T2.4. Study Tour. UNED. Meeting the Practitioners. “How to Incorporate Distance Education in the Higher Education Portfolio”
Dates: 26 -30 May 2025
Delivery Mode: Onsite visit
This study tour offered participants a valuable opportunity to engage directly with a European distance education university with more than 53 years of experience: the Spanish National Distance Education University, UNED, the main responsible for WP2.
The five-day visit served as a practical complement to the previous three training activities, allowing Georgian participants to observe real-life Digital Distance Education practices and reflect on how these approaches could be adapted to their own institutional and national contexts.
The Study Tour was organized by the Technical Office for Internationalization of the Vice-Rectorate for Internationalization and Multilingualism, with the support of various vice-rectorates and units of the UNED, the UNESCO Chair in Distance Education and her director, Ángeles Sánchez-Elvira Paniagua (IP of UNED for the project), as well as three Associated Centers (Madrid, Segovia and Ponferrada).
General Objective
To explore how digital distance education is implemented within a European higher education university to identify transferable strategies for local adaptation.
Specific Objectives
- To observe institutional models, technologies, pedagogical approaches, and tools for implementing and supporting distance education (blended, online and hybrid).
- To engage in meaningful exchanges with UNED practitioners, fostering dialogue on shared challenges and innovative solutions.
- To identify and analyze best practices that promote quality, inclusive, accessible, and flexible life-long-learning DE.
- To reflect on how observed practices align with or differ from participants’ institutional needs and strategic goals.
- To promote international collaboration and peer learning in the field of digital and distance education.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the study tour, participants were expected to:
- Recognize key pedagogical models, technological infrastructures, strategies and institutional frameworks used by a well-established European distance education university to implement and manage blended and online education.
- To engage in meaningful exchanges with UNED practitioners, fostering dialogue on shared challenges and innovative solutions.
- To delve deeper in quality assurance in distance education modalities in higher education based on the EHEA framework and quality seals for e-learning.
- To identify and analyze best practices that promote quality, accessibility, and flexibility in DE.
- Critically evaluate the applicability of observed DE models and practices to their own institutional settings.
- Identify potential areas for innovation or improvement in their current educational offerings.
- Strengthen their capacity to lead or support institutional change processes related to the digital transformation of higher education.
- To promote international collaboration and peer learning in the field of digital and distance education.
Profile of the Participants
The group comprised of 27 participants including managers, academic faculty, instructional designers, and quality-assurance specialists drawn from 10 Georgian higher-education institutions, one representant from the Ministry of Education, Science and Youth of Georgia, two representants from the National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement and two members of the EFMD coordinator of the project. Attendants have already participated in the three previous trainings of the WP2 of the PRODIGE project.
Study Tour Program. Topics and Academic Team
Monday, 26 May 2025 – UNED North Campus (Faculty of Education)
• Welcome and Presentation of the Study Visit Program
Speakers:
- Laura Alba-Juez, Vice-Rector for Internationalisation and Multilingualism, UNED
- Ángeles Sánchez-Elvira, Director, UNESCO Chair in Distance Education (CUED), UNED. PRODIGE UNED IP
Description: Introduction to the objectives, structure, and expected outcomes of the study tour.
• UNED Internationalisation in a Digital World: OpenEU
Speaker:
- Laura Alba-Juez, Vice-Rector for Internationalisation and Multilingualism, UNED
Description: Overview of UNED’s international strategy through its different programs and the role of digitalization in them, and the OpenEU alliance.
• UNED Educational Innovation
Speaker:
- Sergio Martín Gutiérrez, Deputy Vice-Rector for Educational Technologies, UNED
Description: Presentation on UNED’s educational innovation policies and technological developments in distance education, such as the UNED Innovation Hub.
• UNED Media: Audiovisual Media Centre of Distance Learning
Speaker:
- Ángel Mancebo Muñoz, Director of UNED Media
Description: Insight into the creation and role of multimedia content in supporting online education.
