Calendar

2005

April 21

UWI received confirmation from UNESCO on the restart of the project

May 26

PAC meeting in Jamaica

To minimise the effect of delays in the establishment of the V-Sat network under the CKLN project, development and delivery technology aspects under Task VII ( To install the V-Sat network recommended in IT report. To identify and purchase equipment and software. To establish a Web Portal. To re-examine distributed printing options ) were separated into three consultancies: distributed printing; LMS and Web portal development; bandwidth provision.

UWI and UTech agree to develop two modules each for pilot course on developing on-line distance education.

June 6

Invitations to bid for strategic planning consultant sent out

June 8-9

The Project Director presented a paper “Emancipatory learning: Integrating ICT to achieve quality education for the 21 st century” at the Quality Enhancement Conference: Quality enhancement: Innovation and change , held on the St Augustine Campus of The University of the West Indies.

June 24

Project Operations Manager representing CUPIDE attended a meeting in Jamaica of the distance education advisory committee meeting of the project Strengthening of Medical Laboratory Services funded by the European Union and being implemented by the Caribbean Epidemiology Centre (CAREC).

June 27

Bids for strategic planning consultancy opened

July 21

Consultants selected for strategic planning exercise with UTech ( Louisa Horne of Innovacedemy Consulting) , AdeKUS ( Pieter van der Hijden of Sofos Consultancy), and UniQ ( HGM Management and Technologies Inc ). However, due to social unrest in Haiti, contract with HGM not entered into. UG strategic planning done under CKN, UWI not requiring consultant .

Aug 15

Invitations to bid for Learning Management System and Web Portal development sent out

Aug 16- Oct 21

Strategic planning exercise with UTech

Aug 22- Dec 23

Strategic planning exercise with AdeKUS

Sept 15

Bids for LMS and Web portal development opened.

Oct 4

Ms. Louisa Horne gives a public presentation, “ Sage on the stage to guide on the side

Oct 6

Consultant ( Pieter van der Hijden, Sofos Consultancy ) selected for training for technical staff in the use of open source learning management software (LMS) and the development of a Web portal.

October

Intellectual property agreement for development and delivery of the pilot course “developing an on-line course using a team approach” circulated to all partners

Nov 2

PAC meeting held by teleconference.

November

UWI Distance Education Centre (UWIDEC) technical staff undertake study of distributed printing needs and selection of equipment. For completion by June 30, 2006

Dec 30

Contract signed for LMS and Web portal development consultancy with work to commence in January 2006

Letters of Amendment to the contracts between UWI and the partner institutions were finalised during the quarter.

2006

January

Invitations to bid on training consultancy sent out

January- March

LMS training and Web portal consultancy completed. Caribbean

Universities Portal for Integrated Distance Education (CUPIDE) developed: www.cupide.org/moodle.

Jan 9

Invitations to bid on training consultancy sent out.

Jan 20

Report analysing the current printing infrastructure in UWIDEC to meet the current and future needs with recommendations based on proposals from equipment vendors submitted by CUPIDE Telecommunications manager.

Jan 23

Signed copies of intellectual property agreement for development and delivery of the pilot course “developing an on-line course using a team approach” circulated to all partners.

Feb 8

Bids for training consultancy opened

Feb 10

A short interview with Mr. Pieter van der Hijden of Sofos Consultancy and the UWIDEC Mona Campus Coordinator, Mr. Derrick Thompson, was broadcast island-wide on Radio Mona. The objectives and funding of CUPIDE were highlighted and there was discussion of open source learning management software.

Feb 27

Meeting with PAC chairman, UniQ representative, UNESCO, project director and POM held in Jamaica to determine plan of action in light of travel restrictions in effect for Haiti.

Feb 28

E-Links Americas, the satellite provider under CKLN which was to have provided the V-SAT network for CUPIDE, pulled out of the Caribbean, necessitating the identification of an alternate supplier of bandwidth.

PAC meeting held by teleconference

March 14

Teleconference to develop advocacy strategy for the project held.

March 16

Selection report for training consultants submitted to UNESCO and CARICOM for “no objection”.

March 23

Joint UWI-UTech meeting to review for standardization modules developed for the pilot programme "developing an on-line course using a team approach".

April 12-24

Advertisement for strategic planner for UniQ placed in local paper.

May 1

Training consultancy contracts signed with Sofos Consultancy (for UG and AdeKUS) and Dr. John Gedeon (for UWI and UTech). Arrangements for UniQ to be made.

May 27

Bids for strategic planner for UniQ opened.

May- Sept

Training consultancy for UG and AdeKUS

May-Oct

Training consultancy for UWI and UTech

June

Orders for computers and servers for the five universities placed.

All four modules of the pilot programme "developing an on-line course using a team approach" uploaded.

June 9

Selection of consultant ( Dr. Samuel Pierre) to carry out strategic planning exercise completed.

June 20

PAC meeting held in Suriname.

Review of CUPIDE Web portal ( www.cupide.org/moodle) by PAC members.

June 21

Public lecture held in Suriname

July 1

UG reported receipt of computers and servers.

July 7

UWI Cave Hill reported receipt of 3 computers

July/August

Order placed for printing equipment for UWI (Intra Jamaica) and UTech

July 14

UWI Mona reported receipt of 7 computers

July

Order for binding equipment placed

August

10 UWI persons register for O’Reilly training course as technical assistance

August

Order for printer for UG placed

August 14

UTech reported receipt of 10 lap top computers and 1 server

August 15

Server for UWI St. Augustine received

Aug 28-Sept 1

LMS training for two UniQ representatives at UWI, St. Augustine

Sept. 19

PAC meeting by teleconference

October 8

Final report on training in UG and AdeKUS received from Sofos Consultancy

October 22

Final report on strategic planning consultancy with UniQ submitted by Dr. Samuel Pierre

October 30

Final report on training in UWI and UTech received from Dr. John Gedeon

October 30

PAC meeting in Ocho Rios Jamaica

October 30-November 3

Fourth Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning, Ocho Rios, Jamaica, during which a paper by the project director and operations manager, entitled: The Caribbean Universities Project for Integrated Distance Education: Collaborating to overcome the difficulties faced by small, developing states, was presented as part of the UNESCO-sponsored session on Open and Distance Learning in Small Island Developing States, presided over by the CUPIDE PAC chairman.

November

Donors agree to the extension of the project until December 31, 2007

November 27

Terms of Reference for short term consultancy on Web portal management drafted and circulated.

December 10

10 Computers for UniQ cleared from customs but server not included. Server subsequently delivered.

December 20

Sofos Consultancy agreed to extension of Web development contract to undertake Web portal policy development and submitted plan of action for January-February, 2007.

December

One of 10 UWI participants in O’Reilly training course completed training. 

2007

 

February 

UTech enrolled persons in O’Reilly training course as part of technical assistance.

March 6  

Evaluation report on the development process for the pilot course circulated to partners.

March 7

Report on selection of Dr. Ahmed Almakari as training consultant for UniQ sent by email to CARICOM and UNESCO.

March 12

Sofos Consultancy completed short term assignment on Web-portal governance policy. Recommendation supported by PAC for portal to be handed over to an existing organisation, such as the Caribbean Knowledge and Learning Network (CKLN) on completion of CUPIDE.

March 21

PAC meeting held by teleconference.

March 30 

Contractual arrangements with Dr. Almakari concluded.