We hope you are enjoying the buzzing activity of this springtime, a time of renewal and fresh ideas. This is particularly the case for E.F.-ODL, as we are preparing ourselves for some major, new activities.

First of all there is the Lisbon conference, "ODL Networking for Quality Learning", in June 2000. This European conference aims at putting together the benefits of the accumulated experience of a large number of ODL systems, through the European ODL Liaison Committee. E.F.-ODL belongs to the programme Committee and will present the paper "Open and Distance Learning: an overall survey at the beginning of 2000". You are welcome to join us!

As mentioned in the former newsletter, partnerships and projects within Europe should be brought about, which is being carried out right now. The E.F.-ODL members and partners EDEN and EuroPACE have handed in the pre-proposal under the Leonardo da Vinci Community Vocational Training Programme (Second Phase). The PULSE project aims at answering the concrete needs defined in the field by disseminating collected and analysed information, knowledge, know-how and products, training methods and training materials. The PULSE network would, by well-defined tasks of each PULSE partner, develop into a general knowledge centre in the field of continuing vocational training and education. We are positive that the PULSE project, the start of which is foreseen in autumn 2000, will involve a surplus value for our members. We will keep you informed on the progress of the PULSE project!

Last but not least, E.F. ODL will associate with EVTA, a European Vocational Training Association that consists of 14 major European organisations. EVTA will give support for geographical expansion of our network, while E.F. ODL will support EVTA in providing ICT infrastructure (e.g. videoconferencing), and common projects will be set up.

Our website is also starting to blossom now, you are welcome to go there and find more information and links to special events (http://www.ef-odl.org). Furthermore we hope that the May edition of our newsletter will provide you with all the information you need on ODL for the workforce in Europe.

Johan Van Oost

President E.F.ODL

• BAOL @ e-learning (Stand A120), 7-8 June 2000 - London : BAOL will be supporting the Venture Marketing Group in the launch of the new e-learning event at the Business Design Centre, London, in June. E-learning will give you the opportunity to learn from industry and public sector case studies - you will be able to hear from over 15 of the UK's leading practitioners who will guide you through the 'do's and don'ts' of e-learning.
  Entrance to the exhibition is free, giving you access to over 50 leading companies offering cost effective solutions to all your training needs, and the opportunity to view the latest e-learning technologies and services available on the market at the free product demonstration theatre.
  BAOL members visiting e-learning will have the privilege of a 20% discount on each seminar booked. Further information can be found on the e-learning website at http://www.e-learningevent.com

• Meeting E.F.ODL Steering committee 20 June 2000 Lisbon, Portugal

• In September 2000 the Dutch network and NADE Norway will have an exchange programme in Bergen and Oslo. In one week the Dutch delegation will visit best practise in Norway and Dutch professionals will present for the NADE professionals also best practices

• Flexible Learning Edinburgh 2000. 1 November 2000. BAOL's major event in Scotland. In the Edinbrugh Conference centre, Heriot Watt University. A forum for open learning practitioners and policy makers. For further information please visit the website at http://www.baol.co.uk

• IT Conference League for Innovation, Anaheim, 15-18 November 2000 Anaheim, California USA: The annual conference of the League for Innovation will be held in Anaheim (Los Angeles) California. This conference, which is mainly organised by and for the American Community Colleges, is focused on best practise. Because of the experience and knowledge in America of ODL this conference can be of interest for EFODL members. The co-ordinator of the Dutch Network for ODL (Addy de Zeeuw) organises a visit to this conference every year for
  the Dutch delegation. If you are interested in the conference please visit: http://www.league.org. Other E.F.ODL members who are interested in visiting this conference with colleague members, please email:  a.de.zeeuw@cvi.bve.nl

• Conference on Electronic Learning Environments, 7-8 February 2001, School for the Future, 's-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands

• Meeting E.F.ODL Steering Committee, 9 February 2001 's-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands

France

"Les premières rencontres du FFFOD" : The first congress organised by the French Forum for Open and Distance Learning in Poitiers, on 30th and 31st of March, "Les premières rencontres du FFFOD", was a real success with more than 220 participants, coming from many regions and various sectors (public and private training organisations, universities, multimedia publishers and developers, local authorities, administration, etc.). Nobody expected such a success: the amphitheatre was only able to accommodate 160 persons, and the organisers were obliged a few days before the event to make the decision to broadcast the plenary sessions on TV in one of the workshop rooms!

 For this first event, the theme which has been agreed by the Congress Steering Committee, "La formation ouverte dans tous ses états", meant that the presentations and the discussion should survey all the current issues concerning ODL. And it was the case. Organisation, Pedagogy, Technology, Legal aspects, Strategy, Standards, Trainers Skills and Audiences were the issues addressed and discussed in the eight workshops, and also during the final plenary session.

