New professional learning cluster brings together more than 50 partners
A number of EU projects are joining forces to further research into enhanced learning, bringing together more than 50 research institutes and companies. The new professional learning cluster (PRO-LC) gathers a Network of Excellence (NoE), three Integrated Projects (IPs) and several smaller Specific Targeted Research Projects (STREPs), all of which are funded under the information society technologies (IST) section of the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6). Stressing the need for coordination, Professor Wolfgang Nejdl, coordinator of the PROLEARN NoE and director of the L3S research centre in Germany, said: 'European companies need to consolidate technology enhanced learning solutions and integrate them with the rest of their IT and business process infrastructures. The PRO-LC cluster projects will give Europe a competitive advantage in this important area.' The intention is that PRO-LC serves as a 'one-stop-shop' for information and solutions for companies and research organisations working in the field of technology enhanced professional learning. PROLEARN will continue to focus on integrating technology enhanced learning, knowledge management and business process management in professional learning environments, while the PROLIX IP will provide solutions for combining e-learning environments with business process modelling tools. TENCompetence, also an IP, will provide support for the lifelong competence development of individuals, teams and organisations through the development of a service-based and open source European infrastructure, and the APOSDLE IP will enhance knowledge-worker productivity by supporting informal learning activities in the context of their daily work. A statement from the cluster claims that it will 'facilitate and strengthen the close cooperation between all involved research institutes and companies, enable sharing of results and infrastructures, and identify emerging research issues in technology enhanced learning relevant for future initiatives and programmes.' Members of PRO-LC will work together on standardisation issues with bodies such as the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN).