CELEX: 51987PC0353
Language: en
Date: 1987-07-24
Title: Proposal for a Council Regulation on a Community action in the field of Learning Technology DELTA (Developing European Learning through Technological Advance) - Pilotphase - (submitted by the Commission)

ARCHIVES HISTORIQUES
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COM (87) 353
Vol. 1987/0199
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 ---pagebreak---              COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
                                                               COM(87) 353 final
                                                               Brussels , 24 July 1987
                           Proposai for a Council Régulation
                                          on a
                  Community action in the field of Learning Technology
                                       DELTA
            ( Developing European Learning through Technological Advance)
                                     - Pilotphase -
COM(87 ) 353 final
 ---pagebreak---                                                  Contents
  SUMMARY                                                                            2
   1 . RATIONALE                                                                     5
           1.1 . Reasons for growing interest in Learning Technology                 6
          1.2 The case for Learning Technology in the overall context of European
                 socio-economic change .                                             7
          1.3 . The Community situation in Learning Technology                       8
          1.4 . The case for concerted action in developing and introducing
                 Learning Technology                                                12
          1.5 . Conclusions                                                         14
  2 . COMMUNITY ACTION PLAN IN LEARNING TECHNOLOGY                                  15
          2.1 ACTION LINE I "Interdisciplinary concertation on present and future
                Learning Support Requirements"                                      15
          2.2 . ACTION LINE II "Cooperative development of Advanced Learning
                Technology"                                                         16
          2.3 ACTION LINE III "Testing and validation of Advanced Learning
                Technology concepts based on systemsintegration and communications" 16
          2.4 ACTION LINE IV "Promotion of interoperability of Learning
                Technology equipment, software and services"                        16
          2.5 ACTION LINE V "Création of favourable conditions for Advanced
                 Learning throughout Europe"                                        17
  3 . APPROACH "A Pilot Phase leading into a 5-year programme within a
4       8-10 year perspectice"                                                      17
  4 . OUTLINE OF         DELTA                                                      22
          4.1 . Action   Line I                                                     22
          4.2 . Action  Line II                                                     22
          4.3 . Action   Line III                                                   24
          4.4 . Action  Line IV                                                     25
          4.5 . Action   Line V                                                     26
  DELTA Glossary                                                                    27
  Enclosures
                Draft Regulation for the DELTA Pilot Phase
                Draft Workplan
                Financial Record
 ---pagebreak---                                                            2
SUMMARY
The creation of the Internal Market , and in this context , the strengthening of the
international competitivity of industry and businesses as part of a policy for growth and
employment , requires a concerted effort in the field of human resources on a Community
level . Education and training - both initial and continuing - have a fundamental role to play ,
in   relation    to   both the economic and social challenges.             The Commission’s  recent
communication ("green paper") on "continuing education of employees in companies"^ 1) as
well as the proposed community action programme on "preparation and vocational training of
young people"^2) embody this political and strategic will.
In the development and implementation of a Community strategy relating to human resources
the new technologies plays a key role as a subject as well as an option for more economic
and flexible means of delivering education and training . This is addressed by a set of actions
focussing on key aspects in a specific manner. These are
            the programme COMETT for cooperation between universities and businesses for
            advanced training in technologies^3)
            the programme relating to the introduction of new technologies in the school^,
            and
            the     programme          EUROTECNET         concerning vocational training and   new
            technologies^5).
These programmes rely on todays technology for education and training . The complementary
research and development into advanced techniques to support learning is the objective of
the Programme DELTA , which will focus on the development of new technologies , tools and
infrastructures required to support distance learning. Specifically DELTA will exploit
advances in Information Technology and Telecommunications ( IT&T) for the support of
learning . In this it will rely on synergie with the above mentioned actions in the delivery of
education and training as well as on the Community actions in the field of Information
Technology (ESPRIT^), Telecommunications (RACE^7)), IT&T Standardisation and the
Information Market Policy.
DELTA rests on the following considerations:
            Identifiable advances in IT&T can enrich and enhance education and training in all
            countries of the Community , and thus serve the strategic objectives of upgrading
            the level of performance in all economic activities .
            The high degree of commonality in basic learning requirements , both between
            individual Member States and between various economic sectors and disciplines ,
            makes possible selective action at the Community level to bring about economies of
            scale which will be decisive in enabling the required systems and equipment to be
            produced competitively building on developments in related areas .
    (1)     COM ( 86 ) 780 final
    (2)     COM ( 86 ) 285 final
    (3)     O.J. L 222 - 8.08.1986
    (4 )    O.J. C 24 - 24.09.1983
    (5)     O.J. C 166 - 25.06.1983
    (6)     Council Decisión 84 / 130 / EEC of 28.02.1984
    (7)     Council Deciüion 85 / 372 / EEC of 25.07.1985
 ---pagebreak---                                                      3
           New opportunities will accrue to the education profession in developing Learning
           Technology and their application in learning and training which will call for the
           deployment of the rich talent and skill available in academic and educational
           institutions .
