Early Childhood Development Virtual University

Location

Department

Description

Launched in 2000, this University of Victoria, Canada, initiative is intended to address early childhood education leadership needs by building the capacity of those working in the ECD field. Early Childhood Development Virtual University is a distance-learning approach. Programmes are based on the notion that knowledge will only be relevant and useful if it is generated through an interaction of many sources - indigenous and external.

Programmes

1. Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) Programme - This is a three-year training programme in Sub-Saharan Africa to build the capacity of Africans working in the Early Childhood Development (ECD) field to support child, family, and community well-being and broader social and economic development. The initiative involves ECD professionals in intensive face-to-face seminars, web-based learning, on-the-job application of assignments, video-conferencing technology, and network-building.
   
   Each of the courses includes a face-to-face seminar component (a two- to three-week seminar is held every 6-7 months in Sub-Saharan Africa), with mentorship; a computer-assisted learning (CAL) component (pre- and post-seminar); and the use of additional technologies, such as video tele-conferencing (as required). The student maintains her or his ECD employment, and communicates with an ECD "community of learners" in-country. Assignments are intended to complement ECD employment responsibilities and are negotiated individually at the conclusion of each seminar. The academic programme consists of 8 courses, 4 seminars, and a concluding thesis/major project. Each of the courses and seminars is designed to address ECD leadership skills and ECD capacity development in Africa.
   
   (Editor's note: The programme website states - as of 2009 - that ECDVU is currently in process of pursuing funds to enable it to deliver a third programme in Sub-Saharan Africa.)
   
   Click here for more information.
   
   
2. Middle East-North Africa (MENA) Programme - This is a one-year educational training programme in the Middle East and North African region developed in 2002 to build the capacity of Africans working in the ECD field to support child, family, and community well-being and broader social and economic development. The first 20 participants, who hail from Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Yemen, and Tunisia, take part in intensive face-to-face seminars, web-based learning, on-the-job application of assignments, video-conferencing technology, and network-building. Each of the courses includes a face-to-face seminar component (a two- to three-week seminar is held every 6-7 months in the Middle East - North Africa region), with mentorship; a computer-assisted learning (CAL) component (pre- and post-seminar); and the use of additional technologies, such as video tele-conferencing (as required). Students maintain their ECD employment, and communicate with an ECD "community of learners" in-country. The ECDVU academic programme consists of 4 courses and 2 seminars. Each of the courses and seminars is designed to address ECD leadership skills and ECD capacity development in Africa and the Middle East.
   
   Click here for more information.

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