beings in this period, makes it possible for the grand objectives that were promoted by the rise of the UNED and other distance education institutions to be achieved. More than ever, it seems essential to bring increasing educational opportunities to all the groups and sectors in our countries, for which purpose we implement various distance education modalities. Three decades have passed since the inauguration of the UNED; over the years the University expanded higher education in the country, while consolidating and strengthening it in all areas, overcoming the skepticism of some and the resistance of others with the very positive results and great objectives achieved that served to justify it within modern society. Currently the UNED has more than 22,000 students enrolled in regular programs, plus thousands more in short courses, a network of 34 interconnected sites in different places, around 30,000 graduates who have been able to earn their professional degrees without leaving their homes and places of work, the most productive publishing house in Central America, a broad and prizewinning audiovisual production history and a growing multi-media production and, at the same time, intensive incorporation of the new information and communication technologies in our educational model so that we can respond adequately to the needs of the 36 bachelor or degree programs and the 30 post-graduate programs that are offered in different fields of learning. Thus, we continue to maintain the social mission of increasing access and democratizing higher education in Costa Rica. The achievements attained over the years are not only a source of great satisfaction, but also thanks and congratulations, and a strong commitment to the future. I mention satisfaction because the mission undertaken by the UNED 30 years ago has been fulfilled, thanks and congratulations to the thousands of employees and students who have achieved excellent results, and a renewed commitment to society in general, to our communities and to our students to continuously renew their educational opportunities through the use of distance education.
Rodrigo Arias Camacho
Globalization101.org provides unbiased, easily understandable information and related lesson plans that are participatory, interactive, and promote conceptual understanding, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. The site includes: · twelve in-depth Issue Briefs, on topics such as Health, Migration, and Technology; · more than seventy News Analyses, on issues such as “Chronic Diseases and the Developing World” and “Fairtrade Cotton, Will it Make a Difference;” · For Teachers section, which includes syllabi, assessment pieces, and lesson plans, such as curricular unit on the Environment and Globalization that includes a simulation of the Kyoto Protocols; · Ask the Expert video interviews with experts in the field, such as Sebastian Mallaby, columnist for the Washington Post and author of the book, The World’s Banker; · What Others Think section, which includes articles on how globalization is perceived by other countries, such as What Argentina Thinks about Globalization, and will soon include opinion pieces written by students from around the world; · an extensive, Useful Links section, with links to government websites, international media outlets and non-governmental organizations around the world; and, · a monthly Newsletter, which updates Globalization101 users on the latest additions to the site. Globalization101.org is being translated into Spanish, Arabic, and Chinese. As Globalization101.org seeks to expand its use around the world, we are seeking to work with universities, governments, and education organizations to collaborate on creating specialized, country-specific, teaching resources to help educators integrate Globalziation101.org into the virtual classroom. Specialized resources will include syllabi for college courses, new lesson plans to be used with our issue briefs, and teaching tools for using materials in virtual classrooms. The staff of the globalization101.org project is available for presentations, training workshops, and consultations. To learn more, contact Rebecca Weiner, Project Manager, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, by phone 202-939-2346 or by e-mail rweiner@ceip.org. WORKSHOP ON QUALITY STANDARDS
Abstract The contemporary debate on the quality of e-learning is very often associated with two basic arguments: the quality of course contents and instructional design, and the practice of virtual instruction, to the extent that they differ from face-to-face methods.
