Title of Event:

Mainstreaming eLearning for Environment

Event Leaders:

• Gerard Cunningham, United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), Kenya

Content:

The overall objective of this seminar is to mainstream eLearning into the work programmes of environmental authorities in Africa and other relevant organisations that, collectively, have the responsibility to keep the environmental situation under review in their respective countries.

Currently, there is a very low awareness of the benefits of eLearning among environmental institutions in the developing world. Other sectors such as education, health, and development are more advanced in the application of eLearning and blended learning to support their training activities. The Educa series of eLearning conferences and the eLearning Africa series of conferences have little or no involvement by environmental organisations. Policymaker and decision makers in these institutions are missing a valuable opportunity by not adapting eLearning practices to optimise the delivery and outreach of their training programmes.

This seminar is being organised by UNEP in cooperation with ICWE and has the following objectives:

1. to increase awareness by environmental authorities on the cost-effectiveness of eLearning in their training, educational and awareness raising programmes;
2. to increase awareness of technology-supported learning and a new way of thinking about environmental education in universities and other learning institutions;
3. to strengthen institutional capacities in Africa to mainstream environment in university education across all academic disciplines, as well as long term knowledge competence development;
4. to enhance outreach of environmental education in Africa in the context of sustainable development and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.

Speakers and participants at the seminar will include decision makers, eLearning experts, educators, environmental education programme managers, eLearning programme managers and information specialists working in international organisations, environment ministries, environmental protection agencies, universities, non-governmental organisations, research institutions and the private sector.

The seminar will be comprised of four sessions:

1. Keynote presentations by high-level representatives of environmental institutions in Africa and Europe.
2. Roundtable – Policy dialogue on capacity development challenges facing environmental authorities in designing and delivering eLearning.
3. Presentations on the application of eLearning in environmental programmes.
4. Implementing an eLearning programme – the way forward.

Target Audience:

The target audience for this seminar is decision makers, eLearning experts, educators, environmental education programme managers, eLearning programme managers and information specialists working in international organisations, environment ministries, environmental protection agencies, universities, non-governmental organisations, research institutions and the private sector.

Prerequisite Knowledge:

No prerequisite knowledge is needed

Outcomes:

• Better exchange of expertise and experience across Africa on the benefits of technology-supported learning in the area of environmental protection and sustainable development (experts and practitioners will present and discuss their experiences in building eLearning capacities and services).
• Increased take-up of technology-supported learning by environmental institutions in their work programmes and operational activities.
• Increased awareness by decision makers of the benefits of technology-supported learning to support environmental education and awareness raising programmes, and a better appreciation of the challenges to be faced in implementing eLearning programmes.
• Increased North-South and South-South cooperation involving international stakeholders and the African community of practitioners.
• he introduction of eLearning for Environment as a specialised track in future eLearning Africa conferences
• Increased technical capacity among practitioners working in the field oftechnology-supported learning and training;
• Better promotion of African “ICT for Development” programmes;
• Mobilisation of further donor support and funding for African ICT-based capacity-buildinginitiatives.