E-NEWS

The workshop aimed to collect existing experiences in planning, creating, running and evaluating IT facilitated teaching environments in Nordic and Baltic agricultural universities. Three Baltic representatives: Irena Baraskina (Latvia University of Agriculture), Viljo Vabrit (Estonian Agricultural University) and Alvidas Sarlauskas (BOVA secretariat and Lithuanian University of Agriculture) took part in this seminar. Looking from the common Baltic perspective, the outputs of two-days event may be summarized as follows:

• Most of NOVA UN member universities already did their first steps in distance learning and first experience is available in all spectra of distance learning starting from the use of ICT for usual campus courses to completely distance courses without any meetings between students and teacher.
• All Baltic universities have technical facilities to provide distance learning by ICT means (cf. presentations of Baltic participants) and use it mainly for domestic courses in national language. The level of development in ICT differs but also joint platform could be found to run joint international courses. Especially, joint master programs and joint intensive master courses should be encouraged to use ICT means for distance learning.
• It is not enough to have a modern technical basis for ICT based learning. A systematic approach is necessary and many different aspects should be developed seeking for success in this activity. Primarily, university teaching staff should be educated and motivated to use the novel technologies in the education process.

At the end of seminar Baltic participants came to a common opinion that use of ICT should be strengthened in BOVA network and especially for the use in joint master programs and intensive master courses. It may bring a new quality of distance learning part of intensive courses and joint programs and save expenses due to mobility of students and teachers. It also would be attractive for students who are usually working nowadays.

The next workshop on ICT in distance learning has been planned for late spring 2005 in Lithuania. All BOVA and NOVA-BOVA networks and groups for joint master programs are encouraged to explore their possibilities to implement ICT in educational activities. The second workshop would very welcome concrete proposals for joint activities in the field of distance learning. The BOVA secretariat is willing to support all BOVA networks wishing to implement novel technologies in their activity.

Presentations of Baltic participants on the ICT workshop:

• Estonian e-University. Viljo Vabrit, the specialist of web-based education, Estonian Agricultural University
• E-studies at the Latvia University of Agriculture, Irena Baraskina, Deputy of Vice Rector in Continuing Education, Latvia University of Agriculture
• ICT in Distance Learning. Perspectives at Lithuanian University of Agriculture. Alvidas Sarlauskas, BOVA secretary, Lithuanian University of Agriculture.

Prepared at BOVA secretariat

Just send a short message by e-mail to [email protected] if you like to unsubscribe from News.