What is the problem?

Today eLearning is not sufficiently present in Member States' education and training policies. However, the benefits of eLearning are enormous : it enables people to acquire skills anywhere, anytime; it empowers teachers to adopt new practices, to tailor interventions on the basis of personal learning needs and to individualise assessment. It also caters for self-regulated and informal learning, accommodates different learning styles, innovative collaborative learning practices, and supports more efficient workforce training, at a global scale, improving delivery, reducing training costs and time-to-competencies

Why is EU Action required?

Responsibility for education and learning lies within the Member States. However, the EU has the mandate to support Member States in their efforts to modernize education and training systems, inter alia, bypromoting the exchange of good practices and by supporting research and studies in effective use of ICT for learning.

What will the Commission do?

In 2011, the Commission will :

• Gather experts and stakeholders to identify and discuss “enabling and inhibiting” factors, relevant experiences and barriers to adoption of eLearning across Member States. A workshop on "Mainstreaming eLearning" is foreseen in the framework of the DAE assembly of June 2011.
• Implement research projects and pilots showcasing the use and deployment of eLearning resources and technologies in education and training across Member States.

• Raise awareness on the benefits of adopting eLearning, sharing knowledge about results, practices and solutions available in Europe and laying the foundations for future plans.

Contact:

javier.hernandez-ros@ec.europa.eu