Conference “e-Learning in the European education agenda. The case of Slovakia and Moldova“

In the recent years the Republic of Moldova has marked a significant progress in using information and communication technologies (ICT) in education. Computers and internet connection has become available practically for all pupils, students and teaching staff in types of schools.

Issues related to boosting flexibility of training, introducing European trends aimed at expanding computer-assisted training and increasing efficiency in using digital tools in quality education were the core of the speeches given at the international conference „e-Learning in the European education agenda. The case of Slovakia and Moldova“ which was held on 25 April 2013 in Chisinau. The conference was the top event of the project “Modernisation of education in Moldova“ financed from the the funds of the SlovakAid - official development aid programme of the Slovak Republic“.

A 2-year project has been implemented by Academia Istropolitana Nova (www.ainova.sk), a Slovak civic association which has been engaged in innovative teaching methods in lifelong learning since 1996 in a close cooperation and coordination with its Moldovan partner - Institute for Public Policy (www.ipp.md).

Experienced experts and teachers engaged in computer-assisted training from Moldova and Slovakia made their speeches focused on innovative approaches which reflected the range of issues emerging in the process of introducing computer assisted training into the secondary and tertiary education, proposing viable solutions for flexibility of training, raising its efficiency and quality. Based on the provisions of the “Europe 2020” Strategy, the speakers outlines both the prospects opened for educational institutions due to implementation of new information and communication technologies in the process of education, and practical achievements of many teaching teams from Slovakia and the Republic of Moldova.

The outcome of the conference is represented by an electronic publication in Romanian and English versions containing 9 contributions presented at the conference. The publication has an ambition to serve as a useful aid for the teaching staff of schools and universities, for decision-makers of the educational system, for researchers and practitioners applying computer-assisted training in everyday teaching practice.

Besides the conference and its electronic publication, within the whole project there were held two train-the-trainers courses for Moldovan teachers and a workshop. Two handbooks in Romanian language – A handbook of e-education and Interactive tools of e-learning have been printed and distributed to the Moldovan institutions and individuals engaged in computer-assisted teaching.