Modules for International Countryside Conservation, Protection and Management (MICPAM)

Project details

Full project title: Modules for international countryside conservation, protection and management (MICPAM)

Duration: September 1999-December 2001

Funded by: European Commission

Project leads:

• John Allinson
• Simon Arlidge
• Tina Shortman

Project summary

The aims of the MICCPAM project were to produce pilot ODL materials in the field of countryside management, to disseminate expertise in developing and running ODL programmes to partner institutions, to maximise the use of ICT in developing and delivering learning material, to make countryside management available for study by remote groups and to structure selected modules as short courses for delivery to professional practitioners.

The internet, email and computer/video conferencing played an important role, both in managing the project and in delivery of the modules. Learners were encouraged to use computer resources at their homes, places of employment, or university to access materials, communicate with tutors and other learners and to submit coursework for assessment. DL materials were developed collaboratively, using the expertise of each partner institution, and piloted with user groups prior to marketing the courses.

Project outputs

Outputs included student and staff evaluation reports of web-enhanced DL, a staff handbook of good practice for the development of web-based DL materials, project report and articles for the educational press in journals across Europe.