Establishing a videoconferencing infrastructure in the republic of macedonia as an engineering educational service

Abstract

New educational requirements stimulated by the innovative telecommunication technologies together with novel educational materials and methodologies pave the way for the introduction of high end videoconferencing systems that can be used to establish distance learning environments. Video Conferencing can enhance the educational opportunities offered by distance learning based systems; it reduces the costs of teaching and learning, by allowing a real time connection with different university sites and thus reducing mobility needs, while students can have larger access to a variety of degree programmes, learning material, different educational approaches, methodologies and contacts with international experts. In this framework, the three-year ViCES (Video Conferencing Educational Services) Project was launched by the University of Florence (Italy) and the Ss Cyril and Methodius University (Republic of Macedonia). This was financed by the European Commission within the TEMPUS (Trans-European Mobility Scheme for University Studies) programme for the period 2009-2012. The project is made up by consortium member institutions from Belgium, Hungary, Italy, Republic of Macedonia, Republic of Serbia and Albania. With tutorials and expertise of the consortium member Universities in the European Union and in Western Balkans, the TEMPUS VICES project will provide different university sites in the Republic of Macedonia with a technological videoconferencing infrastructure and an innovative self sustainable learning environment that eases student and academic access to a wide and novel amount of educational services. The adopted approach will also represent an interesting good practice which might be introduced in other educational contexts (e.g. consortium universities in Republic of Serbia and Albania) to increase cooperation and internationalisation opportunities among different institutions. The project will also support the harmonization process of different curricula at a national and international level among higher education institutions. The educational services offered via this environment will be designed to be adoptable to multicultural and multilingual environments. This paper presents the sustainability and educational approach used in the ViCES project learning environment.