| On Friday, May 30, 2008 will be Prof. Dr. Paquita | | | | Online education takes a big flight (flown |
| Perez professor's office opening times to celebrate | | | | permanently?). Paquita Perez will dwell on an |
| with an initial lecture entitled: Online education and | | | | illustrative example and discuss the advantages and |
| sustainability: a green ink stain. Students, teachers and | | | | disadvantages for students and teachers. Moreover, |
| interested people are warmly invited to attend this | | | | it makes urgent appeal to Dutch schools and |
| ceremony. The meeting starts at 16.00 hours and | | | | universities, but also the ministries of OCW, VROM |
| takes place in Heerlen, Netherlands Open University, | | | | and EZ. Universities and vocational institutions should |
| Pretoria building. | | | | make judicious use of combinations of contact |
| Sustainable Learning | | | | teaching, distance learning and online education. The |
| If we are all lifelong learning and knowledge and skills | | | | ministries do well together to see how the ambitions |
| up to date and want to keep, then the question of | | | | of internationalization and lifelong learning in a less |
| whether we do this in a sustainable manner more | | | | environmentally damaging way be achieved. |
| relevant and urgent. What is environmental | | | | Paquita Perez |
| education? How sustainable is an education? | | | | Paquita Perez has been promoted as a physical |
| Research | | | | chemist (1992). She held several positions in the field |
| Paquita Perez goes in her inaugural lecture on energy | | | | of education, research and policy at several |
| and the environment of regular daytime classes, | | | | universities. She led the faculty as Dean of Natural |
| online education and distance learning. It relies on | | | | Sciences The Open University. She was appointed |
| recent British study into the environmental impact of | | | | Professor of Natural Sciences, particularly distance |
| contact teaching, distance learning and online distance | | | | learning in environmental and natural sciences. Her |
| learning writing. These educational systems are | | | | interest is focused on quality and sustainable |
| compared against each other in five areas: energy | | | | development in higher education, sustainable |
| use of students own computers, paper use, travel, | | | | education and solar energy |
| energy use and study at university and home energy | | | | Mark is an active writer of online education, specially |
| use. Overall, energy use and CO2 emissions in online | | | | online university degree programs. He shared his |
| education a factor 8-9 lower than contact education, | | | | expert views and vision about online education |
| distance learning is that when writing a factor 6 to 7. | | | | through his informative and energetic writing. He |
| Urgent Appeal | | | | believes that online education from a reputable online |
| What do these findings for policy ambitions in the | | | | university can simply plays a vital role in the life of |
| areas of internationalization and lifelong learning? | | | | working adults. |