           A sound basis for concerted action is formed by past and on-going work in the
           field which has build up considerable expertise particularly in academia and small
           and medium sized enterprises.
           The opening of this innovative market will both bring forward opportunities for
           the Community IT&T sector and create benefits in terms of efficiency and
           flexibility to industry in terms of skill acquisition to the work force.
The DELTA Programme is timely since:
           Identifiable milestones in the technology of personal computing , home
          entertainment , telecommunications , and artificial intelligence present a unique
           opportunity for industrial concertation within the Community on the provision of
           learning services and towards the interoperability of the equipment and systems to
          support them .
           USA and Japan have gained experience over recent years in the effective use of
           new technology in support of learning covering large geographic areas and
           populations. Japan is poised for a significant leap forward in this sector during
           1986, based on the customary concertation between administration and the
          electronics companies. The Community will be left behind unless action is initiated
          during 198 7 .
          There is a risk that , without a common approach which is the aim of DELTA , the
          effort of individual countries and organisations would remain below critical size
          and fragmented, with the prospect of relying for the future on systems and
          equipment developed in the USA and Japan.
           DELTA coincides with the second phase of ESPRIT, with RACE , COMETT,
           BRITE , efforts towards creating a common information market and the first results
          of a common standardisation policy in the domain of information technologies and
           telecommunications. The DELTA Programme has been formulated as an action to
          complement these programmes and benefit from them;
           DELTA combines short-term with longer-term objectives within a consistent
           approach .
The content of the Programme results from a series of strategic studies , and from
consultations during 1984/ 1985 with experts drawn from the academic and user community
and from the principal electronic companies concerned within the Community . All those
consulted have shown a high degree of interest and conviction about the proposals.
These fall into five main areas of action:
           Concertation between the authorities , academia , the users and the industrial
          companies, including publishers and information providers, to establish present and
           future learning support requirements;
          Co-operative development of technology appropriate to the progression through the
          three main stages identified in the Programme;
          On-going testing and validation of the concepts on the basis of a shared resource
          ("test-bed") and selected experimental implementations;
 ---pagebreak---                                                   4
           Determined efforts to achieve a considerable degree of harmonisation of the many
           standards and practices which , in this field , would otherwise constitute a
           continuing obstacle to development and use , by means of re-inforcement of the
           on-going work;
           The promotion of favourable conditions for the development of Learning
           Technology and its use in Open Learning . Measures which are proposed for further
           consideration include the reduction of the ’cost of entry’ for learners and
           companies , and of an appropriate regulatory regime facilitating the introduction of
           new learning support techniques (Open Learning ).
The Workplan for each of these Lines of Action has been considered in some detail and that
for the Pilot Phase is set out in the Annex 1 to this document .
The DELTA programme would be set in motion progressively starting with a Pilot phase in
 1988 .
In order to carry out the Pilot Phase of the action described in this communication , it has
been estimated that 300 Man Years of work will be required . Industry and other
organizations involved in its execution will generally be expected to contribute at least 50%
to its financing . For non-profit making participants not receiving any related support from
other sources requests for support of up to 100% may be considered . Assuming that 2/3 of
the projects can be supported at a level of 50% or lower and 1 / 3 can only be carried out at
higher funding levels , the amount of Community funding is estimated at 20 MECU over a
period of 18 months .
 ---pagebreak---                                                               5
 1 . RATIONALE
 Modern society is in a process of profound and rapid technological and social evolution.
 Symptomatic of this are the explosive developments in information and telecommunication
 technologies         and their integration into complex information systems that span the globe .
 These systems represent the nervous system of the emerging global economy.                                      These
 developments impact individuals , institutions , and governments , affecting what they do , how
 they do it, and how they relate to each other.
 If societies, or individuals , are to thrive economically and socially in a future world that will
 be shaped , to a large degree, by these technological developments , they must be well
equipped , and in good time , through learning , education and training.
Already there is evidence that the traditional approach to learning is bound to require a
significant change in adaptability to increasingly diversified learner needs to meet future
demand . To meet this changing demand entails, in parallel to the deployment of new tools
of education and learning and some degree of adaptation on the part of educators, both in
the way their activity is organized and in their individual contributions to the teaching
process. It will also require adaptation on the part of educational publishers in order to take
advantage of the new tools to be developed. The DELTA programme is directed to
supporting technology and tools . The active participation of educators both in the definition
and implementation will be of crucial importance for the success of this action. DELTA
focusses on the common learning support requirements which will enable educators to exploit
the new techniques for the benefit of their respective educational tasks.
Based on advanced information and telecommunication technologies new types of education ,
e.g. distance learning , are emerging . These developments signal opportunities for overcoming
some of the constraints affecting traditional learning. Advanced Learning Technology ^
will , for example , permit education and training to be much more adapted to the specific
needs of the individual to learn whatever, wherever and whenever he chooses to do so , and
to make optimal use of the time of both teacher and learner.
