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No C 265/28 Official Journal of the European Communities 5. 10. 87

Proposal for a Council Regulation on a Community action in the field of learning technology
—Developing European learning through technological advance (DELTA)—Pilot phase

_COM(87) 353 final_

_(Submitted by the Commission_ _to the Council on 12 August 1987)_

(87/C 265/03)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing up the European Economic Community, and in particular Article 130Q (2) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and
Social Committee,

In cooperation with the European Parliament,

Whereas the Community has as its task, by establishing
a common market and progressively approximating
the economic policies of Member States, to promote
throughout the Community a harmonious development
of economic activity and close relations between the
Member States;

Whereas education and training will play a decisive role
in the future economic development of the Community;
whereas advanced information and telecommunications
technologies offer new and more effective means to
support learning activities;

Whereas the Heads of State and Government, meeting
in Stuttgart, Athens, Fontainebleau and Brussels,
emphasized the importance of strengthening the technology base and competitiveness of industry and have
underlined the necessity of making better use of human
resources by means of increased cooperation between
higher education and industry;

Whereas the Heads of State or of Government in their
meeting of 28 and 29 June 1985 approved and endorsed
the Commission memorandum on the strengthening of
technological cooperation in Europe covering, among
priority subjects on which to propose action, the technologies of education and training;

Whereas the European Parliament has emphasised
repeatedly the importance it sees in education and training for the future economic and social welfare of the
Community, and adopted in May 1983 a resolution (*)
calling for greater efforts in education and training;

whereas the Parliament adopted on 11 November 1986
a resolution inviting the Commission to prepare a programme for the utilization of technology in education ( [2] );

Whereas the Economic and Social Committee has
stressed the importance of using new information and
telecommunication technologies to maintain a highly
skilled workforce capable of adapting to changing job
requirements, thereby making a contribution to the
reduction of unemployment caused by lack of skills;

Whereas the framework programme for Community
actions in respect of research and technological development (1987 to 1991) envisages the utilisation of the
technologies of information, telecommunications and
broadcasting in the interests of new services of common
interest under its second heading 'Towards a large
market and a society based on information and communication'; whereas the framework programme contains special provision for a Community action in the
field of educational technology;

Whereas the demand for education and training is
steadily mounting, increases in diversity and requires
improvements in accessibility; whereas progress in
learning technology coincides with the emergence of
advanced communications services and equipment
which can be harnessed, at incremental cost, to support
learning and thus to enable demand for training and
retraining to be met more economically;

Whereas learning technology represents a strategically
important growth area for equipment and services
world-wide, being the subject of strongly focussed
development and investment efforts by other regions;

Whereas national and Community actions in information technologies, telecommunications and standardization lay the ground for introducing advanced
learning support, yet additional efforts will be required
to realise the full potential of this new field;

(') OJ No C 135, 24. 5. 1983. ( [2] ) OJ No C 322, 15. 12. 1986.

5. 10. 87 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 265/29

Whereas the Council has adopted the programme
Comett (86/365/EEC) strengthening industry-university
cooperation in education and training including the
encouragement of distance learning, and that the
Comett programme would benefit from improvements
in the technologies, tools, equipment and infrastructure
required to support distance learning(*);

Whereas preparatory investigations on behalf of the
Commission have laid the groundwork for a programme of work responding to the trends of expert
opinion in the Member States; whereas the presentation
of this work has attracted a full representation from
academia, industry and publishing; whereas a peer
group of academic advisers has contributed to the formulation of a preliminary plan of work;

Whereas the DELTA pilot phase will benefit from the
results of ESPRIT and RACE as well as the on-going
efforts in standardization;

Whereas the Scientific and Technical Research Committee (Crest) has expressed its opinion,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

_Article 1_

1. A pilot phase of a Community action in the field
of learning technologies, hereinafter referred to as
'DELTA', is adopted for an initial period of 18 months
commencing 1 December 1987.

