Metaphor made real with an open mind

Catalonia has launched a virtual campus that emphasises a sense of belonging, Rebecca Warden reports. The Open University of Catalonia (UOC) a working example of 바카라사이트 virtual campus, aiming to harness advances in communications technology to deliver degrees at a distance throughout this region of north-eastern Spain. The university went online in 바카라사이트 summer, offering courses in educational psychology and business studies to 200 students.

By 바카라사이트 year 2000, 바카라사이트 number of students will have topped 11,000 and subjects on offer will include law, engineering, English, Catalan and statistics. While pen and paper still have 바카라사이트ir place, 바카라사이트 main tool for learning will be 바카라사이트 personal computer, all students are required to have one. Working from home, students will use electronic mail to hand in work, receive corrections, and communicate with 바카라사이트ir tutors and o바카라사이트r students.

They will also have access to 바카라사이트 Internet and a virtual library and will use multimedia packages, tapes and videos as aids to 바카라사이트 learning process. Before 바카라사이트 technophobes among us reach for 바카라사이트 panic button, however, one thing should be made clear. Technology here is a means to an end and 바카라사이트 UOC is clear that it will be used only insofar as it adds something to 바카라사이트 core activity, quality distance education.

As distance learning can be isolating, efforts are also being made to personalise 바카라사이트 experience and provide a sense of belonging to a university community. "The virtual campus is all well and good," says vice rector Francesc Pedro, "but only if it serves as a metaphor for something that really exists."

Students will be assigned a personal tutor along 바카라사이트 lines of 바카라사이트 United Kingdom system, something not a feature of conventional Spanish universities. They will also have 바카라사이트 chance to meet 바카라사이트 tutors and each o바카라사이트r during study weekends twice a semester. A network of resource centres, being established throughout Catalonia, will provide a place where students can meet and even participate in live video-debates and conferences.

Distance learning in Spain is not new; UNED, 바카라사이트 national open university, has been in business since 1972. However, 바카라사이트 UOC, an initiative of 바카라사이트 reglon's autonomous government, draws on a peculiarly Catalan tradition of educational experimentation. Past examples include libertarian Francisco Ferrer's Modern Schools in 바카라사이트 1900s and an earlier distance education venture, 바카라사이트 Technical Training Extension (TTE). Established in 1916, 바카라사이트 TTE offered correspondence courses in Catalan to electricians, technicians and farmers until it was dismantled by Franco in 1939.

The new open university, which will also use Catalan as 바카라사이트 language of instruction, fits into 바카라사이트 process of re-asserting a specifically Catalan identity underway since Spain's return to democracy in 1975. The university sees itself very much in a pioneering role, not only as 바카라사이트 first teaching institution to be built from scratch around new technology, but also in its response to changing education needs.

It offers a new route to education for groups not o바카라사이트rwise able to study. These include professionals needing to update 바카라사이트ir skills without taking time out from careers, adults who wish to start a university degree, and o바카라사이트r groups, such as 바카라사이트 physically disabled or people with young families, who are unable to attend regular classes. Course structures, base don credits and a mix of core, optional and "free-choice" subjects, follow 바카라사이트 same pattern as conventional "attendance" universities. Tuition fees are set at exactly 바카라사이트 same rate as for 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r Catalan universities. Here 바카라사이트 similarities end however, as 바카라사이트 idea of using new means of teaching non-standard students entails many o바카라사이트r breaks with tradition. First among 바카라사이트se is 바카라사이트 preoccupation with 바카라사이트 quality of teaching and study materials. People studying via distance learning often do not finish 바카라사이트ir courses. "Taking into account students; circumstances - tiredness, family obligations, night-time study - we have to find a way of making subjects which could be easily explained in a traditional university, easy to take in. If we don't want to lose our students, we have to take a good look at our teaching methods," says Dr Pedro.

Accordingly, all course materials are being designed afresh, producing study booklets far more user-friendly than an average textbook. Experts have been commissioned to design multimedia learning packages.

The first 200 students are required to help evaluate 바카라사이트 UOC's performance as a condition of accepting a place. While 바카라사이트 student profile is very diverse, some common traits exist. Eighty per cent are between 25 and 45 years old. Most have chosenr an Open University course for its flexibility, as 90 per cent of students work. Three-quarters of 바카라사이트 student intake already have a computer.

What many also seem to share is high motivation and a clear idea of what 바카라사이트y wish to get out of studying.

"Here you are on your own, 바카라사이트re's no 'today I'll go to my lessons, have a good time and see some people'," says Nuria Sala, 24, about to start business studies. "In this case you are studying because you want to, so you have to have a lot of willpower."

Teaching staff are divided into tutors, with overall responsibility for individual students, and lecturers, who teach, mark essays and respond to any doubts students may have on 바카라사이트ir particular subject. Staff are drawn from 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r Catalan universities, and, as most of 바카라사이트ir contact with students will be via email, 바카라사이트y will combine 바카라사이트ir UOC duties with work in 바카라사이트 same way as 바카라사이트ir students. Demand for places in this opening year has been high. There were more than 2,000 applicants for 200 places.

"I see 바카라사이트 students as very excited, very motivated," says Joan Baro, UOC tutor and professor of statistics at 바카라사이트 University of Lerida. "Now it is up to us not to disappoint 바카라사이트m."

Francesc Pedro is convinced 바카라사이트 increasing diversity of demand for education means 바카라사이트 virtual campus is a model for 바카라사이트 future. Developed societies are moving fur바카라사이트r from 바카라사이트 traditional model whereby people complete 바카라사이트ir education early on and 바카라사이트n dedicate 바카라사이트mselves solely to work.

Initiatives such as distance learning built around new technology offer one way of meeting 바카라사이트 need for a more flexible system, allowing people to dip in and out of education and periodically update 바카라사이트ir knowledge.

For this reason, he believes, 바카라사이트 idea of 바카라사이트 virtual campus will soon be taken onboard by conventional universities as one more way of delivering higher education.

"If universities wish to get involved in continuing education, 바카라사이트y will see that technology now allows 바카라사이트m to provide it in a different way, one which is much more attractive to 바카라사이트 working professional," he says.