Europe has an excellent educational system and a high standing in Learning Technology
research . However, seizing the opportunities offered by Advanced Learning Technology will
require concerted efforts of administrations , academia and industry , including publishers ,
( the " Main Actors") of a sufficient scale and continuity .
Already the efforts of North America are largely exceeding those of the Member States of
the European Community and there is a serious risk of falling behind . Europe’s economy
and life-style have always depended on its strength in learning, education and training.
Europe’s future will equally depend on being second to no other region in learning and its
facilities .
      8      Information and Telecommunication Technology is defined to include communication systems such as high
             and medium power direct broadcasting satellite, two-way interactive cable, low power broadcasting ,
             computers , including personal computers and portable computers, and television , including discs and video
             tape cassettes .
      9      Learning Technology is defined as the application of advanced information and telecommunication
             technology to the support of learning, teaching and training. The characteristic of Learning Technology
             rests in the design and development of equipment , software and services to meet the specific and
             sophisticated needs of supporting learning processes . This includes , for example, the application of
             intelligent and self- adapting operating systems, network operating systems for distance learning, and
             integration of several media with personal computers .
 ---pagebreak---                                                             6
DELTA (10) consists of a number of specific action lines, drawing on the advantage of
Community scale , suited to stimulate progress and cooperation in Learning Technology and
its application.
The objective is to
     "concert the development by Community industry and academia of the equipment and
                                      systems for Open Learning ^11^,
thereby providing the Community with internationally competitive if not leading, facilities
and support for learning . The action is posited on successive scenarios, over the next
decade, for the development of Information and Communications Technologies on which
DELTA builds .
1.1 . Reasons for growing interest in Learning Technology
The increase in world-wide interest in Learning Technology can be attributed to :
           increasing demands for education and training in general. These arise partially
           from the higher educational standards, but more importantly, from a growing need
           for life-long education and training associated with an increasing dependence on
           knowledge and skills as a basis for domestic economic growth , international
          competitiveness , socio-cultural and political development.
           demand for more flexibility, better adaptation, and further increase in quality of
           learning to meet requirements arising from the rapidly evolving social and
          economic conditions . This affects extensively the nature of what needs to be
          learned , who needs to learn it, when it needs to be learned , where it can be
          learned , what infrastructure , organization, and support is required , and how the
          educational objectives can best be achieved;
          progress made in the last decade in Learning Technology , with Information and
          Telecommunication Technology providing the basis for the realization of new and
          significantly more flexible approaches to the problem of learning, its infrastructure ,
          organization, and economics . Information Technology adapted to the needs of
          learning (Learning Technology ) can potentially enrich and enhance the educational
          services; traditional institutions can, via "open learning", distribute education and
          training into new environments such as the home and the work place , reach new
          groups of the population such as handicapped or homebound persons , and teach
          job-related skills in the use of technology. Potential improvements include also
          access by a larger part of the population, irrespective of the location of their home
          throughout the Community; more flexibility in the timing of learning , which will
          permit a much better integration of learning with other activities than at present
          possible ; and its "customization", i.e. matching to the circumstances and needs of
          the learner;
     10   In the course of the preparation of this document several investigations have been carried out examining in
          some detail the background . Two reports are " DISTANCE LEARNING - A Technology scenario" analysing
          future developments in Information and Telecommunication Technology and its impact on Learning
          Technology applications and " APPLYING LEARNING TECHNOLOGY" a review of on-going work in
          Learning Technology in Europe and other regions including an initial evaluation of the learner and user
          requirements .
     11   Open Learning is a term used to describe flexible learning systems . An Open Learning System ofTers its
          users within reason the choice of how , when and where to learn .
 ---pagebreak---                                                                7
           steady progress in the cost-performance of Information and Telecommunication
           products and services make it increasingly feasible to introduce open learning
           utilizing advanced Learning Technology. Learning Technology can, furthermore,
           rely on advanced communication infrastructures being put in place for business and
           entertainment which would reduce very significantly the initial investment
           requirements ^12);
           the high degree of commonality in requirements as between disciplines, countries
           and business and industry sectors, makes it feasible to devise an infrastructure
           which corresponds to the widest possible range of user demands.
           These factors create strong incentives to the Community IT&T industry to develop
          open learning approaches so as to improve flexibility and effectiveness of learning ,
          and thus to meet a world-wide growing interest in Learning Technology, both for
          domestic use and for future export.
1.2 The case for Learning Technology in the overall context of European socio-economic
        change .
