Virtual Initiatives in Czech Republic

Virtual Initiatives

Note that:

1. A number of the Czech HEIs use Student Information System (SIS) which is an application used for educational institutions to monitor their students’ data such as test scores, schedules, attendance, … but this isn’t categorised as e-learning. It’s a supportive application for the institutions, not a means of learning for the students.
2. The majority of the Czech HEIs also offers combined study (Kombinovaná forma) and distance (dálková forma) learning (sometimes focussing on Lifelong Learning in particular), but it’s mostly not clearly elaborated what the level of e-learning (elektronické studijní - e-learningu) is or in how many courses this is available.

Interesting Virtual Campus Initiatives

• Open Management Int. (OMI) is the regional partner of Open University Business School (OUBS) in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The Czech version of OMI is www.openmanagement.cz.

It provides OUBS’s students with local support, organizes its courses in Czech and Slovak languages and is also responsible for sales and marketing in both countries. In addition to this, Open Management Int. develops own distance learning programmes/courses focused on different management skills (Financial Management and Management for Line Managers). Most of OUBS' courses employ blended learning: a variety of methods such as traditional books, online conferencing & resources, face-to-face tutorials and DVDs. In 2009, its web site listed 12 tutors.

The OUBS is accredited by the three premier management education associations:

• AACSB: the international Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) which advances quality management education through accredidation
• EQUIS: the European Quality Improvement System which organises quality assessment, improvement, and accreditation of higher education institutions in management and business administration. EQUIS is a subdivision of the Management Development Network (EFMD), which is a international accreditation body of quality in management education.
• AMBA: the international Association of MBA (AMBA) is an international impartial authority on postgraduate business education.

Web sites:

• Open Management Int. (OMI) (EN)
• Open Management Int. (OMI) (CZ)

Interesting Programmes

HEI that utilise Moodle

• College of European and Regional Studies (VŠERS)
• College of Nursing and Midwifery (VSZDRAV)
• Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (AMU)
• Czech Technical University in Prague (CTU)
• University of Ostrava (OSU)

HEI that offer distance learning / combined studies or part-time studies

This section is without detailed information, it just shows indicators of the terms these Universities use:

• DL (distance learning)
• combined study (CS) or
• PS (part-time study)

Note that we cannot assume that distance learning is e-learning and combined study is blended learning. It mostly refers to the amount of contact hours.

• Higher Vocational Education in the field of Economics and Business - DL
• Institut Franka Dysona - DL
• University of Carlsbad - DL
• Vysoká škola sociálně-správní – DL
• Brno International Business School - PS
• Institute of Finance and Administration (VSFS) offers "Courses to order and open courses". PS
• Moravian College Olomouc - PS
• Private College of Economic Studies Znojmo, Ltd. - PS
• Banking Institute/College of Banking (BICB) - CS
• The College of Business in Prague, o.p.s. with weekend contact hours for multiple programmes: CS (Google-translated page)
• College of Information Management and Business Administration: CS (Google-translated page)
• Czech University of Life Sciences Prague (CZU) - almost 15.000 students – offers lifelong learners DL and CS
• Jan Amos Komensky University Prague has its own Center for distance learning (UJAK) which focusses on "Distance learning as a tool for lifelong learning". As HEI it offers CS PDF (4 pages in Czech)
• STING Academy - DL or CS
• University College of International and Public Relations Prague - CS
• University of West Bohemia (ZČU) enlists 17,000 students according to its own site and offers combined study, also known as distance learning, which is supported with eLearning tools. CS / DL

HEI that use SIS

• College of Information Management and Business Administration - SIS
• University of Economics and Management - SIS or [second url

Student numbers, documents of relevance, study form details

• Masaryk University (MU) had 38989 students in 2007 according to their own web site, with 18216 students in lifelong learning. It’s the second-largest public university in the Czech Republic and the leading higher education institution in Moravia. “To improve access to information and the quality of studies it has developed its own intranet system featuring a number of tools designed for assessing tens of thousands of application forms for studies, implementing e-learning, registering students for examinations, helping staff to work more efficiently and supporting rapid communication between offices and departments. In 2005 Masaryk University’s information system received the prestigious EUNIS Elite Award in recognition of the university’s leading position in the use of information technology within the university community.”

