In celebration of its 10th Anniversary, the UP Open University will hold its 2nd National Conference on Distance Education on February 22, 2005 at the National Institute of Science and Math Education (NISMED) Center in UP Diliman, Quezon City .

The conference aims to take stock of current practice in open and distance learning and explore its potential for continuing education in the country. It will be a meeting place for academics, administrators, and students interested in distance education. Participants will share knowledge, skills and developments and discuss major implementation issues.

In the morning session, plenary addresses will be delivered by Dr. Terry Evans, Associate Dean (Research) of Deakin University , Australia , and Dr, Josefina Natividad, Professor, UP Diliman and Chair, CHED Committee of Reviewers for the Delivery of Open Learning and Distance Education.

In the afternoon, the conference will break into the following workshops: Planning and Managing Technological Change, Research in Distance Education, Adding Value to Educational Multimedia, Responsive Student Support, Meeting Staff and Faculty Development Needs in Distance Education, and Assessment in Online Courses.

The conference theme is Creativity, Collaboration, and Convergence in Distance Education. It will review DE practice in the last decade and focus on its future directions; finding new ways of looking at the teaching/learning environment; encouraging collaborative projects; and moving together to tackle the challenge of meeting the needs of various distance learners