All societies depend on dissemination of the accumulated wealth of information to conduct
trade, to govern their society, and to transmit cultural and social values . The case for
Learning Technology in the overall context of European socio-economic change can be
summarized as follows:
           Europe has already become an information society , with up to 60% of its active
          population being engaged in ’information activities’ . The Community is dependent
          on the creation, use , and communication of information for its economic, social
          and cultural well-being;
           Learning is a major, if not the most important, ’information activity’ which is
          decisive for society’s ability to solve present problems and shape its future . The
          growing complexity of society, coupled with the automation of unskilled jobs , will
           increase the importance of skilled , productive manpower and make it a key factor
           in the international division of labour.                     Falling behind in this international
           competition is costly to society not only because it is expensive to support those
           whose level of skill has been overtaken , but also because society must forego the
           social and economic contribution from their work;
           Business is beginning to treat information and learning , in the form of scientific
           and technological know-how , as a factor of production that takes its place besides
           the conventional factors of land , labour, and capital .                   Some governments are
           beginning to see the achievement of ever higher standards of learning and
           information transfer as an element of economic well being and national security;
    12     Estimated penetration / availability in Europe by 1990
           Video Record ere                     35%
           Personal Computen                    25%
           Compact Disc Playen                  20%
           Master Antenna TV Systems            25 million households ( 1985)
           Cable Television                     45 million households
           Fixed Satellite Services             300 transponden
           Direct Broadcast . Satellite         25 transponden
 ---pagebreak---                                                        8
           In addition to constituting an economic good , learning - including informal
          learning - is becoming increasingly important if individuals are to function in
          society effectively as citizens, consumers , and participants in political life;
          The rate at which knowledge is generated or changed is accelerating .                    The
          emphasis is shifting towards life-long learning , retraining , and up-dating of
          knowledge, rather than a once- for-all schooling that is terminated at an early age
          on completion of a standard curriculum . Learning Technology will increasingly
          need to focus on "learning how to learn" rather than on the presentation of facts;
          Learning support will in future need to be much more flexible with respect to
          content and ease of access so as to permit the integration of learning into other
          activities, be it work , leisure, on - the -job training , or technological research . Future
          learning support must permit the learner to learn what, when and where required ,
          i.e. adapt much more to his needs;
   ‘ -    Business and industry offer the greatest potential for the greatest application of
          Learning Technology .             Training requirements will continue to increase
          tremendously through the year 2000 and beyond . The average European will have
          to be retrained about four times in his active life;
          For many educational and training needs there are few , if any alternatives to
          applying Learning Technology. This is true for those home-bound , living in
          geographically remote areas , but, for example, also to specialists who have to
          familiarize themselves with latest developments. Learning Technology is applied
          already extensively for the training of computer experts and , for pilots, in the form
          of simulation - a powerful technique of wide potential application in many sectors;
          A major opportunity for enhancing the support for learning arises from the
          coincidence with the introduction of advanced communication infrastructures for
          other purposes.       Business and other advanced users of information and
          telecommunication technologies are creating a communication infrastructure which
          could also support new approaches to learning at incremental cost;
          The prospect of significantly reducing the distance and time constraints to
          learning offered by advanced Learning Technology , could make major
          contributions to enhancing education and training throughout the Community ,
          creating equal opportunities for learning in all its regions .
1.3 . The Community situation in Learning Technology
In the Community, several Member States have had a lively interest in Learning Technology
ever since the 1960’s . However , only with the progress in cost-performance of information
and telecommunication technologies achieved in recent years has it become feasible to go
beyond the trial stage and to develop and deploy Learning Technology in earnest within the
Community.
 ---pagebreak---                                                         9
Learning Technology, like any other high-technology, needs to be seen in the context of
international competition with the leading nations:
          By far the most extensive and visible developments in educational technology are
          taking place in the United States. More than 80 major projects cover national
          networks, some with videoconferencing, some based on interactive cable links,
          some using videotex , some satellite and some audio-conferencing with graphics
          support. The geographic area involved is in some cases a University campus and in
          others a whole State - eg Alaska. The large number of such projects corresponds
          to the order of magnitude of the US expenditure in this field - $ 274 million as
          long ago as 1982;
          In Canada no less than 48 projects are known , of which a number rely on wide-
          area audio-conferencing , others on videotex, but a proportion on inter-active
          video;
          Japan , by contrast, has few visible projects of the kind recorded for North
          America. A conference in 1985 in Tokyo confirmed, however, that a great deal is
          going on behind the scenes , as is normal in Japan, between MITI , the Ministry of
          Education , the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, the Science and
          Technology Agency , educational associations, and the twelve principal electronic
          corporations. 1987 is said to be the year in which action will surface , synchronizing
          with the current examination of the educational system , and the recognized need to
          meet the requirements for adult retraining arising from changes in industrial
          structures. It can confidently be forecast that once the typically Japanese synergy
          between government and industry starts to take effect then developments will be
          rapid and far-reaching.
          In Europe , as will be seen from the tabulation below there are numerous actions in
          the area of IT in Education and Training, but they are almost entirely limited to a
          national scale and are probably two orders of magnitude smaller in the resources
          made available than those current in the United States. They are also mainly less
          ambitious in scope and in the use of advanced technology.        Satellite use has not
          begun. Neither is there any real prospect of improvement; even a greater input of
          resources at the national level would not bring Europe anywhere near catching up
          with North America. The European IT companies              are beginning to take an
          interest, but there is a risk that before they are ready with products or systems
          Japanese companies will be in the field , particularly when Fifth Generation
          products begin to hit the market.