2. The action is designed to stimulate incremental
research and development which will enable new technologies to be incorporated in the tools and infrastructure supporting advanced learning, in particular open
and distance learning, in the Community. The action
will be based on concertation with and coordination of
the corresponding activities of the Member States of
the Community, in order to make available to the final
users, at minimum cost and with minimum delay, the
learning equipment and systems which will enable an
increased demand for education, training and retraining
to be met in the most economical way.

_Article 2_

The action shall consist of pre-normative and precompetitive technology exploration as required for the
objective of concerting European efforts in the domain
of learning technology. The field of application of the

(') OJ No L 222, 8. 8. 1986, p. 17.

action is given in the Annex. The Commission shall
ensure that DELTA is developed in coordination with
other actions at Community and national levels.

_Article 3_

1. The detailed objectives of the action to be undertaken are defined in a work plan to be adopted under
the procedure set out in Article 7.

2. The evaluation of projects is carried out by the
Commission having regard to the objectives defined in
the Annex and in the work plan. The eligibility of
projects involving a research and development effort
exceeding 50 man-years is to be decided under the
procedure set out in Article 7. For other projects the
results of the evaluation will be brought to the notice
of the Committee referred to in Article 6.

3. Projects relating to the action shall be executed
by means of shared cost contracts to be concluded by
the Commission with industrial enterprises, publishing
houses, universities, research institutes and other organisations established in the Community. Contractors
shall be expected to bear a substantial proportion of
the costs, which should normally be at least 50% of
the total expenditure.

4. The proposals for projects shall, as a general
rule, be submitted in reply to an invitation to tender
published in the _Official Journal of the European_ _Com-_
_munities_ and involve the participation of at least two
independent partners not all established in the same
Member State. One of the partners shall be a commercial undertaking.

5. In exceptional cases where the call for tenders has
not resulted in a satisfactory response, in case of
urgency or in cases where the call for tenders is not
the right procedure in point of cost-effectiveness, the
decision may be taken, in accordance with the procedure set out in Article 7, to derogate from the principles set out in paragraphs 3 and 4.

_Article 4_

Where Framework Agreements for scientific and technical cooperation between non-Community European
countries and the European Community have been concluded, organizations and enterprises established in
these countries may become partners to a project undertaken within this programme.

_Article 5_

1. The funds estimated as necessary for the Community contribution to the execution of the pilot phase
amount to 20 million ECU over 18 months, including

No C 265/30 Official Journal of the European Communities 5. 10. 87

expenditure on staff (nine A, two B, four C temporary
officials).

2. The indicative allocation of these funds is set out

in the Annex.

_Article 6_

1. The Commission shall ensure that the action is
properly performed and shall take the measures necessary to this end, without prejudice to the procedures
provided for in Article 3.

2. The Commission shall be assisted in the execution
of its tasks by a Committee, composed of two representatives from each Member State and chaired by a representative of the Commission, hereinafter referred to
as 'the Committee'.

The members of the Committee can call on the assistance of experts or advisors according to the nature of
the problems under study.

The proceedings of the Committee shall be confidential.
The Committee shall adopt its own internal procedures.
The Commission shall provide the secretariat of the
Committee.

3. The Commission may consult the Committee on
any matter within the field of application of the present
Regulation.

_Article 7_

1. Where the procedure laid down in this Article is to
be followed, the chairman shall refer to the Committee a
draft of the measures to be adopted. The Committee
shall deliver its opinion on this draft within a time limit
set by the chairman in relation to the urgency of the
matter. This shall normally be one month and in no
case shall be longer than two months. The opinion is
delivered by the majority specified in Article 148 (2) of
the Treaty for decisions which the Council is required
to adopt on a proposal from the Commission. In the
Committee the votes of the representatives of the Member States are weighted as indicated in that Article. The
chairman does not vote.

