The Sloan-C View Newsletter

11th Annual Sloan-C International Conference in ALN

European Humanities Institute: Online Learning Opportunities for Belarus Students of Higher Education

Dr. Ryhor (Gregory) Miniankou, European Humanities Institute

Online learning is providing hope, promise and educational opportunities for faculty and students in Belarus through the European Humanities University (EHU). Online learning has now become their lifeline since the closing of EHU as a campus-based facility. Founded in 1992, EHU became a prestigious public institution, and in the span of 12 years, it grew into a strong intellectual community of 1,400 full-time students, recognized for its high-quality bachelor, masters and doctoral programs. 

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union when many satellite countries began a hopeful and new independent journey to national sovereignty, the University began as a romantic experiment of intellectuals and grew to become a leader in the internationalization of higher education in Central and Eastern Europe.  EHU developed into the only University in the history of higher education in Belarus to obtain real University autonomy, and retained it despite powerful outside pressures. Thanks to international cooperation, the University created research centers, institutes and programs which were unique in Eastern Europe, conducting in-depth study in various spheres of the social sciences and humanities.

In August, 2004, due to political pressure from the Belarus government, the University was forced to stop activity and close its campus. Most of EHU's 1000 students enrolled in universities in Europe and the USA.  In the meantime, in the spirit of academic freedom, EHU started a new academic year in 2004 as a Virtual University.  The new EHU, a network University, is being developed with support and advice of the University's friends and partners from many countries.  Financial support was provided by a number of foundations, among them MacArthur Foundation, Open Society Institute, Carnegie Corporation and the Eurasia Foundation.

Online programs now offered by EHU provide education and keep alive common European values. These programs are attractive not only for adults (as in traditional distance education) but for Belarusian young people since at present
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The study will determine whether school districts are developing online programs because they have to (because shortages of teachers in specialty areas, or population growth) or because they want to because of perceived educational benefits (such as extended learning activities and reflective pedagogy). Among concerns are the ages of students working online, social maturation issues for fully online K–12 students, the training of teachers and online course developers, the nature of technical support services, and the track records of K–12 online learning providers, especially for-profit entities.

The study will identify frameworks and models (e.g., self-contained K–12 online learning providers, higher education/K–12 partnerships, corporate online providers, and home schooling) to provide insight into the K–12 online learning phenomenon.

There is a significant potential for K–12 institutions to partner with colleges and universities, cultural institutions, and corporations which have been developing online expertise for a decade or more. K–12 partners can benefit from college-level online development expertise while colleges and universities can see their programs expand, building important connections to K–12 schools.

Concerns about the relevance of the high school curriculum in an expanding global economy, the transition of high school students to college, and the shortages of K–12 teachers in specialty areas such as science, mathematics, and foreign language are issues that might be addressed by expanding educational opportunities by moving K–12 schools from strictly brick and mortar buildings to online environments. These issues are not only important for K–12 schools but may be critical for the overall educational, social, and economic goals of our country. This study will provide valuable information to the national dialogue on school reform and spur additional research in this area.

 

 
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