Each of these factors could form the topic for a whole workshop. The most decisive aspects of each factor will therefore be covered as talking points, so as to promote a participative and instructive debate. A NEW BOOK ANALYZES THE CHALLENGES OF DISTANCE EDUCATION
When we speak of intellectual challenges to education, it becomes necessary to take on a topic that is more important every day: the role of the new technologies in the teaching and learning processes. This is a new scenario that is reconfiguring the traditional ways of participating in the educational process and that presents enormous challenges to the traditional system and its agents, both public and private, who are designing new forms of administration. ABOUT THE AUTHORS Mariana Aylwin is a professor of History, Geography and Civics at the Catholic University of Chile. In addition to her extensive academic career, she has also led an active political life. She was Executive Secretary of the Alberto Hurtado Center for Labor Studies, founder of the Association of Women for Democracy, and Vice President of the Christian Democratic Party. From 1994 to 1998 she served as representative for La Florida, and played an active role in the discussion and approval of the Chilean Educational Reform. In 1998 she was named National Coordinator of the Middle School Teaching Quality Improvement Program (Mece Media). From 2000 to 2003 she was Minister of Education. Daniel Farcas is a Public Administrator at the University of Chile. He pursued his postgraduate studies in Spain, where he specialized in business administration. He has also studied finance and marketing in the Specializations in Administration and Public-Private Collaboration at the Institute for Public-Private Partnership in Washington. He has been the director of a number of public and private companies, among them the Division of Social Organizations (DOS), under the Secretary-General of the Government, and the National Service for Training and Employment (SENCE). Currently he is Pro-Rector of UNIACC.
INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERS OF CREAD
Students are involved in a variety of activities, including online assignments and field experiences, multimedia course content, educational games, scavenger hunts, and online quizzes and tests. A student helpdesk is available to assist students in everything from planning out college-degree programs to technical support and ordering textbooks. Many of MDC’s degrees — including the popular Associates in Science in Business Administration, Health Information Management, and Education — feature complete online curricula, as do general education core courses. The objective of Miami Dade College’s Colegio Universitario Virtual is to implement MDC Community Education non-credit programs throughout Latin America and the Caribbean by offering online educational opportunities in Spanish. Colegio Universitario Virtual targets students and employees interested in acquiring or expanding language, technical and business administration skills. Current course offerings include English as a Second Language (ESL), technology, business and commerce. With the solid backbone of Miami Dade College, the Virtual College continues to increase enrollment in distance learning. With the support of the student helpdesk and the increasing number of courses online, students abroad can also earn a degree from MDC. Virtual College Website: http://virtual.mdc.edu Virtual College
THE POPULAR AUTONOMOUS UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF PUEBLA – (UNIVERSIDAD POPULAR AUTÓNOMA DEL ESTADO DE PUEBLA) MÉXICO
The current environment makes demands on people, institutions and society in general of an accelerated effort of personal and professional growth. UPAEP, working through its System of Open and Distance Education (SUAD), is contributing to building a more equable and prosperous Mexico, following its motto “Culture in the Service of the People”: http://suad.upaep.mx/ , and offers 5 degrees in the open modality and 4 degrees at a distance. As an open and distance university our objective is to offer solid professional and humanist training in which the participants develop autonomous learning habits that favor significant learning, linking the work experience of the student with the systematized knowledge proper to an academic program. The SUAD academic programs are based on a flexible teaching and learning program based on constructivist learning supported by the information technologies (ICTs) and virtual platforms especially designed for distance learning. As part of SUAD’s psycho-pedagogical structure, we have a Support Center staffed with advisors and tutors in every program we offer to maintain excellence and educational dynamism. In our technological infrastructure we have the virtual campus, which is an area of virtual environments and services where students can review their program’s contents and didactic materials, and of personalized communication, with collaboration and evaluation environments, aiming to guarantee a successful outcome. UNIACTIVA
The Open Institute for Interactive Training, S.A. is a company owned by Grupo Vértice, a business group with more than 25 years of experience in the training field. IAFI has four companies that offer specialized training:
UNIACTIVA www.uniactiva.com
UNIVERSIDAD CATOLICA DEL NORTE CHILE http://www.ucn.cl
The Catholic University of the North (UCN), founded by the Company of Jesus fifty years ago now, on May 31st, 1956, ranks eighth in the country and is the third ranked Catholic university. It has been accredited for five years by the National Commission of Undergraduate Accreditation (CNAP). The Catholic University of the North, in the forefront in social responsibility, is part of an advanced group of universities belonging to the national system of Higher Education, which makes us a reference nationally and internationally. The Distance Education Center (CED) is an academia unit of the University, under the academia Vice-Rector. It has 25 years of experience in distance education, combining traditional methodology with the use of New Technologies (TICs). Its work covers three areas of professional education, refreshers and training: Education, Organization and Social; for which enrollment is open in the Admission process of ADMISION CED-2007.