• Visit to UNED Media
Guide:
- Ángel Mancebo Muñoz, Director of UNED Media
Description: On-site tour of UNED's media production facilities (TV set, radio, polymedia for video classes, digital archives).
• Working Group on Quality in Distance Higher Education (Internal Meeting)
Participants and Speakers:
- Miguel Santamaría, Former Vice-Rector for Quality and Innovation, UNED
- Ángeles Sánchez-Elvira Paniagua, Director, UNESCO Chair in Distance Education (CUED), UNED. PRODIGE UNED IP.
Description: Closed session on quality assurance frameworks with representatives from Georgia’s Ministry of Education, NCEQE, and UNED.
Tuesday, 27 May 2025 – UNED North Campus (Faculty of Psychology)
• UNED Technological Infrastructure for a Digital University
Speaker:
- José Emilio Permuy Muñoz-Rivero, Director, UNED Technology Center
Description: Presentation on the technological infrastructure that supports digital transformation at UNED.
• UNED-VALIJA VIRTUAL: On-site Evaluation System
Speaker:
- Rafael Pastor Vargas, Director, UNED Higher School of Computer Engineering (ETSI)
Description: Overview of UNED’s digital controlled onsite final examination system, "Valija Virtual."
• Visit to UNED’s Facilities
Guide:
- Sergio Martín Gutiérrez, Deputy Vice-Rector for Educational Technologies, UNED
Description:Visit to key technological and digital learning infrastructures such as physical, remote and virtual laboratories.
Wednesday, 28 May 2025 – UNED Madrid Centro “Escuelas Pías”
• UNED Local Centres Network
Speaker:
- Claudia Sevilla. Coordinator, UNED Madrid Associated Centre
Description: Presentation of the structure and functions of UNED’s decentralized network of local centres.
• UNED’s Offer in Lifelong Learning and University Extension
Speaker:
- Agustín Caminero Herráez, Deputy Vice-Rector for Lifelong Learning, Digitisation and Institutional Relations, UNED
Description: Overview of lifelong learning programs and community engagement initiatives.
• Student Support Services for Distance Learners
Speaker:
- Paula Ferrer Sama, Coordinator, Employment Information and Orientation Center, Vice-Rectorate for Students and Inclusion, UNED
Description: Discussion on academic, career, and personal support for distance learners.
• Visit to “Centro Escuelas Pías”
Guide:
- Claudia Sevilla Sevilla, Coordinator, UNED Madrid Associated Centre
Description: Guided visit to a key urban local center supporting blended and online learning, including the visit to its library. Madrid Associated Centre is the largest UNED local center in the country.
Thursday, 29 May 2025 – Segovia (UNED Associated Centre)
• Visit to Segovia Associated Centre
Speaker:
- Enrique Gallego Lázaro, Academic Coordinator, UNED Segovia
- Pilar Rodríguez Arancón, Director, UNED Center for Digital and Distance Languages
Description: Presentation of the structure and functions of a UNED small local center. Demonstration of UNED technological infrastructure for online synchronous tutoring connecting tutors and students in different locations (videoconference with INTECCA, Innovation and Technologies for Associated Centers, Ponferrada Associated Center).
• Social and Territorial Work of the Segovia Associated Centre
Participants:
- Representatives from Segovia Provincial Council and City Council.
Description: Presentation on community engagement and regional educational outreach visiting the Provincial Council and the City Council.
Friday, 30 May 2025 – UNED Rectorate (Salón de Grados OEI)
• Quality in Distance Education
Speaker:
- Rebeca de Juan Díaz, Vice-Rector for Quality Assurance and Accreditation, UNED
- Ángeles Sánchez-Elvira Paniagua, Director, UNESCO Chair in Distance Education (CUED), UNED. PRODIGE UNED IP.
Moderator:
- Fernando Val Garijo, Deputy Vice-Rector for International Projects and Relations, UNED
Description: Final session focused on UNED quality assurance systems, accreditation mechanisms and internal quality assurance, international quality seals and continuous improvement in distance education.
Training evaluation by participants
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