Game of the Year (2015)

Grand Theft Auto V

Grand Theft Auto V is an open world, action-adventure video game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It was released on 17 September 2013 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, on 18 November 2014 for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, and on 14 April 2015 for Microsoft Windows. The game is the first main entry in the Grand Theft Auto series since 2008's Grand Theft Auto IV. Set within the fictional state of San Andreas (based on Southern California), the single-player story follows three criminals and their efforts to commit heists while under pressure from a government agency. The open world design lets players freely roam San Andreas, which includes open countryside and the fictional city of Los Santos (based on Los Angeles).
The game is played from either a third-person or first-person view and its world is navigated on foot or by vehicle. Players control the three lead protagonists throughout the single-player mode, switching between them both during and outside of missions. The story is centred on the heist sequences, and many of the missions involve shooting and driving gameplay. Players who commit crimes may incite a response from law enforcement agencies, measured by a "wanted" system that governs the aggression of their response. Grand Theft Auto Online, the online multiplayer mode, lets up to 30 players explore the open world and engage in cooperative or competitive game matches.
Development began soon after Grand Theft Auto IV's release and was shared between many of Rockstar's studios worldwide. The development team drew influence from many of their previous projects such as Red Dead Redemption and Max Payne 3, and designed the game around three lead protagonists to innovate on the core structure of its predecessors. Creating the open world constituted much of the development work, and several team members conducted field research around California to capture footage for the design team. The game's soundtrack features an original score composed by a team of producers who collaborated over several years.
A widely anticipated game, Grand Theft Auto V broke industry sales records and became the fastest-selling entertainment product in history, earning US $800 million in its first day and US $1 billion in its first three days. It received widespread critical acclaim, with praise directed at its multiple protagonist design, open world, presentation and gameplay. The game caused controversies related to its depiction of women and a mission featuring torture during a hostage interrogation. Considered one of the most significant titles of the seventh generation of console gaming, it won year-end accolades, including Game of the Year awards from several gaming publications. It has shipped over 54 million copies and is one of the best-selling video games of all time.
Grand Theft Auto V is an action-adventure game played from either a first-person or third-person view. Players complete missions—linear scenarios with set objectives—to progress through the story. Outside of missions, players can freely roam the open world. Composed of the San Andreas open countryside area and the fictional city of Los Santos, the world of Grand Theft Auto V is much larger in area than earlier entries in the series. The world may be fully explored from the beginning of the game without restrictions, although story progress unlocks more gameplay content.
Players use melee attacks, firearms and explosives to fight enemies, and may run, jump, swim or use vehicles to navigate the world. To accommodate the map's size, the game introduces vehicle types absent in its predecessor Grand Theft Auto IV, such as fixed-wing aircraft. In combat, auto-aim and a cover system can be used as assistance against enemies.Should players take damage, their health meter will gradually regenerate to its halfway point. Players respawn at hospitals when their health depletes. If players commit crimes while playing, law enforcement agencies may respond as indicated by a "wanted" meter in the head-up display (HUD). On the meter, the displayed stars indicate the current wanted level (for example, at the maximum five-star level, efforts by law enforcement to incapacitate players become very aggressive). Law enforcement officers will search for players who leave the wanted vicinity. The meter enters a cooldown mode and eventually recedes when players are hidden from the officers' line of sight (as displayed on the mini-map).
The single-player mode lets players control three characters: Michael De Santa, Trevor Philips and Franklin Clinton—criminals whose stories interconnect as they complete missions. Some missions are completed with only one character and others feature two or three.Throughout single-player, players may switch between the protagonists at will by means of a directional compass on the HUD. The game may switch between characters automatically in single-player missions to complete certain objectives. A character's compass avatar will flash red if he is in danger and needs help, and flash white if he has a strategic advantage. Though players complete missions as any of the three protagonists, the more difficult heist missions require aid from AI-controlled accomplices with unique skill sets, such as computer hacking or driving. If an accomplice survives a successful heist, they take a cut from the cash reward and may be available for later missions with improvements to their unique skills. The game encourages differentiation in heist mission strategies—for example, in a holdup mission, players may either stealthily subdue civilians with an incapacitating agent or conspicuously storm the venue with guns drawn.
Each character has a set of eight skills that represent their ability in certain areas such as shooting and driving. Though players improve characters' skills as they play, each character has a skill with expertise by default (i.e. Trevor's flying skill). The eighth "special" skill determines the effectiveness in performing an ability that is unique to each respective character. Michael enters bullet time in combat, Franklin slows down time while driving, and Trevor deals twice as much damage to enemies while taking half as much in combat. A meter on each character's HUD depletes when an ability is being used and regenerates when players perform skilful actions (for example, drifting in vehicles as Franklin or pulling off headshots as Michael).
While free roaming the game world, players may engage in context-specific activities such as scuba diving underwater or BASE jumping via parachute. Each character has a smartphone for contacting friends, starting activities and accessing an in-game Internet. The Internet lets players trade in stocks via a stock market. Players may purchase properties such as homes and businesses, upgrade the weapons and vehicles in each character's arsenal, and customise their appearance by purchasing outfits, haircuts, tattoos and jewellery.

