Draft COUNCIL RESOLUTION relating to educational multimedia software in the fields of education and training
Date: 1996-03-26
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: communications industry, education policy, information technology, software, vocational training

COMMISSION  OF THE  EUROPEAN  COMMUNITIES 

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Brussels,  26 03  1096 
COM(96)  120  final 

Draft 

COUNCIL  RESOLUTION 

relating to educational  multimedia  software  in the fields of education and training 

(presented  by the  Commission) 

£XPUANATQRY,,MO^BAN&UM 

Preparing  the people of Europe  for the  information  society  has become a priority, particularly  in 
education.  Accordingly,  a research/industry  Task  Force  "Multimedia  educational  software"  was 
set  up  in  March  1995  by  the  Commission  and  provided  an  opportunity  to  take  stock  of  the 
current  situation  as  regards  educational  multimedia  and  to  draft  a  tentative  plan  of  action  to 
strengthen  the  research  effort  in  this  field  through  the  research  and  technological  development 
actions of the fourth  framework  programme  (1994-1998), to allow the users concerned  to  derive 
the best possible  advantages  from  the new technologies  in the context  of education  and  training, 
to  improve  the  effectiveness  of  European  research,  and  to  give  a  boost  to  the  European 
educational  multimedia  industry. 

A number  of observations on the current  situation  emerged  from  this exercise. 

Firstly,  multimedia  educational  software  offers  vast  potential  for  teaching  and  people  in  the 
education  sector  are  key  figures  for  the  multimedia  industry.  Teachers  and  trainers  are 
responsible  for  a  whole  range  of  tasks  which  cannot  be  taken  over  by  machines.  Teachers 
discuss  and  exchange  ideas  with  their  pupils.  They  stimulate,  assess  and  adapt  teaching  routes. 
They  analyse and  select  from  among  the resources available. The great  advantage  of multimedia 
is  its  interactivity  whether  for  local  or distance  learning,  and  experiments  in  progress  show  that 
it  offers  additional  dimensions.  Multimedia  permits  an  original  presentation  of  knowledge  and 
the creation  of a virtual  environment  which  gives students an  idea of the  effects  of their  actions. 
interpersonal 
In  combination  with 
communication,  a  collective  tool  which  is  essential  to  the  learning  process.  Furthermore, 
multimedia  offers  fresh  prospects  for  providing  a  growing  percentage  of  the  population  with 
access  lo  a  good  level  of  general  education  and  to  solid  vocational  training,  and  for  renewing 
knowledge  and  skills in a context  of increasing  specialisation  and  complexity. 

it  provides  a  capacity 

telematics  networks, 

for 

A  second  Task  Force  observation  is that  the  European  Union  has to  make  the  best possible  use 
of expertise  in this area and  foster  co-operation  between  all those in the Member  States who  are 
involved  in these developments. A research  and  incentive drive is needed to turn the potential  of 
multimedia  educational  software  into  tangible  teaching  benefits  and  achievement.  This  drive 
should  focus  in  particular  on  better  co-ordination  of  Community  programmes,  be  they  R &D 
programmes,  programmes  dealing  with  the production  of multimedia  contents  or education  and 
training  programmes,  in  complementarity  with  national  action.  The  Structural  Funds  and  the 
resources  allocated to the  trans-European  networks could  also make a useful  contribution  to  this 
drive. 

The  Task  Force's  stocktaking  exercise  also  reveals  a  patchy  and  generally  unsatisfactory 
situation  at  present  as  regards  the  provision  oi' multimedia  educational  equipment  and  software 
in education  and  training  establishments.  There  is even  a serious  risk  that  home  equipment  will 
overtake  the  level  of  equipment  in  educational  establishments,  meaning  that  the  children  from 
low-income  families  will  be  left  on  the  fringes  of  developments.  Wider  access  to  the  new 
information  and  training  media  in  schools  and  in all  places of  learning  is a challenge  which  has 
to be met  if we are to avoid  a two-tier society divided  by  unequal  access to technologies. 

These three broad observations prompt recommendations concerning: 

research and the choice of priorities in collaboration with consumers and industry 
the design of multimedia educational  software 
the training of teachers and trainers 
the  infrastructure  of  equipment  and  services  for  users,  teachers  or  trainers,  and  the 
dissemination of best practice 

Co-ordinated  and  targeted  research  on  the  teaching  environment  offered  by  multimedia 
technology  should  make  it possible  to  better understand  the  teaching  issues  inherent  in  these 
developments and to tailor supply to demand. 

User requirements should be taken into account in the design of multimedia tools, services and 
applications at the outset, so that software  can be customised to the teaching process. Pupil and 
teacher must be at the heart of this process of designing multimedia applications and services. 

The training of teachers and users in the broad sense is essential and due account has to be taken 
of the specific roles of the teacher, the trainer, the pupil and the student in the use of multimedia 
educational  software,  also  paying  attention  to  the  fundamental  contribution  of  initial  and 
continuing  teacher  training  structures.  Multimedia  technology  could  make  dissemination  of 
teaching  and  organisational  innovation  easier  e.g.  new  patterns  of  organisation  for  school  or 
outside school learning or teaching methods at all levels. 

Infrastructures  are  essential.  A  good  level  of  appropriate  multimedia  equipment  is  a 
precondition  for the successful  introduction  of multimedia: at school, university  and  all places 
of education and training. This equipment should be defined  as a function  of its suitability to the 
teaching  environment  and the  funding  context. New ways of access to resources  and  funding 
should  be  devised.  The  establishment  of  multimedia  and  distance  support  centres,  the 
development  of  co-operation  networks,  the  development  of  forums  of  evaluation  and 
demonstration would be a useful  way to disseminate good practice. 

The  effectiveness  of  these  measures  presupposes  synergy  between  all  the  players  concerned: 
teachers,  families,  local  authorities,  heads  of  establishments,  of  associations  and  companies, 
pupils,  students  and  employees,  in  arriving  at  a  general  consensus  on  the  objectives  to  be 
attained at these different  levels. Solid school-enterprise partnerships should be negotiated in the 
interests  of  mutually  advantageous  relationships  under  flexible  and  adaptable  contracts.  In 
particular, telecommunications  operators and service providers should be encouraged  to try out 
innovatory  technological  solutions  and  pricing  structures,  in  conjunction  with  the  education 
authorities, teachers, parents and students. 

Specific  measures  are  needed  for  children  and  students  from  disadvantaged  environments, 
underachievers,  disabled  people,  pupils  or  students  in  rural  areas,  the  unemployed  and  the 
employees of small firms. 

Specific  actions  could  be  envisaged,  as  part  of  international  co-operation,  under  existing 
programmes  and  in  relation  with  specific  aid  programmes  for  the  countries  of  Central  and 

Eastern  Europe,  and  the  countries  of the  Mediterranean  basin,  as  well  as  third  countries,  in  the 
light  of the experience  gained  during  the PHARE  programme  in the field of Open  and  Distance 
learning. 

Article  126  of  the  Treaty  creating  the  European  Community,  which  allows  for  encouragement 
of  distance  learning  under  the  heading  of  the  general  objectives  of  co-operation  in  education, 
and  respecting  the  principle  of  subsidiarity  as  regards  the  content  and  organisation  of 
educational  systems,  does  not  allow  the  proposal  of  a  legally  binding  text.  This  is  why  the 
Commission  proposes  the  adoption  of a resolution  seeking  to  lay  the  foundations  of  profitable 
and  lasting  co-operation  on  questions  are which  are essential  to the future  of education  systems 
in  Europe.  It  also  purports  to  encourage  and  support  the  education  authorities  in  the  Member 
States  in  any  action  they  take  in  this  area.  Lastly,  it  seeks  to  achieve  better  co-ordination  on 
these  issues  following  the  recommendations  of  the  Task  Force  "Multimedia  educational 
software". 

Council  resolution 

of 

relating to educational  multimedia software  in the fields  of education and  training 

THE  COUNCIL  OF THE EUROPEAN  UNION, 

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European  Community, 

Having regard to the draft  resolution submitted by the European  Commission, 

Having  regard  to  action  to  support  the  development  of  high  quality  education  through  co 
operation between the Member  States, while respecting their responsibilities  in this area, 

Having regard  to Decision No  819/95/EC of the European  Parliament  and  of the  Council  of  14 
March  1995 establishing the Community  action programme  SOCRATES (1) 

Having  regard  to  Council  Decision  94/819/EC  of  6  December  1994  establishing  an  action 
programme  for  the  implementation  of  a  European  Community  vocational  training  policy 
(LEONARDO DA VINCI) (2); 

Having  regard  to Decision  818/95/CE of the  European  Parliament  and the Council  of  14 March 
1995 regarding the adoption  of the third phase of the "YOUTH  FOR EUROPE" programme (3). 

