France, RI to develop distance learning links

France, RI to develop distance learning links

JAKARTA (JP): For many people, education might be associated
with studying in a classroom with a teacher. Technology, however,
is allowing us to study from wherever we are and whenever we
want.

This new art of learning was discussed here recently in a
four-day seminar titled Multimedia and Network: A New Art of
Learning.

It was organized by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
the French Ministry of Education, Research and Technology, the
Embassy of France in Indonesia and the Indonesian Ministry of
Education and Culture. The seminar was a follow-up of last year's
regional seminar on educational television.

Around 70 experts from private companies, state-run
organizations of both countries, including Universitas Terbuka
(Open University), Universitas Indonesia, Bandung Institute of
Technology, the National Center for Distance Learning (CNED) of
France and government offices took part in the seminar.

The seminar was dedicated to distance learning. As Grard
Cros, Ambassador of France, pointed out in his opening speech,
"the extent of the Indonesian territory and the significance of
its population make distance learning a good way to democratize
learning by reaching a ever-growing public and to continue
training teachers."

The seminar's first day dealt with new technologies, including
the Internet, multimedia products, visual-communications and
satellites.

Anne Auban, a French computer science teacher and the director
of the Media-Sciences Division at University of Paris VI,
explained about the visual-communications applied in the
university.

"Participants can communicate as if they are in the same place
even though they are in two different geographical places," she
said.

This system is for researchers to meet each other, for
teachers to give courses and for students to participate in
interactive lectures.

Gilles Braun, from the French Ministry of Education, Research
and Technology introduced the participants to some multimedia
tools such as CD-Roms and on-line commodities. He distinguished
five kinds of products: simulated dialogs between the student and
a virtual teacher, computer assisted simulations and
experimentations, data base, educative games and software
enabling a collective work.

Those new techniques could revolutionize the way teachers are
used to teaching. The classical frame for schools will disappear,
giving a greater place to the distance learning, he said.

Most of these materials have been increasingly used by the
CNED since 1993. This French distance-learning institution
intends to surf on the new technologies' wave by introducing some
courses on-line and create Internet sites such as the electronic
campus (www.campus-electronique.tm.fr). This web site informs and
guides students or future students on their courses. Teachers as
well as students also have access to their own forum.

In Indonesia, distance learning was pioneered by the Open
University. It has 415,000 students, as many as the French
institution. But the use of technology is clearly incomparable.

The seminar allowed the participants to get acquainted with
the various distance-learning networks in Indonesia. The
Indonesian Distance Learning Network (IDLN) seems to be the most
consummate one. It involves eight ministries, including the
Ministry of Religious Affairs and the Ministry of Agriculture,
which implemented distance education to improving the quality of
their human resources.

Other networks are also being setting up, such as the joint-
venture project to connect the Bandung Institute of Technology,
the French company Thomson, students and some other triangular
structures in Asian countries.

During the seminar, speakers presented their needs and their
problems, trying to find answers and solutions from other
experts. In the end, a coordinating committee comprising four
Indonesian and four French experts were elected.

For five years, they will help institutions on both sides to
open sister-schools and enhance the collaboration of French
experts in Indonesia on the educational channel, Cakrawidaya
which was launched recently through the Cakrawarta satellite. The
French will also help the Indonesians with distance-learning
management.

The seminar also agreed on the experts' exchanges between
France and Indonesia; teaching researchers' exchanges; adaptation
of French products for Indonesian students and coproduction on
multimedia items; and French proficiency courses for teachers on-
line or on television.

But those undertakings, although not very ambitious, have to
be well thought out. Indeed, Johnny Moningka of University of
Indonesia showed a study on nine classes, four of which worked
with the Internet. The improvement of their school results was
noticeable but not that significant, thus showing the limits of
using multimedia.

Anne Auban also wished researchers to be cautious about the
use of new technologies. "The teacher is no longer the only one
to own knowledge. But he must keep on helping the students
because every computerized system which is not accompanied by
human beings can't work well".