• GTA 5 "evolves nearly every mechanic" found in previous games in the series.
• Features the biggest open world in the series' history - GTA 5's world is bigger than the worlds of Red Dead Redemption, San Andreas and GTA IV combined.
• Three playable characters who you can switch between "at nearly any time".
• Each character has their own specific abilities and story arc, with all three stories intertwined.
• Camera zooms out to a "Google Earth-style" perspective when switching characters.
• Character 1 - Michael, an ex-bank robber in his early 40s who retired after making a deal with the FIB. He has two teenage children and hates his wife Amanda. He's also the narrator of the original GTA 5 trailer.
• Character 2 - Trevor, a former war veteran and a "drugged out psychopath". An experienced pilot.
• Character 3 - Franklin, a repo man in his mid 20s described as a "young and ambitious hustler".
• Certain characters from GTA IV and Episodes From Liberty City will also make an appearance. Rockstar's Dan Houser says we'll never see characters from the PS2 era, though. "The five PS2 games are one universe, and this is the high definition universe, so they don't co-exist," he says.
• No major actors cast as any of the main characters.
• Focus on making more diverse missions.
• Heists and bank robberies are a big theme to the game.
• Characters will work together during missions, and you can switch between characters mid-mission to fulfill different roles. For example, during a chase sequence you can pilot the getaway helicopter as Trevor, snipe pursuing pilots as Franklin, or fire an assault rifle as Michael.
• Missions will have a "very different tone depending on who's on them, how many people are on them, and how much we're using switches", says Houser.
• Even when you're not controlling them, each character will still go about their own business across Los Santos. "You may be surprised by the situations they find themselves in should you switch back to check up on them," says Game Informer.
• Big advances to lighting and shader model. Greater draw distance.
• Improved vehicle handling and physics - "The cars hold to the ground better... It feels more like a racing game," Houser says.
• More vehicles than in any GTA to date, including BMXs, mountain bikes, road bikes, dirt bikes, cars, trucks, helicopters, planes, ATVs and Jet Skis, but vehicle manufacturers are still fictional.
• Fighter jets appear to be in. One screenshot shows a fighter equipped with missiles, as a helicopter explodes in the background.
• Improved shooting and melee combat. Melee combat "never going to be as big a deal as shooting," though, warns Houser.
• Pedestrians are fully mo-capped and more interactive.
• You can rappel down buildings, although it's not confirmed whether this is specific to certain missions.
• Los Santos is described as a "huge and diverse city", combining the best of Red Dead Redemption's "large open expanses" with GTA IV's "densely packed urban environment".
• Areas in the game world include beachfronts, mountains, the wilderness, a "Salton Sea" region, a military base and the suburbs.
• GTA: San Andreas was about gang culture. GTA 5 is about capturing the "contemporary culture of LA".
• There will be a "vibrant and fun" economy, but you won't be able to buy property.
• A variety of different side missions and "more sophisticated" minigames, including yoga, triathlons, Jet Skiing, base-jumping, tennis and golf. There's a full golf course in the game. You can go scuba diving along the coastline of Los Santos, or go to the gym on the seafront.
• Each character will have unique hobbies, including "one or two key minigame activities per character".
• San Andreas' RPG-like player customization is still absent, but you can customize the clothing of each character.
• GTA IV's romance feature has been removed.
• Like in GTA IV, players can make friends and hang out with certain NPCs, including Michael's wife Amanda and son Jimmy, Franklin's "crazy friend" Lamar, and Trevor's mate Ron.
• GTA IV's mobile phone returns, but a lot of its features have been altered. You can use it to access the internet.
• Dynamic missions - hidden missions dotted around the game world. "Going off-road in the desert, you may come across two parked cars and a sea of dead bodies around them... Investigate if you want."

Grand Theft Auto Online

 

Developed in tandem with the single-player mode, the online multiplayer mode Grand Theft Auto Online was conceived as a separate experience to be played in a continually evolving world. Up to 30 players^[ freely roam across a re-creation of the single-player world and enter lobbies to complete jobs (story-driven competitive and cooperative modes). The Content Creator toolset lets players create their own parameters for custom jobs, like racetracks and deathmatch weapon spawn points. Players may band together in organised player teams called crews to complete jobs together. Rockstar Games Social Club extends crews formed in Max Payne 3‍‍ '​‍s multiplayer mode to that of Grand Theft Auto Online. Players can create their own crews and join up to five total. Crews win multiplayer matches to earn experience points and climb online leaderboards. Grand Theft Auto Online launched on 1 October 2013, two weeks after Grand Theft Auto V‍ '​s release. Many players reported connection difficulties and game freezes during load screens. Rockstar released a technical patch on 5 October in an effort to resolve the issues, but problems persisted the second week following launch as some players reported their character progress as having disappeared. Another technical patch was released on 10 October combating the issues and Rockstar offered a stimulus of GTA $500,000 (in-game currency) to the accounts of all players connected to Online since launch as recompense. Because of the widespread technical issues present at launch, many reviewers bemoaned their experience with Grand Theft Auto Online, but generally recognised the open-ended exploration and dynamic content as its strength. Post-release content is continually added to Grand Theft Auto Online through free title updates. Some updates add new game modes and features, and others feature themed gameplay content, such as the Independence Day Special update that added patriotic-themed content on 1 July 2014.The widely anticipated Online Heists update launched on 10 March 2015 and suffered some initial technical difficulties due to the increased user load.

 

Grand Theft Auto V has more vehicles than in any other Grand Theft Auto game to date, with a variety of vehicles, including airplanes, helicopters, cars, utility vehicles, emergency service cars, motorcycles, and jet skis. Players are able to fly planes, which was impossible in Grand Theft Auto IV because of the size of the map, but the feature is now in Grand Theft Auto V because of the much larger map. There are also submarines that players are able to use to explore the Pacific Ocean. The Rhino from previous GTA titles has returned, including a new complex aiming system and a realistic depiction of a tank. A new feature also allows the player to roll-over a vehicle when the car is flipped upside down.

Businesses

Businesses from Grand Theft Auto IV re-appear. New businesses also appear, such as the Bugstars fumigation company and Up-n-Atom Burger fast food restaurant. The option to eat from restaurants such as Burger Shot is no longer available. Instead, the player can only buy drinks from the various Vending Machines across the map.

Weapons

The game features a large variety of weapons, like the Norinco Type 56-2 assault rifles with sound suppressors, mounted flashlights, olive drab polymer furniture, and side-folding stocks. There is now the option to mount attachments onto various different guns, each one affecting the performance. Melee weapons like the nightstick and the golf club that weren't present in Grand Theft Auto IV have also returned to Grand Theft Auto V.

Character Customization

In the game, the player has the option to customize the three protagonists' wardrobe and appearance.  There is less customisation available compared to that of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (e.g. changing the body mass of the 3 characters isn't available as it was with CJ in San Andreas). The availability of tattoos, haircuts and ability to apply and change facial hair has returned from San Andreas after being missing from previous titles in the HD universe.

Multiplayer

Grand Theft Auto V expands the multiplayer feature that was present in Grand Theft Auto IV. The multiplayer is treated as a additional title and is known as Grand Theft Auto Online. In GTA Online, multiplayer crews from Max Payne 3 can be carried over to Grand Theft Auto V. Grand Theft Auto V has multiplayer features linked to Rockstar's Social Club. 
Multiplayer holds up to 16 people on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and 30 players in Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC versions.

