FAQ
EaD NO BRASIL – Leis, cursos reconhecidos, diplomas/certificados, Censo EaD
What is Distance Education?
There are manypossible definitions presented, but there is a minimum consensus around the idea that DL is the modality of education in teaching learning activities that is developed mainly (and in a good number of cases exclusively) without having students and teachers present in the same place at the same time.
What is the difference between distance learning and distance education?
Education and teaching, regardless of the modality adopted, are often used interchangeably, but their meanings are similar even though one must distinguish them.
Without resorting to sophisticated theories, a query to the dictionary can help. Aurelio B. H. Ferreira, defines education as:
"The process of physical, mental and moral development, of children and humans in general, aiming at their best for individual and social integration."
Teaching is now "Transmission of knowledge, information or useful clarifications and/or indispensable to education."
With these definitions, Caldas Aulete agrees. Education is the: "Act and purpose to educate, to develop the physical, intellectual and moral of the child and, in general, the human." Teaching, for the same author is: "Action of teaching, instruction, teaching, education."
Corroborating to these definitions, we must refer to the book "Psychology of Learning" by Prof. Samuel Pfromm Netto who says that: "Education is conceived as a set of personal experiences, active, dynamic and changeable through which the individual selects, absorbs and incorporates information, relating them to those that are already in their collection and reorganizes and expresses or uses them create new information to guide their actions, to act together with other people or to modify the environment.” For him, "Teaching is essentially a relationship of help or interpersonal aid in which someone who has more experience and knowledge influences others in a variety of ways: he teaches, guides, shows, explains, demonstrates, exemplifies, asks, answers, encourages, corrects, directs discussions, supervises, explains, prepares, proposes and monitors activities, encourages and guides the learner in the appropriate use of materials and resources, facilitating the understanding and appropriate performance providing the precepts and foundations of science, art techniques or abilities. "
How does it work?
ODL uses assorted types of media, alone or combined, for example: printed material distributed by mail, radio or TV, audio or video tapes, computer networks, Teleconferencing or videoconferencing, telephones etc.
The postgraduate distance learning courses need to be approved by the MEC?
Although the legislation that deals with post-graduate courses does not require specific authorization for courses at this level, MEC’s regulation establishes this requirement in the case of this level of distance education courses. This point has generated some controversy on the interpretation of the legislation. Check here for a list of institutions accredited by the MEC that teach postgraduate distance learning courses.
What is the average salary for a distance education professional?
In order to develop the content of a discipline of an undergraduate degree with the equivalent of 45 hours of study and learning, the amount paid in the market ranges from R $ 3,500.00 to R $ 7,000.00 for the tutor.
An instructional designer earns an average of $ 3,000.00 to R $ 6,000.00 monthly.
An enterprise content production charges for a regular course or online course, from 20 to 40 thousand to develop each module.
How do I choose a distance learning course?
Choosing a distance learning course should be the same as choosing a regular course.
Pay attention to the following aspects:
- Check the institution responsible for the course, make sure to check their trustworthiness and reputation as well as those of the coordinators and teachers of the course.
- Gather information of current students and alumni of the course and if you do not have any contact with them, ask the responsible to indicate names and contact information.
- Check or request information about the structure of support offered to students (technical support, educational support, academic advising, etc.). Also pay attention to the seriousness of the service when requesting information.
- Make sure you meet the prerequisites for the course.
- Assess the investment and all costs, direct and indirect involved with it.
- In the course confers titles, request a copy or reference of the legal instrument (accreditation and authorization of the MEC or the State Board of Education) which is based on its regularity.
- Some institutions allow future students to make test the class to assess aspects such as interactivity and material.
What is the basic information needed before opting for a particular course or institution?
Information to be provided by the institution responsible for the course:
- Set of choices, description or course syllabus;
- Description of prerequisites;
- Presentation of teachers, preferably with a short bio;
- Supporting structure, guidance and / or support offered;
- Price;
- In the case of courses that confer titles, reference of the legal instrument (accreditation and authorization of the MEC or the State Board of Education) which is based on its regularity.
Is there a regulation of the profession of Educational Designer / Instructional Designer?
