Virtual Lifelong Learning in the University of Tartu–Challe.docVIP

　　Virtual Lifelong Learning in the University of Tartu–Challe Aune Valk, Teet Seene University of Tartu During the recent decades, the puters and the internet. In Estonia, these changes have been accompanied by profound alternations and nes in society and the economy, and, consequently, in nearly every sphere of life. This makes challenging demands on the people ust find their ake it easier to cope selves to correspond better to the changing . These trends have resulted in considerable public attention to educational issues and a portant role of education in the development of Estonian society. The need for life-long learning is generally understood and eans for the educational system as a ands it set up for the university management and every teacher, every learner needs still further interpretation. Besides the traditional goals of promoting academic scholarship and research, the University of Tartu has stated a third mission for its activities: providing for the needs of the society. This involves fostering life-long learning, including continuing education for university graduates, ICT-based learning in part-time degree studies and professional development courses. As others so called dual mode universities bine traditional education and ICT-based distance education, the University of Tartu faces several challenges: resistance of faculty members, lack of computer-skills and facilities of some students, shortage of additional resources for technological development, etc. Dealing s the University of Tartu has conducted several researches among the students and teachers to find out the major obstacles and possible solutions. In the folloost important findings. ICT-based teaching – challenges for the academic staff The task to develop ICT-based teaching sets up a major challenge first of all for the university teachers. As it is in most research universities, the faculty members are appointed and evaluated primarily on the bases of the result of their research i