Assassin's Creed Unity
 
Assassin's Creed Unity is an action-adventure historical fiction open world stealth video game developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft. It was released in November 2014 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. It is the eighth major installment in the Assassin's Creed series, and the successor to 2013's Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag. It also has ties to Assassin's Creed Rogue which was released for the previous generation consoles the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on the same date as Unity.
Set within Paris during the French Revolution, the single-player story follows Arno Dorian in his efforts to expose the true powers behind the Revolution. The game retains the series' third-person open world exploration as well as introducing a revamped combat, parkour and stealth system. The game also introduces cooperative multiplayer to the Assassin's Creed series, letting up to four players engage in narrative-driven missions and explore the open-world map.
Assassin's Creed Unity received mixed reviews upon its release. Praise was aimed towards its visual upgrades and multiplayer-oriented format, while negative attention was drawn towards its weak storyline, unrefined gameplay, and numerous graphics issues and other bugs upon release. Because of the high amount of initial bugs, Ubisoft issued an apology; season pass sales were suspended, current season pass holders were offered a free digital copy of one of several recent Ubisoft games, and announced that the game's first downloadable content campaign would be made available for free.
Assassin's Creed Unity was followed by Assassin's Creed Syndicate, which takes place in Victorian era London, and was released in October 2015.

Combat for the game was meant to be rebuilt, with fencing being used as an inspiration for the new system. In addition to returning weapons from previous games, Assassin's Creed Unity introduces the Phantom Blade. The Phantom Blade uses the mechanics of a crossbow to fire a silent projectile a great distance, while still serving the same role as the Hidden Blade in previous Assassin's Creed games. Navigation for the game was also overhauled: new "Free-run up" and "Free-run down" commands were added to make it easier for the player to scale buildings in either direction. Additionally, Arno learns new parkour moves throughout the game, but the player can also purchase new skills as well. With the updated, larger crowds, new interactions with them are also available. The crowd regularly presents many activities, appearing organically, that the player can then choose to engage in at their leisure. Examples include scaring a group of bullies by pulling out a weapon, "settling" a disagreement between two civilians by killing one of them, which is usually a Templar, or chasing down a thief who has just pick pocketed somebody.
For the first time, the series allows players to customize the characters abilities, adopting a skill tree that enables players to assign points earned through gameplay to improve their skills in stealth, melee, and ranged combat, and health. Players are also able to customise their weapons, armour and equipment to further complement their individual style of play. Players also have a wider selection of weapons available, including swords, axes, spears, polearms, pistols and throwable items, such as smoke bombs.
Assassin's Creed Unity also introduces cooperative multiplayer to the series. Players can enter taverns, which act as social hubs in the game, where you can see if any friends are playing the game at the current time. If they are currently in a mission, they will appear as a "ghost" version of their player, allowing you to approach it to request to join their mission. If accepted, you are transitioned to their game and both of you reset to the most recent checkpoint, and continue on from there. Up to four players can join together in this fashion. The player will take on the role of Arno, customized within their own game, with other players appearing as their own customized version of Arno in their own sets of equipment, weapons, and armor. Many missions and activities will be available for cooperative play (which the player can also complete on their own), but there are some story missions that are single player only.
There are significant tie-ins with the Assassins Creed Unity Companion App, a "freemium" click app with limited "direct ties to the overall story of Unity". There are a significant number of chests, assassination targets, and other collectibles that are visible to all players but only accessible to those who have completed certain goals within the app. Following an update in February 2015, this requirement is no longer necessary, meaning players who have downloaded the update, can now collect all the chests in the game without having to play the companion app.

Characters

The main character of the game is Arno Dorian (Dan Jeannotte), a native Frenchman who was born in Versailles to an Assassin father. After his father is killed by Shay Patrick Cormac at the end of Assassin's Creed Rogue, Arno is adopted, unaware that his new family holds a senior position within the Templar Order, with his new father figure the Templar Grandmaster. Arno blames himself when his adoptive father is murdered, and so sets out on a quest of redemption that brings him into the Brotherhood of Assassins, where he slowly rises through the ranks, much like Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad and Ezio Auditore da Firenze as seen in previous games. Arno's love interest is a Templar named Elise De LaSerre (Catherine Bérubé), the daughter of the Templar Grandmaster who adopted Arno, who also sets out to investigate more about her father's death and its role in a growing ideological change within the Templar Order that threatens its core values.Additional characters include Marquis de Sade (Alex Ivanovici), Napoleon Bonaparte (Brent Skagford) and Maximilien de Robespierre (Bruce Dinsmore).

Ubisoft's responses

Ubisoft Montreal CEO Yannis Mallet apologized on behalf of the studio in regards to the poor launch of Unity, stating that the "overall quality of the game was diminished by bugs and unexpected technical issues", and prevented users from "experiencing the game at its fullest potential". In response to the issues, Ubisoft announced that it would halt sales of the game's season pass and Gold Edition, and offer the game's first DLC campaign, Dead Kings, for free. As compensation, those who bought the season pass received a free digital download of one of six Ubisoft games (Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, The Crew, Far Cry 4, Just Dance 2015, Rayman Legends, or Watch Dogs), and would also "continue to have access to a variety of additional content [for Unity], including Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: China". To claim the game, however, users must forfeit their right to sue Ubisoft in regards to the game and the devaluation of the season pass.

As the game is exclusive to next-generation consoles and PC, it will enable renderings of Paris to 1:1 scale and crowds numbering in the thousands. Players will able to explore the city's entirety, including seamless interiors and the catacombs, with landmarks like Notre-Dame having a quarter of the building's interior playable. Even empty buildings may have unlockable rooms with treasures inside. When standing on rooftops, a button can display 3D objects like alarm bells to help the player strategize.
Haystacks have been largely removed in favor of allowing players to control their descent from rooftops, and the controls for freerunning up and down are now separate. Social Stealth has been improved upon with a special crouching mode activated by button, and combat has been made more tactical to feel more realistic: counter kills were removed.
Assassinations in the game are referred to as "black box missions," and harken to the style of gameplay from the first Assassin's Creed. Contextual clues are provided to allow the player to choose and plan their own approach, rather than follow a linear, pre-determined path to the target. Unlike previous games however, an assassination is not deemed successful until Arno has escaped after performing it.

