Distance education with remote poles: An example from the Amazon region

The Amazon region is characterized by its low population density, with one large city, the capital Manaus, and the remainder of its population distributed in small and less economically developed towns. Most of these towns suffer from huge geographic isolation, as these are scattered in the forest and their access are only through rivers. With all these difficulties, taking education to this population consists of a real and daily challenge. To provide an opportunity for students of this region to enter into an upper-level course, one of the solutions devised by the Federal University of Amazonas, through its Center for Distance Education (CDE) was the creation of undergraduate courses in non-face mode. CDE project consisted of organizing headquarters, called poles, to receive courses in Administration, Public Administration, Fine Arts, Biology, Agricultural Sciences and Physical Education. This paper describes this educational experience and presents the structure of the pedagogical model supported by technology (PMT) which allows this scenario to become reality. The innovation of this model is to allow the 1,618 students, distributed in 17 different poles, assisted by CDE, to keep pace with their course through a structure of logistical and technological support adapted to their reality. Resources offered by a Course Management System (CMS), tutors and other specialized tools that support off-line activities make it possible for higher education to reach the most remote regions of Amazon.