REGULATION of the profession EDUCATIONAL DESIGNER / INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGNER MTE / CBO
Regulatory Standard of the Ministry of Labor and Employment
Valid from January 23, 2009
Titles
2394-05 – Pedagogical Coordinator
Assist as a school coordinator, helping in the coordination of elementary school from first to fourth grades, course coordinator assistant, Discipline Coordinator, teaching Coordinator, School Coordinator
2394-10 - Educational Counselor
Give educational guidance, Counselor of discipline and study areas, Educational Adviser, School Counselor, vocational and professional adviser, Professor of educational guidance, technical vocational guidance
2394-15 - Pedagogue
Auxiliary mentoring, tutoring Assistant in elementary education from first to fourth grades, tutoring Coordinator, Service Coordinator mentoring
2394-20 - Professor of technical and audiovisual resources
2394-25 – Psychologist pedagogue
2394-30 – Teaching Supervisor
Assistant of the school supervisor, supervising assistant, Educational Supervisor, Pedagogical Supervisor
2394-35 - Educational Designer
Instructional Designer
Summary of the occupation
Implement, evaluate, coordinate and plan the development of the pedagogical / instructional modalities of classroom teaching and / or distance learning, by applying methods and techniques to facilitate the process of teaching and learning. Work in academic and / or corporate levels of education to meet the needs of students, monitoring and evaluating educational processes. Enable collective work, creating and organizing mechanisms for participation in educational programs and projects, facilitating the communication process between the community and associations linked to it.
Source: http://www.mtecbo.gov.br/cbosite/pages/pesquisas/BuscaPorTituloResultado.jsf
What are the strengths of distance education?
There are many, starting with the possibility to include a variety of types of education formal and informal which include (usually 10% of the population in any country) those who are incapacitated by physical or mental disabilities to attend mainstream learning institutions. Also, people who live in isolated areas, away from places where it is possible to obtain more knowledge and skills, and where people that by major force (e.g. those who are being essentially trapped at home caring for their children, elderly or people who are severely ill) may not be moving. So, instead of these people "going" to school, the school goes to them. Other beneficiaries are thosewho work for their support and cannot attend regular classes in traditional schedules so if they take a distance learning course via Internet, they can participate asynchronously in all activities with all the other students that are enrolled in the course, being able to study at their own convenience- thedays and times that fit their schedule the most. Likewise, ODL allows people to participate in undergraduate and graduate programs offered by institutions of high academic reputation, without leaving their homes in Brazil. These are the main strengths of ODL.
Fredric Litto – Chairman of ABED
How can teachers benefit from distance learning?
Teachers in their various levels, after being qualified -usually with specialized courses and improvement as applicable- will be in contact with students in different regions of Brazil. With this new type of contact, they will have the opportunity to acquire and share new information. There is no doubt that the teachers will acquire new skills and that they will be able to reach their students properly.
What is the importance of continuing education?
Given the increasing demand for a skilled workforce in Brazil, and due to the economic growth that the country is going through as well as the changes in the world of work and society, continuing education is understood as a general preparation for work and optionally the qualification, retraining of professionals of education or the ability to learn a new field or activity. Also it refers to the personal development in relation to the need to expand the development opportunities throughout life.
What are the advantages of taking a distance learning course?
•Flexibility of time and place
• The student sets the pace of studying
• Tuition is much cheaper than the classroom learning
• The possibility of accessing places where the classes were out of reach
•A variety of courses - greater diversity in courses offered
• Democratization of access to education: it addresses a wider audience and has a much bigger variety of courses than the formal education
• Enables the exchange of experience and knowledge among participants
• In most cases, the educational methodology and the equipment used in class are of great quality
• Encourages continuing education
• Meets the pace of differentiated study
• Stimulates familiarity with different technologies
What are the disadvantages of taking a distance learning course?
•It requires discipline to determine study schedules
• If there is a problem with the technology or if the use of it is inadequate, failures may occur in the process of teaching and learning
• It is still limited in some courses since it is still a new study modality, there is still no definite pattern to be followed and it makes it difficult when choosing the courseand the institution.
How is the supply of this type of course in Brazil? (How many courses are there?)
In the 2010 ODL Census the total number of students enrolled in distance learning courses in the year 2009 were distributed as follows:
901 274 students in accredited institutions
1441298 students on open courses (without accreditation)
254,785 students in corporatecourses
Total number of students: 2,597,357 who took distancelearning courses.
It is very important to note that these figures correspond to the sample of respondents of the Census, not to the whole universe of distance education in Brazil, which is probably much larger than the one presented here.
Considering the ODL Census in Brazil , which counts all distance courses offered in the country, but does not separate the course by type, the current situation in Brazil is as follows:
1764 courses at accredited institutions (GED courses, undergraduate, postgraduate, extension, corporate, among others);
468 courses at institutions that offer open courses (without accreditation)
561 courses / institutions that offer corporatecourses
Total number of courses offered: 2793 courses.
Tips when choosing postgraduate distance learning courses - What should I do to check for quality assurance?
