National application of eLearning
initiatives from the EU
Dr. Bálint Magyar
Minister of Education
www.om.hu
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eLearning components
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network – the wider the better,
computers – the more the better,
authentication and authorization – the more
reliable the better,
intention to learn – the harder the better,
something to learn – the digitalised the better.
www.om.hu
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Accelerating time
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5% of the existing professions change in every
five years,
5% decrease in the professions not based on
knowledge of info-communication technology in
every two years,
Existential perspectives of professions not based
on ICT knowledge move around the average
minimal wage,
learnt professional skills become out of date within
10 years.
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Employee of our time
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Very flexible
Possessing up to date knowledge and skills
Ready to learn again and again
Fluent in ICT skills
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Objective of the EU
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The EU intends to have the most dynamic and
most competitive economy in the world by 2010.
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EU Initiatives, Programmes,
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Socrates and Leonardo da Vinci programmes
Lisbon objectives
Initiative “eLearning: designing tomorrow's education”
‘eLearning Action Plan’
The Bologna Declaration
eEurope
eEurope 2002
eEurope 2005: An information society for all
eContent Programme
www.om.hu
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Results of eEurope 2002
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Major success on the field of infrastructure
Internet connectivity has grown rapidly
Chart 1
Internet in Europe
Internet penetration since the Lisbon Council
42,6%
45%
40,4%
40%
36,1%
35%
28,4%
30%
25%
20%
18,3%
15%
10%
5%
0%
March 2000
October 2000
June 2001
June 2002
Nov 2002
Source: European Commission (Eurobarometer)
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Results of eEurope 2002
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More than 90% of schools are connected to the
Internet
Europe has the fastest backbone research
network in the World (GEANT)
All large enterprises and 80% of SMEs are
connected.
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„As the date of 2010 is getting closer and closer
a wake-up call is therefore essential at all
levels if there is still to be a chance of
making the Lisbon strategy a success.”
"EDUCATION & TRAINING 2010” report
Communication from the Commission
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Why eLearning?
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Paradigm change
Industrial society
Knowledge-based society
Facts, data, rules
Skills and Competences
Transfer of closed, final,
textbook-knowledge in one
occasion
Lifelong learning knowledge-networks
Fixed, homogeneous teamstudying method
Flexible, heterogeneous teamstudying method (individualcentred education)
Frontal pedagogy
„Constructivist” education
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eLearning has the potential
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to help the Union respond to the challenges of
the knowledge society,
to improve the quality of learning,
to facilitate access to learning resources,
to address special needs, and
to bring about more effective and efficient
learning and training at the workplace.
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eLearning components
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network – the wider the better,
computers – the more the better,
authentication and authorization – the more reliable
the better,
intention to learn – the harder the better,
something to learn – the digitalised the
better.
www.om.hu
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Hungary in educational numbers
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10 000 000 citizens
1 400 000 pupils in primary and secondary
education
160 000 teachers
5 500 primary and secondary institutions
400 000 students in higher education
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eLearning Initiative
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to provide all schools with access to the
Internet and multimedia resources by the end
of 2001,
EU average
93% of schools are connected by the end of
2002
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eLearning Initiative
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to provide all schools with access to the
Internet and multimedia resources by the end
of 2001,
Hungarian results:
all higher educational institutions are
connected through broadband fibre optic cable
broadband (ADSL) Internet access to all
(5500) primary and secondary schools until
2005. (3200 already connected)
www.om.hu
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Public Utility Network Hungary
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More than 7000 broadband access points,
This huge network capacity opens the possibility
for:
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Voice Over IP solutions,
for central authentication and authorization,
for streaming,
for video conferencing,
for GRID computing and first of all:
for eLearning
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eLearning Initiative
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to equip all classrooms with a fast Internet
connection by the end of 2002,
Hungarian results
60% of existing PC labs are connected
300 wireless network has been given out to
secondary schools this spring as a trial for a
wide range of program which aims to cover all
schools with broadband wireless access by the
end of 2006.
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eLearning Initiative
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to connect all schools to research networks by
the end of 2002,
Hungarian results
All higher educational institutions’ network are
also part of the GEANT, the European
research network.
www.om.hu
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eLearning Initiative
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to achieve a ratio of 5-15 pupils per multimedia
computer by 2004,
EU average
10 pupils per off-line computer compared with.
The number of pupils per online computer has
fallen from 25 to 17, although there are wide
variations around these averages across
Member States.
www.om.hu
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eLearning Initiative
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to achieve a ratio of 5-15 pupils per multimedia
computer by 2004,
Hungarian results
The ratio of pupil/online computer was 20 last
year. By the end of 2005 it will fall to 12 by
connecting the schools, and decrease further
down with opening new computer labs.
www.om.hu
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ICT in frontal teaching
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Mobile, digital presentation equipment („digital
trolley”)
www.om.hu
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ICT in frontal teaching
1100 mobile, digital presentation tool („digital trolley”) for all
secondary schools
 Contents:
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1 laptop
1 projector
Amplifier, speaker, microphone
VHS, DVD
Keeping box
Responsible for this project: Ministry of Informatics and
Communications.
www.om.hu
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Tax deduction from ICT equipment
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Schoolnet Express Program
Anyone who buys a PC, can deduct 50% of the
price up to 240 euros each year as part of a
direct tax deduction program.
