Summer School Training in Tsakhkadzor

A summer school in distance learning was organized from September 5-8th 2014 in Tsakhkadzor within the framework of Organizing Further Education Distance Learning at International Scientific Educational Center of NAS RA”  project funded by the “Armenia Higher Education Competitive Innovation Fund”within the framework of the second loan programme of “Education Quality Assurance and Relevance” by “Center for Education Projects” of RA Ministry of Education and Science. The summer school aimed at training the participants to design online courses, distance learning video filming and 
editing as well as distance learning video conferences in practice and other skills. 
The trainers of the summer school were Arusyak Harutyunyan, the head of the Foreign Affairs Department of ISEC NAS RA, Tatevik Zargaryan - an AUA staff member, Armen Sargsyan - the head of the IT Department of ISEC NAS RA, Tigran Zargaryan – the director of the Fundamental Scientific Library of NAS RA and Narine Vardanyan- the head of the Education and Quality Assurance Department of ISEC NAS RA. Within the framework of the project, due to the consignments of computers and other equipment, it was possible to create an on-line conference room, to refurbish a computer room, etc. 
Appropriate technical equipment for holding on-line conferences, seminars and lectures has already been installed at the conference hall. According to one of the project coordinators, Armen Sargsyan, the conference hall has wireless Internet access and a server intended for the installation and launching of the “Moodle” system which has already passed the programming support. It is planned to start on-line courses in October or November which are going to be free at the first stage within the programme. As it was mentioned by the project coordinators, as to a tentative plan, the project aims to end in November, but taking into account the efficiency of the project, it is planned to extend and to involve many more demanded on-line courses in the distance learning platform. All the participants of the summer school mentioned the importance of organizing such schools as the format of the training helped participants get their numerous questions answered in a proper way. 
The team of the project organizers in their turn is hopeful that the project will be continuous in future in its efforts to organize such schools for the faculty.