The MU also has a Support Centre for Students with Special Needs, a special-purpose institution of MU with public activities. E-Learning portal: Translated page about its vision on e-learning and its courses ALSO check Information Sources with an online shop, …

Documents of relevance: “How to Do Information Literacy e-learning Course” by Petra Šedinová & Silvie Kořínková Presová, Masaryk University, Czech Republic, 2008, PDF – 56 pages. This Czech presentation summarises experiences with the creation and the tuition of e-learning's information literacy cources at Masaryk University. The article deals also with theoretical topics as distance learning, didactic aspects of e-learning, new role and competency of librarians for education.

• Charles University in Prague (CUNI) - over 42,400 students according to their site. (Over 5000 participants graduate from continuing education courses every year). For the Summer Semester 2008 they offer 3 e-learning courses within the Virtual Campus for a Sustainable Europe (VCSE), a partnership of European universities offering e-learning courses. The University also uses Moodle.

Documents of relevance: “Work with Medical Electronic Information Resources in e-Learning Course” by Jitka Feberová, Jan Polášek, Pavel Kasal & Martin Feber, Charles University, Czech Republic, 2008, PDF – 7 pages.

• College of Tourism, Hotel And Spa Management offers a combined study form: Students who combine attendance blocks with distance learning. Students receive a CD with a complete learning program processed guarantor of the combined study and are in contact with teachers primarily through e-mail.

• Mendel University of Agriculture and Forestry Brnohas a University information system, which links to a public library of e-objects under the term of e-learning. It has its own Institute for Lifelong Learning (and in Czech]). The university is a member of CRE (Association of European Universities) which involves "Open and Distance Learning". It’s also a member of the Association for European Life Science universities (ICA) and participates in a large number of international programmes such as SOCRATES, LEONARDO DA VINCI, CEEPUS, AKTION. There’s also a Blog archive on their e-learning features.

• Czech Technical University in Prague (CTU) sums up what tools they utilise under the term e-Learning: Moodle, Learning Gateway and Courseware

• Unicorn College implemented the platform Unicorn Universe, which integrates e-learning tools, teaching materials, the study agenda and the administration of the school in one unit, according to its own description. But the level of communication and interaction through this platform is unknown.

• University of Economics and Management Studies start three times in the year. CS or DS. In 2003-2004 the University introduced the "Assistance Programme for Students with Disabilities", with which the university offers tuition-free education and provides the disabled student with a personal computer with internet connection, a dictaphone and other equipment, including textbooks and the assistance of a study counsellor. The university enables the disabled to study according to an individual schedule and adapts the means of communication to their needs (electronic mail, study materials on the internet, individual consultations with teachers, etc.). They have an Extranet

• Palacký University of Olomouc (UPOL) has 21 000 students according to its own site and provides blended learning for some programmes: Blended learning.

In conjuction with the Faculty of physical culture of Palacký University the system Unifor (UNIFOR PDF)was evolved. At present the system Unifor is used for distance studying in campus, for another education of already certificated teachers, but also for studying of kindergarten workers.

Gaudenz Assenza has initiated an Internet e-learning platform at Palacky University as a demonstration project for future rollout in the entire Central/Eastern Europe region.

Source: Civic Education Project® (CEP) - Country Programs - Czech Republic

• University of Economics (VŠE), Prague has 15 500 students according to its own numbers. It also uses the Buddy System to integrate foreign students. VSE offers distance learning / part-time learning in multiple programmes (for instance Marketing and Business Policy). Other source: PDF, page 44 in English

• University of New York, Prague (UNYP) has 600 students from over 60 countries. UNYP doesn’t state its e-learning status but part-time students can enrol in weekend courses which can lead to a full degree. An example is the (weekend studies for MBA in Banking) and UNYP also has an intranet system, which provides students with access to individual course material, course discussion boards, transcripts, and their financial status. ‘‘‘Source’‘‘: [“Educating tomorrow’s Leaders PDF

• University of Ostrava (OSU) has previously had a Virtual University and provided e-Learning also specialised for students with disabilities in the past, as the article below shows: “The University of Ostrava opens a project of building up the Virtual University and providing distance education by means of online learning. Environments for the creation of the training courses ToolBook II Instructor by the company Click2learn have been bought from grants; administration of the studies is secured in Tutor 2000 environment and this all runs on a Dell server. Currently a team of specialists, who will participate in the creation of courses and administrative-technical provision of the teaching, is being created in the Centre of Information Technologies.”

