Introduction of the European Distance and E-Learning Network

1. Introduction of E DE N -
the E uropean Dis tance and
E -Learning Network
th e large s t, active and d e ve lop ing
p rofe s s ional com m u nity of e xp e rts and
p ractitione rs of e le ctronic d is tance e d u cation in E u rop e

2. Mission of the Association
 The most comprehensive European association of its
kind, established in 1991
 Provision of platform for professional
co-operation, information exchange
 Open for all levels and sectors of education and
training
 Open for institutions, individuals and networks
 Based in the UK, Secretariat in Budapest since 1997

3. Membership
 Institutions – Individuals – Networks
 More, than 200 institutional members
 1200 members in NAP: Network of Academics and
Professionals – meeting and communication forum
 30 European or national networks present in
membership
 430 institutions represented from 55 countries
within and outside Europe
 Join the largest lively networking European
professional community
 Take advantage of acknowledgement of your
professional achievements

4. Why Become a Member?
 Access easily the classified and searchable
database
 Benefit from the professional development
supporting activities
 Attend conferences and buy publications at
reduced fees
 Download latest EDEN conference proceedings
for free
 Be kept up-to-date by a regular electronic
newsflash
 Use the electronic Members’ Dissemination
Space

5. Partnerships and Target Groups
 Traditional and open universities, colleges
 National associations and bodies
 Researchers of open, flexible, distance and e-
learning
 School level education – the “Open Classroom”
initiative
 Vocational training
 The corporate sector

6. Developing European Policy
 Promotion of networking and
co-operation in distance education in Europe
 East-West collaboration
 Policy and feasibility studies – “Learning
Innovation for the Adapted Lisbon Agenda” May
2006
 “The European ODL Liaison Committee” –
Collaboration forum of major European distance
learning networks
 Towards the creation of a European „Learnovation”
Stakeholders Round Table for an innovation-
friendly Europe

7. The Open Classroom Working Group
 Distance Education, e-Learning and New
Technologies in School Level Education and
Training
 Open Classroom Conferences since 1995
 1998 – Working Group within EDEN
 Link to other EU initiatives (EENet, MENON,
EUN)
 Policy paper: “Open Learning for the School Age in
the Information Society”

8. Promoting professional development -
the EDEN Conferences
 EDEN Annual Conferences
since 1992, the main academic and professional
European events in open, distance and e-learning
 Open Classroom conferences
EDEN initiative for school level
ODL development since 1995
 Research Workshops
EDEN initiative since 2000

9. The EDEN Annual Conferences
6-9 June, 2012 - Porto
“Open Learning Generations”
 2011 – Dublin  2001 – Stockholm
 2010 – Valencia  1999 – Moscow
 2009 – Gdansk  1998 – Bologna
 2008 – Lisbon  1997 – Budapest
 2007 – Naples  1996 – Poitiers
 2006 – Vienna  1995 – Birmingham
 2005 – Helsinki  1994 – Tallinn
 2004 – Budapest  1993 – Berlin
 2003 – Rhodes  1992 – Krakow
 2002 – Granada

10. “Open Classroom” Conferences
 2011 - Athens  2000 - Barcelona
 2009 - Porto  1999 - Balatonfüred
 2007 - Stockholm  1997 - Crete
 2005 - Poitiers  1995 - Oslo
 2002 - Copenhagen
Research Workshops
22-23 October 2012
Leuven
 2010 - Budapest  2004 - Oldenburg
 2008 - Paris  2002 - Hildesheim
 2006 - Barcelona  2000 - Prague

11. Distance and e-Learning in Transition – Learning
Innovation, Technology and Social Challenges
 selection of the best EDEN conference papers from
the past years, revisiting research, innovation and
professional practice in distance and e-learning
 928 pages, hard back
 Edited by Ulrich Bernath, András Szűcs, Alan Tait
and Martine Vidal

12. Publications and information services
 Conference Proceedings
 Policy and feasibility studies
 EDEN Web site, NAP Members Area, Members’
Dissemination Space
 EDEN Listserv
 European Journal of Open and Distance Learning
(EURODL – www.eurodl.org) modernised and re-
launched in 2004

13. Contribution to EU Programmes
EDEN’s participation in European Union programmes
is focused on:
 comprehensive strategic projects
 quality development
 observatory
 networking and knowledge base building
 evaluation and dissemination of the project results

14. Contribution to EU Programmes
 Successful involvement in comprehensive strategic
EU projects of quality development, observatory
nature (HEXTLEARN, LEARNOVATION, HELIOS,
eTTCampus, SEEQUEL, DELOS)
 Exploiting the wide-scale expertise of NAP
members
 EDEN’s contributions in numerous other initiatives
through networking, evaluation and dissemination
activities

15. C heck the E DE N webs ite
for more information
www.eden-online.org