     13   Thomson and recently Olivetti including Acorn
 ---pagebreak---                                                                  10
 TABLE 1 :                                                      Italy
                                                                 DIDA*EL has GIGO - template-based authoring system.
 OverView of the European Situation                             University a Distanza experimenting with IT in E&T
                                                                mainly at regional level in 9 regional centres , using TV . 6
 Belgium                                                        institutes and RAI experimenting with video-discs ,
 Extensive vocational training activity ; Universities          Institute of Educational Technologies developing
 researching into AI , machine translation , authoring          courseware . Centro Didatico Televisivo offers authoring
 Systems . Générale de Banque using CBT intemally .             facility for teaching staff.     Technetra has developed
                                                                multi-media authoring system for STET.                Private
 Denmark                                                        companies using CAI for special applications .
 Experiments      in   IT   for  E&T    including    computer
 conferencing and distance training ( University of Odense)     Luxemburg
 using electronic "village halls". MATNATDAT project            Dense use of computers , but little in training area.
 for distance learning based on writing terminals .
 Commission set up for IT in Technical Education &              Netherlands
 Training. CBT in schools compulsory , with development          Govt     funded   stimulation  plan    for  informatics    in
 of authoring languages . CBT in banks , the PTT and for        education , researching into CBT and multimedia learning .
 use by engineering courseware authors .                        Computers in schools programme (courseware from
                                                                Philips , Compudate and IBM). Philips/Sun(US ) CD-I
 Germany                                                        authoring system in development . Leiden using IV in
 High spending on training by Laender and industry but          medical training. Nijmegen , research into AI-CBT
mainly without IT.             Lufthansa runs training on
reservation    terminals .   German   Institute  for  DL   has  Portugal
advanced CAL project . Bundespost is evaluating use of          "Teleecola" under development ; University of Porto
videotext and CTV. DIFF (state funded ) specialising in         experimenting with       IT in E&T ; Project Minerva,
DL and media research in higher education . University          government funded        multimedia learning in formal
Karlsruhe and IBM working on university network                 education .
applications .
                                                                Spain
France                                                          Edumatica      developing   CBT    authoring    system   and
CNRS-IRPEACS researching into multi-media integrated            courseware .
authoring        system.      CCETT       developing      new
representational language. State-promoted competition           United Kingdom
for learning software; official cachet for high quality         OU experimenting / using CAI , CAL audio , computer
material .   A6roformation (Airbus Industries ) as well as      conferencing and telewriting. Open Tech projects using IT
EDF and Renault using CBT for technical training.               for training with major companies involved .      " Domesday
CNEC with 6 teleteaching centres is main organisation for       Project" using advanced IV ; MSC funding research into
distance learning.                                              use of AI in E&T . NPL developing authoring systems ,
                                                                environments and adaptive interfaces for CBT . Lloyds
Greece                                                          Bank using CBT-IV for training staff in branches .
Low penetration of IT&T in education .              Integrated  Plymouth-based interactive satellite trial in schools , using
Mediterranean Programme provides support .                      PACNET as the downlink . State-encouraged distribution
                                                                of NTU(US ) material and of UK-developed courseware ;
Ireland                                                         possible NTU transmissions to UK . Proposed post-Alvey
CAl and videodisk project in collaboration with DCE and         programme includes distance learning projects .
Netherlands .    Research    at  Dublin  and    Limerick  into
automated assessment , CBT and multimedia DL. Project           Europe
SHARE      -    satellite  transmission   of   courseware    to SEFI ( Société Européenne pour la Formation des
university in Jordan .                                          Ingénieurs ) proposing PACE - a European Programme of
                                                                Advanced Continuing Education , including delivery by
                                                                satellite . ESA offering Olympus channels for educational
                                                                trials .      Educational    networks     EURICLEE       and
                                                                EURIDICE .
 ---pagebreak--- To sum up, the European situation is promising , but considering the resources already
committed , (e.g. human resources, facilities, industrial and service capacities) and the
opportunities this merging sector offers , a more determined effort is called for :
           The efforts related to Learning Technology in the Community are as yet restricted
           to national programmes , or projects , of comparatively small scale and scope .  The
           present public and private efforts in Europe are significantly smaller than those of
           our main competitors and are not making sufficient use of the advantages of scale
           and scope , nor of the synergy with developments in related technological domains;
           While the Community potential in this field is important and the longer-term
           export implications (direct and indirect) are very significant, the development is
           retarded by fragmentation to such a degree that industrial investment in the
           integrated development of Learning Technology together with the related
           equipment, software and services is seen by industry as a risk difficult to accept.
Though the European scene , as set out above, is less favourable than in North America, the
situation is not irretrievable:
           Expected developments in telecommunications, broadcasting, consumer electronics,
           office automation and personal computing will provide progressively a substantial
           part of the equipment and basic services required to support Learning Technology
           as a specific application area;
           Related efforts in advanced       information and telecommunication technologies
           ( national programmes and at Community level the programmes ESPRIT in
           Information Technologies and RACE in Telecommunication Technologies ) generate
           part of the technology base required for advanced Learning Technology and its
           introduction. The COMETT programme will reinforce the growth of the user base;
           Another important activity due to be opened up lies in the tools for authoring and
           the production in finished form of the multi-media material for advanced learning.
