Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Debate on the Universities Act

At its first ordinary session of the year, the 98 members of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela, 65 of the Bureau of Democratic Unity and 2 of the Homeland for All now live in Parliament agreed on something.

All legislators agreed yesterday to lift the sanction of the Law on Higher Education (LEU), the same that was approved by the National Assembly early last Dec. 23 and subsequently was vetoed by the president, Hugo Chavez.

Before taking this decision unanimously, the secretary of the AN, Ivan Zerpa, read the statement sent by Chavez which objected to the rule. There, the President stated that, as drafted, the LEU is inapplicable "and emphasized that the development of this legal tool requires" more consultation and popular participation. "

Heard the opinion of the Head of State, Deputy Hector Navarro (PSUV-Miranda) began the debate by ensuring that the presidential veto of the LEU shows that the AN is independent of the National Executive.

Highlighting the abuses suffered by the universities in the past, Navarro stressed that now more than 2 million Venezuelans in higher education.

For the opposition, Leomagno Flores (AD-Tachira) held the failure to enact the text. "This law was unconstitutional, sought to wrest autonomy," complained Flores, who pleaded for "a university open to all currents of thought." The representative of the MUD announced that support the bill sponsored by Assembly University of Education, which is backed by over 40 thousand signatures.

Luis Acuna (PSUV-Sucre) closed the discussion stating what are the points that Chavez is not ready to review. "We will not waver in admission to universities without restrictions and the possibility that the entire university community is entitled to elect the authorities," he said Acuna, who added: "We want people to participate in the formation of his talent human. " That said, it is again opened the debate.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Online Education Guide

Online Education means the education in which scholars, teachers and students participate remotely via computer networks, making intensive use of facilities that provide Internet and information and communication technologies, thereby achieving highly interactive learning environment, anytime and from anywhere.

Interactive distance education is based on the concept of e-learning, which is defined as: "a delivery system for distance learning, supported by the Information and Communication Technologies (technologies, telecommunication networks, videoconferencing, digital TV, materials multimedia), which combines various teaching materials, classical training (classroom or self-study), practices, contacts (real-time, videoconferencing or chat) and delayed contacts (guardians, discussion forums, email) "

What do we mean by educational virtual space?
 Virtual Education Space is an environment that does not physically exist, it is a heritage site also facilitate the sharing of information, related to a particular area of knowledge, allows remote interaction between users interconnected via a computer network.

    It is a meeting place that allows students (learners) and teachers (facilitators) to interact with the aim of achieving a common instructional goal without the constraints of space or time.

    It is a system where you perform the activities involved in the teaching-learning process.
  

    An educational virtual space can be used

    As Information Distribution System In this case the virtual space is used as a complement to the classroom to enrich them with different information materials (notes, pictures, articles, papers), which can be accessed by students anywhere, allowing you to have to update them.

    As System Training in this case the medium or virtual environment takes the central role of teaching-learning process as it is in itself where it concentrates and develops the whole process.


      Program design and development of interactive distance learning in the ULA:

    The design and development of the courses offered in the form of interactive distance learning in the ULA, are modeled Montilva, Barrios and Sandia (2002). This model is based on Software Engineering and Object Oriented model of Instructional Systems Design (ISD).
    This model considers that any training course based on virtual spaces should consider the following aspects:

    a. - Appearance Teaching:
    The space is understood as an instructional medium, which allows the process is done teaching and learning. You must set educational standards to follow that will determine the strategies and activities to be implemented through instructional Web site.

    The space also must be understood as a communication medium that supports different types and modes of interaction.

    b. - Technological Aspect:
    From this aspect, the space is understood as a collection of interconnected Web pages stored on a server, which can be accessed from any computer connected to the Internet.

    c. - Functional aspects:
    This issue focuses on the operability and functionality of virtual education. The site should allow a number of tasks of the course developers, facilitators, and students.

    d. - Structural appearance:
    This issue focuses on the major components of virtual space educational, instructional Web site. It consists of:

        1.- The platform or operating tools of the course.
        2.- The plan of the course (study guide) by which the student is guided along the field and get detailed instructions on the contents to be studied, the activities undertaken with their respective resources, and self-assessments need perform to accomplish its initial goal of learning.
        3.- A series of interactive tools.

      Features of the online training

    Interactive the student takes an active role in relation to the pace and level of work. Interact with content, the facilitator, and other users.
    Multimedia Incorporates text, still images, animations, sound.
    Open Allows updating content and activities permanently.
    Accessible There are no geographical limitations. Potential uses of the Internet.
    Synchronous and Asynchronous, Allows students to participate in tasks or activities at the same time wherever they are, real time (synchronous) or at the particular time of each (asynchronous).
    Online Resources (on-line)Allows access to any number and variety of resources and teaching materials on the net.
    Distributed Allows the use of resources scattered in different Internet servers, have instructors, tutors located in another geographic region.
    Collaborative, Collaboration and teamwork is part of the training techniques. Horizontal communication among students.
    Student tracking The training plan based on tasks that students must make and forward in time and manner prescribed.

   
      Characteristics of online students

      1 .- Highly motivated
      2 .- With great organizational skills and time management
      3 .- Willing to work and independent study
      4 .- With the possibility of dedication to the study than in a traditional classroom course
      5 .- basic domain tools using information and communication technologies (email, forums, chat, web browsing and search, etc.)