2. The Commission shall adopt the measures under
consideration when they are in accordance with the
opinion of the Committee. When the measures under
consideration are not in accordance with the opinion
of the Committee or in the absence of an opinion, the

Commission shall submit to the Council without delay
a proposal relating to the measures to be taken. The
Council shall decide by a qualified majority.

3. If, after the expiry of a period of one month
following the Council's consideration of the matter, the
Council has not taken a decision, the proposed
measures shall be adopted by the Commission.

_Article 8_

The result of the action shall be reviewed by the Commission after 12 months. The Commission shall report
to the Council and the European Parliament on the
results of this review, together with any proposals for
modification or prolongation of the action which the
Commission deems appropriate.

_Article 9_

1. With regard to the coordination activities provided for in Article 1 (2), the Member States and the
Commission shall exchange all appropriate information
to which they have access and which they are free to
disclose concerning activities in the areas covered by
this Regulation, whether or not planned or carried out
under their authority.

2. Information shall be exchanged according to a
procedure to be defined by the Commission after consulting the Committee, and shall be treated as confidential at the supplier's request.

_Article 10_

This Regulation shall enter into force on 1 December
1987.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and
directly applicable in all Member States.

_ANNEX_

INTRODUCTION

The scope and precise objectives of the pilot phase of DELTA are set out in this Annex. The programme
relates to pre-normative and pre-competitive research and development on the basis of cost sharing.

The system approach to European learning which underlies this programme rests on three possible scenarios,
corresponding both to differing learning requirements and to user groups.

5. 10. 87 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 265/31

The first scenario relates to professional training within industry, commerce and academia. This environment
is very demanding but permits at the same time comparatively cost-intensive solutions.

The second scenario relates to the general adult user such as university students, further education and adults
as individual learners. The user, in this scenario, is more sensitive to systems cost, but also less demanding
than the professional user in terms of performance. Thus the potential demand is large, particularly taking
into account that the individual user is likely to be using his system for other leisure purposes in addition to
learning.

The third scenario relates to an examination of the requirements of the formal educational sector at the
primary and secondary levels. The demand expectation here is high, given that the second generation of
school systems will have a wider coverage than those of the first generation shortly due for replacement.
However, the achievement of this high volume will be a function of price; the challenge will be to find the
right combination of price and performance; European economies of scale will be a significant factor to this
end.

These scenarios—as an orientation of pre-competitive and pre-normative research and development—will
need to be taken into account generally in the course of the execution of the DELTA pilot phase. In the
framework of the learning system reference model they will be subject of special considerations on which
the concertation on learning requirements will be based (action line I).

1. Learning system reference model (action line I)

OBJECTIVE

The objective of action line I is to enable the use of Community resources for the advance of learning
technology to be optimised. To this end a learning system reference model (LSRM) will be developed, both
to support the work of planning and design and to help in the management of the system, including the
monitoring and feedback relating to user requirements, progress in learning technology and in telecommunications, standards, utilities and other factors impinging on learning systems.

The construction and maintenance of this model will include identification of the main components of the
learning system which DELTA aims to advance; the interrelation of these components and of the way in
which the key actors (employers, educators, the information industry, service providers) can participate.

2. Collaborative development of advanced learning technology (action line II)

OBJECTIVE

The overall objective here is to achieve incrementally, by the collaboration of the Community IT&T industry,
including publishers and academia, the design of systems and equipment to support Community-wide open
learning. This would be done incrementally by harnessing to learning systems advances already under
development for other purposes and by building on identified progress in the relevant technologies and
communication services over the coming decade.

2.1. _Learner environment_

To develop incrementally, on the basis of the personal computers and workstations available or in prospect,
the functional specifications of the additional equipment and interfaces required for a family of learner
stations able to cover the range of ascertained learner needs in:

-— the home environment,
— the business/professional environment,
-— the specialized environment.

