GUIDE Association

Thematic Forum

The Guide Association Forum allows to share opinions and ideas on the new themes related to Life-long Learning and Open and Distance Education (ODL) sectors. Moreover the Forum offers the chance to exchange technological methodologies and tools for the research of new collaborative models on education.

The educational Chance of Second Life

The Educational Chance of Second Life

Since 2003 the internet-based virtual world of Second Life has enormously grown. Born as a virtual place where people could meet and interact, SL offers an advanced level of a social network service. Recently many American universities have “purchased” a land in SL feeling that having a virtual presence will soon become a requirement. The University of Harvard in Massachusetts has established a new course for the Law students in SL where they can make persuasive arguments in a virtual court.
Although moving more slowly, European universities are showing their interest in the educational collaborative activities provided by SL in particular in the field of new applications for genetic coding, mathematics, chemistry and architecture.
In this framework SL can be a “real” opportunity to bring learners together allowing them to perform collaborative activities that would not be possible in other online learning situations.

NEWS / EVENTS

2008 Global Forum on Open and Distance Education, 19-21 October, 2008, Shanghai, China

A high level forum will be co-sponsored and co-organized by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), International Council of Open and Distance Education (ICDE), Chinese National Commission for UNESCO; Shanghai Municipal Educational Commission (SMEC), Shanghai Distance Education Group (SDEG)/Shanghai TV University (STVU), in cooperation with Commonwealth of Learning (COL), the Asian Association of Open Universities (AAOU), the Association of Global Universities in Distance Education (GUIDE) and National Modern Distance Education Society of Chinese Universities on 19-21 October 2008. The theme is “The Future of Open and Distance Education and the Building of Learning City: New Challenges, New Opportunities and New Strategies”.
The forum is featured with its immediate connection with ICDE SCOP and its Executive Board Session, Representation of keynote speakers from all continents, high level presence of UNESCO experts and officials, combination of theory and trends analysis with practical case studies, specially designed set of short briefing on learning city building in Shanghai, opportunities meeting with large number of Chinese counterparts and its well organized activities to know the city, people and Chinese society during and after the forum.

For more information, kindly go to the websites:

Forum Website: http://www.unescochair.org.cn/forum
SCOP Website: http://www.icde.org.cn/scop2008

ICELW 2008

International Conference on E-Learning in the Workplace 2008, 12-13 June, New York (USA)
Conference Website: http://www.icelw.org

ICELW is the first international conference focused on e-learning
in the workplace.

With researchers and practitioners coming from around the globe -- and from university and business settings -- the ICELW community works to improve online learning so that it makes a measurable difference in workplace performance and morale.
By uniting the corporate and academic worlds, ICELW is creating a new synergy -- one with the unique capability to realize the vast potential of e-learning in business and industry.