Chile

From Researching Virtual Initiatives in Education

by Paul Bacsich (Matic Media) plus Nikki Cortoos and Gertjan (ATiT) for Re.ViCa; additional research by Iris Velazquez Noguera. Updates for VISCED by Giles Pepler (Sero)

For entities in Chile see Category:Chile

Partners and Experts in Chile

None.

Chile in a nutshell

Chile, officially the Republic of Chile (Spanish: República de Chile), is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow coastal strip wedged between the Andes mountains and the Pacific Ocean. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage at the country's southernmost tip. It is one of only two countries in South America that does not have a border with Brazil. The Pacific forms the country's entire western border, with a coastline that stretches over 6,435 kilometres. Chilean territory extends to the Pacific Ocean which includes the overseas territories of Juan Fernández Islands, the Salas y Gómez islands, the Desventuradas Islands and Easter Island located in Polynesia. Chile claims 1,250,000 square kilometres (480,000 sq mi) of territory in Antarctica.

Sourced from Wikipedia's page on Chile

Education in Chile

The education system in Chile encompasses public and private institutions, and includes the following schooling levels:

Preschool (educación parvularia), which is attended by children less than 6 years old;
Primary/Elementary school (educación básica), which consists of eight grades;
Secondary/High school (educación media), which consists of four grades and offers students a choice of two types of diplomas (the general science-liberal arts diploma, or the vocational-technical diploma (which combines the general studies programme with preparation for a trade);
Higher education (educación superior), which is received at universities, professional institutes, or technical centres.

Compulsory education lasts 9 years. Primary school lasts 6 years, as does Secondary, but only the first 3 are compulsory. The primary completion rate is 95% and secondary enrolments are at 74.5%.

Teachers for preschool and elementary and high schools receive their training at the universities or professional institutes.

With a diversity of public and private schools and institutions, the Chilean education is managed through a combined system, in which the government has a conducting role; there is a decentralized public education; and a strong private participation in the school system. The government maintains normative, evaluative, and supervisory functions, as well as technical and financial support. The Ministry of Education approves the plans and programs for national obligatory study. In 1990, however, the new Education Law (Ley Orgánica Constitucional de Educación) recognized the ability of educational centres to plan and apply their own curriculum (“curricular decentralization”).

The direct administration of educational centres is decentralized. In the case of primary and secondary schools, it is at the level of municipal governments or private entities.

Private education receives “official recognition” if it fulfills curriculum norms set by the government and certain minimum legal requirements. Private institutions account for 43% of the elementary and high school students and 50% of the higher education students.

Private preschools, elementary and high schools are divided in two categories: those financed by private tuition and those which receive financial support from the government (educación particular subvencionada). The government has a subsidy system in place for free private education that has also applied to municipal schools since 1980. Currently, 92% of elementary and high school students attend public municipal schools or private centers that receive some form of government aid.

In addition, the government contributes to the decentralized education with technical and material support, such as free text books and supplies for classroom libraries for all students in primary schools, benefits or services for low-income students, free continuing education for teachers, programs for improving educational quality, and technical assistance. These services are equally available to municipal and subsidized schools.

Institutions of higher education are the autonomous state universities and the private universities, professional institutes, and technical centres. The government provides various types of support to higher education, which is paid by the students. The public universities and private universities founded before 1980 have the right to receive state aid. In addition, there is also support available for loans and scholarships for lower-income students and funds for institutional development and scientific and technological research.

Councils:

The Consejo de Rectores de las Universidades Chilenas or Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities (CRUCH) is the body that brings together traditional twenty-five most prestigious public universities in the country.

CONIFOS is the Consejo Nacional de Instituciones Privadas de Educacion Superior (National Council of Private Institutions of Higher Education): "our vision is to transform the National Council of Private Institutions of Higher Education, Conifer, as the leader and the main reference of the institutions of private higher education within the framework of vocational training in Chile." Its web site is [http://www.conifos.cl/ (Spanish)

Corporación de Universidades Privadas (CUP) has Daniel Farcas as President and its web site is at http://www.universia.cl/portada/actualidad/noticia_actualidad.jsp?noticia=147094 (Spanish)

Schools in Chile

The education system in Chile encompasses public and private institutions, and includes the following schooling levels:

Preschool (educación parvularia), which is attended by children less than 6 years old;
Primary/Elementary school (educación básica), which consists of eight grades;
Secondary/High school (educación media), which consists of four grades and offers students a choice of two types of diplomas (the general science-liberal arts diploma, or the vocational-technical diploma (which combines the general studies program with preparation for a trade);
Higher education (educación superior), which is received at universities, professional institutes, or technical centers.

