Education using e-learning methodology at a higher education level – potential for supporting regional cooperation and promoting of a European Learning Space in the interdisciplinary field of sustainable development

Abstract

In the sphere of higher education, the ability to communicate and collaborate across the boundaries of a nation, culture and discipline is one of the basic competences required for sustainable development. A multi-dimensional approach that addresses both the academic community and local/regional actors and decision-makers is needed, and thematic networks of diverse regional partners are often built to cooperate on practical issues that require particular expertise and/or have a learning dimension. Because of this network character, the complex issue of sustainable development can be inter-related to the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) and tools, and virtual collaborative learning used as an ideal learning environment to develop trans-boundary abilities, so that the participants experience differences in perspective in a very direct way and have to come to a joint solution of any given problem.

This article presents a brief review of experiences in e-learning used within an international network of cooperating universities with the vision to promote an open European Learning Space and provide a platform for interdisciplinary and intercultural knowledge and experience required to understand sustainability at the European level. Together with a theoretical reflection upon the theme, this analysis should permit generalized and extended usability of the e-learning methodology across diverse contexts of higher education, and potentially include other regional institutions to support the establishment of a regional partnership within Regional Centers of Expertise (RCE).Tento text přináší stručný přehled zkušeností s e-learningovou metodou použitou v rámci mezinárodní sítě spolupráce univerzit, které společně budují otevřený evropský výukový prostor a poskytují tak platformu pro rozvoj interdisciplinárních a mezikulturních poznatků a zkušeností nezbytných pro porozumění udržitelnosti na evropské úrovni. Spolu s teoretickou reflexí použité metodologie umožňuje tato analýza její všeobecné a široké využití v různých kontextech v rámci vysokoškolské výuky, a také potenciální zapojení dalších regionálních subjektů, což může přispět k ustavení regionální formy spolupráce a její institucionalizaci jakožto Regionálního centra expertízy (RCE).