e-learning

The Work Programme for 2009 provides for a project on e-learning, aiming at a more extensive dissemination of the activities carried out by ICS through the ICS four interdisciplinary programmes.

Go to the list of the available video recordings of workshops, conferences, meetings

Go to the list of the available video recordings of seminars

Strategy

The technology needed to sustain an advanced e-learning project is already available and relatively cheap, even if one fully appropriate platform meeting all the requirements of ICS does not seem to be ready available. Two main problems are responsible for the underutilisation of the existing technology in support of activities such as those included in the mission of ICS: a scarce production of relevant contents and difficulties in access (technical barriers and costs to users). For most of the content providers/producers (to a large extent universities or their spin-offs in the Anglo-Saxon world) the objective is not the support of the scientific communities of developing countries or of countries in economic transition, in selected and strategic fields at post graduate level (as for ICS); their target is generally the individual (mainly undergraduate) student who cannot attend classes, but is able to pay for a distant learning course and has an easy and cheap fast internet access.

The strategic objective for ICS consists therefore in a) directly producing appropriate training contents relevant to its core scientific programmes and make them easily available to its “clientele” at no cost, and b) setting up and manage a dynamic virtual network of research centres/institutions which can actively participate on-line to the ICS events as well as participate into periodical virtual meetings on laboratory matters with teams of scientists dealing with the same research project or performing research activities in related fields.

Phase one

The ICS Work Programme for 2009 adopted a pragmatic approach starting with the production in a digital format of all the scientific events organized by the Centre. These events (conferences, workshops, expert group meetings, seminars, advanced training courses etc.) are generally recognized to be at good or excellent scientific level. In 2008 ICS organized 23 of such events with a total of approximately 900 participants (lecturers, scientists, fellows, other experts, etc.): these numbers could not be expanded mainly due to the budgetary constraints of the Centre. By reproducing in digital form the events planned for 2009 and by distributing them through a strategic marketing effort, it is expected that a virtual audience of at least 10,000 users will be reached.

Furthermore, some (hopefully most) of those who physically attended the above events (at ICS expenses) will be requested to act as e-tutors once they are back in their home institutions, and therefore be responsible for the virtual reproduction of the relevant events.

In practical terms, with a limited additional budget added to the input of internal human resources already existing (and paid) in the ICS staff, the e-learning project should be able to achieve a multiplier effect and indeed reach an audience at least ten times larger.

During 2009 ICS has been able to fully acquire in house all the required know-how.

In summary, the results recorded consist of the following:

• final decision on the platform to be used and acquisition of the necessary hardware and software;
• definition of the final digital format and graphics for the “ICS e-learning series” and acquisition of the complete integrated know-how for its production to be made available through ICS web site and/or through DVDs;
• strategic marketing for its distribution and monitoring of accountability through extensive involvement of the ICS network of centres of excellence and other partner institutions/focal points (this activity is generally neglected by other e-learning providers);
• establishment of a privileged relationship with a number of e-tutors worldwide, preferably chosen among the participants in ICS events (another activity generally neglected).

Phase two

Phase one has been satisfactorily completed and ICS objectives fully achieved by the end of 2009. All scientific events are digitally available together with many other advanced level seminars and lectures relevant to the scientific programmes of the Centre. At this point, ICS will have a strong and consolidated base to move to phase two, which should be characterized by easier on-line access (cost free) worldwide as well as by interactivity through video-conferenceing facilities.

Partnership(s) for the ICS e-learning project

The ICS “Plan of Action for 2009-2011 and beyond” foresees appropriate synergies between the activities of the Centre and those of the other international scientific institutions based in Trieste as well as with UNIDO and its programmes. In fact, ICS is particularly attentive to any possible complementarity and or subsidiarity between its four core scientific programmes and the programmes carried out directly by UNIDO and/or by other centres under the aegis of UNIDO.

The e-learning project of ICS is a clear example of how subsidiarity is possible in the sense that the know-how now being acquired by ICS could be utilized for a more effective implementation of UNIDO programmes since neither UNIDO nor the other Centres operated by the latter have so far developed competencies of their own in the field of e-learning. Such cooperation would also result in more efficiency, as far as the investments of ICS in this field are concerned.

Furthermore, it may be noticed that the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), which was originally established in Trieste as a UNIDO project, with a mission similar to the one of ICS, but in a different disciplinary field, has already shown great interest in being associated to the development of the ICS e-learning project in order to duplicate it in its respective field of scientific competence.

Finally the e-learning project, inter alia, is likely to be greatly appreciated by the Italian Government in its position of Donor to the ICS budget.