Week Seven - Task 3: E-learning in Spain

Look around the Internet, find somewhere interesting that offers e-learning.


The Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), “Open University of Catalonia, Spain” was established in 1995 and is a fully online university. The UOC’s educational system is based around its virtual campus. To aid students, the university has set stages to becoming familiar with its learning environment.
Firstly, before the academic year starts, all students undertake a class which helps them grasp an understanding of the virtual campus and the basic ICT skills which are needed. Following this they are taught about the evolution of new technologies which is a subject based around computer science and strategies which are necessary for learning in a virtual environment. Finally, there is another subject that runs alongside the students’ actual degree which teaches about communicating virtually and how to successfully search for and process information.

The whole concept is a “continuous learning process” (Guitert, M and Romeu, T, 2009:6). These steps have been integrated into UOC’s learning activity since the university started, and have been evolving as do new technologies.
The UOC has recently lead the surfacing of a ‘new model of online communication’ which allows an ‘any time any place’ concept, meaning education can be integrated into peoples lifestyles. The university has also won awards for its educational activity (ICDE Prize 2001 for the best virtual and distance university in the world and OEA Prize 2004 for educational quality).

Just last week, the UOC opened an ‘e-learn center’, which is the first for Spain and only one of a few in Europe. The focus of the centers work is going to be on higher education and long life learning. “The aim is to turn the UOC into an international authority in e-learning innovation and research thanks to the University’s own experience, and to contribute to innovation, research, specialised training and dissemination in the field” (UOC Press Room).

This is a considerable achievement because in 2003, e-learning in Spain was “still at a premature stage” (ICT, 2003: 11) and there was more supply than demand in the market as consumers were unsure of their options, with many choosing the traditional method of learning. This evaluation was across Spain in general, as the UOC (at this point) had been around for eight years and “represented a revolution in the university environment” (ICT, 2003: 6). The UOC was a ‘special case’ in terms of e-learning in 2003, and has developed massively between then and now.

Guitert, M and Romeu, T (2009) “A digital literacy proposal in online Higher Education: the UOC scenario”, Elearning Papers, Vol 12, http://www.elearningeuropa.info/files/media/media18503.pdf

ICT (Institut Català de Tecnologia) (2003) “Situation and Prospects for e-learning in Spain” http://www.teleformacion.edu/documentos/informe%20ict.pdf

UOC Press Room (2009) “The UOC sets up Spain’s first e-learning research and innovation centre with researchers from all over the world”, UOC, http://www.uoc.edu/portal/english/la_universitat/sala_de_premsa/noticies/2009/noticia_034.html

http://www.uoc.edu/portal/english/la_universitat/coneix_la_uoc/model_innovador/rao_de_ser/index.html