There are four types of schools:

Public schools
Private schools
Delegated Administration schools, which are owned by the State but managed and financed by private corporations.
the Escuela Villa Las Estrellas in Antártica, administered by the Ministry of Education and completely financed by the State

Adapted from:

Further and Higher education

Universities in Chile

In Chile, the term universidades tradicionales ("traditional universities") is used to denote the group of universities founded before the 1980s. This term usually includes derivative universities, which are not really traditional but were derived from traditional ones. Therefore, a more precise term is Consejo de Rectores de las Universidades Chilenas or Universities of the Rectors' Council (of Chilean Universities).

These universities can be divided into two groups:

Properly traditional universities, the eight universities existing in 1981: Universidad de Chile, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Universidad Austral de Chile, Universidad Católica del Norte, Universidad de Concepción, Universidad de Santiago de Chile (formerly Universidad Técnica del Estado) and Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María.
Derivative universities: universities formed by separating a faculty or campus from a traditional one or by merging two campusses, one belonging to Universidad de Chile and the other, to Universidad Técnica del Estado. For example, what now is the Universidad Metropolitana de Ciencias de la Educación in 1981 was the Education Faculty of the University of Chile; the present-day Universidad de La Frontera in 1981 was the University of Chile, Temuco Campus, and the Technical University of the State, Temuco Campus; and the present Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción in 1991 was the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Talcahuano campus. The Universidad Tecnológica Metropolitana (known by its acronym, UTEM) was founded on August 30, 1993.

Currently, there are two main types of universities, classified according to characteristics:

State-owned universities (universidades estatales). These are the Universidad de Chile, Universidad de Santiago de Chile and derivative universities, which in the 1970s were constituted from the regional campuses of the former two.
Private non-profit universities, of two types:
- Universities of the Catholic Church. Similarly to the regional estatales, most of these were created from the regional campuses of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile in the 1970s.
- Three private universities, owned by non-profit foundations. These are the Universidad Austral de Chile, the Universidad de Concepción (founded by the citizens of Concepción), and the Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, created by the last will and testament of Federico Santa María Carrera.

Twenty-five traditional universities are today grouped in the Consejo de Rectores (Rectors' Council). Since the 1970s, these universities have managed a common higher education admissions test known as the Prueba de Aptitud Académica ("scholastic-aptitude test") and, since 2003, as the Prueba de Selección Universitaria ("university-selection test").

TRADITIONAL UNIVERSITIES:

PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES OF CHILE

ACCREDITED UNIVERSITIES CHILE

Sourced from:

Polytechnics in Chile

Education reform

"At the beginning of the 1990s, a transcendental educational reform, the largest in the history of Chile, started, in which equality and quality have been the main objectives.

Students now study a new curriculum, they have 3.5 times more nutritional rations than in 1990; receive textbooks in all subsidized institutions; complete between 200 and 250 classroom hours more per year with the full school day; and have access to better conditions due to an increased investment in educational infrastructure, and 90% of them have access computer labs in primary and secondary schools.

The new phase in educational reform is centered on quality; the desire is to guarantee all students a quality education, regardless of their socioeconomic conditions.

An important milestone occurred in May of 2003, when the Constitutional Reform established and guaranteed twelve years of free, obligatory education. With this, all Chileans are assured access to high school until 21 years of age."

Adapted from Embassy of Chile in US

Schools

Post-secondary

In 2006, student protests changed some elements in the higher education field. Amongst the students' short term demands were free travel passes on buses and the waiving of the university admissions test (PSU) fee, while the longer term demands included: the abolition of the Organic Constitutional Law on Teaching (LOCE), the end to municipalization of subsidized education, a reform to the Full-time School Day policy (JEC) and a quality education for all. Negotiations from that protest started in hopes to change these aspects of higher education.

Sourced from Wikipedia's page on the 2006 student protest in Chile

Administration and finance

Schools

Post-secondary

Quality assurance, inspection and accreditation

Schools

Post-secondary

Chile enforced the National System for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (Sistema Nacional de Aseguramiento de la Calidad de la Educación Superior), better known as the Accreditation Act. It is aimed at achieving effective equality of opportunities for personal and professional development for all our young.

It also states that "quality assurance must be the result of a shared effort in which the State participate actively in its role of regulator and guarantor of equity, together with institutions of higher education and, within them, its various segments".

