Using Web Templates to Build Countrywide Advising Networks

1
Using Web Templates to Build Country-wide
Advising Networks

• by Viktar E. KHOTSIM,
• PAL-03 Fellow, Belarus

2
Content

• Education in the USA worrying trends.
• The amcenter website in Belarus prototype for
  USG SP web template.
  
• PAL-03 Training.
• The core unit for a global virtual structure
  web template!
  
• Web template for Uzbekistan.
• Web template for Kazakhstan.
• Other types of web templates.
• Conclusions.

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Education in the USAworrying trends

• Increased efforts by the European Union in
  recruiting foreign students.
  
• Reduced funding of EAC activities.
• Education in the USA becomes more expensive.
• Visa restrictions introduced after the Sept. 11,
  2001 terrorist attacks.
  
• Russia the entire region declined by 4.6.

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OUR POSITION

• We need to respond now by seeking new methods
  that can help us meet the mission of
  DOS-affiliated EACs more effectively.
  

5
IDEA!

• We should create a singular Internet resource
  in accordance with the latest innovations in the
  field of web technology and applied to
  educational advising activities.

6
Web tech innovations that applied to educational
advising activities.

• Team based operation.
• Dynamic content.
• ASRS e-manager.
• Virtual consulting service.
• Local e-communities option.
• Option of interactivity.

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The amcenter web site in Belarus prototype for
USG SP web template

• March 1998. Grodno EIC web page was developed and
  located at GRSMU web server www.grsmu.unibel.by/e
  ic
  
• June 1999. New version of the Grodno EIC web page
  was developed and located at www.oic.unibel.by/ei
  c
  
• Fall 1999. USBT training. Grodno EIC web page was
  moved to another web server www.accels.unibel.by
  
• The years of 2000-2001. Fast development of the
  www.accels.unibel.by web project team based
  operation, Virtual Educational Fair, Virtual
  Alumni Club, thematic pyramid of mailing lists,
  Administrative Center, Interactive Informational
  Tools.
• VEAC presentations at the 7th OSEAS Europe
  Conference in Cyprus, Nicosia (July, 2001), NAFSA
  International Conferences 2001, 2002.
  
• September 17, 2002 start of the new web project
  www.amcenter.by Launch of the amcenter web
  page version 1.

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Virtual Office of the American Center in Belarus

• is a web-server of a special structure with
  innovations in operation, accumulation, analysis
  and dissemination of the educational information.
  

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Virtual office of the American Center in Belarus

• Virtual tour (Russian section) 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8.
• Virtual tour (English section)
• 1,2,3,4,5.
• Our web statistics
• 1,2,3.
• Administrative Center (AC) 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8.

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Resume of the implemented innovations

• Accessibility and personal domain name.
• English version is oriented for US partners and
  is different in its content.
  
• Mobile news option (WAP SMS service)
• Local news team based operation.
• General and local mailing lists.
• Virtual consulting service by all staff members.
• ASRSe-manager
• Virtual editing office  

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Web tech innovations that apply to the Amcenter
website.

• Team-based operation.
• Dynamic content.
• ASRS e-manager.
• Virtual consulting service.
• Local e-communities option.
• Option of interactivity.

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Option of interactivity

• Each adviser is responsible for a designated part
  of the web server.
  
• Easy to check the incoming information.
• Non-harmful for real activity.
• Strong motivational factor that pulls us together
  and consolidates our efforts through virtual
  interaction.
  

13
Constant development of the amcenter web project
in Belarus

• Staff meetings
• Lectures and programs presentations
• Handouts
• E-registration forms
• Publications in the newspapers
• Advertising via Internet (search engines 1,2)

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Conclusions

• Optimal site functioning is achieved via a team
  effort.
  
• Virtual consulting increases effectiveness of
  adviser activity.
  
• E-management enhances office administration and
  outreach activities.
  
• New methods of disseminating information (WAP,
  SMS) widen the audience.
  
• This model can be used as the foundation for a
  Eurasian web template.

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Conclusions

• Creation of an effective web site that is
  specially designed for educational advising is a
  costly operation in terms of money and time.
  
• Effective adaptation of the web tech to the
  EducationUSA mission can be reached only through
  the practical implementations of different web
  projects in educational advising.
• Only an EducationUSA specialists working
  effectively in tandem with a professional
  technician in the field of web construction and
  design can develop the web project successfully.

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Conclusions

• It is best to pool our resources (information)
  and locate this joint knowledge in one location.
  One complete web server which contains all
  information, has the confidence of the user.
  This, we feel, is a better situation than having
  many sites lacking in important data.
• One primary resource which holds quality
  information has the ability to form a critical
  mass upon which ideas can thrive. We feel that
  this can cause a snowball effect in the
  transmission of ideas in educational advising.

