Technological Infrastructure at UMC

It should be noted that Information and Communication Technology (ICT), plays a distinctive role at universities . As Tuning America Latina Project(2007) assumes “the incorporation of ICT into higher education is expected to contribute to improving the quality of education” (p.22) to develop and enrich not only the teaching process but also student learning and academic performance.

Needles to say that in Venezuela Ley Orgánica de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación (2004) , is based on the premise of fostering and stimulating the ability to innovate technologically in the educational field. In this respect, Universidad Nacional Experimental Marítima del Caribe (UMC) has tried to work in consonance with this issue based on the consolidation and practice of technology for students’ academic development. The UMC is a highly recognized institution, intrinsically related to the maritime sector where students are offered a diverse range of ordinary degree courses such as, Maritime Engineering – Operations and Marine Facilities; Administration – International Trade and Transport - , among others (UMC, 2011).

UMC counts on a moodle platform called Sistema de Aprendizaje Interactivo a Distancia (SAID)used for Distance Education. We also have some computer rooms designed to satisfy the increasing need of up-to-date information. Due to the task developed by the Communication and Information Technology Coordination and the State Office of Planning in the Higher Education sector (OPSU) in order to achieve this Computer Room in our campus, many students, professors and researchers are able to visit these high-tech facilities (UMC, 2011).