The International Council for Educational Media (ICEM-CIME) is a non-profit, non-governmental organization, which has been active in the field of educational technology since 1950. It maintains operational relations with UNESCO and is an NGO affiliate. ICEM has organized its International Conference since its foundation and is getting ready to celebrate its 60th anniversary in 2010. ICEM also publishes Educational Media International (EMI), a quarterly journal, in which academic papers and articles on Educational Technology, Online-Learning, Media Design, and Distance Education are presented. CARDET is the representative of Cyprus in this international organization.

ICEM, in collaboration with the International Symposium on Open and Distance Learning (IODL) have come together to organize the IODL&ICEM 2010 Joint Conference and Media Days. IODL&ICEM 2010, hosted by the Anadolu University of Turkey, includes the Third International Symposium on Open and Distance Learning (IODL) and the 60th ICEM International Conference. The rationale behind this effort is related to the development in the field of open and distance learning.

Advancements in information and communication technologies and social changes can be considered the major driving forces for all kinds of educational institutions to offer some form of open and distance learning. Skyrocketed quantity of open and distance learning offerings has brought up important issues and challenges not only for administrators, but also for all players in the field. Discussing these issues in order to meet the challenges and following the current trends has never been this important if institutions are to be able to survive in an ever-growing open and distance learning market. IODL&ICEM 2010 succeeded to offer an opportunity for all (administrators, practitioners, researchers, producers, policy makers, learners, etc.) to meet and discuss their experiences, ideas, findings, and solutions.

The main theme of the Conference revolved around the trends and issues in open and distance learning. The scope of the Conference covered four sub-themes:

• Design of Open & Distance Learning
• Leadership and Management in Open & Distance Learning
• The Impact of Contemporary and Emerging Media on Open & Distance Learning
• Evaluation and Research in Open & Distance Learning

The CARDET team presented its research at this international event. For more information, visit http://iodlicem2010.anadolu.edu.tr