35 000 new computers,
50 000 upgraded computers in 2003.
More than 150 000 new computers needed
yearly to bridge the gap between EU average
and Hungarian average in home computers.
www.om.hu
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ICT equipment in schools
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The Ministry of Education plans to start a
normative financing program in 2005 for
educational institutions to make them able to
develop and to maintain ICT infrastructure.
www.om.hu
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eLearning Initiative
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to ensure the availability of support services
and educational resources on the Internet,
together with on-line learning platforms for
teachers, pupils and parents, by the end of
2002,
Hungarian results:
Sulinet Portal
Sulinet Digital Knowledge Base
Sulinet curriculum
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Sulinet Digital Knowledge Base
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Digitalized teaching materials for K 7-12.
Examples, animations, demonstration films,
Supplementary data bases, background
information,
Methodological assistance, lecture drafts,
Opportunity for individual editing and content
forming
Forum, chat, collaborative opportunities.
www.om.hu
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Sulinet Digital Knowledge Base
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Instructor
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Utilization of prepared, team or individually developed
output,
Consultation, restructuring of the subject,
Cooperative work in class or project task.
Student
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Individual learning,
Background for preparation (home essay,
presentations etc.),
Collaborative, cooperative learning,
Content development individually or in cooperation.
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eLearning Initiative
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to support the evolution of school curricula with
integrating new learning methods based on
ICT by the end of 2002,
Hungarian approach:
Human Resource Operative Programme is
responsible for building up the skills of Life
Long Learning in the pedagogical methodology
reform in primary and secondary education on
a competency based way until 2006.
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Lifelong learning
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Skills, competences backing continuous
studying process should be the focus of
education:
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Intelligent learning
Digital literacy
Problem solving skills
Communication skills
Social and career building competencies
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eLearning Initiative
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to start training at all levels, especially by
promoting digital literacy and the general
availability of appropriate training for teachers,
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EU results:
50% teachers officially trained in the use of PCs
40% in how to use the Internet,
90% teachers use a computer at home,
80% have an Internet connection at home.
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www.om.hu
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eLearning Initiative
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to start training at all levels, especially by
promoting digital literacy and the general
availability of appropriate training for teachers,
Hungarian results:
Most of the teachers don’t have computers at home,
Only 10% of the teachers use computers regularly in
the classroom,
Less then 1% use computers daily,
Teacher training program modules are ready on the
field of basic ICT knowledge and using ICT in
education,
Mass training has started in 2004.
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eLearning Initiative
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Creating appropriate conditions for the
development of content, services and learning
environments.
Opening the market
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Other relevant issues
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Administration
Authentication, authorization
Access control
Unified Educational Identification Number
Foreign language teaching
Year of Language Learning
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Four pillars of ICT in education
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Internet access – fast, inexpensive, and readily
available connectivity,
Hardware and Software – provision of suitable
infrastructure,
Skills and competencies, necessary for making
full use of technology and finally,
Content provision, to communicate current and
authentic knowledge.
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Learning in 2010
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Interactive process,
Knowledge building communities,
Learn and share at the same time,
Increase equity and understanding,
Altering the whole infrastructure of teaching.
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Barriers of digital content
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Overwhelming majority of English content and lack of
content in other national languages, especially those of
minorities,
Lack of response to teachers’ needs,
Missing standards about how to define educational
content in a pedagogical way,
Lack of pedagogical methodology for using ICT in the
classroom,
Missing appropriate standards about how to define
content in a technical way,
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Barriers of digital content
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Missing international accreditation system for
educational content,
Few standardised Content Management Systems,
Lack of experience and practice in educational
publishing companies,
Limited government subsidy for the publication of digital
educational content,
Unregulated property- and copyright management.
www.om.hu
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Possible solutions
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Making common market requires more than
open coordination.
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Standardization,
legal clearing, and
identifying common needs.
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www.om.hu
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Clearinghouses
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monitor and
evaluate products,
publicise best practice and
catalyse further development in the field.
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All digital databases and digital content
developed within the framework of EU-cofunded projects should be made available
free of charge for all citizens for noncommercial and educational purposes.
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The solution in the long run not the
sharing of centrally developed content for
free, but a healthy, self determining
content market.
However such a market can not evolve
without the help of central regulations and
demand creating investments.
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Proposal
The establishment of National Clearinghouses for
Educational Content, that will
 collect,
 catalogue,
 clear for copyright,
 evaluate, and
 eventually translate best examples of digital
teaching aids into different languages.
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Proposal
European Centre for Exchange of Digital
Educational Content
 This Centre should provide the EU member
states with recommendations:
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on defining and classifying educational content,
on suggested technical standards
on suggested meta data system
on managing property right issues
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Proposal
European Centre for Exchange of Digital
Educational Content
 This Centre should provide the EU member
states with recommendations:
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on international accreditation of digital educational
content
on sharing best practices about learning content
management systems and content
on unified applying for eContent tenders
on establishing national clearinghouses.
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Proposal
European Centre for Exchange of Digital
Educational Content
 The Centre should provide the Committees of
the Council with:
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recommendations on eContent tenders
recommendations on eLearning tenders
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We would like to invite governments and
major commercial software and content
producers in Europe to consider
supporting these proposals to take some
steps forward to the foundations of a
sustainable and developing market for
eLearning services.
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Thank you for your attention!
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