           The spread of personal and office computing over recent years has given rise to a
           thriving industry devoted to the provision of the necessary software packages;
           similarly the success of video and the steady increase in the choice of television
           channels has led to the deployment of considerable skilled manpower resources in
           the creation of programme material to meet the new demand . In the same way it
           is certain that enhanced communications and multi-media techniques for learning
           and training will tap latent reserves of talent among educators, for the origination
           of learning material ("course-ware"). These developments can benefit from the
           creation of a common information market .
In spite of the importance and success of present efforts in Europe the full potential of
Learning Technology for its economic and social development and as an export, will depend
on a re-enforcement of the present effort and an improved concertation between Member
States so as to use the advantages of scale and scope to improve the cost-performance of
equipment , systems and services supporting learning .
 ---pagebreak---                                                    12
 1.4 . The case for concerted action in developing and introducing Learning Technology
Common Challenge :
The demand for learning , education and training in the Community is growing , particularly
for more flexible learning support than that possible within traditional facilities. At the
same time the possible economic and social penalty for not responding to those demands
becomes a cause for concern .
Common Opportunity :
The high degree of technical commonality in learning support requirements , irrespective of
the specific domain or cultural environment, offers the opportunity to cooperate in the
development of Learning Technology both for domestic use and for addressing world
markets .      Linguistic differences as such are not a major impediment; language
accompaniment to "course-ware" can be varied , and/or several alternative speech channels
can be made available .
Exploitation of Advantage of Scale:
The present Community market for Learning Technology in the Community is comparatively
small but it could already attract industrial and commercial interest if market fragmentation
and inhibitions related to the fear of unacceptable claims on national budgets were reduced .
The development of low-cost solutions , which is a necessary condition for a wide-spread
adoption of learning technology, is inhibited by absence or divergence of specifications -
which results in strong market fragmentation . While markets can be expected to grow
progressively in response to the demand for new facilities , the supply function could be
accelerated by action to identify at the Community-level the common requirements of
teachers and learners.        Such reinforced concertation , and greater effort towards
harmonization with the developments in consumer electronics , personal computing and
communication services , would make possible the exploitation of the advantage of
Community scale .
Effectiveness in the use of human resources and R&D funds :
The expertise in the emerging field of Learning Technology is scarce both in universities and
even more so in industry. A concerted approach at a Community level would permit the
avoidance of unnecessary redundancy , as well as the optimal use of human, institutional ,
industrial and financial resources and time dedicated to this strategic objective .
Complexity : need for an interdisciplinary and multi-media approach :
Progress in     Learning Technology     is complicated by the dependence on concurrent
developments in several domains , in particular, learning support requirements, consumer
electronics, personal computing , and communications . These are issues which cannot be
resolved by any one actor on his own , and thus pose a special challenge to concertation
between organizations which in the past had little need to collaborate directly.
A Community approach to the collaboration between the Main Actors can avoid a
multiplication of redundant and subcritical schemes and make significant contributions
towards the optimal use of assets .
 ---pagebreak---                                                             13
 Interdependence : the need for a new concertation mechanism :
 The development of Learning Technology depends on actors who do not have an established
 tradition of concertation and collaboration . Those who would like to benefit from improved
 access to learning rely on the educators to establish the necessary services; the educators in
 turn depend on industry to provide the low-cost equipment and tools , and on the
 telecommunication operators to provide the necessary links. Industry, however, will only
 develop the advanced Learning Technology and the corresponding products if there is either
 sufficient public subsidy, or a credible market opportunity. Otherwise, industry will offer
 products which have been developed for other applications and which can to some degree
 also be used for education and training . However, this approach is inherently limited and
 has been largely responsible for the disappointment with earlier experiments in applying
computers to education and training.
The required advance in Learning Technology and its adaptation to learning conditions in
different Member States and domains will require the closest cooperation between industry,
academia and administrations. Since the related industry is already operating internationally,
the emerging Learning Technology sector will also be largely governed by world market
developments .    Therefore these considerations need to be carried out on at least a European
scale for them to be effective .
The formation of an effective consensus calls for a European concertation mechanism.
Regulatory environment :
The introduction of Open Learning based on advanced Learning Technology will raise
certain regulatory issues, as it will make extensive use of telecommunication and
broadcasting facilities , in addition to allowing for educational systems which are subject to
very different regimes . The respective administrations would need , early on , to consider
these issues and come to agreements on regulations and standards. This would not only
facilitate on-going national efforts , but also permit Community-wide cooperation and
learning facilities to come about. The cost-performance the equipment industry will be able
to offer will depend to a large degree on the leverage of the Community in helping
administrations to agree on equipment and communication standards, and certification
procedures. This may also include the consideration of tariffs for educational purposes and
their harmonization .
