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Vice Provost Featured at Distance Learning Conference
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Vice Provost Featured at Distance Learning Conference
Newtown, Pa., resident Discussed Learner Support at Conference in Beijing TRENTON, NJ (December 24, 2007) —TRENTON, N.J. — Even though he is an expert in creating online college courses for adults, Dr. Henry R. van Zyl really put the distance in distance education when he was named as a presenter to an international conference in Beijing sponsored by the Chinese government and the Open University, of the United Kingdom.Van Zyl, vice provost of the Center for Directed Independent Adult Learning at Thomas Edison State College, participated on a panel that discussed learner support at the 2007 International Distance Education Advanced Forum – Academic Research and Experience Exchange in Beijing, China, in October. He also presented a paper on the topic of serving the diverse needs of adult learners by providing for different learning styles and preferences.
The resident of Newtown, Pa., joined more than 50 experts and scholars in distance education from 20 countries, including the United Kingdom, France, Germany, India, Brazil and Australia and China to discuss the latest academic achievements, successful practical experiences and potential development of distance education in the future.
“Being invited to participate in the conference was recognition of the College’s international leadership role in online distance education. It was an honor to present and to participate in the panel together with European and Chinese experts in the field,” said Van Zyl. “The opportunity for networking — sharing knowledge and experience, and gaining new insights into the world trends in this area — was tremendous.”
Jointly organized by the China Committee of Open and Distance Education (CCODE), Beijing University, China Central Radio and Television University (CRTVU), and The Open University United Kingdom, the conference theme was Distance Education Quality and Knowledge Economy. Featured topics included government policies and systems for distance education quality; the quality of distance teaching and learning; new technologies and distance education quality; and historical reflections of distance education quality and its innovation and development.
The topics, which were discussed from a strategic angle and in professional detail, generated forward-looking ideas with high theoretical and practical values — reflecting the highest level of development in relevant fields in the world. This should provide strong support in macro decision-making process in education, academia and government.
The College’s participation in the conference is the latest example of College staff presenting internationally at forums focusing on delivering education at a distance.
“Over the last few years, College staff members have been presenters at leading international conferences in Hawaii, Austria, France, Switzerland, Canada and Ireland,” said Van Zyl. “In addition, we have gained the same kind of exposure nationally and within New Jersey by presenting at conferences and serving on the boards of several national distance learning bodies.”
The forum in Beijing combined official regulatory aspects, teaching and learning, academic research and technical aspects, to provide an opportunity for exchange and contact at various levels, and promoted interactive activities and information sharing among participants in several formats.
ABOUT THOMAS EDISON STATE COLLEGE
Thomas Edison State College provides flexible, high-quality, collegiate learning opportunities for self-directed adults. One of New Jersey’s 12 senior public institutions of higher education, the College offers associate, baccalaureate and master’s degrees in more than 100 areas of study. Students earn degrees through a wide variety of rigorous and high-quality academic methods that can be customized to meet their individual needs. Identified by Forbes magazine as one of the top 20 colleges and universities in the nation in the use of technology to create learning opportunities for adults, Thomas Edison State College is a national leader in the assessment of adult learning and a pioneer in the use of educational technologies. The College is home to The John S. Watson Institute for Public Policy. The New Jersey State Library is an affiliate of Thomas Edison State College. Further information about admission to the College may be obtained by calling (888) 442-8372, via e-mail at info@tesc.edu or by visiting the College Web site at www.tesc.edu.
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