Brussels, 12/12/2012 (Agence Europe) - Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou, responsible for education, culture, youth and multilingualism has announced that she will be presenting a new initiative to promote the use of new technologies and open educational resources in education systems. The Commissioner was speaking in Oslo on 10 December during a ministerial conference organised between 9-11 December by the Cypriot presidency in the context of the European Union receiving the Nobel Peace Prize. The initiative announced by the Commissioner will be developed in collaboration with her colleague responsible for the Digital Agenda, Neelie Kroes.
Open educational resources (OERs) are teaching, learning or research materials that belong to the public domain or which have been published with an intellectual property license allowing their use, adaptation and distribution without charge. If it is used intelligently and appropriately, this new educational material, coupled with Communication and Information Technologies (ICT) can help develop an innovative learning axle on which future education systems can be based, within the context of the reforms needed for the future. Vassiliou pointed out that “ICT and OER facilitate a more interactive, creative, flexible and personalised participation in the learning process. (…) they represent a strategic opportunity to improve the quality and enhance the equity of education.” The new initiative is in addition to the “Rethinking Education” strategy presented on 20 November last by Vassiliou. This strategy is aimed at helping member states in their education system reforms, and fits more appropriately with the needs of the labour market (see EUROPE 10734). (IL/transl.fl)