Memories

For memories, instead of the player being given a series of objectives, Ubisoft has developed the Adaptive Mission Mechanic, which gives players several potential paths to complete a mission. For example, choosing to stalk a target will lead to a chase if they detect you, as opposed to causing desynchronization.

Customization

The Assassins' weapons and appearance are customizable, while experience gained can be spent on four different specialties: "Melee" (offense), "Health" (defense), "Ranged" (navigation), and stealth. For example, Arno can possess Eagle Pulse, which allows him to sense how many guards are in a location he intends to infiltrate. Like other skills, it can be upgraded with experience points at the player's discretion. He can also unlock a disguise skill to escape pursuing guards. The player will be able to upgrade all of Arno's skills, given his objective is to become a Master Assassin.
There are around 200 choices for Arno's gear, which can benefit gameplay:

• Hoods can decrease a guard's reaction time as well as increase the radius of Eagle Sense.
• Chest items refer to the Assassins' robes, which changing can increase the time you can spend blended in the crowd, and the time it takes for a guard to detect you.
• Arm items change the appearance of the Hidden Blade, increasing melee damage and the Phantom Blade's ammunition, but can also increase the time it takes to revive allies.
• Belts and sashes increase the number of health points and items carried.
• Pants and boots can decrease fall damage and running noises, as well as providing extra health.

Cooperative play

"Assassins do not only embark on their own quests (like Ezio avenging his family), they have to pay their dues to the Assassin council. So players will have to complete what we call Brotherhood missions, in shared experience, to fulfill their duties towards the Assassins."

―Alex Amancio discussing the reason behind cooperative gameplay.

Following the success of Wolfpack in Assassin's Creed III and Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, Assassin's Creed: Unity is the first game in the series to introduce campaign co-op. Up to four players can take on story-based missions including sabotaging an execution, protecting an emperor or assassinating a target. However, the co-op missions will be optional, all story-based, and can be completed singularly as well.
Co-operative gameplay starts at taverns, where the player can see a "ghost" of a friend who is also playing. Approaching said ghost can establish a request to join the friend on their mission, and both will be loaded to the mission's nearest checkpoint. Amancio expects players will spend a third of their time in co-op mode.
Players can unlock skills that will benefit a whole group: these include the Disguise skill, Group Healing, the Assassin Cache for sharing bombs and ammunition, and Communal Sense, which colors targets' locations across the whole map.
There are heist missions for the Assassins to steal money. The more an Assassin is detected, the less money will be gained. Amancio commented that the co-op missions will encourage players to work together, thereby avoiding a session from falling apart with gamers who refuse to co-operate.
Players can also roam around together in open world co-op and do several puzzles together such as the Nostradamus Enigmas

Other

The modern day portion will return, but will differ from the Abstergo Entertainment setting of Black Flag.This time, players will play as themselves, as the Initiate being contacted by the Assassins at one point requesting you to explore Arno's memories for them as well as help them in the present day against the Templars.
The game introduces Time Anomaly missions, where Arno is transported to Paris in another historical era such as World War II.
Unity is the first game in the Assassin's Creed series to lack the competitive multiplayer, since its initiation in Brotherhood.

Controversy

The development team had intended for players to choose the co-op characters' gender, but it was abandoned due to time constraints. "It's double the animations, it's double the voices, all that stuff and double the visual assets", Amancio explained. "Especially because we have customizable assassins. It was really a lot of extra production work."
This caused an immediate uproar of anger from many fans of the series. Even Assassin's Creed III animation director Jonathan Cooper criticized this reason, stating, "In my educated opinion, I would estimate this to be a day or two's work. Not a replacement of 8000 animations", explaining "Walk/run cycles and idles are the easiest way to define a character. Everything else is androgynous." He also revealed Aveline de Grandpré shared more animations with Ratonhnhaké:ton than Edward Kenway did.
In response, Ubisoft issued the following statement:

"Assassin's Creed Unity is focused on the story of the lead character, Arno. Whether playing by yourself or with the co-op shared experiences, you the gamer will always be playing as Arno, complete with his broad range of gear and skill sets that will make you feel unique. With regard to diversity in our playable Assassins, we've featured Aveline, Connor, Adéwalé and Altaïr in Assassin's Creed games and we continue to look at showcasing diverse characters. We look forward to introducing you to some of the strong female characters in Assassin's Creed Unity."

Education Technology Information

Educational technology

  

Educational technology is the effective use of technological tools in learning. As a concept, it concerns an array of tools, such as media, machines and networking hardware, as well as considering underlying theoretical perspectives for their effective application.

Educational technology is not restricted to high technology. Nonetheless, electronic educational technology, also called e-learning, has become an important part of society today, comprising an extensive array of digitization approaches, components and delivery methods. For example, m-learning emphasizes mobility, but is otherwise indistinguishable in principle from educational technology.
Educational technology includes numerous types of media that deliver text, audio, images, animation, and streaming video, and includes technology applications and processes such as audio or video tape, satellite TV, CD-ROM, and computer-based learning, as well as local intranet/extranet and web-based learning. Information and communication systems, whether free-standing or based on either local networks or the Internet in networked learning, underlie many e-learning processes.
Theoretical perspectives and scientific testing influence instructional design. The application of theories of human behavior to educational technology derives input from instructional theory, learning theory, educational psychology, media psychology and human performance technology.
Educational technology and e-learning can occur in or out of the classroom. It can be self-paced, asynchronous learning or may be instructor-led, synchronous learning. It is suited to distance learning and in conjunction with face-to-face teaching, which is termed blended learning. Educational technology is used by learners and educators in homes, schools (both K-12 and higher education), businesses, and other settings.

Definition

Richey defined educational technology as "the study and ethical practice of facilitating learning and improving performance by creating, using and managing appropriate technological processes and resources". The Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) denoted instructional technology as "the theory and practice of design, development, utilization, management, and evaluation of processes and resources for learning." As such, educational technology refers to all valid and reliable applied education sciences, such as equipment, as well as processes and procedures that are derived from scientific research, and in a given context may refer to theoretical, algorithmic or heuristic processes: it does not necessarily imply physical technology.

