Analysis of the Open University of Brazil Program as a National Policy for Public Distance Education in Brazil

Eucidio Pimenta Arruda

doi:10.11114/jets.v9i5.4958

Abstract

This paper aims to understand how free distance education policies in Brazil, the Open University of Brazil (OUB) System, and public relations between this program and the weakening of distance education in Brazilian public education. Discuss the relationships between DE and teacher training in Brazil, as well as the program's weaknesses in directing teaching, and engage in dialogue with DE resistances in other areas of training in Brazilian public universities. We point out the ineffectiveness of expanding vacancies to train teachers and the perspective of planning the use of distance education in public universities, or what leads to the growing resistance to this model of education within institutions. Finally, that to strengthen distance education in Brazilian public education, and it is necessary to set aside programs of unstable duration, such as the OUB, and to think about public policies that affect the regularity and breadth of training areas in distance education.

Highlights

IntroductionIn 1998, we have the first law to regularize Distance Education (DE) in higher education in Brazil
Distance education (EaD) has been used in Brazil since the beginning of the 20th century, but higher distance courses were only approved in 1996, based on the Law of Guidelines and Bases of Brazilian education.In 1998, we have the first law to regularize Distance Education (DE) in higher education in Brazil
The first Brazilian public initiatives in Distance Education occurred in government projects, such as the Veredas Project, in the state of Minas Gerais (2002), the Cederj Consortium (2000), in the state of Rio de Janeiro, and the Federal University of Mato Grosso (UFMT), the latter considered a pioneer in the implementation of distance learning in public universities, through the creation of the Pedagogy course in the late 1990s

Summary

Introduction

In 1998, we have the first law to regularize Distance Education (DE) in higher education in Brazil. According to Formiga (2009), was very important to increase distance education, because of the potential democratization of access to school at all levels, especially in countries of continental dimensions, such as Brazil. In this line of argument, it should be noted that the discourse of democratization is the primary driver of Brazilian public distance education, due to the government's inability to promote an intense expansion of public higher education in face-to-face mode. The first Brazilian public initiatives in Distance Education occurred in government projects, such as the Veredas Project, in the state of Minas Gerais (2002), the Cederj Consortium (2000), in the state of Rio de Janeiro, and the Federal University of Mato Grosso (UFMT), the latter considered a pioneer in the implementation of distance learning in public universities, through the creation of the Pedagogy course in the late 1990s

Objectives

Findings

Conclusion