Spain

The International University of La Rioja (UNIR, http://research.unir.net, Spain) is a young online university founded on a global vision of education directly linked to companies and business. UNIR facilitates an exclusive, innovative and high quality virtual model of higher education, which leans on a personalized, pro-active, and collaborative distance learning method of instruction. UNIR is an academic institution established in compliance with the current regulations governing universities (100% open university, SME), fulfilling all parameters and regulations of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). UNIR provides international courses, in two languages (English and Spanish), and comprises an academic community of over 300 highly knowledgeable lecturers across the world, along with a strong team of more than 400 multidisciplinary professionals, working on R&D projects and support services (i.e. tutoring, legal, publishing, editing, technical, administrative, etcetera). Student number keeps increasing exponentially, surpassing this academic year the nine thousands. UNIR has premises in Spain (Logroño and Madrid), Argentina (Buenos Aires), and Santa Cruz (Bolivia), and a number of collaboration agreements with Latin American universities. Research at UNIR covers the various scientific and humanistic fields of study (i.e. Communication, Social Science, Education, et cetera), with particular emphasis on the information and communication technologies (ICT) applied to education (Technology-Enhanced Learning).

Atos is an International Information Technology Services company with annual revenues of EUR 8,6 billion and 76.300 employees in 52 countries. Serving a global client base, it delivers hi-tech transactional services, consulting and technology services, systems integration and managed services. Atos focuses on business technology that powers progress and helps organizations to create their firm of the future. It is the Worldwide Information Technology Partner for the Olympic Games and is quoted on the Paris Eurolist Market (NYSE Euronext). Atos operates under the brands Atos, Atos Consulting, Worldline and Atos Worldgrid.

Atos Research & Innovation (ARI) is the research, development and innovation hub of ATOS and it is a key reference for the whole Atos group. Projects and experiences relevant to the proposal include Enhanced E-learning (HOPE IST-2000-26271: e-learning support for socially excluded individuals, HUMAN IST-2001-33483: a web-based platform for in-house clinicians training, TELENET IST-1999-10459: Distance web-based learning environment, LUISA IST-027149: Learning Content Management System Using Innovative Semantic Web Services Architecture, ENN-ICS eTEN 2005: European Neurologic Network Interactive Communication Service), IntelLEO ICT-231590 (Intelligent Learning Extended Organisation), TELMA, Avanza project, TSI-020110-2009-85 (e-learning environment and multimedia digital content in surgery), GAMETEL, Avanza project, TSI-020110-200-170 (simulation and educational games users adapted). In addition, our team has been highly involved in the European Network of Excellence called Kaleidoscope (IST-507838) focusing shaping the scientific evolution of Technology Enhanced Learning, the follow-up called STELLAR (IST- 231913) focusing on Sustaining Technology Enhanced Learning Large-scale multidisciplinary Research and GALA (ICT) focusing on exploiting games for education.