Presentation

Universidad Estatal a Distancia (UNED) of Costa Rica invites the national and international community interested in education and training to the XIV International Congress on Technology and Distance Education: from the Educational Practice to the Social and Cultural Inclusion, to be held in San José, Costa Rica from November 5 to November 7, 2008, at Radisson Europa Hotel and Conference Center.

The Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica recently ratified a law designating UNED, on its thirtieth anniversary of its creation, as a Meritorious Institution for Costa Rican Education and Culture. This acknowledgment is an important distinction and a university commitment for UNED. Such denomination has been appointed to 18 institutions in the country. As far as to higher education, only Universidad de Costa Rica and Universidad Estatal a Distancia (UNED) have been recognized with such distinction.

According to some legislators, this meritoriousness, ratified as a legislative bill, is granted based on the following arguments: (Legislative Assembly, September 19, 2007):

“The universities are the most genuine expression of the creator’s thought, of the power of knowledge, of the enjoyment of culture. In case of UNED, to these considerations let’s add its particular methodology…because if education is the main element of social mobility in a country like ours, distance education is then the superlative of such attempt to democratizing education.”

“There is another important element to take into account: UNED has been devoted to the production of didactic materials, giving many Costa Ricans the opportunity of participating in the preparation of didactic materials that, in one way or the other, [have provided] Costa Rica with a literature heritage [of international quality]” (Modifications have been written within square brackets).

“[As to]… democratization, we speak about UNED [and] the topic gains even more importance when realizing that a very high percentage of the people studying, training, getting prepared, receiving education, evolving and progressing at UNED is from rural areas and from social sectors frequently rejected. What is UNED doing to democratize and universalize education? It is working and serving as a means of communication that connects a population sector that, otherwise, would leave its people on an unfavorable position to develop in education.” (Modifications have been written within square brackets).

Due to the thirty-year history of distance educational practice fostering the social and cultural inclusion by overcoming limitations of time, space and resources, which has been recognized with the Meritoriousness, the XIV International Congress on Technology and Distance Education is focused on the following key thematic elements.

Languages: Spanish and English with simultaneous interpretation