 Vinh University

 

Vinh University, established on July 16 in 1959 under Decree 375/ND of government , is comprehensive university for the North Central region of Vietnam.  

The school is a multi-level institutions (from pre-school level, high school to college, graduate school), multi-sector (sector 42 undergraduate, 28 master's degree majors, 10 doctoral training programs) with nearly 36,000 students, students and trainees from 54 provinces and cities nationwide and over 300 international students to study or research, with a staff of nearly 950 staff, has 56 faculty in Professor , Associate Professor, Dr 118, nearly 500 Masters, 4 Senior Lecturer, 121 Senior Lecturer ... Vinh University is one of the first universities in the country to use the course credit system. Thus, learners will benefit an advanced method of training, have the opportunity to learn two programs simultaneously; the initiative in selecting courses, class times, class appropriate candidates can register for test admitted to an easy industry, after a semester if academic results achieved from the average and above may register for a course that they want others to be secondary graduate formal university degree (in 4 recent study, there were thousands of students learn more sectors 2) Good students can successfully complete the course before the deadline a year students are enrolled online and internet.

History

July 16, 1959, the Minister of Education signed Decree No. 375/ND established College of Education Sub performance Vinh. Basis of the first school built in the public sector (old) of Vinh town at that time. Classification performance Vinh College of Education renamed Pedagogical University of Vinh 637/QD Decision 28 August 1962 the Minister of Education. April 25, 2001, the Prime Minister signed Decision No. 62/2001/QD-TTg rename Pedagogical University of Vinh Vinh University.
Vinh University is a unit of public service under the Ministry of Education and Training, have legal status, have an account, stamp and its own icon. Decision 62/2001/QD-TTg dated 04/25/2001 of the Prime Minister has prescribed duties of Vinh University is to train teachers with university degrees and gradually open the training consistent with the ability of the school and the human resources needs of social science research for economic development - society.
Vinh University is a university institution multidisciplinary, multi-level in the North Central region, providing high quality human resources and adapt to the working world; a center for scientific research, application and technology transfer to serve the cause of economic development - economic development of the region and country; is the key national universities, a number of international industry standards.
Half a century building and growth, Vinh University was awarded several prizes, honors. The school was awarded the Second Class Labor Decoration (1979), rank Labor Medal (1992), third-class Independence Medal (1995), Second Class Independence Medal (2001), Hero Labor (2004), Co emulation of the Government (2007), first-class Independence Medal (2009), the Friendship Medal awarded by the State, Laos and many other honors.

Vinh University now

Currently (2010), Vinh University has: 19 scientific training, a specialized high schools, a nursery school practice, a Research Institute of language and culture, a scientific journal. 26 departments, centers, institutes and stations.
Educational programs of Vinh University is built on the basis of the framework program of the Ministry of Education, learn the advanced program in the world, meeting social needs and ensure interoperability. Currently, Vinh University is applying to study methods of training the credit. Later in 2010, Vinh University will gain a first program of advanced training.
Vinh University students, with a platform of "bravery, wisdom, civilization, volunteers," is coming from 54 provinces and cities nationwide and has over 600 students, students from Thailand, Laos, China ... 2008-2009 school year, Vinh University has 34,000 HS-SV-HV (including more than 20,000 students, students studying in a school facility) with 43 higher education sector.
Training activities of the school day is expanding to meet the needs of society. 2007-2008 school year, Vinh University trained 43 branches and 36 branches university graduate, and the third generation Gifted High School.
Currently, Vinh University is a multidisciplinary field training, which remains the core pedagogy.
the university's library system, equipment and learning facilities are increasingly being improved and modernized to meet the requirements of multi-disciplinary education.

In addition to the current area in the region Ben Thuy Truong Thi (14ha), the University has been planned and developed on the basis of II in Nghi Loc district with an area of 258 ha (for Faculty of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, National Defense Education Centre and a number of units other). In addition, the school is building a base for training, scientific research, technology transfer in some other localities (Camp practice aquatic Hung Nguyen, Center for aquaculture experiments Amenities Spring, ...).
Vinh University now has 935 officials and public employees, including 639 faculty, 295 administrative staff. Regarding the title, training level, the school has 118 doctors, 500 masters, 3 professors, 53 associate professors, 4 senior lecturers, 121 lecturers and 13 army officers are seconded to work Education in the Department of Defense. For over 50 years of construction and development, Vinh University has trained over 70,300 teachers, bachelor of science, engineering, including formal university is 29,700 people in 53 provinces and cities nationwide and many countries in the region (mainly China, Laos, and Thailand).
The extent of the training is increasingly being expanded to meet human resource needs of various localities. Academic year 2010 - 2011, 46 schools of higher education sector, including 15 teacher training programs, 21 bachelor's training programs, seven engineering; 28 majors master's degree, 10 majors Ph.D. create professional high school level and five subjects with more than 34,000 learners. The school has joint training by the method of studying partial "2 + 2" with China, Thailand ... Training methods follow the credit system.
In recent years, the school has trained nearly 5,000 master, more than 100 doctors in the two areas which are strengths of the school: basic science and science education. A high-level human resources for society, schools are also associated with other prestigious universities masters training in the field of economics, engineering, education ...
From 2001 - 2008, officials of the school has hosted 19 scientific research projects at national, ministerial-level 147, which has nine key themes for the 1555 theme and level. Activities of scientific research, application, development and technology transfer, foreign affairs and international cooperation had great results, especially in recent years. Only from 2001 to 2007, Vinh University has implemented 19 research projects at the country, 147 projects of Ministry (9 topics, including key ministerial level) and 1,555 subjects level (school and Science). Activities of scientific research is increasingly associated with social needs. External activities and international cooperation is increasingly expanding and improving the quality and efficiency. Currently, the university has partnerships with over 30 universities and scientific organizations, educational institutions abroad.
Decision 197/2007/QD - dated 28/12/2007 of the Prime Minister stated: "Building An Art center education - higher education in the North Central. Investment upgrade Vinh University into the University of international standards ". On 27/02/2008 46/TB-VPCP of the Government Office on conclusions of Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung: Nghe An province work with the Ministry of Education to report to the Prime Minister on the University Vinh in a list of the key national universities Vietnam .
On 07/11/2011, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan signed written consent of 1136/TTg-KGVX for Vinh University to be added to the list of universities to build a major university the country. Thus far, in Vietnam there were 16 higher education establishments selected to build a national key university, including two national universities, five universities and nine regional territorial universities and institutes in the fields and key national industries, including the National University of Hanoi, Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City, Thai Nguyen University, Hue University, Danang University , Pedagogical University of Hanoi University of Pedagogy, Ho Chi Minh City, Polytechnic University of Hanoi, Agricultural University Hanoi University Hanoi National Economics University Hanoi Medical University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City, Medical University of Ho Chi Minh City, Can Tho University, Military Technical Academy and the University of Vinh. These universities will focus on investment and construction to become the basis of the level of training and advanced research work leading to the development of a network of universities in Vietnam.

