‘From MUSE
to NEMED, ZEUS, and RURAL WINGS’
Distance in-service training
for multigrade school teachers
Sofoklis Sotiriou
Pavlos Koulouris
Ellinogermaniki Agogi
Main points




Multigrade schools: an important role in
providing access to ‘Education for All’ in remote
and disadvantaged rural areas.
Our focus: support and in-service-training
opportunities promised to the multigrade school
teacher by developments in educational
technologies.
Current and emerging tendencies of broadband
access provision for multigrade schools (e.g.
satellite network services).
The potential for catalysing change and
development in the school and in the local
community more widely.
 Provision
of in-service training to
teachers working in remote rural
schools:
a
need
 a challenge (geographical,
organisational, socio-economical
reasons)
MUSE: MUltigrade School Education
(Socrates / Comenius 2.1)
The partnership
University of Aegean (Gr)
Chydenius Institute (Fi)
Pedagogical Institute (Gr)
Ellinogermaniki Agogi (Gr)
Cadiz University (Es)
Institute of Education (UK)
Plus 4 multigrade schools (pilot sites) in Greece, Finland, and Spain.
 Aims and objectives
• To develop a programme of in-service training for
teachers in multigrade schools.
• To enhance teachers’ professional skills, including
their ability to develop lesson plans in accordance with
the specific needs of their work environment.
• To develop an innovative dedicated web portal
supporting the provision of continuous in-service
training and support to the teachers.
• To encourage and support communication between
the isolated remote school environment and the wider
educational community.
 Training programme
NEMED: continuing the MUSE
•A network, aiming to support further exchange of knowledge, experience
and good practice, in the framework of Socrates / Comenius 3.
• Partners:
• UNIVERSITY OF AEGEAN (Greece)
•ELLINOGERMANIKI AGOGI (Greece)
•INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION
- UNIVERSITY OF LONDON (UK)
•CHYDENIUS INSTITUTE (Finland)
•UNIVERSITY OF BARCELONA (Spain)
•UNIVERSITY OF LISBON (Portugal)
•UNIVERSITY OF CYPRUS (Cyprus)
•UNIVERSITY OF LECCE (Italy)
•POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF BUCHAREST (Romania)
•EOTVOS LORAND UNIVERSITY (Hungary)
•EUROPEAN DISTANCE EDUCATION NETWORK (UK)
•ORIENTE (Austria)
 Satellite
 an
data communications:
advanced and reliable channel
for broadband access to the
Information Society in
geographically disadvantaged and
isolated areas
 a promising way out of the problem
of multigrade school teachers’
isolation.

Let’s exploit the broadband
possibilities offered by satellite
telecommunications in order to afford
richer, multimodal online learning
experiences that would not be
feasible through the standard
terrestrial connectivity nowadays
usually available in remote areas.
ZEUS
Funded by the e-Learning programme of
the Greek government (GSRT)
The partnership
UNIVERSITY OF AEGEAN
OTE
HELLAS SAT
INTRACOM
Q-PLAN
ELLINOGERMANIKI AGOGI
Advanced telecommunication
channels are used, such as
satellite systems, for the
provision of high quality
training to multigrade school
teachers in the Greek
countryside.
Training is piloted in a network
of ten schools, situated in
remote, both insular and
mountainous, areas of the
country.
ZEUS
System Architecture
A multitude of training material formats:
• Video
• Presentations
• Study texts
• Websites
Let’s explore the potential of such
initiatives to reach beyond the
individual teachers receiving the
training, by fostering digital
culture among all rural citizens
and thus bridging the digital
divide.
 Let’s go ‘global’ (i.e. beyond
Europe)

