Distance Education in Support of Lifelong Learning: The Case of the Hellas Alive Web Platform in Building Greek Language Learning Communities

摘要

Lifelong learning, career development and recharging human capital outside of a formal college based institution will increasingly be done via electronic means, at a distance, and on demand. Desire, motivation are all necessary components of both education and lifelong learning, and harder to instill at a distance. How these elements can be fostered depends in large measure on how well teaching/learning communities can be established over the internet. The linchpin, therefore, is the ability to develop ways and means to establish a sense of community, and to create an emotional bond, amongst lifelong learner. The Hellenic American Union (Greece), in collaboration with the Academy of Electronic Media at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (USA) has developed a state-of-the-art, web-based language learning community unlike anything previously available to students or would-be students of the Greek language. With its flexibility and emphasis on real-world outcomes and adaptability, Hellas Alive learning platform represents an innovative step in language learning via the internet. This innovative learning community is an example of where distance education has merged with web technology in support of lifelong learning skills, in this case of second language acquisition.