Web 2.0 Learning Opportunities, Faculty of Agriculture, UoM, Réduit, Mauritius, July 9-13 and July 23-27, 2012

Venue: Faculty of Agriculture, University of Mauritius, Réduit, Mauritius 

Date and time: July 9-13; and July 23-27, 2012 (9:00 - 17:00)


Technological innovation is taking place at a breath-taking pace. Simple, open source internet-based applications and services designed to enhance on-line collaboration are now available to the wider public at little or no cost at all. These new online technologies known as Web 2.0 applications - sometimes called ‘social media’ - enable people to collaborate to create, share and publish information.

The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation EU-ACP (CTA) has a mandate to facilitate access to and dissemination of information in the fields of agriculture and rural development in 78 countries in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific (ACP). Supporting the adoption of Web 2.0 applications represents a great opportunity for meeting it.

The Faculty of Agriculture, University of Mauritius (UoM), in collaboration with CTA and the Food and Agricultural Research Council (FARC) will host two 5-day  Web 2.0 Learning Opportunities in July, 2012. Participants will be introduced to selected web 2.0 applications and will learn how to use them hands-on.The Learning Opportunity will cover advanced online searching, getting information served via alerts and RSS, collaborating remotely using wikis and Google Docs, using VoIP, online mapping and social networking. Participants will get a chance to see what others have done, get hands-on experience on how to use innovative applications, and assess how they could adopt these innovations within the context of their work and organisation.These Learning Opportunities form part of CTA initiatives that support development partners in networking, accessing and disseminating information more effectively.

Programme of the Learning Opportunity

• Introduction to the participatory World Wide Web (Web 2.0) 
• Search Magic: How to conduct advanced multilingual online searches;
• Information Self Service: How to get selected information served to you via alerts and RSS feeds;
• Remote collaboration: How to develop content remotely using wikis and Google Docs; 
• Online mapping: How to locate your organisation and your projects on a online Map;
• How to communicate voice over the internet at no cost;
• Online publishing (micro-blogging and blogging);
• Professional / corporate social networking (LinkedIn and Facebook);
• Web 2.0 self-instruction (introduction to iMARK) 

Participants - Eligibility and responsibilities
Participation in the Learning Opportunity is free of charge, but subject to acceptance by the organisers. 25 participants will be accepted for each event.

Eligibility criteria

• be computer literate and conversant with browsing the Internet; 
• have regular access to a computer ( ownership of a computer is an advantage);
• be competent in  the use of the English language;
• have an active personal e-mail account;
• be actively engaged in agriculture and rural development / natural resource management / biodiversity conservation in the domains of ICT for development (ICT4D), policies, markets; publishing, communication and media;
• be a resident of the Republic of Mauritius.

Responsibilities
Accepted participants will be responsible for all costs related to their travel to and from the venue at the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Mauritius, their accommodation, breakfast and supper and their daily subsistence allowances.

Entitlements
During each event, the organisers will provide access to computers and the Internet, lunch and refreshments and distribute copies of CTA publications and instructional material.

How to apply 
If you are interested please click here to complete the online application form. On the form you will have to make a choice for which event to apply.

Deadlines for applications:  June 13, 2012

Feedback
The organisers will inform successful applicants about the status of their application two weeks before the commencement of each course. Successful applicants will receive confirmation letters. Others will also be duly informed of the results of their application.