Following EDEN's involvement in the past years as ELIG (European Learning Industry Group) Consultative Group member, which relation has been most successful in developing relations with the corporate sector, a Document of Understanding on EDEN-ELIG Partnership, a new framework of collaboration has now been signed. The agreement is focusing on communication, professional collaboration and promotion elements of mutual benefits for both organisations which should also be useful for members directly.
LEARNOVATION is a European project aimed at building a new vision of Technology enhanced learning in Europe - centred on its role on innovation and LLL implementation - by means of a wide ranging consensus process overcoming traditional borders of education and training.
Amongst its several activities, LEARNOVATION included a foresight exercise on the future of learning, building primarily on a DELPHI survey involving a significant number of european experts.
The Chinese Central Radio and Television University (CCRTVU) has now reached the official status of Open University of China.
On the occasion of its thirtieth anniversary, and of the tenth anniversary of the China Distance Education Society (CDES), CCRTVU has organised an International Forum on the 16th and 17th of October about "Challenges and Opportunities for Open and Distance Learning in Lifelong Learning in a Global Financial and Economic Crisis".
Carl Holmberg, Martine Vidal, Li Yawan –
Palace of the People, Beijing, Oct. 18th, 2009
As result of common interest and commitment which we discovered with enthusiasm, the Secretariat staff decided to develop our headquarters into an environmentally conscious office. Following a systematic self-evaluation, a series of measures have been implemented, not only checking and changing the related office functions (less copying/printing, use of recycled paper, selective waste collection, energy saving measures, etc.) but also purchasing environmentally friendly detergents, measures to improve ergonomic and healthy workplaces, and even encourage colleagues to use bike and public transport instead of cars.
We are delighted to announce that Past President and Senior Fellow of EDEN, Ingeborg Bø is awarded the Norwegian King's Medal of Merit in silver!
The medal was awarded by Odd Reinsfelt, Mayor of Bærum at this year's conference of NADE - Norwegian Association for Distance and Flexible Education, held 17-18 November at University of Oslo.
We are delighted to announce that the Book titled "Distance and E-learning in Transition – Learning Innovation, Technology and Social Challenges", was published jointly by ISTE and Wiley. The book is a selection of the best EDEN conference papers from the past years, revisiting research, innovation and professional practice in distance and e-learning.
Great news: the latest Lifelong Learning Call resulted five interesting projects' start in the coming autumn. The projects entitled SEVAQ+, Te@ch.us, EquNet, FREE and LINKS-UP are all promoted by prestigeous partnerships with the objective of further developing the European knowledge society. Topics of the projects include:
Enhanced quality evaluation model for Technology Enhanced Learning systems in Higher Education and Vocational Education and Training institutions;
Web 2.0 communities for teachers;
Accessing Higher Education for marginalised groups with technology enhanced learning;
A tool to councilors, tutors, trainers working with unemployed people for competence development;
Research on whether Learning 2.0 does really empower excluded groups and thus change the learning landscape.
Visitors are kindly invited to read the new post on the blog.
Alan Tait, President of EDEN, in his recently uploaded post, besides writing shortly about the EC meeting that took place on 1st February in London, commemorates about Robert Beevers, the first Director of Studies at the Open University, appointed at the foundation of the University in 1969.
Martin Vidal, Vice-President of EDEN contributes to the blog with a report about her visit in China and attending the conference organised on the occasion of the thirtieth anniversary of CCRTVU.
Previous posts of the President about the Executive Committee meetings held in October and the Seventh Open Classroom Conference organised in Porto, further about how new technologies influence school level education, responsibilities in distance and e-learning towards sustainability, as well as earlier blog entries, can also be read there.
At the EDEN 2009 Annual Conference in Gdansk, EDEN Senior Fellow title was granted in recognition of his contribution to the development of open, distance and e-learning in Europe and for his valued commitment and support to the evolution and progress of EDEN to:
Ulrich Bernath, Ulrich Bernath Foundation for Research in ODL, Germany
EDEN Fellow title was granted as expression of acknowledgement of professional merit for NAP members, who have demonstrated excellence in professional practice in the field of flexible and distance learning:
Thomas Fischer, Institute for Learning Innovation (FIM - NewLearning), Germany
Anna Grabowska, PRO-MED Co. Ltd., Poland
Mehmet Kesim, Anadolu University, Turkey
Dénes Zarka, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Hungary
The international conference "Adult Learning and e-Learning Quality" (25-26 November 2008, Kaunas, LT), was combined with the kick-off meeting of the REVIVE project. The programme and the presentations can be downloaded from the conference web site.
HEXTLEARN
The project's newly launched website with online community boosts networking on the net. All HEI professionals are invited to join the network, load ICT in Higher Education cases and contribute to the community. HEXTLEARN project's network signup
LOGOS
The videocast and the proceedings of the project's final conference is now available.
The Educational Repositories Network invites interested stakeholders to its last Strategic Seminar, on 24-26 March 2010, in Barcelona, Spain. The seminar will explore: repository strategies work, how to engage users and producers, relevant standards to ensure interoperability, and how to address the complex handling of intellectual property rights.
The EDEN 2009 Best Research Paper Award during the Conference dinner of the EDEN Open Classroom Conference in Porto, Portugal, was presented by President Alan Tait and Professor Otto Peters to Alda Pereira, Isolina Oliveira, Luís Tinoca, Lúcia Amante, Maria de Jesus Relvas, Maria do Carmo Teixeira Pinto, Darlinda Moreira, all from Universidade Aberta, Portugal for their paper on „Evaluating Continuous Assessment Quality in Competence-Based Education Online: The Case of the e-Folio”.
Teaching European Studies Online: the Challenge of Quality Assurance Alexander Mihai
How has Pedagogy Changed in a Digital Age? Hayat Al-Khatib
Narrowing the Distance: Using e-Learner Support to Enhance the Student Experience Patrick Kelly, Charlotte Stevens
Evaluating Continuous Assessment Quality in Competence-Based Education Online: the Case of the e-Folio Alda Pereira, Isolina Oliveira, Luis Tinoca, Lucia Amante, Maria de Jesus Relvas, Maria do Carmo Teixeira Pinto, Darlinda Moreira
The picture below shows the panorama of Budapest and buildings of the University seen from the office of the Secretariat. You can explore the broader view of the panorama by moving the mouse over the picture.
