The Distance Education Department of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (SEDIS/UFRN) has been working for 19 years to strengthen this type of education. Because of its consolidated experience in the area, SEDIS/UFRN has become a reference for other Brazilian higher education institutions. On October 17, 18 and 19, 2022, the team from the Distance Education Department (DEaD) of the Federal University of Amapá (UNIFAP) was in Natal/RN to get to know the Secretary’s physical facilities and the operation of the sectors responsible for supporting EaD activities at the University.
According to Inajara Viana, director of DEaD/UNIFAP, among the main objectives of this exchange are the sharing of experiences in the area and the discussion of expertise on Moodle Mandacaru, Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) used by UFRN undergraduate courses, and its integration with the Integrated System for Academic Activity Management (SIGAA). “The idea of the technical visit is to broaden the viewpoints regarding the technological and management aspects to stimulate UNIFAP to follow paths of growth and strengthening of EaD,” concluded the Amapaense manager.
The EaD/UFRN secretary, Carmem Rêgo, highlighted this moment as important for the exchange of knowledge and building new partnerships among educational institutions in the North and Northeast of the country. The Assistant Secretary of EaD/UFRN, Ione Morais, clarified the pedagogical processes that involve the use of the VLE, emphasizing the transparency of all the information published for the academic community. The UNIFAP guests also participated in workshops with SEDIS/UFRN collaborators about the content production routines, accessibility policy, and course management.
Besides the director of DEaD/UNIFAP, Inajara Viana, who also coordinates the Open University of Brazil Program (UAB) at the northern university, the delegation also included: the Moodle manager, Erick Hermann Facundes, the Tutoring coordinator, Edmar dos Reis Saraiva, and the Assistant coordinator of the UAB/UNIFAP Program, Leandro Rodrigues de Souza.
Bruno Cássio – Communication Advisor of SEDIS/UFRN.
Throughout its 19 years of existence, the Distance Education Department of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (SEDIS/UFRN) has contributed to the strengthening of DE throughout the country, by producing pedagogical materials, providing technical advice to partner institutions, and exchanging experiences. These expertises mean that the SEDIS/UFRN management team is always invited to the most important events that discuss Technology-Mediated Education in Brazil and in the World.
The Secretary of EaD/UFRN, Carmem Rêgo, and the Pedagogical Coordinator of EaD/UFRN, Lilian Giotto Zaros, are among the speakers confirmed for the presential phase of the International Congress on Education and Technologies (CIET) and the Meeting of Researchers in Education and Technologies (EnPET), which will be held in conjunction with the International Congress on Distance Higher Education (CIESUD) and the Brazilian Congress on Distance Higher Education (ESUD), from November 11th to 15th, 2022, in the city of São Paulo/SP.
On November 12, 2022, the Pedagogical Coordinator of EaD/UFRN, Lilian Giotto Zaros, will speak about “Virtual environment and management of research in Network”, during a round table which will have as a central theme “EaD research network: Quality and regulation in Brazil, Latin America and Mozambique”. On November 15, 2022, in the round table that will discuss “Networked Academic Student Mobility”, the EaD/UFRN Secretary, Carmem Rêgo, will talk about “The legal construction of EaD and student mobility: possibilities and perspectives”.
The theme of CIET/EnPET and CIESUD/ESUD 2022 is “Hybrid Education: Resilience, Equity and Sustainability”. In all, according to the organizers, 150 speakers, Brazilian and international researchers, experts in the intersection between Education and Technologies, are expected to give their reflections. For more details about the simultaneous events, you can click here.
Bruno Cássio – Communication Advisor of SEDIS/UFRN.
On September 22, 23 and 24, 2022, the academic community of the distance education centers of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte will participate in the program of the 3rd University Week of EaD at UFRN. There will be three days dedicated to discussions about relevant topics for pole and course coordinators, professors, teaching assistants, tutors and undergraduate students. Registrations are open and can be made until September 21st via SIGAA.
According to the pedagogical coordinator of EaD/UFRN, Lilian Giotto Zaros de Medeiros, among the main objectives of this third edition are “to promote and strengthen the integration between the subjects involved in the teaching-learning process of distance undergraduate courses at UFRN and, at the same time, to provide the opportunity to experience educational action, contributing to the improvement of the quality of learning in this type of education.
The program will open on September 22, starting at 7 pm, with a lecture that will address the theme: “The permanent study: motivation and effectiveness” and that will be broadcasted by the SEDIS Channel on YouTube. The big news for this edition will be the return of in-person activities at the EaD centers, which were suspended due to the sanitary measures imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic. According to Lilian Zaros, the fact that the actions will take place in person “will allow the student to experience the daily life of the physical spaces where the centers are located and where the integration of the community and the production of knowledge occurs.
UFRN’s rector, José Daniel Diniz Melo, spoke about the expectations for the positive impact of this initiative. For Daniel Diniz, “the 3rd UFRN EaD University Week is an important space to reflect on what has been developed and also aims to plan distance education actions in our University. The event will have activities in various areas of knowledge and in several centers, which reflects the comprehensive and democratic character of the education modality, as well as UFRN’s vision of the future, which is based on innovation, inclusion, and excellence.
The vice-coordinator of Distance Education at the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRRJ), José Airton Chaves Cavalcante Junior, made a technical visit to the Distance Education Department of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (SEDIS/UFRN), on the morning of Tuesday (19). The director of the Rio de Janeiro institution came in search of partnerships in the area of Open Educational Resources production, self-instructional courses and tools used in the elaboration of pedagogical materials for EaD.
According to the representative of EaD/UFRRJ, since 2017, the system package that makes the management of academic and institutional activities, known as “SIG” and, more recently, the module focused on EaD was acquired from UFRN: “I am responsible for the implementation of this module, not the technical implementation, but the administrative one, that is, to put this module to work”.
In Natal/RN, Professor José Airton got a close-up look at the work of the teams from the Secretariat that coordinates Distance Education at UFRN, especially the Accessibility, Audiovisual, Animation, Media, Publishing, and Educommunication Sectors: “I came here to learn all these details and I would like to thank UFRN, in the person of its technicians, for the attention given”.
At the end of the visit, the possibility of a SEDIS/UFRN team going to Rio de Janeiro to provide training and learn from UFRRJ’s experiences in introducing Technology-Mediated Education in the work routines was raised, which will be discussed in the future.
Bruno Cássio – Communication Advisor of SEDIS/UFRN.