The research and development will aim _inter alia_ at the interfaces which will allow the learner stations to
interact with videotex, video-disc, compact disc read-only memories, digital tape recorder, cable transmission,
DBS (direct broadcasting by satellite) and packet-switching networks. Full use will be made of enhanced
processing and memory addressing capability, and of developments in display technology and image processing. The design will incorporate a comprehensive 'HELP' function and allow for progressive enhancements
in performance to match advances in technology, and in particular for the utilisation in learning applications
of the integrated services digital network (ISDN) as it becomes available.

No C 265/32 Official Journal of the European Communities 5. 10. 87

— T r a i n i n g s e r v e r

Specifications would be developed for a training server that would, for a given establishment, provide
access to courseware and monitor the learning process. This research and development is designed to
meet the need of enterprises which intend to offer periodic or continuous training and retraining to their
staff using work stations and internal networks already developed for business purposes. The monitoring
function would progressively incorporate artificial intelligence as an interpreter of the needs and procedures
of individual learners connected to the system.

— L e a r n e r e x p e r t s y s t e m

Design and develop the shell of a learner expert system to reside in the learner station which, as an
enhancement of the HELP function, would apply the techniques of artificial intelligence to adapt the user
interface to the individual need of the learner and enable him/her to make more effective use of the

system.

— P e r s o n a l e l e c t r o n i c l i b r a r i e s

To develop the use of the CD-ROM, CD-I and/or the digital tape recorder in conjunction with the learner
work station for a personal electronic library. Artificial intelligence techniques would be developed so as
to match the organization of the data and the user interface to the ascertained needs of the learner.

This facility will be complementary to the extensive central data bases available to the learner. A possible
approach will include the establishment of a pilot video dictionary /encyclopaedia in a chosen field.

— E l e c t r o n i c n o t e b o o k

To develop initial specifications for a memory-oriented device as a portable extension of the work-station
and able to store, organize and retrieve information in text, image, audio, and graphic form. For maximum
portability the notebook may be based on semi-conductor and/or magnetic bubble memory devices and
will incorporate advances in light-weight power supplies.

2.2. _Authoring facility_

OBJECTIVE

A preliminary study has shown that significant economies of scale can be realized, and competition with
imported learning systems made more effective, if courseware can be produced and delivered on a Communitywide basis, rather than, as now, mainly on the scale of national markets. This implies as a first step a
determined effort to support the authoring process, by its nature very demanding in terms of originality and
inspiration, with all reasonable technological and logistical aids. Some of these will be independent of content;
others will be domain-related.

— S o f t w a r e w o r k b e n c h

Specification and design of a software workbench incorporating a macro or script control language to
speed up routine and repetitive tasks in the authoring process, and leading into an advanced facility
taking advantage of ISDN and satellites for distributed authoring functions and of artificial intelligence
in the form of expert system based on experience and good practice.

The intention here is to concentrate research and development resources in this field not on the production
of courseware and teacher training material as such but on the creation of the tools and other technological
supports which will reinforce on a European scale the production of the next generation of learning
material. This is a crucial and difficult task, and maximum use will be made of the research and
development efforts in this direction already undertaken by establishments in Member States.

_23._ _Learning material production_ _environment_

OBJECTIVE

The broadcast media already have at their disposal powerful tools for the generation and editing of their
material in such a way as to match presentation with human cognitive processes. These tools include
mixing, windowing, image manipulation and processing, 'painting', highlighting, voice-over, sound synthesis,

5. 10. 87 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 265/33

electronic music, additions of harmony, rhythm, and the facility of recording and storing the finished product
at high standards of fidelity and definition. Most of this can, by a production control language, be progressively
harnessed to courseware and programme production, at first in a dedicated facility, but increasingly by the
use of generally available equipment and communications.

— M u l t i - m e d i a i n t e g r a t i o n

Specification, development and simulated operation of a system harnessing to learning applications the
powerful tools now in use for high standard commercial production. Such a system would exploit
the possibilities of distributed authoring and production with the utilisation of new and enhanced
telecommunication facilites, including satellite links. It would look forward progressively to an intelligent
computer-integrated system incorporating accumulated experience and good practice.