RURAL WINGS:
Wings for a rural Information Society
Argentina
Belgium
Canada
Chile
Colombia
Cyprus
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Israel
Peru
Poland
Romania
Spain
Sweden
Turkey
UK
USA
FP6-Space
 The partnership
UoP
Germany
University of Potsdam
NET
Finland
Karjalan Nettinikkarit Ltd
FORTHNET
Greece
FORTHnet
ERC
Belgium
European Resuscitation Council
TELEMEDICINE
France
Telemedicine Technologies
BGU
Israel
Ben Gurion University – Center For Futurism In Education
FOURIER
Israel
Fourier Systems Ltd
GB
Turkey
Goerceada Belediyesi
PBF
Poland
Progress & Business Foundation
UoF
Chile
University of La Frontera – Instituto De Informática Educatica
FVG
Colombia
Fundación Volvamos A La Gente
IEP
Peru
Instituto De Estudios Peruanos
UNSA
Argentina
National University of Salta
CCD
Colombia
Corporación Colombia Digital
ICCS
Greece
Institute of Communication and Computer Systems
ASTRIUM
France
EADS Astrium
AVANTI
United Kingdom
Avanti Communications
EMS
Canada
EMS Technologies
MIT/ML-2B1
USA
MIT Media Lab – 2B1 Foundation
EUTELSAT
France
EUTELSAT
EA
Greece
Ellinogermaniki Agogi
INSEAD
France
Insead
IIE –MULTIMEDIA
Sweden
Institute For International Education / Multimedia – Stockholm
University
EDEN
United Kingdom
European Distance And E-Learning Network
CRC
Canada
Communication Research Center
Q-Plan
Greece
Q-PLAN S.A.
HELLAS SAT
Cyprus
HELLAS SAT Consortium LTD
AU
Canada
Athabasca University
Spain
University of Barcelona, Department of Didactics and
Educational Organisation
Greece
Institute of Computer Science, Foundation for Research and
Technology
UPB
Romania
Universitatea "Politehnica" din Bucuresti
A&O
Estonia
Alfa – Omega Communications
Progress TV
France
Progress TV
UoA
Greece
University of Aegean
UB
FORTH
Overview


Strategic objectives addressed: Endto-end satellite telecommunications
systems for tele-education
applications
Developing an advanced learning platform
through satellite DVB-RCS access
technologies, promoting a user-centred
methodological approach.
Main aims




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To support the creation of a new culture in rural
communities promoting digital literacy and reducing
resistance to the use of new technologies
To offer stimulating and creative learning
environments to support vibrant user communities
To attempt an extended implementation in dozens
of pilot sites in 18 countries worldwide
To catalyse satellite broadband take up in Europe
and beyond
Ultimately, to transfer knowledge and adjust these
practices in different knowledge spaces (at school,
at work, at home) as a mean for interaction
between user needs and technological
developments.
 Innovation
Technology:

Both upload AND download link
Content:



Learning@school
Learning@work
Learning@home
Methodology:

Emphasizing guided self-initiative by users /
trainees
Satellite coverage
Country
# of pilot sites
Greece
Spain
Sweden
France
Romania
Cyprus
Estonia
Finland
Poland
UK
Israel
Canada
Chile
Colombia
Argentina
Peru
Turkey
S. Africa
TOTAL
30
10
10
5
10
5
7
10
10
10
6
10
10
10
10
10
5
10
168
RURAL WINGS
in relation to previous projects
TECHNOLOGY PUSH
RURAL WINGS
BARRD
TWISTER
RIA
SCHOOLSAT
ZEUS
VERDI
RCST
MUSE
The project will push the
current boundaries further
by providing a platform
that integrates contextual
information into new learning
settings.
The geographical coverage of
the project will help bring
together experiences from
different countries and
cultures.
USER DEMAND
System Architecture
Satellite network
DVB-RCS hub
Satellite terminal
PLATFORMS
@
Remote area LAN
LEARNING HUB
WIRED
AND/OR WIRELESS
LAN
INTERNET
backbone
CONTENT
END USERS
terminals
TWO WAY EXCHANGE OF DATA
-FDW LINK DVB/MPEG2 DATAFORMAT (45Mb/s)
-RTN LINK USING MULTI-FREQ.TDMA (2Mb/s)
 Learning hubs

The Learning Hub will provide a
‘lab’ where innovative ideas can be
tried out
 Learning community (wi-fi local network)



Establishment of a wireless (Wi-Fi)
communications infrastructure.
The new technology facilitates flexible
interpersonal communication patterns.
Project evolves to “learning networks and
communities”
Main Results
An in-depth knowledge and modular development of the
DVB-RCS technology
how it needs to be configured to provide the standard of service
that customers demand, expect and are willing to pay for.
Greater awareness amongst the general public of the
possibilities satellite systems provide
promotion of the DVB-RCS technology and awareness of its
suitability for bridging the digital divide
An exciting and compelling range of educational tools
that make the full use of broadband characteristics (speed,
interactivity, personalization, always-on etc)
Representing a significant value added service that could
help drive the uptake of satellite broadband.
Rural schools could function as places
of lifelong learning for the whole
community, providing the local labour
force and citizens of all ages with fast
Internet access to opportunities for
knowledge and creativity.
 The rural teacher would then take on
an extra role, as an agent of change
and catalyst for the penetration of the
Information Society in the remote
rural communities.
