Index

Overview

Courses on Concepts & Methodology related to Trade Efficiency and support materials

Courses on Technologies related to Trade Efficiency and support materials

Other support material, presentations and tutorials

Courses on how Trade Points can connect to the Internet

Introduction

Advanced computing and communications technologies have revolutionized the way many people learn. Now it is possible via the UNTPDC Web Sites to correspond with learning programmes around the world, and to access information from electronic libraries and visit distant information centres and other educational sites via "electronic field trips." Interactive multimedia encyclopedias and other learning tools allow students around the world to select a myriad of information -- sound, video, maps, expert systems, documents, and text -- on virtually any subject related to Trade Efficiency and International Trade and their respective support technologies.

Because of high performance computing and communications, academic research will continue to change at an increasingly rapid pace. The UNTPDC Web Sites will allow geographically distributed researchers in participating Universities to share experimental results on Trade Efficiency, collaborate on team research projects, and share coursework for their students who are also geographically distributed. Likely collaborations will include projects that normally are too expensive for one institution to perform, such as research on electronic commerce, secure system, satellite based stations and infrastructural programmes to enlarge the reach of Trade Efficiency.

Description of Services

The Trade Efficiency Research and Development Lab of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, RMIT and the United Nations Trade Point Development Centre is offering an Advance Certificate of Trade Efficiency ACTE which includes courses delivered through telecommunications via the WWW through which students remote from the campus distance learners earn college credit for enrollment in telecourses. Each telecourse comprises three key components: video lectures, print material, and an UNTPDC-RMIT mentor who is reached by phone, mail, or computerized conferencing. Telecourses allow for a flexible, yet rigorous educational experience suited to motivated students. Students successfully completing these telecourses receive college credit.

The program's reach is international. Transmission of course material is accomplished through the WWW , CD\ROMs and VHS tape distribution. The programme is full interactive as all the courses have a "interactive session" with direct communication between students and their mentor. For developing countries and areas with poor telecommunication infrastructure, courses will be deliver via CD\ROM, email and Gopher. Several universities in developing countries will host "Mirror Sites" of the ACTE for decentralized access to the courses.

Certificate Programme

Today' s global access and reach provided by the telecommunications can be used in a new way to pursue advance education. Through integration of the personal computer, video cassette recorder, television and telephone and the connection to the Internet, the classroom can be at home. The Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and the United Nations Trade Point Development Centre is offereing an advance certificate on Trade Efficiency for distance learners using these technologies to provide the college experience.

Until recently many individuals desiring an advanced education have been frustrated by such circumstantial barriers as time, geography, physical limitations, and institutional apathy toward their special needs. These segments include working adults, parents with childcare responsibilities, and the physically challenged. How do you attend classes from 35 miles away after working all day? or from developing country environment and limitations.

With telecommunications acting as an equalizer, an Advance Degree on Trade Efficiency with focus in the growing field of Information Technologies can be affordable and accessible to anyone with a television set, video cassette recorder, personal computer with modem, telephone, and motivation.

The ACTE curriculum provides students with a solid foundation in applying the principles of Trade Efficiency and information systems to business and industrial problems and managerial decision-making in areas such as transport, insurance, banking, finance, marketing, environmental, tourism and manufacturing.

The Gradual School of Engennering of RMIT is responsible for all academic aspects of the certificate program and the UNTPDC is responsible for orchestrating the program in a distance delivery format which brings the campus to the student by means of television and computers using the UNTPDC Web Sites around the world as distribution sites.

In particular, each ACTE course consists of two components: (1) a tele-lecture conducted by one of RMIT's faculty or academic leaders, or a distinguished expert affiliated with another educational institution; and (2) an electronic dialogue in a virtual Workshop among students, teachers and other geographically dispersed students. The Virtual Workshop is managed by an faculty mentor.

Tele-lecture Component

The medium of the tele-lecture is a combination between video and online access to the UNTPDC WWW Site. The video material is furnished as a set of stand-alone leased videotapes. A CD\ROM Support is also available for course material.

Electronic Virtual Workshop

The medium of the Virtual Workshop is a home or office computer equipped with a modem connected to a local internet provider. The latter equipment links your computer with the UNTPDC Web Sites via the Internet and in so doing, gives access to ACTE at http://urgento.sge.rmit.edu.au/untpdc/welcome.html, several support tecnologies are available as support for ACTE (from email, internet telephone and in the near future the introduction to videoconferencing on the Web), the software to operate these facilities can be downloaded directly by students from the UNTPDC Server. At any time of the day or night--and not necessarily at the same time as your mentor and classmates--you can participate in an electronic class by writing, reading and responding to messages on your computer screen.

Each ACTE course involves satisfactory completion of homework assignments based both on textbook readings and on the content of tele-lectures and the Virtual Workshop experience, as well as satisfactory performance on quizzes, examinations, and projects.

Examinations

ACTE students may take examinations locally by nominating a proctor who meets RMIT-UNTPDC requirements. For example, a proctor may be a teacher in a local university participating in the ACTE project, a Trade Point Director, a government official. A form of pictorial identification, preferably a driver's license, is required at the time of the examination.

Students who are in a position to travel to Australia at the RMIT-UNTPDC can take examinations locally and follw a Collaborative Research work with the UNTPDC (helping Trade Points developments).

Admissions Criteria

The same academic admissions criteria as required for on-campus students at RMIT apply to the ACTE.

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