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By Michael Childs
mchilds@coe.uga.edu
The University of Georgia has signed a five-year international cooperative agreement with the University of Twente in the Netherlands--which boasts one of the world’s top instructional-technology programs--to develop joint educational and research programs in that field.
The agreement, developed by the department of instructional technology in the College of Education, calls for faculty and student exchanges, study abroad, collaborative research programs, seminars, workshops and service programs.
Initial efforts will focus on joint research and development efforts with faculty and student exchanges to be worked out by the end of the first year, says Kent Gustafson, interim director of the college’s School of Professional Studies.
“The opportunity to work with one of the premier IT programs in the world on cutting-edge research is exciting,” says Gustafson. “They are doing groundbreaking research in computer-based tools for curriculum design and their work in computer-based support for designing and managing distance learning also is noteworthy, as is their work in high-end educational simulations and games.”
Lloyd Reiber, professor and acting chair of UGA’s department of instructional technology, and Jan vanAkker, professor and chair of the University of Twente’s department of curriculum, will coordinate the development and implementation of the collaborative effort.
The agreement also presents an opportunity for other UGA units to establish relationships with the Dutch university. Twente faculty have expressed interest in working with UGA’s Institute of Higher Education and New Media Institute, among others. The agreement was signed this month by UGA President Michael Adams and Frans van Vught, rector of the University of Twente, which is located in Enschede.
“We are also exploring the possibility of a joint master’s degree to be offered worldwide in distance-learning format. I also anticipate that some our students will be able to study there as the relationship matures,” says Gustafson.
Faculty and students of the two schools have taken part in many informal joint activities over the past few years. The relationship began when Gustafson participated as an external member of a Twente doctoral dissertation committee. Since that time other IT faculty at UGA have played that role, and there have been numerous joint articles and conference presentations. Gustafson and Rob Branch, an associate professor of instructional technology, recently co-edited a book with three Twente faculty.
“There have been numerous faculty visits in each direction,” Gustafson says. “About eight of their faculty came here for several days last April and 20 of their students will be here for 10 days in April this year.”
The new agreement is just one of several active international projects at the College of Education. The instructional technology department also has cooperative education and research programs with Edith Cowan University in Australia and the Royal Danish Academy of Educational Studies; the department of counseling and human development services works with the University of Jvaskyla in Finland and St. Petersburg State University; the recreation and leisure studies department works with Christchurch Polytechnic in Christchurch, New Zealand; the science education department works with West Visayas State University in the Philippines; and the department of elementary education works with the Universidad Veracruzana in Veracruz, Mexico. |
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