  Georgia Institute of Technology

 The Georgia Institute of Technology (commonly referred to as Georgia Tech, Tech, or GT) is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States. It is a part of the University System of Georgia and has satellite campuses in Savannah, Georgia; Metz, France; Athlone, Ireland; Shanghai, China; and Singapore.

The educational institution was founded in 1885 as the Georgia School of Technology as part of Reconstruction plans to build an industrial economy in the post-Civil War Southern United States. Initially, it offered only a degree in mechanical engineering. By 1901, its curriculum had expanded to include electrical, civil, and chemical engineering. In 1948, the school changed its name to reflect its evolution from a trade school to a larger and more capable technical institute and research university.
Today, Georgia Tech is organized into six colleges and contains about 31 departments/units, with emphasis on science and technology. It is well recognized for its degree programs in engineering, computing, business administration, the sciences, architecture, and liberal arts.
Georgia Tech's main campus occupies part of Midtown Atlanta, bordered by 10th Street to the north and by North Avenue to the south, placing it well in sight of the Atlanta skyline. The campus was the site of the athletes' village and a venue for a number of athletic events for the 1996 Summer Olympics. The construction of the Olympic village, along with subsequent gentrification of the surrounding areas, enhanced the campus.
Student athletics, both organized and intramural, are a part of student and alumni life. The school's intercollegiate competitive sports teams, the four-time football national champion Yellow Jackets, and the nationally recognized fight song "Ramblin' Wreck from Georgia Tech", have helped keep Georgia Tech in the national spotlight. Georgia Tech fields eight men's and seven women's teams that compete in the NCAA Division I athletics and the Football Bowl Subdivision. Georgia Tech is a member of the Coastal Division in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

History

Establishment

Atlanta during the Civil War (c. 1864)

The idea of a technology school in Georgia was introduced in 1865 during the Reconstruction period. Two former Confederate officers, Major John Fletcher Hanson (an industrialist) and Nathaniel Edwin Harris (a politician and eventually Governor of Georgia), who had become prominent citizens in the town of Macon, Georgia after the Civil War, strongly believed that the South needed to improve its technology to compete with the industrial revolution that was occurring throughout the North.However, because the American South of that era was mainly populated by agricultural workers and few technical developments were occurring, a technology school was needed.
In 1882, the Georgia State Legislature authorized a committee, led by Harris, to visit the Northeast to see firsthand how technology schools worked. They were impressed by the polytechnic educational models developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Worcester County Free Institute of Industrial Science (now Worcester Polytechnic Institute). The committee recommended adapting the Worcester model, which stressed a combination of "theory and practice", the "practice" component including student employment and production of consumer items to generate revenue for the school.
On October 13, 1885, Georgia Governor Henry D. McDaniel signed the bill to create and fund the new school. In 1887, Atlanta pioneer Richard Peters donated to the state 4 acres (1.6 ha) of the site of a failed garden suburb called Peters Park. The site was bounded on the south by North Avenue, and on the west by Cherry Street. He then sold five adjoining acres of land to the state for US$10,000, equivalent to about US$262,481.48 now. This land was located near the northern city limits of Atlanta at the time of its founding, although the city has now expanded several miles beyond it. A historical marker on the large hill in Central Campus notes that the site occupied by the school's first buildings once held fortifications built to protect Atlanta during the Atlanta Campaign of the American Civil War.The surrender of the city took place on the southwestern boundary of the modern Georgia Tech campus in 1864.

Early years

An early picture of Georgia Tech

The Georgia School of Technology opened its doors in the fall of 1888 with two buildings. One building (now Tech Tower, an administrative headquarters) had classrooms to teach students; The second building featured a shop and had a foundry, forge, boiler room, and engine room. It was designed specifically for students to work and produce goods to sell and fund the school. The two buildings were equal in size to show the importance of teaching both the mind and the hands; though, at the time, there was some disagreement to whether the machine shop should have been used to turn a profit.
On October 20, 1905, U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt visited the Georgia Tech campus. On the steps of Tech Tower, Roosevelt delivered a speech about the importance of technological education.He then shook hands with every student.
Georgia Tech's Evening School of Commerce began holding classes in 1912. The evening school admitted its first female student in 1917, although the state legislature did not officially authorize attendance by women until 1920. Annie T. Wise became the first female graduate in 1919 and went on to become Georgia Tech's first female faculty member the following year. Rena Faye Smith, appointed as a research assistant in the School of Physics in 1969 by Dr. Ray Young, in X-Ray Diffraction, became the first female faculty member (research) in the School of Physics. She went on to earn a Ph.D. at Georgia State University and taught physics and instructional technology at Black Hills State University - 1997-2005 as Rena Faye Norby. She served as a Fulbright Scholar in Russia 2004-2005. In 1931, the Board of Regents transferred control of the Evening School of Commerce to the University of Georgia (UGA) and moved the civil and electrical engineering courses at UGA to Tech. Tech replaced the commerce school with what later became the College of Business. The commerce school would later split from UGA and eventually become Georgia State University. In 1934, the Engineering Experiment Station (later known as the Georgia Tech Research Institute) was founded by W. Harry Vaughan with an initial budget of $5,000 ($88,147 today) and 13 part-time faculty.