The final words from Jacques Bahry, FFFOD President, were to announce that due to the success of this first Congress, next year will be held the "Secondes rencontres du FFFOD".

U.K.

BAOL MEMBERSHIP :10% discount off corporate and full status, for EFODL members

Now with over 200 member organisations BAOL is being increasingly recognised as a significant voice in open and flexible learning. Through our Internet site we are starting to see the possibilities for global contact. Membership is open to those organisations or individuals for whom, open and flexible learning is a significant element of their training activity.

Membership offers a range of benefits and opportunities including:

• members' networking meetings
• copies of the Association's Journal, Open Learning Today
• regular news bulletins
• access to an on-line discussion group
• discount to BAOL's conference and the BAOL Quality Mark
• other preferential discounts outside BAOL
• copies of best practice guides such as, 'A Guide to Learning Centres', 'Ensuring Quality in Open Learning' and 'The Guide to the BAOL Quality Mark'
• marketing opportunities on BAOL's website
• opportunities to enhance credibility
• access to impartial advice and guidance on aspects of open andflexible learning.

For more information on BAOL membership please visit our website at http://www.baol.co.uk/ or contact sarah@baol.co.uk.

The Netherlands

Below we placed part (the epilogue) of the speech of Drs. C. Free in which he expresses his view on education in the near future. This speech was held on the occasion of the opening in September 1999 of the Innovation Centre of Mesa Community College, Phoenix, Arizona. The speech as a whole was published in the Leadership Journal for Community and Technical College Leaders, vol7 no 1-2000.

Coen Free is President of Koning Willem I College (King William I College), 's-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands; President of the Consortium for Innovation in the Netherlands; President of the Governing Board of the School voor de Toekomst (School for the Future), the Netherlands; and Founding Member of the European Federation for Open and Distance Learning, Brussels.

For 200 years now education and science have been involved in making knowledge reproducible. That was more or less sufficient in the industrial era, where labour was a physical matter. In the era of knowledge and information technology labour is in the first place the work of the brain. This demands completely different competence's of people and therefore a completely different way of thinking about education and training.

The future will be different from the past, what was done in the past won't work in the future. Specialists predict that the most fundamental and perhaps the most decisive change in the 21st century will take place in education. Education will be the bridge between the individual citizen and the demands of the 21st century. That's why education is so important.

The school is a place where mistakes can be made contrary to business and industry. Making mistakes is an important condition to learn. Success is getting up just one more time than you fall down.

Schools and colleges have to concentrate on helping students make the connections that constitute learning, at every moment of the day and in every corner of the building. That also needs new buildings, needs a new way of thinking about classrooms, libraries, about open labs and so on.

The old image of the classroom with a clear separation-an actual physical dividing line-between the teacher's desk and row upon row of students aligned to prevent communication with one another, is giving way to smart, inspiring learning environments, where small groups of interacting students and teams of students and instructors, tutors, teachers and librarians work together on common problems; learning from each other. The team defines a common goal, agrees upon the results to gain, defines a common approach, develops a high level of complementary skills and is mutually responsible for the results. Such teams, sometimes virtual teams thanks to the technological possibilities, will be able to generate constantly new knowledge and skills.

The school for the future must be vital in all respects. Vital in the meaning of: of the greatest importance, 'vital' in the meaning: necessary in order to stay alive and 'vital' in the meaning: full of life and force. But also VITAL in the meaning of Virtual, Individualised, Tutored, Active, Learning. And above all: the school for the future has to be based on a learners concept and not on a teachers concept.

It takes courage to create the future.

 the world of ODL

 Conferences coming up:

• edut@in 2000 mit "Europäisches Planspielplatforum", May 23 - 24, 2000 Karlsruhe, Germany. e-mail: edut@in

• Congres and trade fair for edutianment, educational software and electronic games in business, education and leisure. For more information, e-mail: edutain@kka.de or visit the site: http://www.edutain.de/

• THE WORLD EDUCATION MARKET, May 24 - 27, Vancouver Canada, URL: http://www.wemex.com/

• EUROPEAN ODL NETWORKING FOR QUALITY LEARNING, 18 - 21 June 2000, Lisbon Portugal: Joint conference of the European ODL Organisations

• DISTANCE EDUCATION: AN OPEN QUESTION, September 11- 13- 2000, Adelaide Australia. Visit the website  http://www.con.unisa.edu.au/cccc/

• LEAGUE FOR INNOVATION IT CONFERENCE, 15-18 November 2000 Anaheim USA, URL:  http://www.league.org/

 Conferences in 2001:

• 20TH ICDE WORLD CONFERENCE, 1 - 5 April 2001, Düsseldorf Germany, URL: http://www.icde.org