Webinar digest – Online learning day

The Online Learning Day was part of the Geneva E-diplomacy Platform and built on the first Geneva E-diplomacy Day (16 November 2012). During that event, discussion on online learning solutions for diplomatic training sparked much interest in the community.

Online learning allows busy professionals to continue training without taking time off from work and family life. At the same time, online learning is becoming mature: learning methodologies are improving and new platforms are emerging. Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are reaching thousands of learners worldwide, while this year’s World Economic Forum in Davos signalled that  online learning is likely to be one of the main global developments of 2013.

Check your knowledge: try our short quiz on online learning!

In order to reach a wider audience and showcase best use of technology for e-participation, the morning session of this event took place online (10.00 – 12.00 CET), while the evening session was an informal meet-up style gathering at Diplo’s premises in Geneva. The morning session featured short debates on topics including:

• latest trends in online learning, in particular opportunities and limitations of massive open online courses (MOOCs)
• teaching practical topics (protocol, negotiations) effectively online
• gaining trust in online learning (how do I know how much I will learn in an online course: assessment, quality assurance, certification and accreditation)
• the need for lifelong learning

View the video recording of the morning online session:

Read the debate summary blog postings:

• Social media and online learning – is is such an obvious marriage?
• Social media and online learning – an enduring friendship.
• Learning from the MOOC model

During the evening session, leading Geneva-based providers of online learning briefly presented their training programmes, and participants had the opportunity to discuss and ask questions in an informal setting. We  also heard directly from participants who have attended some Geneva-based online learning courses.

This event was intended for anyone interested in online learning in the domain of diplomacy, international relations and global policy processes.

For more information please contact Ms Tereza Horejsova.