EDEN Network of Academics and Professionals (NAP)

EDEN is celebrating its 15th Anniversary this year with series of different activities attached to the "birthday" of the Association. Of course, you as member will be directly informed about these actions, in the meantime we would like you to encourage to visit the soon to be launched anniversary pages on the web.

1. EDEN Vice-President Alan Tait paid a visit at the Moscow State University of Economics, Statistics and Informatics (Russia) and delivered a presentation about "E Bologna, Quality and Accreditation" on 12-13 January, 2006.

2. The preparation of the Annual Conference to take place on 14-17 June in Vienna is well in progress. Please, be kindly reminded that the paper submission deadline is 1 February.

3. We are pleased to report that the so called own initiative opinion "The contribution of information technologies (IT) supported lifelong learning to European competitiveness, industrial change and social capital development", submitted by Andras Szucs, EDEN Secretary General has been approved in the Consultative Commission on Industrial Change of the European Economic and Social Committee. The related report will be elaborated until September. Claudio Dondi, Vice President of EDEN will support the work of the study group.

4. We are glad to inform you that a number of new high quality articles have been released in the European Journal of Open and Distance Learning (EURODL). The titles on www.eurodl.org include:
- Catherine M O'Donnell, Deborah J Sloan and Clive W Mulholland: "Evaluation of an Online Student Induction and Support Package for Online Learners";
- Jane Morgan: "Learner and Teacher Electronic Relations: experiences of one distance learning health studies programme";
- Patrick J. Fahy: "Online and Face-to-Face Group Interaction Processes Compared Using Bales' Interaction Process Analysis (IPA)".

5. We are delighted to welcome the following new institutional members who joined EDEN:
- Estonian e-University
- Utah Valley State College

6. EDEN this year is joining some interesting new European Union projects. Let us provide you with a selection of recent news and events related to these projects.
- The Rural Wings project, in frames of the EU 6th Framework Programme had its kick-off meeting in Athens on 16-17 January. The project proposes to develop an advanced learning platform through satellite DVB-RCS (Digital Video Broadcasting, Return Channel via Satellite) access technologies, promoting a user-centred methodological approach which constitutes its major innovation.
- The OLCOS - Open E-Learning Content Observatory Services project also held its kick-off meeting in January in Salzburg. Its objectives are to make available information and learning services that will foster and support the creation, sharing and re-use of open e-learning content in and among the European member states.
- The aim of the new project called "Mobile Learning - Incorporating mobile learning into mainstream education and training" is to develop mobile learning course content that will enter into the mainstream and take mobile learning from a project-based structure into mainstream education and training.
- The 3rd Thematic Seminar in frames of the HELIOS - Horizontal E-Learning Integrated Observation System project on "eLearning and personal development/active citizenship" was held on 15 December 2005 in Brussels. Two thematic reports produced by the project about "eLearning and Access" and "eLearning and Employability" can be read at: http://www.education-observatories.net/helios/reports/

7. EDEN member, Open University UK, Institute of Educational Technology would like to call your attention to the course: Innovations in elearning (H807) - Explore some of the latest developments and technologies of elearning. This postgraduate course helps you get to grips with understanding technological innovation in learning and teaching and understand why some innovations are adopted more readily than others. Three of the technologies the course focuses on are: instant messaging, blogging and podcasting. The course explores their impact on individuals and groups; their connections to conceptions of learning with electronic media; and their implications for accessibility and privacy. You will also develop your elearning and etutoring skills and conduct a small-scale investigation in your own professional context. For more information please got to http://www3.open.ac.uk/courses or http://iet.open.ac.uk

8. EDEN's main partner in the region, the Brazilian Association for Distance Education - ABED, together with ICDE presents the 22nd ICDE World Conference to be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brasil on 3-6 September, 2006. Details of the conference "Promoting Quality in Distance, Flexible and ICT-based Education" can be seen at: http://www.icde22.org.br/

9. EDEN member Carinthia Tech Institute is organising the "Interactive Computer Aided Conference - ICL 2006" in Villach, Austria on 27-29 September. The event will focus on the exchange of relevant trends and research results as well as the presentation of practical experiences gained while developing and testing elements of interactive computer aided learning.
For details see: http://www.icl-conference.org/

Members are kindly encouraged to send relevant brief news for the next issue of EDEN Newsflash.