Source: The eLearning industry and market in Europe, Lot 1, Appendix to Synthesis Report (PDF - EN - 214 pages by Danish Technological Institute, Competence and IT/Analyses (Relevant Introduction (PDF -EN - 43 pages)

Right now, the site lists that its Centre of Information Technologies (CIT) provides students with information system of study agenda (STAG), Novell net, portal, and they link to OUPortal (Moodle) as their form of e-learning.

• University of Pardubice (UPA) enrolled 9,200 students in 2007-08, according to http://genesis.upce.cz/english/english-university/en-about-upa/en-present/ its own numbers]. It offers some part-time studies and uses the LMS eDoceo for which a Czech manual is available. The faculties’ sub sites also publish their lectures online.

• Tomas Bata University in Zlín/Tomáš Baťa University in Zlín is a new university (2001) which provides education for 11,000 students according to its own web site. About Part-time mode of study, a multimedia form of self-study, the University states “The multimedia character of this mode of study is given by the fact that all available means of distance communication are used to present the curriculum. The TBU Faculty of Multimedia Communications offers part-time Bachelor’s and follow-up Master’s programmes in Visual Arts, degree course in Multimedia and Design, as well as Bachelor’s and follow-up Master’s programmes in Media and Communication Studies, degree course in Marketing Communications.”

• Private College of Economic Studies, Ltd. (PCES) "This College offers e-learning focussing on disabled employees (Google-translated page). One of their main goals and tasks in 2007 was "developing ICT infrastructure and products (e.g. e-learning portal)". Two academic teams have been working on grant projects “PCES e-learning capability development” and “Accounting and taxation courses for disabled self-employed workers” cofunded by the European Social Fund, CR and Prague municipality budgets (within JPD3 scheme). Both projects have been underway since September 2006 in partnership with the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen. Thirteen on-line courses have been completed and piloted. They are customized preferentially to PCES undergraduates’ needs, e-learning content having been developed in a variety of subjects taught at the college. They are available on PCES e-portal which was opened recently. In their SWOT they include as one of their strenghts: “part-time mode of study support through e-learning aids” and “the teaching staff well-trained in distance learning aids creation”.

Source: Annual Report of Private College of Economic Studies, Ltd. for the year 2007 (abridged), PDF - 14 pages."

• International Baptist Theological Seminary of the European Baptist Federation "This HEI offers distance learning in their combined study form, and included e-learning as part of their long-term plan for 2007-2011 (PDF - 15 pages): “Introduce e-learning technologies as part of our effort to incorporate distance learning into the combined form of study.”

• NEWTON College states: [[http://www.newtoncollege.cz/en/index.html?pageid=17&profil=1 “NEWTON College counts on using various pedagogical forms and methods such as lectures, e-learning, learning by doing, moderated discussions, on the job training, coaching, action learning, interactive moderated discussions and others” but no further information on the e-learning part is available.

• University of Hradec Králové has 7,000 students according to its site, uses a Buddy System for foreign students and mentions e-learning in the “About” section but not clearly stated. Multiple disciplines possible in distance learning. This University is mentioned in a web page of the [[Megatrends in e-Learning Provision| Megatrends Project]: Institutions that were nominated, but not confirmed as megaproviders

• Technical University of Ostrava (VSB) has 22,000 students according to its own web site. And states that it has introduced new supporting systems of study (e. g. eLearning …)

• College of Information Management and Business Administration Is in collaboration with Hewlett-Packard for the project e-Teaching (2007) but no information could be found on this subject.

Re.ViCa Case Study

At the moment, there is no case study for the Czech Republic.

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