18 - Austria - Organisational variations, alternative structures

Colleges and other training institutions for health occupations

Cardiology technicians receive their training within the framework of a working relationship with a hospital. Theoretical knowledge is acquired on the basis of self-study which takes place under the guidance of certified cardiology technicians and doctors who work in related fields. Students are responsible for independently studying teaching materials and relevant literature, which are provided by designated teaching staff.

There are plans to integrate distance-study elements into training programmes.

Universities offering distance-study courses

The distance-study courses cater mainly to working adults, students with family obligations and people interested in studying who live outside the reach of universities. Health-impaired people may also benefit from this form of studies, as mobility does not weigh as much as in traditional, attendance-linked study programmes.

By virtue of a co-operation agreement of the University of Linz with the University of Hagen (Germany), students at the Hagen correspondence university living in Austria may turn to the remote study centre at Linz and its branches in Bregenz, Vienna and Steyr for technical and social guidance and counselling.

There are also distance-learning programmes of the Open University, which are handled by the remote-study centres and must be accomplished in English.

Austrian universities may set up distance-study courses. Moreover, each study programme may offer distance-learning units. In this area, the use of the new media is of crucial importance. As of the 2001 winter semester, Linz University has been offering a multi-media supported study course for jurisprudence as a distance learning programme.

Universität Linz
Altenbergerstraße 69 4040 Linz
Tel.:(07732) 24 68-0
Website:http://www.uni-linz.ac.at

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