 

Modern history

Founded as the Georgia School of Technology, Georgia Tech assumed its present name in 1948 to reflect a growing focus on advanced technological and scientific research. Unlike most similarly named universities (such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the California Institute of Technology), the Georgia Institute of Technology is a public institution.

 Former Georgia Tech    President G. Wayne Clough speaks at a student meeting.

Tech first admitted female students to regular classes in 1952, although women could not enroll in all programs at Tech until 1968. Industrial Management was the last program to open to women.The first women's dorm, Fulmer Hall, opened in 1969. Women constituted 30.3% of the undergraduates and 25.3% of the graduate students enrolled in Spring 2009. In 1959, a meeting of 2,741 students voted by an overwhelming majority to endorse integration of qualified applicants, regardless of race. Three years after the meeting, and one year after the University of Georgia's violent integration,Georgia Tech became the first university in the Deep South to desegregate without a court order. There was little reaction to this by Tech students; like the city of Atlanta described by former Mayor William Hartsfield, they seemed "too busy to hate". For $290,000, the university bought the property containing the former Pickrick Restaurant, which it first used as a placement center. Later, it was known as the Ajax Building. It was razed in 2009.
Similarly, there was little student reaction at Georgia Tech to the Vietnam War and United States involvement in the Cambodian Civil War. The student council defeated a resolution supporting the Vietnam Moratorium, and the extent of the Tech community's response to the Kent State shooting was limited to a student-organized memorial service, though the Institute was ordered closed for two days, along with all other University System of Georgia schools.
In 1988, President John Patrick Crecine pushed through a restructuring of the university. The Institute at that point had three colleges: the College of Engineering, the College of Management, and the catch-all COSALS, the College of Sciences and Liberal Arts. Crecine reorganized the latter two into the College of Computing, the College of Sciences, and the Ivan Allen College of Management, Policy, and International Affairs. Crecine never asked for input regarding the changes and, consequently, many faculty members disliked his top-down management style; despite this, the changes passed by a slim margin. Crecine was also instrumental in securing the 1996 Summer Olympics for Atlanta. A large amount of construction occurred, creating most of what is now considered "West Campus" for Tech to serve as the Olympic Village, and significantly gentrifying Midtown Atlanta. The Undergraduate Living Center, Fourth Street Apartments, Sixth Street Apartments, Eighth Street Apartments, Hemphill Apartments, and Center Street Apartments housed athletes and journalists. The Georgia Tech Aquatic Center was built for swimming events, and the Alexander Memorial Coliseum was renovated. The Institute also erected the Kessler Campanile and fountain to serve as a landmark and symbol of the Institute on television broadcasts.
In 1994, G. Wayne Clough became the first Tech alumnus to serve as the president of the Institute; he was in office during the 1996 Summer Olympics. In 1998, he separated the Ivan Allen College of Management, Policy, and International Affairs into the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts and returned the College of Management to "College" status (Crecine, the previous president, had demoted Management from "College" to "School" status as part of a controversial 1990 reorganization plan). His tenure focused on a dramatic expansion of the Institute, a revamped Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program, and the creation of an International Plan.On March 15, 2008, he was appointed secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, effective July 1, 2008. Dr. Gary Schuster, Tech's provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs, was named interim president, effective July 1, 2008.
On April 1, 2009, G. P. "Bud" Peterson, previously the chancellor of the University of Colorado at Boulder, became the 11th president of Georgia Tech.On April 20, 2010, Georgia Tech was invited to join the Association of American Universities, the first new member institution in nine years. In 2014, Georgia Tech launched the first "massive online open degree" in computer science by partnering with Udacity and AT&T; a complete degree through that program costs students $7,000.

Campuses

Main article: Georgia Tech main campus

Georgia Tech's East Campus and Central Campus as seen from an elevated point near Peachtree Street and North Avenue. Bobby Dodd Stadium is in the foreground, Tech Tower and Junior's Grill are in the background to the left, and the Georgia Tech Campus Recreation Center is in the background and to the right. The Varsity is in the immediate foreground between the viewer and Bobby Dodd Stadium.

The Georgia Tech campus is located in Midtown, an area north of downtown Atlanta. Although a number of skyscrapers—most visibly the headquarters of AT&T, The Coca-Cola Company, and Bank of America—are visible from all points on campus, the campus itself has few buildings over four stories and has a great deal of greenery. This gives it a distinctly suburban atmosphere quite different from other Atlanta campuses such as that of Georgia State University.
The campus is organized into four main parts: West Campus, East Campus, Central Campus, and Technology Square. West Campus and East Campus are both occupied primarily by student living complexes, while Central Campus is reserved primarily for teaching and research buildings.

West Campus

The front of the Georgia Tech Campus Recreation Center

West Campus is occupied primarily by apartments and coed undergraduate dormitories. Apartments include Crecine, Center Street, 6th Street, Maulding, Undergraduate Living Center (ULC), and Eighth Street Apartments, while dorms include Freeman, Montag, Fitten, Folk, Caldwell, Armstrong, Hefner, Fulmer, and Woodruff Suites. The Campus Recreation Center (formerly the Student Athletic Complex); a volleyball court; a large, low natural green area known as the Burger Bowl; and a flat artificial green area known as the CRC (formerly SAC) Fields are all located on the western side of the campus.
West Campus was formerly home to Under the Couch, which relocated to the Student Center in the fall of 2010. Also within walking distance of West Campus are several late-night eateries and Engineer's Bookstore, an economical alternative to Georgia Tech's official bookstore. West campus is home to a convenience store, West Side Market. Due to limited space, all auto travel proceeds via a network of one-way streets which connects West Campus to Ferst Drive, the main road of the campus. Woodruff Dining Hall, or "Woody's", is the West Campus Dining Hall. It connects the Woodruff North and Woodruff South undergraduate dorms.

East Campus

Brittain Dining Hall, the main dining hall for East Campus.

