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Learning International Networks Consortium (LINC)
The Fifth International LINC Conference May 23 – 26, 2010
University Leadership: Bringing Technology-Enabled Education to Learners of All Ages
The Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridge, MassachusettsUSA
The Online Life-Learner: Rethinking the Social Role of
Universities in Distance Education
Dr. Silvia FloreaDr. Constantin OpreanLucian Blaga University of SibiuRomania
Career choice and educational paths in former Eastern Block-before 1898
• "the governmental regimentation of access to the highest school track“ (Pinquart et al, 2004)
• Ideological objectives of Adult education (AE) prior to 1989
• graduates to enroll into the highest educational track (1970s, 1980s)
• Romania, 8% • East Germany, 8%• West Germany, 23%• Soviet Union, 18% 1950s – 80%
Occupational choices
• allocated slots based on predicted demand for occupations
• career choice and decisions , age 14-16
• state-coordinated distribution system
Advantages
• no gender stereotypes of career choice (Whitmarsh & Ritter, 2007)
• filling up of predicted demand for occupations
• free access to health care and education
• guaranteed employment and pension system • protection security
The New Era
• New paradigm shift in learning
• New expansion of adult education and continuing professional
education • Newly emerging requirements in the labor market and
different connotations of job profiles
• Accelerated shift from former education institutions and
processes toward diverse learning opportunities
• BUT huge gaps between learners of different age groups
Graduates in mathematics, sciences and technologies
• 2000-2006 annual growth rate was 5.5%, (1,1 percentage points above the European average rate) (According to the Preliminary report of the European Commission in 2008 regarding education and training progress)
• 2003/2004 annual growth rate represented 24.4% of the total number of Romanian graduates, which ranked Romania higher than Hungary, Poland, Latvia, Estonia, Slovenia and even well above the EU average rate, 24.1% (Eurostat 2005).
• Increasing Use of Learning Technologies in Romania
e-learning modern programs
distance Education Departments
• Distance Education in A Historical Context
state initiatives in Eastern Europe
MySeLF Application
• http://didu.ulbsibiu.ro/
• http://didu.ulbsibiu.ro/aplicatie/prezentare/index.html
Learning in distance education programs
• Disadvantages: lack of face-to-face interaction, geographical remoteness, quality of program
• New component: periodical staff mobility to distance education centers in combination with online courses and assistance
Social role of universities with long distance programs
• socialization process
• students’ expectations for a different, newly established relationship with the college
• current desires for stripped-down version of higher education minus the plethora of electives and student activities, a more adult-oriented, for-profit educational and territorial variant
• local capacity to formulate learning demands and entrepreneurial projects
• the ability of universities to mobilize knowledge and competencies at medium and long distance
Overall impact
• in the academic year 2006-2007, Romania’s long distance education students numbered 177, 204 (about 43,000 students more than in 2005 and 18 times more than in 1999) (NIS 2008)
• huge regional impact: Sibiu is situated in the Central Region of the country (Transylvania), area: 34 100 square km,
14,3 % of Romanian territory 5 place among 8 development regions • the region’s population is 2,5 mil people, out of which cca 60% are
located in the urban area • the age population structure indicates 15,7% (0-15) 66% (15 -59) 18,3% (over 60) • since 1998, LBUS has trained well over 30,000 distance education
graduates (2/3 have reportedly found jobs in the first two years following graduation)