CAE e-LEARN - Executive Summary

Executive Summary

The International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE), an affiliate member of SEAMEO, and the University of Catalonia (UOC) in Spain invited SEAMEO to develop and participate in a project entitled “Connecting Southeast Asia & Europe e-Learning Models –CAE e-LEARN”. The Project aims to establish an effective European & Southeast Asian co-operation for the development of a flexible and adaptable Virtual Learning Model based on the needs, priorities and requirements of the Southeast Asian countries involved in the project.

The Project will cover five (5) countries in Southeast Asia: Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand, and four (4) European countries : Spain, France, Germany and the Netherlands. The Project will involve cooperative efforts from all SEAMEO Centres, with SEAMEO SEAMOLEC and SEAMEO VOCTECH as the principal partners. The SEAMEO Secretariat will act as the regional coordinator of the project.

Other partners in the Project include the Central Institute for Distance Education Research of the University of Hagen, Germany, the Pole Universitaire Europ้en De Montpellier et du Languedoc Roussillon of France, and the Center for Research on Information Systems and Management (CRISM)of Tilburg University of the Netherlands.

The European Commission under the EC’s EuropeAID Asia-Information Technology and Communications (ASIA IT&C) Programme for South and South-East Asia was expected to submit the Project for funding for the year 2002.

II.

Project Details

This Project of cooperation between Southeast Asia and Europe is the first step aimed at the future deployment of an online learning platform for open and distance teaching and learning that will contribute to the improvement of ties in the field of education. The project will also help upgrade existing knowledge and skills in the area of information and communication technology in order to help bridge the current gap between European Union and Southeast Asian open and distance education models.

This two-year Project has seven components, as follows:

Project management and quality assurance

ii.

Comparative analysis of education topics, systems, and traditions

iii.

State of the art on IT&C in ODL systems and norms

iv.

Southeast Asian virtual learning model

Pilot test

vi.

Evaluation

vii.

Dissemination

The organizations involved will define a flexible Virtual Learning Model adapted to the needs and values of the Southeast Asian countries involved and will promote knowledge and skills essential for Southeast Asia to participate and integrate in the digital age. The details of the Project is in Appendix I.

III.

Target Groups

The target group of the Project consists of adult learners of SEAMEO Member Countries who are subject specialists and trainers in the selected SEAMEO Centres. In addition, educated citizens of Southeast Asia who are currently working in the public, private, and educational sectors and have access to the Internet will benefit from the project through peer training and instructional courses offered by the SEAMEO Centres involved in the Project.

IV.

Expected Results

The Project is the first step towards re-designing a flexible virtual learning model applicable to Southeast Asian countries. The deployment of this Virtual Platform for open and distance teaching and learning will be capable of supporting all the activities of a distance teaching operator, based on the solutions/products already available in the market or owned by the project partner.

As a result of this cooperative project it is expected that flexible education and training programmes will be further developed in order to offer access to education for all people unable to attend traditional classroom-based schools. This project will also increase the managerial and technical capability of Southeast Asian partners involved in the management of virtual learning systems, will improve the number and quality of e-learning and distance education programmes available throughout Southeast Asia, and will lead to closer European Union-Southeast Asian cooperation in the future.

Present Status

The Project has been officially approved by the European Commission. With a total duration of 24 months, it officially started on 2 October 2002 after the signing of the contract between the EC and the University of Catalonia, the Project’s applicant and lead coordinator.

The Kick-off Meeting was held at UOC, Barcelona, Spain on 2-3 December, 2002. The general objectives were for the partners to be acquainted, to design a detailed work plan for the Project and to reach an agreement on the contract. Two representatives each from the SEAMEO Secretariat and SEAMEO VOCTECH attended this Meeting; while a telemeeting was conducted on 3 December between all partners and SEAMEO SEAMOLEC who was not able to attend the meeting.