SUMMARY SHEET
In the frame of the Phare Programme for
multi-country co-operation in distance education (DE), the Paisii Hilendarski University
of Plovdiv (PU) has been selected as a host institution for establishment of a Regional
Distance Education Study Centre (RDESC). The premises provided free of rent by the
University of Plovdiv as to contribution to the operation of the RDESC are as follows: an
office, two classrooms, a library room and a video hall (about 40 seats). Its opening
hours are from 11.00 to 14.00 and from 16.00 to 19.00 every working day, and from 9.00 to
12.00 on Saturday. The RDESC is situated at the main building of the PU: The Paisii
Hilendarski University of Plovdiv; Regional Distance Education Study Centre; 24, Tzar
Assen St., Room 359; 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria. The investment, operational and strategic
management of the RDESC is carried out by the Consultative Body, consisting of Head,
Manager, Financial officer and six academic staff, including one vice-rector, deans and
vice-deans.
The main role of the RDESC in the
national educational infrastructure is to promote DE as alternative of part-time education
and for some appropriate specialities of Faculties for Open and Continuing education; to
develop post-graduate and dislocated studies as forms of DE; to spread good practice and
experience acquired by the system of post-graduate studies by means of DE, defining the
scope of the initiative within the region; to select specialities, courses and themes to
be involved in DE, etc.
The centre shall co-operate with all
teaching departments at the host institution, as well as with other external education and
training providers and public and private user organisations, about the building-up and
continuous development and dissemination of a portfolio of distance educational and
training programmes. The courses developed and provided by the centre shall be relevant to
the social and economic development in the region and to European integration. The centre
shall co-operate with other Phare DESCs in the country and in other Phare countries about
extending its course delivery and its tutoring and student support services to learners
outside the region. The DE courses are intended for various categories of learners as
follows: students, educated and trained in the credit courses; teachers at secondary
schools, needing updated courses and training; adult professionals who for various
reasons, need quickly to acquire new knowledge and skills at work; young people who have
recently entered the labour market and who need to complement further their secondary
education; students at Free and Continuing Education Faculties specialising in different
subjects and requiring specific skills for entering the labour market, etc.
The RDESC shall co-operate with the National
Centre of Distance Education (NCDE) and other DE centres about training of people
responsible for the development of DE and training programmes (course developers,
designer, writers, editors, etc.). The RDESC shall assist course developers and teachers
with the validation and quality assessment of all aspects of the DE and training
programmes, including quality assessment of the instructional design, course materials,
learner support, etc. The RDESC shall provide training for the staff responsible for
learner support (tutors, counsellors, administrators, etc.).
In the short-time period (1.11.1997 –
30.10.1998), the main objectives and activities that will be conducted under the
Phare multi-country programme are systematised as follows.
The planned activities are in four main directions as follows: