P1: Vidéoscop – Université Nancy 2

Videoscop is the audiovisual and multimedia production department of Université Nancy 2. Created in 1978, the unit’s main remit is to develop innovative ICT and media-based solutions for lifelong learning and the public sector in general.

The team of 16 includes university teaching staff, project managers and professionals in audiovisual and multimedia production, who collaborate with external experts on a project basis. Videoscop is a key player at local, regional, national and international level, in fields such as content sharing, the large-scale production of learning resources, norms and standards, educational ICT competencies, digital media, the valorisation of research and the transfer of knowledge and expertise.

Videoscop has coordinated a number of transnational projects, including two of the eLene virtual campus projects and VITRA (Virtual Training in Glass Art), and was in charge of the technical development of the SEVAQ tool for self-evaluation of quality in eLearning.

URL: www.univ-nancy2.fr/VIDEOSCOP

P2: CCIP-Hautes Etudes Commerciales (HEC)

Created by the Paris Chamber of Commerce, HEC is a leading management research and teaching institution. It offers academic and executive programmes, managed by 130 professors with PhDs from the best research universities and assisted by 500 visiting professors. It has worldwide partnerships including the programme of International Management and the CEMS European Masters degree, ranked 2nd in Europe (Financial Times) and is accredited by AACSB, AMBA and EQUIS. Work in SEVAQ+ is managed by the Technology Dept., which brings together researchers involved in e-learning, broadband networks, cooperation between research and industry, societal impact of ICT.

HEC has considerable experience in transnational projects, including EduBroker (eLearning programme), Prolearn (IST) and the ICOPER best practice network. HEC will work with Le Préau, the Paris Chamber of Commerce resource centre which supports the implementation of ICT in education and training, a partner in the previous SEVAQ project.

URL: www.hec.fr

P3: EDEN – European Distance and E-Learning Network

EDEN is the most comprehensive European association in the field of open, flexible, distance and e-learning. Its aim is to foster developments in distance and eLearning through the provision of a platform for collaboration between a wide range of institutions, networks and individuals concerned with ODL and e-learning in Europe. This is done by the information and networking activities in the membership, by the organisation of European conferences and publications. The EDEN Membership consists of 194 institutional members and around 1100 individual members representing over 420 institutions from 58 countries. EDEN’s participation in EU programmes is focused on comprehensive strategic projects, in quality development, observatory, networking and knowledge base building, further supporting the implementation through networking, evaluation and dissemination of results.

URL: http://www.eden-online.org

P4: EFQUEL – European Foundation for Quality in eLearning

EFQUEL has its origins in 3 successful European eLearning projects and is today Europe’s largest network on quality in eLearning. EFQUEL has members from over 18 members states and calls Europe’s largest networks in the field of Learning (EDEN), Higher Education (EDEN, EUROPACE), Schools (European SchoolNet) its members. The Federation serves as a sustainable and proactive network and provides valuable services to the European eLearning community. EFQUEL approaches quality in eLearning from complementary perspectives and develops full-scale services for all educational fields, regional contexts and target groups. EFQUEL provides support, transparency, open participation and leadership for a broad range of topics. The purpose of the network is to involve actors in a European community of users and experts to share experiences on how eLearning can be used to strengthen individual, organisational, local and regional development, digital and learning literacy.

URL: http://www.efquel.org

P5: Politecnico di Milano – Centro METID

Established in 1995, the METID Centre of the Politecnico di Milano (Metodi E Tecnologie Innovative per la Didattica - Innovative Methods and Technologies in Learning) is aimed at promoting and supporting innovation of learning services. METID Centre is currently working on:

1. design and development of e-learning and e-collaboration services for internal and external bodies, at both national and international level,
2. monitoring and evaluation of e-learning and e-collaboration services, especially in lifelong learning projects,
3. stimulation of the use of IT and Web 2.0 tools in teaching, learning, and for faculty and staff collaboration across the university.

Thanks to METID Centre projects, in 2004 the Politecnico di Milano was identified by the European Union as one of the top 8 European Good Practices of Virtual Universities. The METID Centre has been certified UNI EN ISO 9001:2000 for design and development of e-learning products and services since 2004.

URL: http://www.metid.polimi.it/

P6: MCSU – Maria Curie Sklodowska University in Lublin

Maria Curie Sklodowska University has been steadily expanding to meet the changes of a leading European institution. About 33,000 students are currently enrolled on full time, extramural, and evening undergraduate, graduate and teacher training courses provided by ten faculties in 30 different study programmes. The University Centre for Distance Learning (UCZNiKO) was established in 2001 as the University’s unit responsible for organising and running projects involving education via the Internet. UCZNiKO’s objective is to prepare, organise and run projects involving broadly understood employment of the Internet in Higher Education. It promotes the idea of ICT among HE teachers and offers training in the possibilities of using ICT in teaching. UCZNiKO is currently leading two big internal projects: University Virtual Campus and University at Second Life. It takes part in the biggest e-learning initiative in Poland: Polish Virtual University.

 URL: http://uczniko.umcs.lublin.pl

P7: VMU – Vytautas Magnus University

Vytautas Magnus University, established in 1922 (re-established in 1989) is one of the most liberal and modern Universities in Lithuania. It is an open University where traditions and innovations meet and compliment each other. The Centre of Educational Studies, an independent structural unit, was founded at the University in 1997. The Centre distinguishes and develops the most perspective trends of educational change by maching theory and practice, and helps people working in the education sphere to acquire the most significant abilities in that field. CES aims at providing services according to its vision, i.e. the development of lifelong learning. It operates in the following fields of activity concerning Lifelong Learning and Adult Education:
•    development and implementation of scientific research in the area of Lifelong Learning and Adult Education. Research programs aims at improving the andragogical (adult education) practice, assuring the quality of adult learning services, adapting ICT for the development of learning environments, expansion of Lifelong Learning strategy into regions, analysis and expert evaluation of educational documents and system of education, developing the qualification system for adult educator. The special focus of CES activities is the qualitative research.;
•    provision of formal training to adult learners(master degree programs and special professional studies);
•    delivering of courses, seminars and workshops for school teachers, adult teachers and adults seeking to improve personal competencies and professional (pedagogical and andragogical) qualification in andragogy, action research, ICT application, creative and effective thinking, assessment of competence, development and application of portfolio, learning to learn competence, team work, development of innovation, its implementation and application, organisation management, teaching/learning process management, career consultancy;
•    participation in national and international projects;
•    support for providing dialogue and collaboration between policy makers, practitioners and researchers.

URL: www.vdu.lt