Abstract:

This paper seeks to present the process of developing and deploying blended learning approach on forest fire fighting within European context. Between 2004 and 2007 Romania, Hungary, Estonia, the UK and Spain have reported 21,500 fires that destroyed nearly 100,000 ha of agricultural land and forest, with a total value of about € 25 million. Wildland Fire Conference in Toledo in 2008 identified as an urgent need for techniques to combat fire to the forest company managers, ranchers, farmers, and managers of rural development projects.
The objective of this work was to develop a E-Learning European Masters Program in Technology – Enhanced Forest Fire Fighting Learning (MATEFL), with clear learning outcomes and learning materials, being funded by the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA), as an Erasmus Multilateral Project through project number 510184-LLP-2010-UK-ERASMUS-ECDCE. This project intended to deliver this new MSc in an integrated manner using the European Credit and Accumulation Transfer System and Diploma Supplement. A Virtual Learning Platform that contains learning materials in a digital format including text, audio-material, images and video-material was made by the project to support delivery across all participant European Institutions. The Erasmus Master course is integrated, of high quality, and this paper emphasis the importance of technology in designing and delivering by a consortium of higher education institutions of five European countries such a program.

Keywords:

e-learning, forest fire fighting, Moodle, Masters Program, Erasmus, EACEA.