03/23/2004 7:00 PM University Park
Patricio Lãpez del Puerto; , President, The Virtual University; Tecnologico de Monterrey, Mexico

Description: Before many American universities even considered the idea of distance learning, Patricio Lãpez del Puerto had launched the Virtual University at Tecnologica de Monterrey, Mexico. Its mission "to deliver first class education to new educational environments and to people in remote locations," has truly been accomplished. What began in 1989 has blossomed into a massive enterprise. Currently, the Virtual University provides more than 85,000 students with undergraduate courses, graduate programs, and continuing education training programs in Mexico and abroad. Once dependent on satellite delivery, the University hosts its 12 master's degree programs fully on the Internet. Lãpez del Puerto notes also the shift from a "traditional talking heads" model of teaching to "self-guided, meaningful, problem-based learning." Faculty facilitators coach students, who collaborate with each other on case studies. The Virtual University's long-range ambitions range from national educational development programs, such as an 8 million dollar project in El Salvador to train teachers, managers, parents, and students, to distance learning for public officials and non-governmental organizations. Lãpez del Puerto's proudest achievements are 700 community learning centers in both Mexico and the U.S.: places for the poorest people in the most isolated locations to log on, discover the outside world and get an education.

About the Speaker(s): Virtual University President Patricio Lãpez del Puerto holds a degree in Computer Systems, as well as a Masters Degree in Business Administration, from Tecnologico de Monterrey. He also has a Masters Degree in Computer Science from the Imperial College in London. At Tecnologico de Monterrey, he has held many positions including Director of Planning and Development in the Computer Center, Director of Graduate Programs of Information and Computer Science, Dean of Science and Humanities, and Vice-president for Information Technologies and International Programs.

Host(s): School of Engineering, Learning International Networks Consortium

Tape #: 18409