Whereas  Decision  No  1110/94/EC  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of the  Council  of  26  April 
1994 concerning  the fourth  framework  programme  of the European  Community  activities  in the 
field  of  research  and  technological  development  and  demonstration  (1994-1998),  also  makes 
provision  for  research  in  the  area  of  the  application  of  information  and  communication 
technologies  in responding to common  social needs (4) 

Whereas  Commission  communication  COM  (96)  12 final  concerning  the  draft  decision  of  the 
European  Parliament  and  the Council  regarding  the second  amendment  to decision  1 i 10/94/CE 
relating  to  the  fourth  framework  programme  for  research,  technological  development  and 
demonstration  (1994-1998),  makes  provision  for  an  increase  in  the  global  amount  of  the 
Community's  financial  contribution  to  the  fourth  framework  programme,  and  the  allocution  of 
financial  resources to activities relating to educational  multimedia  software. 

OJNoL87of2G.04.1995,  p. 10 
OJ No L 340 of 29.12 1994, p.  8 
OJ No L 87 of 20.04.1995, p.  1 
OJNoL  126 of  18.05.1994, p.  1 

Having  regard  to  Council  Decision  94/802/EC  of  23  November  1994  adopting  a  specific 
programme  for  research  and technological  development,  including demonstration,  in the field  of 
information  technologies (1994-1998) (5) 

Having  regard  to  Council  Decision  94/801/EC  of  23  November  1994  adopting  a  specific 
programme  for  research  and technological  development,  including  demonstration,  in the field  of 
telematics applications of common  interest (1994-1998) (6) 

Having  regard  to  Council  Decision  94/915/EEC  of  15  December  1994  adopting  a  specific 
programme  of research  and  technological  development,  including  demonstration,  in the  field  of 
targeted  socio-economic  research (1994-1998) (7) 

Having  regard  to the  Commission  proposal  of  30 June  1995  for  a Council  Decision  adopting  a 
multi-annual  Community  programme  to  stimulate  the  development  of  a  European  multimedia 
content  industry  and  to  encourage  the  use  of  multimedia  content  in  the  emerging  information 
society  (INFO 2000) (8) 

Having  regard  to Council  Decision  95/563/EC  of  10 July  1995 on the  adoption  of the  (MEDIA 
the 
II  -development  and  distribution)  programme 
dissemination  of  European  audio-visual  works  (9),  and  the  Council  decision  95/564/CE  of  22 
December  1995  on 
the  adoption  of  a  training  programme  for  professionals  in  the  European 
audio-visual  industry  (MEDIA  II - training) (10) 

the  development  and 

to  encourage 

Having  regard  to  Council  resolution  of  4  April  1995  on  "culture  and  multimedia",  which 
recognised  the  urgency  of  taking  action  to  support  the  establishment  and  development  of  a 
market  in cultural  multimedia whilst respecting  Europe's linguistic and cultural diversity  (11 ), 

Having  regard  to the Commission's  White  Paper  Growth,  competitiveness  and  employment:  the 
challenges  and  ways forward  into  the 21st  century,  which  stresses the  importance  of  education 
and training  as catalysts in a changing  society (12) 

Having  regard  to  the  Communication  from  the  Commission  to  the  Council,  the  European 
Parliament,  the  Economic  and  Social  Committee  and  the  Committee  of the  Regions  "Towards 
the information  society  in Europe: a plan of action" (13) 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

II 

12 

13 

OJ No L 334 of 22.12.1994, p. 24 
OJ No L 334 of 22.12.1994, p. 1 
OJ No L 361 of 31.12.1994, p. 77 
OJ No C 250 of 26.09.1995, p. 4 
OJ No L 321 of 30.12.1995, p. 25 
OJ No L 321 of 30.12.1995, p. 33 
OJ No C 247 of 23.09.1995 
COM (93) 700 final,05.12.1993 
COM (94) 347 final,  19.07.1994 

