Open and Distance Learning in Europe:

The emerging Information Society in Europe brings about enormous changes, as well in the economical as in the work and training environment. The constantly changing requirements for professional skills generate increasingly varied and lifelong training needs wich require totally new solutions.

Currently, the actors involved in the development, distribution and use of educational multimedia software and open and distance learning are dispersed, as well at Member State as at the European level.

In order to be able to provide efficient and cost-effective multimedia training to the target group of employees and job seekers, it is essential to establish a more close co-operation between the respective professional actors involved from the user side as well as from the supplier side.

This can be obtained by setting up a pan-European network of national networks for ODL that will provide services to the benefit of these professional organisations in response to their current need for:

The European Federation for Open and Distance Learning is committed to meet this challenge, and will invest strongly in the development of value added services for the members of the respective national networks with the objective to :

At this very moment a first set of information services is near to become fully operational, and others will be developed before the end of 1999; all accessible through the future E.F.ODL web site.

With this seminar E.F.ODL is entering a new phase; the period of basic preparations and negotiations has come to an end, now it is time to act.

The exhibition Flanders Technology International provides E.F.ODL an excellent opportunity to present its initiative to a wider public of professional organisations, and to show some cases of good practice in the domain of ODL already available in Europe. This exhibition is focused on the presentation of innovative technologies in general, but the fact that the theme of the day that the E.F.ODL seminar will take place is directly related to communication and the integration of speech technologies and data, may be considered as a symbol for the future developments in the domain of ODL.

As well as the increasing use of the Internet, the development of speech technologies is expected to have an enormous impact on the evolution of open and distance learning in the near future.

On behalf of E.F.ODL I gladly invite you to attend this seminar and visit the exhibition of FTI ’99, and I look forward to meet you at this occasion.

9.00 h	Arrival of participants
9.30 h	Welcome by Mr Johan Van Oost, president E.F.ODL
9.45 h	Open and Distance Learning in Europe: the policy of the European Commission Representative of the European Commission (to be confirmed)
10.00 h	Open and Distance Learning in Norway, an overview Ms Ingeborg Bø, director of the Norwegian Association for Distance Education Teacher training by the use of different methods, among them videoconferences and videophone. Several years’ experience presented by Ms Ida Knudsen at the State College of Bergen.
10.30 h	The French Forum for Open and Distance Learning Mr Bernard Blandin, general secretary of FFFOD The French network of learning resource centres (APP); experiences presented by Mr Jean Vanderspelden
11.00 h	Break
11.30 h	Introduction on the Italian network for Open and Distance Learning Prof. Valerio Grementieri, president of Associazione CAMPO Integration of ODL in the regional training system: the case of Emilia Romagna. Presentation by Dr. Claudio Dondi.
12.00 h	The start of the Belgian network for Open and Distance Learning. Web based learning: joint venture and good practice from the VDAB and Telepolis Antwerp. Mr Marc Deleye (VDAB) and Mr Peter Goedemé (Telepolis Antwerp)
12.30 h	Lunch
14.15 h	Australian experience and ODL models implemented at university and company level. Dr. Gayre Christie, senior research consultant special learning projects at Queensland University of Technology Dr. David Warner, director of workplace research for the Department of Education, Trade and Industrial Relations in Queensland
15.00 h	Achieving a Quality Mark in Open Distance Learning, British experience Development of learning centres in the corporate sector. Ms Irene Cooke, chair of the British Association for Open Learning
15.30 h	School of the future: concept and practice in The Netherlands Drs. Addy De Zeeuw, Consortium for Innovation (NL)
16.00 h	Open and Distance Learning in Portugal : CNED case study on secundary and professional education Mr José Lupi, general manager Linha Verde (P) Mr Ferreira da Silva, president Portuguese Association of ODL.
16.30 h	Mr Luc Van den Brande, minister president of the Flemish Government
16.45 h	Closing of the seminar. Drink

The filled out registration form along with a proof of payment, is considered as the definitive registration.
Please copy the registration form If more than one delegate of your institution/organisation wants to join the seminar.

The participation fee includes:
- participation at the seminar
- entrance-ticket for Flanders Technology International Technoland
- luncheon on Monday
- reception on Monday evening

Open and Distance Learning in Europe: vision, strategy and good practice

Open and Distance Learning in Europe:
vision, strategy and good practice