In its 25 years of existence and continuous activity we have covered the whole country from Arica to the Antarctic and from the Andes to the ocean, including Easter Island and Juan Fernández, teaching postgraduate programs, degree courses, diplomas and continuing education; these have also been used for professional education in other countries, such as Argentina, Bolivia, Peru, Paraguay, Colombia, Venezuela, Mexico, the United States, Japan, and others. I CREAD MEXICO Competitive Capacity in the Small Business
The FIRST CREAD MEXICO CONFERENCE seeks to promote the creation and increase the competitive capacity of our small businesses in the global market, thus building new pathways towards economic growth. EIGHTH INTERNATIONAL VIRTUAL EDUCA CONFERENCE
EIGHTH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON EDUCATION, PROFESSIONAL TRAINING, INNOVATION , COOPERATION & DEVELOPMENT BUENOS AIRES, 22 - 24 August, 2007.
The XI CREAD MERCOSUR/SUL Congress will be held in Buenos Aires, on August 22nd to 24th, 2007.
This year’s theme is “Distance Education, Health and the Environment”, and the conference will examine the following topics: public health
The conference will be hosted by the University Institute of Health Sciences – Héctor Barceló Foundation, together with the Brazilian Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, and Nova Southeastern University, of the USA, as co-organizers. The conference will offer an excellent opportunity for learning and networking for professionals, academics, instructors, institutions, officials, administrators, consultants and experts in health, distance education and telecommunications. The conference has been planned around keynote speakers and panels of invited experts, workshops, round tables and poster presentations. The intensive academic program will be complemented by cultural activities (including tango and Argentine grill) and a tour beautiful Buenos Aires. PPRESIDENT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR REPRESENTATIVE OF NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY ANDEAN REGION (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru) BRAZIL ANGLOPHONE CANADA CARIBBEAN (Antilles, Belice, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Puerto Rico, Guyana, Surinam, Venezuela) CENTRAL AMERICA (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama) MEXICO SOUTHERN CONE (Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay) UNITED STATES OF AMERICA LIFETIME HONORARY MEMBER CREAD REGIONAL OFFICES ARGENTINA CANADA The CREAD Electronic Newsletter will be published four times a year, in Spanish, English and Portuguese, in order to provide information about Consortium activities and to pass on professional information of interest. |
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The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a non-profit, non-partisan think tank, hosts Globalization101.org, an objective, online resource, to teach college students about policy aspects of globalization related to civics, economics, geography and history, without any fees or charges. Globalization101.org highlights the many trade-offs and dilemmas, associated with globalization. Students are challenged to grapple with the benefits and costs of trade liberalization, the proper balance between environmental protection and economic development, and whether to preserve or integrate cultures. Students learn how globalization works, the major issues and the cross-linkages amongst them, and the choices facing countries as they try to implement policies favorable to growth and development. 
Mariana Aylwin and Daniel Farcas are the authors of Presentes y distantes. Los desafíos del e-learning en la educación superior (Present and distant: the challenges of e-learning in higher education). In this book, which has been published by the UNIACC University Press, they discuss the links between higher education and the new technologies and the way in which they have changed teaching and learning in an inter-connected society. With a prologue by José Joaquín Brunner, this book is one of the first to take on the growing impact and the importance of distance education in Chile. 
Miami Dade College (MDC) awards more associate degrees than any other school in the United States and graduates the highest number of minority students. The Virtual College is responsible for MDC’s distance education programs and has a ten-year history of success. The Virtual College has grown immensely since its 1997 inception, with more than 6,000 students this past spring and more than 30% growth within the past year. Using a learning-management system, students and faculty are able to interact effectively - working in groups, using live chat and discussion forums. 
The Popular Autonomous University of the State of Puebla (UPAEP) was founded on May 7th, 1973. Now in its 35th year, the UPAEP has become the fourth largest private university in the country with the largest number of accredited programs and is ranked first in the southern region and in a total of 29 Mexican states.
At the Open Institute for Interactive Training (IAFI) we have developed an educational system that leads the student to create his or her own knowledge, and also an environment that makes virtuality into an educational, real, personalized and interactive experience.