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Questions for the audience

• How much time will you spend if decided to create
  the web site for your center with the same
  options?
  
• How much money will it cost?
• How much will our competitors accomplish while we
  are spending our time and money in re-inventing
  the wheel?
  

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WEB TEMPLATE!!!

• By employing web template as the core unit for
  a global virtual structure (EducationUSA EAC
  network) we can export and implement an effective
  web product in any part of the world by copying
  the program to local servers instead of spending
  time and money organizing multiple web trainings
  and multiple web constructions.

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Examples of programmed templates

• Power Point presentation set of templates.
• C-1 program for accountants.
• Outlook express or the bat.
• Kodak software for digital photos.
• Computer Games.

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The core unit for a global virtual structure
web template!

• The web templates that we will develop under our
  plan of action will be based on the most current,
  successful web projects devoted to international
  education and exchange and employ the latest
  innovations in web technology.
• Instead of teaching advisers how to develop web
  sites we will teach them how to operate and up
  date the web template ready product that
  contains all best innovations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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PAL TRAINING-2003

• Project title Conception of the universal web
  site model for DOS-affiliated EACs in Eurasia.
  
• Project type Specific individualized research
  (Grodno EIC, Republic of Belarus) and short-term
  training course (TJ PA, Washington D.C.).
  

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WEB TEMPLATE FOR UZBEKISTAN

• Location VCO-NET web server
• Method of training on site
• TYPE USG SP
• URL www.uz.vco-edusa.net
• Coverage 5 EACs
• Prototype amcenter web site in Belarus
• TOP EAC Member YES

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WEB TEMPLATE FOR UZBEKISTAN

• Pre-workshop distance training ( 4 lessons)
• On site training ( 2 days)
• Post-workshop distance assistance (3 lessons)

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UZ WEB TEMPLATE VIRTUAL TOUR

• Main page ( 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
• English section ( 1, 2, 3)
• Administrative Center ( 1, 2, 3)

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KZ WEB TEMPLATE

• Location VCO-NET web server
• Method of training distance learning
• TYPE USG SP
• URL www.kz.vco-edusa.net
• Coverage 3 EACs
• Prototype UZ web template
• TOP EAC Member Yes

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Distance Learning

• Manual for USG SP web template
• Nine lessons for distance training
• One working mailing list template_at_vco-edusa.net

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KZ WEB TEMPLATE VIRTUAL TOUR

• Main page ( 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
• English section ( 1, 2, 3)
• Administrative Center ( 1, 2, 3)

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Levels of training of advisers in web tech

• Level A. It should be done for those advisers who
  would like to start their own web site from the
  beginning. Web template is recommended.
  
• Level B. This group covers those advisers who
  have already created their own web pages and
  successfully use them. For this group a set of
  recommendations should be developed with
  description of latest innovations and
  requirements.
• Level C. Should be provided for selected advisers
  that work on development of web strategy. This
  team should be compiled internationally from
  different world regions by collecting the best
  representatives working in this direction.

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Virtual Consulting Office-EducationUSA.

• To provide information to people in regions of
  Eurasia where there are no advising centers or
  and to offer another type of service to
  students in cities where centers are already
  located.

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Global E-consulting team

• Virtual consulting service on education in the
  USA in different languages based on the VCO web
  template.

• Team logo

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THE EURASIAN REAC WEB SITE

• Main intermediary between the US academic
  audience and EducationUSA advisers

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TYPES OF WEB TEMPLATES

• USG SP
• VCO
• REAC

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Web templates for special purposes

• The REAC web template will play the role of
  intermediary between the US academic audience and
  EducationUSA advisers.
  
• The VCO web template will be dedicated to
  team-based operation of a virtual consulting
  service on education in the USA in different
  languages.
• USG-SP web template will be functionally adapted
  to effective advertising of US government-sponsore
  d programs.

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OPTIMAL NAVIGATION

• It will be achieved by implementing the rule
  of network advertising multiple templates
  connected to one dynamic web-network for all
  world regions and carried out under a universal
  banner-navigator

• Universal banner-navigator

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Final Conclusions

• By employing different web templates as the core
  unit for a global virtual structure (EducationUSA
  EAC network) we can export and implement an
  effective web product in any part of the world by
  copying the program to local servers instead of
  spending time and money organizing multiple web
  trainings and multiple web constructions.
• The OSEAS web network should have a web
  development group that keeps track of new
  innovations in the field of web technology with
  the express goal of adapting these innovations to
  the field of educational advising.
• Following new trends in this field should be an
  integral part of the mandate of any US
  organization involved in International Education
  and Exchange.