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

The Open Distance Learning Department at Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu

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

NIS forecast on Romanian Labour Resources by 2025

Source: INS data

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)

End of presentation

Thank you