A concerted action by administrations, the educational community, industry including
publishers and the EEC ^ could have a major impact on the application of Learning
Technology and result very quickly in the formation of a Community market for Learning
Technology products and services which would attract private resources in addition to
existing public support for basic and generic R&D
     1     ThU can be based on the on-going work on standardisation and certification at Community-level and the
           on-going efforts towards the creation of a common information market
 ---pagebreak---                                                    14
1.5 . Conclusions
In the course of the preparation of this proposal the following main findings emerged :
           Learning Technology holds significant promise as a mechanism for responding to
           the learning , education and training needs of the Community for the 1990’s and
           beyond;
           Learning Technology is still in its infancy but it offers already attractive short-
           term solutions due to the coincidence, in time and partly also in technology , of the
           introduction of advanced communication technology for business and entertainment
           from which it can benefit. However, synergy with these developments and the
           drawing of full benefit from Learning Technology will depend on reinforcing
           current efforts;
           Learning Technology equipment and services represent a major future world
           market opportunity for the Community industry which can be expected to have
           important strategic and political implications.
The Community has the required assets to succeed and benefit from Learning Technology ,
but it will require quick and determined steps to increase the effort and to make much better
use of the existing human , industrial and financial resources by establishing an effective
concertation between the respective actors in the Member States .
 ---pagebreak---                                                            15
2 . COMMUNITY ACTION PLAN IN LEARNING TECHNOLOGY
The analyses which have led to this proposal have shown that the Community dimension can
be used effectively and to the benefit of all Member States to strengthen and accelerate the
emergence of Learning Technology as a complement and support to meet the challenge in
education and training and to seize opportunities in a new and rapidly growing world market
for Learning Technology products and services.
While there are important national efforts under way, well targeted efforts in other advanced
regions of the world exceed largely European efforts in scope and scale. The thrust,
effectiveness and speed of the development in Europe could greatly benefit from
concertation and collaboration on a Community-level.
In order to optimize the educational , social and economic benefits accruing from the joint
development of learning support in Europe the requisites are firstly, a more effective use of
presently available resources by improving the cooperation between on-going efforts, and
secondly , the systematic development of future activities in a way that assures maximum
synergy of the results . This will require a set of well coordinated but distinct approaches
relating to the key factors governing the development and introduction of advanced learning
technology:
Strategy Formation , identification of objectives and options for reaching them
----- > by means of systematic concertation with participation of all groups of main actors;
Development of Advanced Learning Technology
----- >   by means of pre-competitive cooperation and work-sharing between academia and
industry (analogous to the approach proposed for RACE);
Focus on Learner Needs and Validation of New Approaches to Teaching
----- >    by means of cooperation in the development of experimental systems and their
validation in field trials;
Facilitating Europe-wide Usage
----- >  by means of the development of common functional specifications , identification of
minimal standardization and certification requirements;
Lowering the Entry-barrier to Early Use
----- > by establishing suitable common regulations and the provision of some incentives.
The following Lines of Action have been identified as opportunities for improving the use of
European assets in this domain:
2.1 ACTION LINE I " Interdisciplinary concertation on present and future Learning Support
        Reauirements"
Although the basic learning support requirements in different domains of learning are quite
similar, there is at present no mechanism which would permit the formulation and agreement
on common technical requirements for the Community which could be matched to
opportunities and options offered in information and telecommunication technology
      2     CEDEFOP carrie» out extenaive concertation on general education and training requirement* on which thi*
            work would draw .
 ---pagebreak---                                                     16
 As a mechanism for Action Line I a Reference Model would be constructed as a basis for an
 analysis of the interactions between learners , tutors , facilities , support services etc . It is
 proposed that the Management Committee be charged with formulating a strategic concept
 and workplan for the advance of Learning Technology and its application in the Community .
 The work of Action Line I is expected to provide the overview and perspective of the
 objectives of the action in the context of requirements and progress . It would therefore also
 form the basis for periodic reporting to Council and Parliament and form the basis for the
 proposals for actions .
 2.2 . ACTION LINE II "Cooperative development of Advanced Learning Technology*
 Development of Advanced Learning Technology is at present constrained by lack of
 resources. Not only are the financial inputs very much smaller than those available in the
 USA and Japan , but due to fragmentation of effort they are also less efficient, or under the
 critical size required for successful competition .     Furthermore , there is a shortage of
 expertise in this new domain . An improvement of the way the existing Community assets
 are being used is required , as well as a re-enforcement of the current efforts.
 Experts have identified in the course of a Planning Exercise ( 1985 /6 ) opportunity areas for
 work-sharing and cooperation in application-specific R&D. The problems so identified are
 well suited to cooperation and work-sharing , thus permitting very significant savings in
 terms of experts , time and financial resources.
The mechanism proposed for Action Line II is the stimulation of cooperation in developing
Advanced Learning Technology .
