Inga Bakane, Atis Kapenieks, Ilmars Slaidins, Bruno Zuga

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Development and use of E-learning and new
working environment in Latvia
Inga Bakane, Atis Kapenieks, Ilmars Slaidins,
Bruno Zuga Riga Technical university
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• Overview
• Establishment of new working environment in
  Latvia
• E-learning development in Latvia
• Opportunities for collaboration in IST activities
  among Latvia and other countries

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Riga Technical university

• The higher school started its work on 14th
  October, 1862
• RTU is the main Technical university in Latvia.
  It offers advanced programs with the total number
  of about 12,000 students and 1,500 staff members.
• At present RTU comprises 8 faculties
• Architecture
• Computer Sciences and Information Technologies
• Civil Engineering
• Electrical and Power Engineering
• Electronics and Telecommunications
• Engineering Economy
• Materials Science and Applied Chemistry
• Transport and Mechanical Engineering

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Information Society Technologies promotion for
Baltic States

• Goals of the project
• Promotion of the FP6 IST Priority to Latvia.
• Performing technology studies and market studies.
• Manage contacts with other IST projects, EU
  experts, universities, Enterprises, SMEs etc.
• Creation of Information and dissemination centre.
  
• Organisation of Workshops, Conferences etc.

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Establishment of new working environment in Latvia

• In recent years, policy-makers, businesses,
  researchers and statisticians have become
  increasingly interested in the effects of ISTs on
  work.
• The implementation and exploitation of these new
  technologies has led to profound changes in the
  organisation of work (at a micro level) and in
  labour markets (at a macro level).
• EU has been active in calling for up-to-date
  statistics on IS-related issues such as ICT
  enabled new ways of working, telework,
  work-related IT skills, employment in IT sectors
  and occupations.

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e-Work

• 3 percent of the Latvian working population is
  teleworking from home
• 60 of the workforce has interest in at least one
  type of telework
• 38 of the workforce has interest in permanent
  telework (10 very interested and 28 somewhat
  interested)
• 66 percent of the Latvian working population has
  interest in at least one type of telework
• 40 of workforce has interest in permanent
  telework
• 2.38 of the workforce can be considered as
  mobile teleworkers
• 20 of employees in Latvia is using
  tele-cooperation (business contacts via e-mail,
  videoconferencing or electronic data transfer) in
  everyday work.

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E-learning development in Latvia

• The Distance Education Study Centre at Riga
  Technical University is one of the main key
  players in the e-Learning sector in Latvia.
• International projects, funded under EC IST 6th
  FP
• Regional development projects

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Network of Excellence in e-Learning
Kaleidoscope

• Kaleidoscope aims to ensure European leadership
  in the area of multidisciplinary research and
  technology development in e-Learning which is the
  engine of the Knowledge Economy1.
• 1 Ruttenbur, B., et al, eLearning The Engine
  of the Knowledge Economy, eLearning Industry
  Report, Morgan Keegan, 2000,

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Availability Increase of Innovative e-Learning
for Promotion of Knowledge Based Economy in
Latvia
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E-learning for Regional Development

• The Livani region was among the most economically
  developed in Latvia from 1980 to 1990 but during
  the period of transfer to a free market economy
  and a knowledge society, 90 of the old industry
  collapsed, causing unemployment to rise up to 25.

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GDP in district with e-learning HR development
projects (Preilu district) other districts
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Opportunities for collaboration in IST activities
among Latvia and other countries

• e-Learning
• New working environment
• e-Inclusion

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Thank you for your attention!
For any question contact us Inga Bakane -
ibakane_at_cs.rtu.lv Atis Kapenieks -
desc_at_rsf.rtu.lv