Sourced from: Sistema Nacional de Aseguramiento de la Calidad de la Educación Superior (Spanish)

The Council of Rectors (Consejo de Rectores) help implement a single, transparant admission system to all state universities and to several of the oldest private universities. The system, Universitary Selection Test or Prueba de Selección Universitaria (PSU), is very similar to the US SAT Reasoning Test. The design and the correction of the test is performed by the Universidad de Chile (University of Chile), while the system itself is managed by the Ministerio de Educación (Ministry of Education).

The test consists in two mandatory exams, mathematics and language, plus several other specific exams, like chemistry, physics, biology, history, etc., depending on what career the student wishes to apply. The cumulative grade point average achieved during secondary school is also taken into account in the final admission score. Every university assigns different weightings to the results of the various exams.

Adapted from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_Chile Wikipedia's page on Education in Chile]

Information society

ICT in education initiatives

Chile Yellow is one of the main providers of online courses for teachers developing Moodle VLEs.

Recent natural disasters - e.g. major earthquakes - have fostered a climate favourable to the growth of virtual schools in Chile. There are currently two - see details below and separate pages.

Virtual initiatives in schools

There are currently five fully virtual schools in Chile:

Virtual initiatives in post-secondary education

Centro Virtual de Actualización y Desarrollo del Diseño (CEVADD) is one of a number of examples of private organisations offering virtual courses in vocational areas - this one covers design and illustration of womens' fashion.

Only one university appears to have significant e-learning, UNIACC (Universidad de las Artes, Ciencias, y Comunicaciones).

The Universidad de Playa Ancha stated that in 2009 it would take on e-learning at a different level.

Campus Virtual, Universidad de las Americas (Spanish)

Capus Virtual, Universidad Santiago de Cali(Spanish)

Universidad Católica del Norte Centro de Educación a Distancia (Spanish) or Distance Education Center of the Catholic University of the North: its methods are:

E-Learning: Using digital or computer technology to produce, transmit, distribute and organize knowledge. Requires use of knowledge manager platform.
Mixed: Using Self-Learning Text and administering the platform using E-learning knowledge
B-learning: Using the platform administrator of e-learning and face-to-face work.

The Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso (Pontifical Catholic University of Chile): Campus virtual e-Teleduc (Spanish)* or Campus Virtual TELEDUC (also http://www.uc.cl/teleduc/ and http://www.teleduc.cl/ - both in Spanish): in the Campus E-Teleduc students get news about the course, along with information to supplement training process for students. Through forums, they interact with other students and different teachers. They do B-learning with Moodle.

Not to be mistaken for TELEDUC (Spanish) itself, which is an institution in the country capable of deploying throughout Chile and a diversity of audiences multimedia educational proposals, incorporating virtually every available media: We have trained more than 450 thousand students through more than 100 courses we have developed over many different disciplines and areas of learning. It is involved in the university's virtual campus, but keeps other activities as well of course.

The Universidad de Valparaíso (Spanish) (University of Valparaíso)

Universidad Tecnológica de Chile > Instituto Profesional, Centro de Información Técnica (INACAP) (Spanish) or the Professional Institute, Technical Information Center of the Technological University of Chile (English). INACAP has incorporated teaching methodologies e & b-Learning courses for those considering careers in higher education, as well as training courses, for which features a frontline technology platform. The [http://www.inacap.cl/tportalvp/index.php?t=98 English Corner has recently had a face lift in order to provide a more attractive and better service as a digital resource for learning and teaching at INACAP, as well as providing cultural and general links of interest to the wider community.

Universidad de Playa Ancha (University of Educational Sciences "Playa Ancha") which uses Moodle

Universidad Austral de Chile (Southern University of Chile), which uses Moodle. Its UVirtual uses Software MOT and Padi, and Video conferencing.

Universidad de Concepción (Spanish) (Conception University), which develops educational programs, e / b-learning: electronic and blended learning. It offers training programs, graduates or postgraduates courses. EDUC program has the technical capacity to design and build technology platforms to deliver Internet-based educational content, tasks, forums, interactive discussions, reviews, etc. Other resource is http://www.udec.cl/pexterno/

SED, Universidad de Antofagasta (Spanish) (Antofagasta University): its System of Distance Education (SED) was certified Vocational Training and Distance Learning Award by IRAM and the International Certification Network for Professional formation, blended learning and e-learning education, granted by IQNet and IRAM. Its technology is based on the use of learning technology platform that provides its students communication tools such as forums, email, chat, and online assessments, among others.