2.4. _Tutoring and monitoring facilities_

OBJECTIVE

The tutor, not necessarily the same person as the author, will be academically responsible for the progress
of the learners under his care. Being remote from the learner he/she will need the means for pedagogic
interaction, on the basis of human factor analysis of the optimal design of remote tutoring and monitoring
facilities. There is no question of superseding the tutor, but rather of bringing to the tutoring function the
electronic, informatic and telecommunications aids which enhance its effectiveness.

— T u t o r i n g f a c i l i t y

To specify the communications facilities which will allow interaction during the learning process between
the tutor and the learner, e.g. by combining video with narrow-band services. It will be important to
achieve optimum regular speed of response on the part of the tutor as an encouragement to learner

progress.

— I n t e l l i g e n t m o n i t o r i n g of p e r f o r m a n c e

To develop the artificial intelligence techniques which help the tutor and his supporting staff to follow
constructively the progress of a large number of learners. The productivity of the learning process will
depend crucially on the feedback provided via these monitoring techniques.

2.5. _Information resource management_

OBJECTIVE

To support the effective organisation and management of the interactive access and exchange of learningrelated information and information resources, including catalogues of courseware and the courseware itself.

— O n - l i n e E u r o p e a n l e a r n i n g r e s o u r c e d i r e c t o r y

To develop and introduce the first generation of this directory, incorporating existing databases, but with
multilingual features and other 'HELP' facilities. This is a first step towards full interactive interworking
with central databases, in Europe and elsewhere, with a consistent access and formatting of information.

— I n t e l l i g e n t i n f o r m a t i o n a c c e s s i n g

Information access tools will be developed, based on an analysis of the needs of the learner and of the
problem of indexing and controlling a very large body of learner material including video. An important
challenge will be to make available a large volume of existing information held on different media,
including paper and microform. The ISDN should facilitate the remote accessing of knowledge bases
containing image as well as text and data.

In the immediate next generation of databases, access will be implemented by query languages approximating to normal phraseology and to some extent on query by content. This development will require to be
harnessed to the needs of learners, with, in addition, artificial intelligence aids which help both to interpret

No C 265/34 Official Journal of the European Communities 5. 10. 87

the learner's enquiry and also to improve the relevance of the information retrieved, both in quality and
in quantity, e.g. the level of aggregation.

3. Testing and validation of communications and of SOFT (satellite-based open facility for testing) (action
line III)

OBJECTIVE

DELTA seeks to take full and early advantage of advances in telecommunications. Thus action line III brings
together the integrated communications requirements of DELTA and their testing and validation. The sharing
of a common learning communications environment is an important aspect of the cooperation to be
encouraged by DELTA.

Another important objective of this Action Line is to prepare the introduction of an open test-bed in the
form of the 'satellite-based open facility for testing' (SOFT). Already in the next four years sufficient satellite
transmission capacity (between 100 and 150 transponders) will become available to envisage their experimental
usage in the framework of DELTA. This provides an opportunity to set up such a facility in the short
timescale compatible with the development of learning technology. In particular, powerful video-conferencing
and wideband data communications facilities can be offered early on, similar to those supporting satellite
based developments in the USA and Canada.

3.1. _Video-audio_ _conferencing_

The validation in European conditions of the technique enabling learners participating at a distance in lectures
in video form to comment or raise questions. The enhancement of this technique by the provision of
telewriting and the transmission of currently generated graphical material would be a powerful additional
aid to learning.

3.2. _Information and programme exchange system_

DELTA would seek to use existing educational networks, with transparent communications protocols and
an addressing system.

3.3. _Adaptation to ISDN_

Preparations would be undertaken for the use in learning support of the additional facilities afforded by the
advent of the digital network.

