Ernst Elsener

Employment/ Place of Work:

At my own company telecol online

Country of Residence:

Switzerland

How I fit the course work into my life

Due to the patience and comprehension of my wife and the childeren I was able to work a lot in my spare time, in long train journeys and even in a cottage in the Alps.

My most cherished interaction on the programme:

I enjoyed most the collabortive work although at times it was exhausting and very time consuming.

Which of the different course models suited me best?

In my independent project work H803 I was able to tackle my genuine questions about distance education.



Answers to the Vice Chancellor's questions:

In what ways am I putting into practice the ideas and understandings I developed on the programme:

With the experience of the project work in H803 I decided to put the concepts into practice. I started in January telecol online, a consulting company. We support companies, institutions and schools who want to establish learning or collaboration groups. There is more information at www.telecol.ch

What did I find the most stimulating part of the programme:

No doubt about that - the collaborative work was the most exciting part.

What value was the global nature of the programme to me:

I found the exchange of opinions with people from all over the world very attractive. Having spent nearly ten years of my life on other continents, the international flavour of the study compensated a little for being chained to my home country.

Did I find it isolating or impersonal to study this programme?

It was my most burning question to find out, whether the internet allows more than just intellectual exchange. To my surprise, I was never feeling isolated. On the contrary I found a lot of motivation from other students and from the tutor.

Did I find this relevant to my work:

I found nearly everything not only interesting but highly relevant to my work.

Has it changed my life in any way:

My step into enterpreneurship did change my life alltogether. The study gave me stimulation, motivation and the means to start something new.