Why is education relevant?

Presentation to Minister of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs, Helga Pedersen

The globalized world asks for

• creative, critical thinkers with collaborative skills,

• the ability to communicate cross-culturally using ICT and

• an intrinsic motivation for dynamic, life-long learning.

• performativity and self direction• currency in information, so employers

and employees turn to lifelong learning to enhance their employability and profitability

Online Students in the GEDS-GEO pilot course 2003

Global courses:

•International cooperation on curriculum development

•International recruitment

•International tutor pool

Gives a rich learning environment

Two main factors have led to an explosion of interest in distance

learning:

• the growing need for continual skills upgrading and retraining; and

• the technological advances that have made it possible to teach more and more subjects at a distance

(UNESCO 2002:3).

Sustainable Development Issues

A global network of participating Universities

andUnited Nations University (UNU)

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

UNEP/GRID-Arendal

GVU Partnership strategy

How is GVU e-learning conducted?

• Combines online learning withface to face seminars

• Decentralised content development in collaboration with partner universities.

• Participation via Learning Management System (LMS).

• Students work online supported by tutors.

The GVU student and tutor part of global network of practitioners

The GVU partner network

The virtual classroom

GVU support services– Course development– Learning resource development– Student support system including

tutor training and support– Pedagogy for e-learning– Marketing and catalogue– Infrastructure support (AFUNET)– Finance / bursaries (focus on students

from developing countries)

The GVU programs

Why is education relevant?

• Fisheries and costal zones are global issues.– Fish knows no borders– Marine resourses invite to conflicts

• Education can promote global understanding.– Global collaboration in virtual classroom– Creation of international communities of

practice with Life Long Learning – Part of UN

GVU comparative advantages

• Quality enhancement system• GVU: increased capacity and quality in the individual

universities• Technical solutions that bridge the Digital Divide• Co-development of online courses and e-learning

pedagogy between institutions of the North and South.• Provision of UN environmental information• International diploma• Standardization according to Bologna process• Worldwide delivery of online courses• Pedagogy developed for online learning• Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL)• Student support program