European Commission DG Education and Culture 1 NEW CHALLENGES AND PARTNERSHIPS IN AN ENLARGED EUROPEAN UNION Open, Distance and e-Learning in Support of

1European Commission

DG Education and Culture

NEW CHALLENGES AND PARTNERSHIPS IN AN ENLARGED EUROPEAN UNION

Open, Distance and e-Learningin Support of Modernisation, Capacity Building and

Regional DevelopmentEDEN 2004 Annual Conference

Budapest 16-19 June, 2004

eLearning: an answer to the challenge of the EU enlargement

Maruja Gutierrez DiazEuropean Commission



Education: a key to the future of the EU

Europe to become a worldwide quality reference in education & training by 2010 Barcelona European Council, March 2002

The European Union: 25 Member States

Dublin 1st May 2004

Strategic goals for education & training: Quality, Access and Openness to the wider world Stockholm European Council, March 2001

“…the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world, capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion”

Lisbon European Council, March 2000



Education & Training 2010

• A shared work programme for adapting education and training systems to the knowledge society

• Three core objectives:• Enhancing quality• Increasing accessibility• Connecting to society

• ICT as a lever and as an essential tool



Education and Training 2010 Success hinges on urgent reforms (1/2)

• Rates of early school leavers still too high

• In 2002 almost 20% 18-24 yrs had only lower secondary education

• Too few graduates in scientific and technological fields

• And still 2-4 times more men than women in science

• Completion of upper secondary education could be better

• In 2002 only 76% of 22 yrs old completed upper 2nd school

Joint interim report of Council and Commission

COM (2003) 685 final, Official Journal 30 April 2004 2004/C 104/1



EARLY SCHOOL LEAVERSShare of the population aged 18-24

with only lower secondary education and not in education or training (2002)



Education and Training 2010

Early school leavers

Share of the population aged 18-24with only lower secondary education and not in education or training (2002)



GRADUATES IN MATHS, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGYTotal number of tertiary (ISCED 5A, 5B and 6) graduatesfrom mathematic, science and technology fields (2001)




Graduates in maths, science and technology

Total number of tertiary (ISCED 5A, 5B and 6) graduatesfrom mathematic, science and technology fields (2001)



COMPLETION OF UPPER SECONDARY EDUCATIONPercentage of those aged 22 who have successfully completed

at least upper secondary education (ISCED 3), 20021




Completion of upper secondary education

Percentage of those aged 22 who have successfully completedat least upper secondary education (ISCED 3), 20021



Education and Training 2010 Success hinges on urgent reforms (2/2)

• Young people failing to acquire key competences

• Nearly 20% of young people don’t have key competencies

• Shortage of qualified teachers and trainers is looming

• 27% primary & 37% secondary teachers are more than 50 yrs old

• Too few adults participating in lifelong learning

• In 2002 participation rate was only 8.5%

Joint interim report of Council and Commission COM (2003) 685 final, Official Journal 30 April 2004 2004/C 104/1



KEY COMPETENCIESPercentage of pupils with reading literacy proficiency level 1 and lower

on the PISA reading literacy scale), 2000




Key competencies

Percentage of pupils with reading literacy proficiency level 1 and loweron the PISA reading literacy scale), 2000



PARTICIPATION IN LIFELONG LEARNING

Percentage of population aged 25-64 participating in education and trainingin 4 weeks prior to the survey (2002)




Participation in lifelong learningPercentage of population aged 25-64 participating in education and training in 4 weeks prior to the survey (2002)

European Union prior to enlargement

New Member States

Enlarged European Union

Data source: Eurostat, Labour force survey

12

1 prior to enlargement2 after enlargement

7.9




Public expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP, 2000




Total expenditure on educational institutions per pupil/student by level of educationrelative to GDP per capita (2000)



Enlargement and education:a different kind of challenge

• The open method of co-ordination analysis and monitoring of common concerns

• Benchmarking and peer learning facilitating exchanges of experience and of good practice

• Education and training programmes strengthening and extending partnerships

• eLearning and distance education exploring new opportunities together



eLearning in Education & Training 2010

• The ICT working group:• Member States • Education stakeholders • Relevant organisations: OECD, IEA• A selection of 40 good practices• A selection of 40 good policies• A set of recommendations

• New framework programme for lifelong learning• ICT as a horizontal line for innovation



eLearning in Education & Training 2010

Four recommendations of the ICT group:

• Embed ICT policies and strategies into long term educational objectives

• Ensure new support services for education• Empower educational actors and train them for the

management of change • Develop research, establish new indicators and

provide access to results



Making Lisbon come true: the eLearning initiative

• 2000: The eLearning initiative• A declaration of political will• An essential component of eEurope

• 2001: The eLearning Action Plan• Action through partnership

• 2002: The eLearning Programme• Supporting take-up



Exploratory actions The eLearning initiative

• 2001: assesing demand • 11 demonstration projects + 4 strategic studies

• 2002: exploring new priorities• 20 demonstration projects; 4 projects on quality; 16 media literacy projects

• 2003: supporting sharing and networking• 8 peer-reviews; 18 thematic networks; 4 observatories; 16 media literacy projects + 3 strategic studies

96 pilot projects and 7 strategic studies



Action through partnershipThe eLearning Action Plan

The eLearning Action Plan helps to co-ordinate community actions concerned with e-learning, mobilising the educational and cultural communities, as well as the economic and social players in Europe

Four action lines :• Infrastructures and equipment• Training at all levels• European quality contents and services• European co-operation, networking and dialogue



Fostering communication

between e-learning

communities:

The eLearning Portal

elearningeuropa.infoGrand W

inner 2004, Global In

itiative Awards

announced at the Bologna children's book fair



Supporting take-upThe eLearning Programme

Four areas of action:• Promoting digital literacy 10 %• European Virtual Campuses 30 %• eTwinning of European schools 45 %• Transversal actions 10 %

44 Million Euro for three years (2004-2006)



The eLearning experience:some conclusions

Integration of ICT in education has moved• From awareness to take-up• From research to practice• From hesitation to endorsement

The new stage requires focussing on• Understanding: Observation, analysis, research• Mainstreaming: at all learning levels / for all users• Creativity: new contents and services



Understanding e-learning:still a long way to go

• Some encouraging results, but:• Lack of a common understanding of basic concepts:

e-learning, digital literacy, relevant output indicators• Lack of comparable and timely data, • Lack of adequate and affordable tools

• Information on whether the integration of ICT is attaining its objectives is required to enlighten decision makers on the interest and importance of investing in ICT



eLearning policy:a need for an integrated approach

Lifelong learning, formal and informal learningeLearning as a common thread, linking different levels of learning and different types of learners

Research and practiceFostering technological, pedagogical, socio-economic and, in particular, user-oriented action research

Supply and demand Building a solid demand, creating fair conditions for supply, exploiting and sharing public resources



eLearning perspectives:a reason to continue

eLearning can be a key contribution to:

• Empowerment: people, institutions, companies• Equity: personal, social, geographical• Productivity: personal, social, economic• Creativity: innovation, imagination, change• Embedding an European dimension in education



Thank you for your attention !

e-mail : [email protected]

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European Commission DG Education and Culture 1 NEW CHALLENGES AND PARTNERSHIPS IN AN ENLARGED EUROPEAN UNION Open, Distance and e-Learning in Support of