· Carefully review the methodology of teaching and teaching staff;
· Find out information about the institution on the internet, we suggest MEC’s website to begin;
· Check the contents of each of the modules offered and whether they agree with what you are seeking;
· What kinds of technology will be required to take the course?
· Will there be meetings: in person or online. How often and where?
· If there is the provision of technical support and / or mentoring to solve your problems;
· What kind of material will you have to purchase to take the course?
· Are there tests / group work for the completion of the course?
· Make your weekly study schedule and enjoy networking with other classmates.
In regards to legislation: what is the minimum and the maximum duration of a postgraduate distance learning course?
The ones up to 180 hours are considered extension courses, beyond that the course will called an Improvement course, and above 360 hours, they are called Specialization courses.
Who is going to provide the certificate or diploma for the student?
The law says that: "Higher education includes the following courses and programs:
The extension courses are open to candidates who meet the requirements established in each case by the institutions."
The extension courses do not have any requirements, as with undergraduate courses in which candidates must have a high school diploma or the equivalent, and have been chosen through a selection process. In addition, extension courses may not issue diploma but certificates.
Should the institution be accredited in MEC?
No, it is not necessary.
Are there paid and free courses? What are the average values?
There are free ones, for example, as offered by the OUB - Open University of Brazil. OUB currently offers 74 extension courses throughout the country and the largest offerings are courses in Media Education and the Statute of the Child and Adolescent, both offered by 12 different HEIs.
There are also paid courses, but it is impossible to determine an average value since there are various courses with difference prices.
How are the modules of extension courses?
They can be online or blended. It is Important to note that:
• The Teaching support / tutorial happens, in most courses, through discussion boards and chat rooms;
• Most distance learning courses offered can be take on closed classes (set number of students) or the student can study individually;
• The media most commonly used in these courses are: e-learning, printed material and CDs. Videos can also be used as well as DVDs and video conferencing.
PROFISSIONAIS, PROFESSORES E ALUNOS DA EAD - Regulamentação, remuneração, benefícios, perfil
What is the profile of the distance education instructor?
Beyond what is required of any teacher, whether in person or at a distance, and depending on the means adopted and used in the course, the teacher must be able to communicate well through the means selected, functioning more as a facilitator of learning, academic adviser and facilitator of collective interaction (in the case of courses that use such means of interaction).
Sobre a ABED
What is ABED?
The BRAZILIAN ASSOCIATION FOR DISTANCE EDUCATION - ABED, is a non-profit learnedsociety, which, since 1995 has promoted the dissemination of open, flexible and distance education. It was founded by a group of scholars interested in distance education and new learning technologies.
ABED's major goals are:
· To stimulate in every aspect the practice and the development of projects involved with distance education,
· To incentive the practice of the highest quality services for students, educators and companies that utilize distance education;
· To support the country’s "knowledge industry" seeking to reduce the inequalities caused by seclusion and the difficult access to education caused by isolation and distance from large urban centers;
· To promote the use of different Medias in the practice of distance education;
· To foster the spirit of openness, creativity, innovation, credibility and experimentation in the practice of distance education.
What is ABED’s annual conference? How to participate?
Every year ABED hosts the International Conference of Distance Education, directed to professionals involved in the distance education field. In order to submit scientific papers to the Conference, the participants are required to be affiliated members of ABED and they need to send their work by the deadline stipulated. To participate in the Conference, they will need to fill out the registration form in the website and pay the enrollment fee.
ABED endorses, validates, and indicates courses or institutions?
No, ABED has no legal competence to validate, endorse, and indicate courses or institutions. The Association may only disclose the list of distance learning courses which are known, or disclose a list of distance learning courses approved and recognized by MEC.
What are the benefits of becoming a member?
ABED offers to its members:
- The Galaxy Newsletter, the bimonthly, which provides information on Distance Education, with hints of sites, calendar of events, cases, articles, interviews;
- The Digital Report, via email, with reports on courses, lectures, and events;
- Discounts for conferences and seminars;
- Disclosure of courses or products of interest to the DL community;
- The Brazilian Journal of Open and Distance Learning, a trilingual scientific publication, with the digital version;
- Lectures on Distance Education.
To become a member, please click here.
What is the ABED Award for Excellence in Distance Education? How to participate?
The ABED Award for Excellence in Distance Education is an initiative by ABED which aims to encourage and disseminate research and experiences in distance education in Brazil. The main goal of the award is to create a new paradigm of quality in education that can serve as a guide to distance education in the country, thus creating quality indicators to legitimize initiatives in distance education in universities, schools and companies. In order to contribute to this initiative, you must be an affiliated member of ABED and submit your work by the deadline stipulated in each edition of the event.