Taking  note  of  the  outcome  of  the  G7  meeting  in  Brussels  on  25-26  February  1995  on  the 
information  society  and  particularly  the  recommendations  on  pilot  projects  in  the  area  of 
transcultural education and training; 

Having regard to the potential offered  by the use of educational multimedia for third  countries 
in the interest of international co-operation, and in particular the countries of central and eastern 
Europe, the countries of the Mediterranean basin, and developing countries, 

Taking  note  of  the  two  reports  of  June  and  December  1995  from  the  advisory  group  on 
competitiveness  forwarded  to the  President  of the  Commission  and  to the  heads  of  state  and 
government on the improvement of European competitiveness; 

Taking  note  of the  report  of  the  Task  Force  "Multimedia  educational  software",  which  takes 
stock  of the  situation  as regards this software  in Europe  and proposes  a plan of action  in  this 
area; 

Having  regard  to  the  White  Paper  Teaching  and learning:  towards the  learning society (14) 
which  recommends  inter  alia  measures  to  encourage  the  development  of  multimedia 
instruments conducive to the acquisition of new knowledge by: 

launching  co-ordinated  calls  for  proposals  across  the  Community  programmes 
concerned; 
establishing a system to exploit to the full  and label European educational  software  and 
European  education  and  training  products  in order to boost the  dissemination  of these 
products; 

Having  regard  to  the  Communication  from  the  Commission  to  the  Council  the  European 
Parliament,  the  Economic  and  Social  Committee  and  the  Committee  of  the  Regions  on  a 
methodology  for  the  use  of  Community  resources  in  implementing  information  society 
applications  and  on  the  need  for  effective  co-ordination  between  research  and  educational 
programmes (15) 

Having regard to the advantages of joint action for the use of educational  multimedia  software 
in services in schools and training establishments in order to: 

improve  the quality  and  effectiveness  of education  and  training  systems,  inter alia by 
introducing new patterns of teaching; 

strengthen social cohesion by giving every person and every company, particularly those 
of the less-favoured  regions and the small and medium size enterprises, the means to be 
an active part of the information  society; 

COM(95) 590 final, 29.11.1995 
COM (95) 224, 31.05.1995 

make  teachers  and  students  aware  of  the  use  of  these  new  instruments  and  provide 
appropriate training; 

instigate  a  solid  partnership  between  educational  establishments  and  the  suppliers  of 
hardware,  software  and  services  with  a  view  to  creating  a  big  market  in  multimedia 
applications and services truly adapted to teaching needs: 

Whereas  the  use  of  software  and  multimedia  educational  services  requires  the  active 
participation of local authorities, schools and training establishments, teachers, trainers, and the 
business sector so that the best teaching methods can be tested and used; 

Having  regard  to  the  contribution  of multimedia  telematics  networks  in  linking  up  education 
and training establishments, teachers, pupils, and the outside world in order to provide access to 
information, exchange and compare ideas and teaching experience; 

Taking  note of the results obtained  within  Community  programmes,  and  of the richness  and 
diversity  of  actions  in  progress,  and  of  experience  acquired  by  the  Member  States  in  the 
development  and exchange  of methods relating to the use of information  and  communication 
technology for educational and training systems, 

CALLS UPON THE MEMBER STATES TO: 

develop the use of the new  information  and communication  technologies  in  education 
and training  systems as part of an enhanced  approach to teaching  methods which take 
full  account  of the teacher's role, give the student  a more active and participative role, 
customise learning, encourage a cross-curricular slant, and secure co-operation  between 
teachers in defining teaching projects and in responding to specific needs, 

step  up the training  of teachers  and trainers  in using  multimedia  software  and  on-line 
services and their use as tools to better prepare their teaching activities; special attention 
should be paid to the analysis and understanding  of the role of teachers and trainers, to 
providing  teachers  with the  results  of research  on  the  introduction  of multimedia  into 
teaching, to campaigns to show the benefits of multimedia, to support and promotion of 
teachers' initiatives, and to co-operation between teachers and the business sector on trial 
runs using multimedia products and services; 

