In order to develop educational offerings through the Internet, institutions must have a technological platform as well as a system that allows for its administration. Not all institutions interested in offering distance education are in a position to acquire and/or maintain the commercial licenses required for the technological platforms that are currently available on the market.
In response, the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), through its Open University and Distance Education Coordination (CUAED) and the Online University Program (PUEL), has begun to offer a free platform for the creation and administration of Internet-based courses. Any educational institution in Mexico and throughout the world can easily develop online courses through the use of the Integral System for the Creation, Administration and Follow-up of Online Courses, PUEL, Version 1.1.
http://www.educoas.org/portal/en/tema/tema.aspx?culture=en&tabindex=36&childindex=0
Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC)
Gabriel Ferraté Pascual, President of UOC and the IACD/OAS have signed a Cooperation Agreement through which both institutions have agreed to join efforts to strengthen human resources in the Americas. Created in 1995, the UOC is an online university that places great emphasis on offering the greatest quality teaching through the application of creative pedagogical models and the use of multimedial and interactive technologies.
http://www.educoas.org/portal/docs/AcuerdoUOC.pdf
Virtual Educa Miami 2003
Through the Institute of Advanced Studies for the Americas (INEAM), the IACD/OAS and the UNED of Spain sponsored various activities in the framework of the IV International Conference on Education, Training and New Technologies, Virtual Educa 2003. Held June 16-20, the event was part of the Strategic Plan of the IACD/OAS derived from the Summit of Presidents in Quebec, as well as from the proceedings of the Summit of Lisboa for the European Union (Alliance for Information Society) and the Initiative of the Spanish Government INFO XXI – Inform@tion Society for All. Over 1,200 experts participated in the event (879 of whom were from Latin America). The program included 348 speakers.
Canada was the country guest of honor during Virtual Educa 2003, and was represented by 41 delegations, including heads of business of the Canadian embassies in Latin America.
The international exposition area included 46 stands, including the Official Pavilion of Spain (promoted by ICEX with 17 institutions) and the Official Pavilion of Canada (8 businesses represented).
During the closing ceremony, the President of the Organizing Committee announced that Virtual Educa 2004 would take place during the Universal Forum of Culture Barcelona 2004, and that Virtual Educa 2005 would be held in Mexico in the Center of Distance Education Technology of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.
Leading Universities in a Knowledge Society
The UNESCO e-learning campus of the Universitat Oberta de Catalyna announced an international Seminar on "Leading the University in a Knowledge Society." The seminar will be organized in two modules, each with one-week duration: November 24-28, 2003 and March 22-26, 2004. While both seminars are onsite, between the two modules the participants will be offered a virtual space in order to continue the exchange of experiences and learning, as well as to access sources of information for decision making.
The activities are intended for high-level university officials: presidents, deans or administrators responsible for introducing and implementing e-learning in the university, as well as directors of e-learning institutions, directors of learning centers, politicians and heads of public administration with responsibility in university policy (ministries of universities, research, society of information, etc.)
http://www.uoc.edu/catedra/unesco/eng/seminari.html
Forum of Peruvian Universities
The Director of the IACD/OAS has signed a Letter of Understanding with the
nine universities that make up the Forum of Peruvian Universities:
Amazonía Peruana, Cajamarca, Chiclayo, Cayetano Heredia, Federico
Villarreal, Ingeniería, Pacífico and Pedro Ruiz Gallo. By signing this
agreement, the parties have agreed to sign individual agreements within
120 days in order to provide services and educational content to other
countries of the region through the Educational Portal of the Americas.
http://www.educoas.org/Portal/docs/AcuerdoForoUnivPeruana.pdf
Professional Training for Teachers
As a result of the Summits of Santiago and Québec, as well as the Dakar Forum, several indicator studies have been carried out at the inter-American level that highlight the educational needs and priority areas of the countries of the region. In response, the IACD has developed 6 courses for teachers at the primary and secondary levels on: Quality in Basic Education (Spanish, Portuguese and English versions); Teachers as Counselors - Early Childhood (English); Health Schools (Spanish) y Strategies for Teaching Mathematics (Spanish).
In order to expand the services of the Portal throughout the region, the XII Meeting of the IACD Board of Directors approved financial resources to develop professional training courses for teachers through the Portal. As a result, 10 announcements will be posted for 6 courses during 2003-2004. Each course will be 6-12 weeks in duration and will include readings, links to other resources and directories of best practices in other countries of the Americas. The courses will also include a final examination to measure the performance of each student and the level of knowledge attained. It is expected that over 6.133 teachers from rural and remote areas of the Americas will be trained as a result.
Inter-American Distance Education Consortium (CREAD)
Within the framework of the Virtual Educa event held in Miami this past
June, L. Ronald Scheman, Director General of the IACD signed a cooperation
agreement with Patricia Avila Muñoz, President of CREAD. CREAD is the
product of collective efforts, resources and experiences to develop
educational projects to meet the demands and needs of the 21st century.
CREAD was founded in 1990 at the International Council for Distance
Education World Conference in Caracas, Venezuela. The original idea for
the consortium came from the Télé-université in Canada and the Universidad
Nacional de Mar del Plata in Argentina. It operated with the financial and
logistical support of three agencies: the Canadian International
Development Agency (CIDA), the Organization of American States (OAS), and
the Inter-American Organization for Higher Education (IOHE). CREAD is a
non-profit organization that brings together people and institutions
involved with distance education in the Americas. Currently an independent
organization that is directed by its members, CREAD’s activities include:
establishing an information network; carrying out a study to determine the
needs of Distance Education in the Americas; and developing a Program for
Training Human Resources.
http://www.educoas.org/Portal/docs/AcuerdoEducaDistancia.pdf
Inter-American Prize in New Technologies
On June 19, during the inaugural ceremony of Virtual Educa 2003, the
Educational Portal of the Americas of the IACD/OAS announced an
inter-American contest to recognize initiatives that have contributed to
the development of human potential through the use of new information and
communication technologies. Contest requirements will be published in
September and nominations will be received until March 2004. During April
and May a Jury of international experts will evaluate the candidates and
select a winner. The prize will be awarded during the V Virtual Educa, to
be held mid-2004 in Barcelona, Spain.
Trust for the Americas
The Educational Portal of the Americas signed a Letter of Understanding
with the Trust for the Americas to collaborate in the formulation and
management of project proposals for external financing. The Trust is a
foundation established in 1997 that strives to create alliances between
the private sector, foundations, governments and academic institutions
operating in the Americas. The Trust’s mission reflects the central goals
of the OAS and the mandates assigned to it by the Summits of the Americas
– namely, mobilize resources to overcome extreme poverty and promote
democracy through actions that are technologically, economically and
socially sustainable. In addition, the Trust develops initiatives that
strive to resolve social problems in the Americas by using contributions
from governments, foundations and the private sector, as well as the
resources of the OAS.
http://www.trustfortheamericas.org/NWS/eng/basicE.asp
Tierra del Fuego: Experimental Center
Within the framework of INEAM, and in collaboration with the authorities
of the Ministry of Education of Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica and the
Islands of the Southern Atlantic, Argentina, through resolution 0698/03 of
May 2003, a Regional Center was established to develop experimental
activities for promoting human resources through the Portal of the
Americas in the cites of Ushuaia and Rio Grande. Gabriel Koremblit was
designated by the national authorities to coordinate the center. The
island of Tierra del Fuego, discovered by Ferninand Magellan in 1520, is
the southernmost region of the world. Its geography and history have
nurtured collective imagination and world literature for centuries.
Currently 300 teachers from the region are participating in training
activities offered through the virtual classroom of the Portal.
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