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e-include the excluded We are living in a world of continuous change due to the rapid development of technologies. We must either adapt to these changes in order to keep pace with the challenges of the future and the growing demands of the workplace, or be left behind. New technology is now helping to meet these demands by creating opportunities for people to continuously improve their education through online learning, also known as e-learning. However, as a large section of society is not familiar with computers, the "digital divide" between those included and those left behind is widening. To bridge this divide, the Fellows Project has developed online distance learning services for disadvantaged users in training institutions within four European countries (Austria, France, Germany and the UK). What is e-Learning? e-Learning is any kind of learning or training which instead of taking place in a traditional classroom situation makes use of information and communication technologies through the Internet. e-Learning courses can be designed to cover any type of academic or professional training, allowing the problems of distance and availability to be overcome. It is even possible for teachers and students to be in different countries. The Fellows ODL Platform The Fellows ODL Platform (Open Distance Learning) is central to the Fellows project. When the project was started, it was clear that the platforms available did not allow non IT experts to build course content or deliver training. An existing ODL platform called CybEO was redeveloped to incorporate the needs of the pedagogical partners in the project. Via a process of continual feedback and rigorous piloting the new "Fellows" platform is now functionally rich, easy to use and can be easily tailored to meet the needs of specific learners. The Learning Citizen Fellows is part of a cluster of projects called the learning Citizen. It iis an initiative sponsored by the European Commission with the specific objective of facilitating and enhancing lifelong learning for all members of society. The initiative brings together technologists, pedagogues, entrepreneurs, institutions and potential users in a multi-disciplinary approach to tackle this important issue. The clear goal is to develop sustainable, effective and universal solutions addressing learning needs across society. FELLOWS is one of the nine clustered projects.
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Leeds University have worked closely with target groups to generate HCI guidelines.
The Fellows ODL provides powerful yet intuitive e-learning content production and delivery
Pilots have been conducted throughout Europe to test pedagogic approaches and training courses.
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| © Fellows Consortium, 2003 |