East Campus houses all of the fraternities and sororities as well as most of the undergraduate freshman dormitories. East Campus abuts the Downtown Connector, granting residences quick access to Midtown and its businesses (for example, The Varsity) via a number of bridges over the highway. Georgia Tech football's home, Bobby Dodd Stadium is located on East Campus, as well as Georgia Tech basketball's home, McCamish Pavilion (formerly Alexander Memorial Coliseum).
Brittain Dining Hall is the main dining hall for East Campus. It is modeled after a medieval church, complete with carved columns and stained glass windows showing symbolic figures. The main road leading from East Campus to Central Campus is a steep ascending incline commonly known as "Freshman Hill" (in reference to the large number of freshman dorms near its foot). On March 8, 2007, the former Georgia State University Village apartments were transferred to Georgia Tech. Renamed North Avenue Apartments by the institute, they began housing students in the fall semester of 2007.

Central Campus

See also: Georgia Institute of Technology Historic District

Central Campus is home to the majority of the academic, research, and administrative buildings. The Central Campus includes, among others: the Howey Physics Building; the Boggs Chemistry Building; the College of Computing Building; the Klaus Advanced Computing Building; the College of Architecture Building; the Skiles Classroom Building, which houses the School of Mathematics and the School of Literature, Media and Culture; the D. M. Smith Building, which houses the School of Public Policy; and the Ford Environmental Science & Technology Building. In 2005, the School of Modern Languages returned to the Swann Building, a 100-year-old former dormitory that now houses some of the most technology-equipped classrooms on campus. Intermingled with these are a variety of research facilities, such as the Centennial Research Building, the Microelectronics Research Center, the Neely Nuclear Research Center, the Nanotechnology Research Center, and the Petit Biotechnology Building.

The Carnegie Building, constructed in 1907, is located in the Historic District of Central Campus. It was originally the campus library, and it now houses the President's office.

Tech's administrative buildings, such as Tech Tower, and the Bursar's Office, are also located on the Central Campus, in the recently renovated Georgia Tech Historic District. The campus library, the Fred B. Wenn Student Center, and the Student Services Building ("Flag Building") are also located on Central Campus. The Student Center provides a variety of recreational and social functions for students including: a computer lab, a game room ("Tech Rec"), the Student Post Office, a music venue, a movie theater, the Food Court, plus meeting rooms for various clubs and organizations. Adjacent to the eastern entrance of the Student Center is the Kessler Campanile (which is referred to by students as "The Shaft"). The former Hightower Textile Engineering building was demolished in 2002 to create Yellow Jacket Park. More greenspace now occupies the area around the Kessler Campanile for a more aesthetically pleasing look, in accordance with the official Campus Master Plan. In August 2011, the G. Wayne Clough Undergraduate Learning Commons opened next to the library and occupies part of the Yellow Jacket Park area.

Technology Square

Main article: Technology Square

A view of Technology Square

Technology Square, also known as "Tech Square", is located across the Downtown Connector and embedded in the city east of East Campus. Opened in August 2003 at a cost of $179 million, the district was built over run-down neighborhoods and has sparked a revitalization of the entire Midtown area. Connected by the recently renovated Fifth Street Bridge, it is a pedestrian-friendly area comprising Georgia Tech facilities and retail locations. One complex contains the College of Business Building, holding classrooms and office space for the Scheller College of Business, as well as the Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center and the Georgia Tech Global Learning Center. The Scheller College of Business is also home to three large glass chandeliers made by Dale Chihuly. This is one of the few locations of Chihuly's works found in the state of Georgia.
Another part of Tech Square, the privately owned Centergy One complex, contains the Technology Square Research Building (TSRB), holding faculty and graduate student offices for the College of Computing and the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, as well as the GVU Center, a multidisciplinary technology research center.The Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC) is a science and business incubator, run by the Georgia Institute of Technology, and is also headquartered in Technology Square's Centergy One complex.
Other Georgia Tech-affiliated buildings in the area host the Center for Quality Growth and Regional Development, the Georgia Tech Enterprise Innovation Institute, the Advanced Technology Development Center, VentureLab, and the Georgia Electronics Design Center. Technology Square also hosts a variety of restaurants and businesses, including the headquarters of notable consulting companies like Accenture and also including the official Institute bookstore, a Barnes & Noble bookstore, and a Georgia Tech-themed Waffle House.

Satellite campuses

See also: Georgia Tech Savannah and Georgia Tech Lorraine

In 1999, Georgia Tech began offering local degree programs to engineering students in Southeast Georgia, and in 2003 established a physical campus in Savannah, Georgia. Until 2013, Georgia Tech Savannah offered undergraduate and graduate programs in engineering in conjunction with Georgia Southern University, South Georgia College, Armstrong Atlantic State University, and Savannah State University. The university further collaborated with the National University of Singapore to set up The Logistics Institute–Asia Pacific in Singapore. The campus now serves the institute's hub for professional and continuing education and is home to the regional offices of the Georgia Tech Enterprise Innovation Institute, the Savannah Advanced Technology Development Center, and the Georgia Logistics Innovation Center.

Georgia Tech Lorraine, Metz, France

Georgia Tech also operates a campus in Metz, in northeastern France, known as Georgia Tech Lorraine. Opened in October 1990, it offers master's-level courses in Electrical and Computer Engineering, Computer Science and Mechanical Engineering and Ph.D. coursework in Electrical and Computer Engineering and Mechanical Engineering. Georgia Tech Lorraine was the defendant in a lawsuit pertaining to the language used in advertisements, which was a violation of the Toubon Law.
The College of Architecture maintains a small permanent presence in Paris in affiliation with the École d'architecture de Paris-La Villette and the College of Computing has a similar program with the Barcelona School of Informatics at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia in Barcelona, Spain. There are additional programs in Athlone, Ireland, Shanghai, China, and Singapore. Georgia Tech will set up two campuses for research and graduate education in the cities of Visakhapatnam and Hyderabad, Telangana, India by the year 2010.

Campus services

Georgia Tech Cable Network, or GTCN, is the college's branded cable source. Most non-original programming is obtained from Dish Network. GTCN currently has 100 standard-definition channels and 23 high-definition channels.
The Office of Information Technology, or OIT, manages most of the Institute's computing resources (and some related services such as campus telephones). With the exception of a few computer labs maintained by individual colleges, OIT is responsible for most of the computing facilities on campus. Student, faculty, and staff e-mail accounts are among its services.Georgia Tech's ResNet provides free technical support to all students and guests living in Georgia Tech's on-campus housing (excluding fraternities and sororities). ResNet is responsible for network, telephone, and television service, and most support is provided by part-time student employees.