3.4. _SOFT operational plan_

There would be a priority need for sector actors to analyze the requirements of the satellite 'test-bed', to
evaluate alternative approaches, and to implement SOFT experimentally. This would be a highly important
facility for the provision of high capacity transmission covering all parts of the Community, particularly
those with low density learner populations, and not excluding some measure of interaction.

3.5. _Design and specification of_ _a_ _satellite educational channel_

With particular reference to the potentialities offered by direct broadcasting, the task would be there to
prepare the technical ground for exploiting satellites for education and training at European level.

3.6. _Controlled experimentation via SOFT_

Development of experiments enabling users, who have already expressed an interest, to implement on a trial
basis centralised electronic libraries, distributed authoring and production, remote lectures and seminars with
remote interaction. This would involve selective experiments in the retrieval and the delivery of multimedia
material. These experiments will be organised in full cooperation with Strand D of the Comett programme.

4. Interoperability (action line IV)

OBJECTIVE

The ability of learning equipment and systems to 'interoperate' is not only decisive for their usefulness to
the learner but also plays a crucial role in the market for learning technology and open learning services.
Thus the objectives of this action line are:

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— to ensure that work on communications standards in all relevant media proceeds along mutually
compatible paths,

— to identify and encourage work in areas not currently under consideration but essential to meet the
interoperability requirements of learning,

— to advise on and agree conventions and standards specific to the learning community relating to the
design and functionality of the components of the system,

— to maintain awareness within the learning community of the status of all standards relevant to the work
and provide a centre for the agreement and concertation of specific standards.

To these ends the constitution of a new standards user group will be undertaken, the tasks of which
would be:

4.1. _Identification of standards relevant to learning_

A thorough analysis of international work on standards will identify those communications protocols,
operating systems, software features, man-machine interfaces, database accessing languages and conventions
which are most important for the learning environment, with special reference to open systems interconnection.

Of these the man-machine interface is the one most requiring to be adjusted to the requirements of the
learner, including as it does handwriting recognition, voice synthesis and recognition.

4.2. _Organizational support for learning standards_

The organization of the necessary interaction between the actors in preparation for participation in standards
work affecting learning, and the administrative support for ongoing activities.

5. Promotion of favourable conditions (action line V)

OBJECTIVE

The stimulus to the supply of open learning equipment and systems offered by action lines II, III and IV of
DELTA requires a counterpart on the demand side. The speed at which open learning is adopted will depend
significantly on the price at which the relevant equipment and services are offered, and Community-wide
economies of scale will be all-important in reducing costs. However, as more advanced systems to support
open learning are developed, and the cost of entry to the learner tends to rise, so do selective measures
become increasingly necessary to enable his requirements to be translated into effective demand and for the
stimulation of the Community market for open learning and its technological infrastructure.

The work to be done on this action line during the DELTA pilot phase will call for discussion between the
Commission and Member States, but expert help will be required in preparing the case in specialized fields:

5.1. _Fiscal treatment_

Possible measures to contain the cost of acquiring learning hardware and software, with particular reference
to taxes affecting learning material, individual learners and companies engaged on training.

_5.2._ _Regulatory_ _conditions_

To facilitate a Europe-wide access to learning material and support. This would involve consideration of
quality assurance and agreement on mutual accreditation. The implications of the utilization of cable networks
where appropriate would be explored in the light of EEC initiatives on audio-visual policy.

5.3. _Telecommunications_ _policy_

To explore the means whereby the carriers might apply favourable tariffs for telecommunications traffic
concerned with learning. This would be accomplished possibly by bulk agreements and/or by reference to
the time of day and the load environment in which such traffic would be generated.

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5.4. _Copyright and authors' rights_

The preparation of an agreement on adequate protection for the copying, retransmission, processing and
publishing by electronic media of learning material, in concert with the national and Commission services
concerned. Without such an agreement the incentive to the teaching profession to invest their time and talent
would be impaired.

Action could include the creation of a copyright working group, bringing together right-holders and those
who use their work, but also taking into full account the ongoing activities of existing international
organizations in the field of intellectual property.