encourage research activity, the creation and design of multimedia educational  software 
in  Europe,  particularly  under  partnerships  between  the  education  world,  editors  and 
multimedia companies, for: 

the development of methods for the design of multimedia teaching material, 
structures to support the development and adaptation  of educational  multimedia 
software, involving teachers and trainers in the design of these products; 
the definition  of appropriate software  licensing systems and the development of 
new ways to share resources; 

ways  of  opening  up  access  to  multimedia  libraries  for  schools  and  training 
establishments while safeguarding intellectual property; 
the definition  of quality criteria and labels or appropriate means of recognition, 
inter alia  in  order  to  secure  synergy  with  multimedia  intended  for  the  home 
market and a satisfactory level of consumer protection; 

setting up the appropriate infrastructures  to guarantee to the greatest possible number of 
users access to hardware, software  and on-line multimedia services of good quality, as 
well  as to the  appropriate  training  and back-up. This  should  be  achieved  by  installing 
this  equipment  at  the  places  concerned,  i.e.  nursery,  primary  and  secondary  schools, 
universities, public  libraries, businesses, resource centres, socio-educational  centres  for 
young  people  and  families,  associations,  etc.  Special  attention  should  be  paid  to 
developing  multimedia  support  centres  and  to  communication  between  teachers  and 
education partners; and to training in its broadest sense. 

take specific steps to: 

introduce multimedia as a means of testing and encouraging flexible patterns of 
school  or  university  organisation,  in  order  to  increase  the  effectiveness  and 
dissemination of such instruments, 
favour the use of,  and access to educational multimedia software  in particular in 
catering  for  the  needs  of  young  people,  and  areas  which  are  disadvantaged, 
peripheral or suffering  from industrial decline; 

encourage the  dissemination  of best teaching  practice  based  on the use  of  multimedia 
educational  software  and  services, and  consider  the  establishment  or  consolidation  of 
demonstration and promotion forums on this basis; 

seek  out  the  most  efficient  management  methods  for  joint  action  at  European  level 
between  cultural,  educational  and  training  programmes  and  research  programmes; 
taking account of the possibilities offered  by the Structural Funds, 

produce  regular  progress  reports  on  the  implementation  of  multimedia  educational 
software in their education systems. 

CALLS UPON THE COMMISSION TO 

undertake a comparative analysis and follow up of the most advanced pilot experiments 
on the use of multimedia educational products and services in Europe and in the world, 
and disseminate the results of this analysis to the Member States; 

take account of the fields of education and training in the context of its overall initiatives 
on the information  society; 

use  all  the  potential  offered  by  multimedia  software  and  services  in  implementing 
Commission-driven  actions  in  the  areas  of  education,  training  and  culture,  including 

international  co-operation, particularly  with the countries of Central  and Eastern Europe 
and the Mediterranean countries; 

identify  and encourage common  services which could be developed  at European  level, 
including  information  on  products  and  their  evaluation,  the  establishment  of  links 
between  producers,  users  and  managers  of  education  and  training  systems  in  order  to 
secure good quality in the products and their use; 

establish  a  co-ordinated  approach  for  action  in  the  field  of  multimedia  educational 
software  under  the  different  Community  programmes  concerned  and  also  under  the 
telecommunications 
Structural  Funds  and  initiatives  to  develop  trans-European 
networks,  around  converging  objectives  and  pooling  of  budgetary  resources,  while 
respecting the procedures applicable; 

pay  special  attention  to the external  visibility  and  implementation  of this  co-ordinated 
approach  in  order  to  improve  the  quality  and  effectiveness  of  education  and  training 
systems, research and access to the employment market 

encourage full  use and dissemination  at European level of best teaching practice based 
on  the  use  of  multimedia  software  and  services;  making  as  much  use  as  possible  of 
existing structures at all levels; 

submit  no  later  than  31  December  1997  a  report  on  progress  achieved,  obstacles 
encountered  and  additional  action  needed  for  the  implementation  of  these  actions 
looking ahead to the year 2000. 

ISSN  0254-1475 

COM(96)  120 final 

DOCUMENTS 

EN 

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Catalogue number  :  CB-CO-96-130-EN-C 

ISBN 92-78-01820-1 

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