Universidad de Chile (Spanish) (Chile University) uses the "WebCT" type software platform LMS (Learning Management System) that allows the administration of students (profile manager) and educational materials (teacher profile) via Internet, providing access to students enrolled (student profile) to one or more courses for them to navigate the educational content, teaching activities, assessments on line, communicate with teachers and peers through the various tools offered by the system.

Universidad Tecnológica Metropolitana (Spanish) (Metropolitan Technological University): Utemvirtual uses the Internet for distribution of synchronous and asynchronous formal content of each program of study conducted in Chile and abroad.

Universidad de La Frontera 's Teaching Team is composed of professionals specializing in the areas of distance learning mediated by technology, and has the responsibility to create policies and guidelines for Teaching at the Institute of Educational Informatics. It's links is http://iie.lazos.cl/docencia/ (Spanish) (Temuco-Chile)

UNIACC, La Universidad de las Comunicaciones University Communications]: http://elearning2.uniacc.cl/

Universidad de La Frontera. Temuco-Chile (Spanish)
Teaching Team is composed of professionals specializing in the areas of distance learning mediated by technology, and has the responsibility to create policies and guidelines for Teaching at the Institute of Educational Informatics.

TELEDUC (Spanish)
With 30 years of experience, nowadays Teleduc is the only institution in the country capable of deploying throughout Chile and to a great number and diversity of audiences, multimedia educational proposals, incorporating virtually every available media. We have trained more than 450 thousand students through more than 100 courses we have developed over many different disciplines and areas of learning.

DOUC UC

Founded in 1968, DUOC UC (DuocUC, Instituto Profesional y Centro de Formación Técnica DuocUC) is the technical education branch of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (UC), Chile. It is one of the largest private technical education providers in the country, with multiple campuses and enrolment of roughly 42,000 students in 2007.

Many technology training certificates are available online. For example, as reported in a "Sun Academic Initiative" newsletter in October 2007 (http://www.sun.com/featured-articles/2007-1023/feature/index.jsp?intcmp=hp2007oct23_edu_read):

At Fundacion Instituto Profesional DuocUC, a technical and vocational school in Chile, 1500 students use the "Fundamentals of the Java Programming Language" course materials. The DUOC UC web site is at http://www.duoc.cl/ (Spanish only)

UNIACC

UNIACC has over 3000 students in three Campuses interconnected by multimedia technology. It grants diverse academic degrees, and teaches thirty one Academic Programs, Diplomas and Masters.

Communication is the heart and articulated axis of its educational project. Over 5000 students, with diverse specialties have graduated from UNIACC. Its institutional educational strength has been recognized on national and international level not only by European and Latin American Universities, but also by international organizations which, knowing its academic and executive capacity, support and cooperate with UNIACC in the areas of different Undergraduate and Postgraduate Academic Programs, and Continuous Training in the areas of Art, Communication, and New Multimedia Technologies.

UNIACC has its own Radio and TV Station (channel 34 on VHF band), that broadcasts educational and recreational programmes. It offers a Virtual Campus with a Modern Technological Platform of Distance Learning called eCampus, through which a complete university training is provided. In order to do so, on-line interactive mechanisms of study, evaluation, and self-learning through the Internet, with the most demanding educational quality standards is used. Nowadays 6 majors and 18 on-line courses are provided.

Lessons learnt

General lessons

Notable practices

References

Reviews of National Policies for Education: Tertiary Education in Chile, OECD, 2009, http://browse.oecdbookshop.org/oecd/pdfs/browseit/9109011E.PDF
Wikipedia's page on Chile
Embassy of Chile in US
Consejo de Rectores de las Universidades Chilenas or Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities (CRUCH)
Wikipedia's page on Chilean traditional universities (English)
Ues.cl page on Chilean traditional universities (Spanish)
Wikipedia's page on the 2006 student protest in Chile
Sistema Nacional de Aseguramiento de la Calidad de la Educación Superior (Spanish)
UNIACC (Universidad de las Artes, Ciencias, y Comunicaciones).
Campus Virtual, Universidad de las Americas (Spanish)
Capus Virtual, Universidad Santiago de Cali(Spanish)

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Chile

From Researching Virtual Initiatives in Education

Contents

Partners and Experts in Chile

Chile in a nutshell

Education in Chile

Schools in Chile

Further and Higher education

Universities in Chile

Polytechnics in Chile

Education reform

Schools

Post-secondary

Administration and finance

Schools

Post-secondary

Quality assurance, inspection and accreditation

Schools

Post-secondary

Information society

ICT in education initiatives

Virtual initiatives in schools

Virtual initiatives in post-secondary education

DOUC UC

UNIACC

Lessons learnt

General lessons

Notable practices

References