Analysis of distance learning courses offered by the EuroTraining course directory

The European Commission established and has sponsored the EuroTraining project to serve the European knowledge market by providing a coherent and single entry point to an extensive training market. Through relevant training courses and through its management of a valued quality system and easy-to-use Web information service, the EuroTraining project has been successfully stimulating exploitation of state-of-the-art microsystems and microelectronics technologies and creating new opportunities for industry. EuroTraining is also aiming to create a comprehensive listing of distance learning courses and to develop essential missing ones, by encouraging course providers and centres of excellence to use the directory to promote their own distance learning training material (Illyefalvi-Vitez, 2003; Illyefalvi-Vitez and Gordon, 2004). The distance learning element of the directory was set up in response to the needs of those who require flexibility in the way they learn. Distance learning increases opportunities for all. In the paper we outline the results of an evaluating survey and gap analysis of distance learning (DL) courses, which were available in the EuroTraining course directory after a year that the section was set up. The information on the DL courses was collected, categorized and studied. The evaluators used a scoring system for each training course, covering: course title, language, venue, description, cost, contents and timetable, level/target audience, on-line contact with tutor, type of support, further information, course provider, access to the course provider Web site, access to the course, and course notes. In addition to the evaluation of the DL courses, three best practices initiated by the EuroTraining Project are also presented: 1) a distance learning course model, which illustrates how multimedia tools, knowledge base management and quiz-like self-test are combined in a high-level DL module of thick film technology, 2) a review of the five train-the-trainers courses provided during the EuroTraining project, and where Internet based electronic textbooks were successfully used, and 3) an introduction to EuroTraining "sharing course modules" action, which includes more than 70 microsystem modules of master courses of ca 30 university professors, who are sharing their Internet based teaching tools with each others by this action.