Information communication technologies and distance education in Sri Lanka: a case study of two universities

Sri Lanka's participation rates in higher education are low and have risen only slightly in the last few decades; the number of places for higher education in the state university system only caters for around 3% of the university entrant age cohort. The literature reveals that the highly competitive global knowledge economy increasingly favours workers with high levels of education who are also lifelong learners. This lack of access to higher education for a sizable proportion of the labour force is identified as a severe impediment to Sri Lanka‟s competitiveness in the global knowledge economy. The literature also suggests that Information and Communication Technologies are increasingly relied upon in many contexts in order to deliver flexible learning, to cater especially for the needs of lifelong learners in today‟s higher educational landscape. The government of Sri Lanka invested heavily in ICTs for distance education during the period 2003-2009 in a bid to increase access to higher education; but there has been little research into the impact of this. To address this lack, this study investigated the impact of ICTs on distance education in Sri Lanka with respect to increasing access to higher education. In order to achieve this aim, the research focused on Sri Lanka‟s effort from three perspectives: policy perspective, implementation perspective and user perspective. A multiple case study research using an ethnographic approach was conducted to observe Orange Valley University‟s and Yellow Fields University‟s (pseudonymous) implementation of distance education programmes using questionnaires, qualitative interviewing and document analysis. In total, data for the analysis was collected from 129 questionnaires, 33 individual interviews and 2 group interviews. The research revealed that ICTs have indeed increased opportunities for higher education; but mainly for people of affluent families from the Western Province. Issues identified were categorized under the themes: quality assurance, location, language, digital literacies and access to resources. Recommendations were offered to tackle the identified issues in accordance with the study findings. The study also revealed the strong presence of a multifaceted digital divide in the country. In conclusion, this research has shown that iii although ICT-enabled distance education has the potential to increase access to higher education the present implementation of the system in Sri Lanka has been less than successful.

Educação a distância e material didático: um estudo sobre o curso mídias na educação

The thesis Distance learning and didactic material: a study about the course Media in the education in Natal shows a research about the didactic material and its insertion in the distance training course to teachers. In this sense, this research aims to contribute to some universities with reflections about the way to elaborate the didactic material to the distance training course of teachers with the following specific objectives: a) identify some aspects in the didactic material in the extension course Media in the Education that difficult media usage by the teachers members of the course in the pedagogical practice; b) discuss about the way how didactic material to the distance training course to teachers has been created; c) stimulate teachers/members to integrate media in their teacher practice. For that reason, we have developed an action-research (THIOLLENT, 2011; FRANCO, 2005), based on it we elaborated a proposal do complement activities to the course Media in the Education that were applied to two classes during the fifth edition of this course. This research is presented in four steps: 1st) analyze of the course modules; 2nd) creation of a proposal to complement the activities; 3rd) applying the proposal to the students during the fifth edition to the course; 4th) analyze of forums and log books written by teachers/students. Data was analyzed by the contents perspective of Bardin (2011). As a theoretical support, we have Tardif (2012), about teachers knowledge; Dewey (1959; 2011) and Freire (2001; 2009; 2010a; 2010b; 2012) related to learning perspective; Candau (2002), Rays (2003) and Freire (2010a), about the relation theory x practice in the teacher training; Andrade (2003; 2009) and Belloni (2010) about distance teacher training; Bérvot; Belloni (2009), Neves; Medeiros (2005) and Prado (2005), related to Media integration. This research revealed the didactic material of the course Media in the Education has not a proposal to articulate theory and practice, due to this, this course opposed the Media integration. For that reason, teachers/members have real problems to integrate Media in their scholar routine. This research confirmed the way this didactic material was formulated did not help the teachers/students to integrate media in their pedagogical activities

La economía coreana: seis décadas de crecimiento y desarrollo

El presente documento corresponde a la versión en español del libro The Korean Economy: Six Decades of Growth and Development, publicado originalmente por el Instituto Coreano de Desarrollo en 2010. La Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL) tradujo y publicó el libro en español, para lo cual contó con el valioso apoyo del Consejo Coreano para América Latina y el Caribe (KCLAC).

Gobernabilidad e integración financiera: ámbito global y regional

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Mondialisation et développement: un regard de l'Amérique Latine et des Caraïbes

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Perfil de la inserción externa y conducta exportadora de las pequeñas y medianas empresas industriales argentinas

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Integración económica y cohesión social: lecciones aprendidas y perspectivas

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Estudio sobre la cooperación en el Acuerdo Global México - Unión Europea

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El acuerdo de libre comercio MERCOSUR-Comunidad Andina de Naciones: una evaluación cuantitativa

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Hernán Santa Cruz Barceló: un homenaje en la CEPAL

Resumen Este documento es una recopilación de las ponencias hechas por los participantes en el homenaje a don Hernán Santa Cruz Barceló, que tuvo lugar en la sede de la CEPAL en Santiago de Chile el día 7 de mayo de 1999. Fue organizado conjuntamente por el Instituto de Estudios Internacionales de la Universidad de Chile, la Fundación Felipe Herrera y la CEPAL.

Oportunidades del sector empresarial en el área del medio ambiente

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