Swiss universities have been very slow to make wide-spread use of new learning technologies in university-level teaching. A recent parliamentary motion led the Swiss University Conference to set up a working group to investigate the possibilities of co-ordinated integration of new technologies in Swiss Universities in the form of distance learning. The findings of the working group, if accepted, will be taken into account in recommendations made to the Federal Council of Ministers about orientations and investments for the period 2000 to 2003.
Despite the absence of any coherent policy or satisfactory co-ordination on a regional or nation-wide level in the field, a number of one-off experiences point to exciting possibilities[8]. One such project is the development of Internet-based collaborative design in the field of architecture under the impetus of the architectural department of the Federal Polytechnic of Zurich (ETHZ) in collaboration with universities world-wide.
Another such project is ARIADNE, in which the University of Lausanne and the Federal Polytechnic of Lausanne (EPFL) are taking a leading role in a European-wide project, partly financed by the European Union's Fourth Framework Programme. ARIADNE aims to create an infrastructure and appropriate methodologies so as to structure distance learning material in such a way as to capitalise on material by reuse for other courses.
Another promising experience is the setting up of a postgraduate course on the integration of communication technologies in the field of education. Designed and implemented by TECFA (the Technology in Training and Education Unit of the Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences of the University of Geneva), the course mixes in-house seminars and distance working using e-mail, World Wide Web and MOO technologies.
In the field of high-band transmissions, video conferencing is being used for courses in technology related sciences between the Federal Polytechnics of Zurich and Lausanne and in the field of medicine between the Universities of Lausanne and Geneva. The University of Basel is also participating in the European project, TESUS, about high-band network use to develop and share expertise in distance medicine, in particular during operations.
From a quite different point of view, the recently launched campaign of awareness amongst university teachers in the field of distance learning on the part of the University of Fribourg is also very interesting. Building on experience gained from a number of in-house pilot projects as well as information collected from experiences elsewhere, the Rector's office seeks to overcome the lack of knowledge in the use of such technologies on the part of university teaching staff and to establish a wide basis of know-how on which staff will be able to develop future technology assisted courses.
[8] For more details see Peraya D. & McCluskey A., Op Cit.