2.3 ACTION LINE III Testing and validation of Advanced Learning Technology concepts
          based on svstemsintegration and communications "
Learning Technology derives from three main factors: progress in information technology,
progress in telecommunication technology and demand for ’customized’ and\or more flexible
learning support. The first two factors can be treated by known techniques of system
engineering . The third is much less open to a purely analytical approach since it includes
powerful "human factors" which have a decisive influence and require the inclusion of strong
empirical elements in the development of Learning Technology . This indicates an iterative
and empirical approach to the realization of Learning Technology , based on testing and
validation .
The mechanism proposed for this Action Line is to provide facilities for systematic testing
and validation of advanced technologies and open learning concepts .
2.4 ACTION LINE IV " Promotion of interoperability of Learning Technology equipment .
         software and services "
The support of learning and training by Learning Technology is very demanding in terms of
user friendliness , flexibility , adaptability to different applications at minimum cost of
equipment , software and operation . These objectives require a systematic promotion of
interoperability of the related equipment, software and services . Standardization in Learning
Technology needs to be considered in relationship with the work in the corresponding
domains of information technology , consumer electronics , communication and broadcasting
services . Also , within Learning Technology itself, one will need to examine early on the
question of minimum standardization , modularization , protocols , design conventions and , for
example , the need or utility of ’codes for good design of learning products’ .
 ---pagebreak---                                                       18
 Organizations of the Workplan
 Figures 1 and 2 give an overview of the approach proposed for DELTA . Figure 1 represents
a schematic view of an open learning system distinguishing discrete functional modules .
 Figure 2 identifies "three levels of progress" in the realization of Open Learning based on
advances in Learning Technology and of the IT&T which it is based on.
The functional modules indicated in Figure 1 have been used to structure the technical
sections of the Workplan ( particularly Action Line II ) describing the specific tasks to be
undertaken in the framework of DELTA . Within each module a number of specific topic
areas have .been identified which require distinct efforts to realize progressively more
learner-friendly and permanent open learning concepts . The resulting specific work is
classified according to the following structure .
LEARNER ENVIRONMENT
1.       Home Learner Situation
2.       Dedicated Learner Situation
3.       Business Learner Situation
4.       Personal Electronic Library
AUTHORING/PRODUCTION /TUTORING ENVIRONMENTS
1.       Authoring Facility
2.       Production Facility
3.       Tutoring Support
INFORMATION RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Information Access and Processing
Within each of these topic areas there are opportunities for making significant progress early
on as well as the requirements for some quite long-term oriented work to prepare future
advances . Therefore , three objectives over time representing successive " Levels of
performance" are identified :
           Level I : 1988-1990     "Overcoming of distance and access constraints , based largely
           on existing infrastructures , systems , equipment and technology "
           This short-term objective is oriented towards the functional integration of the
           current generation of domestic and business electronic products enjoying high
           market penetration , using the current available means .
           Level II : 1990-1995       " Enhanced access and handling of information , bases on
           progressive digitalization of IT&T complemented by specific learning-oriented
           features"
 ---pagebreak---                                             19
This objective is oriented towards the development of an enhanced generation of
equipment and capabilities with fresh design concepts made possible by further
advances in IT&T for the early 1990’s.          These enhanced features will become
feasible due to the progressive digitalization of domestic and office electronics,
complemented by determined efforts in the development of specific learning-
oriented features , including learning expert systems and near-natural language user
interfaces, with some degree of voice recognition and content-addressable query
facilities . The communication links would include the advanced features offered
by ISDN ( Integrated Services Digital Network ) and interoperation with television,
including high definition , and DBS ( Direct Broadcasting Satellite ).
Level III : 1995-2000           "Smart Learning Aids , based on the features of ’5th
generation Computing’ and Integrated Broadband Communication ( IBCV
The objective is to take full advantage of the emergence of a radical new
generation of IT & T systems and products with "Fifth Generation" features to
realize much more sophisticated and user-friendly learning support concepts .
During this time-frame it is expected that broad-band links will have been
installed , opening up the possibility of economic two-way video communication for
learning support.
The tasks in each of the topic areas are labelled according to the "Level" by the
appropriate prefix I , II, or III respectively.                           ■>
Because DELTA rests to a very substantial part on the concept of establishing
synergy between the needs for open learning and developments in related areas of
IT&T, particular attention will need to be given towards introducing the Learning
Technology related requirements into on-going independent actions .
 ---pagebreak---                                                                                   DRM52
                                        ,§ ВРППВ
                                                ü
Ее а rner Environment            Communication SerYlcos     Tutoring / Authoring Environment
               Broadband link for video                 Narrow-band links , two-way
 ---pagebreak---                                             f ® im ©f    DELTlnl        3
                                                                       (fâ‘
                                                                        SI
 fie ; cted
Action Lînç Object i ves           Level  I Level   II  Level III
                                                                        3
    (. . )                                                             *2.
                                                                        3
                                                                        O
                                                                        a
                                                                        »
                                                                        5*
                                                                        o
                                                                        e
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                                                                        O
                                                                        m
                                                                        r
                                                                        H
                                                                        >
                         ^ Phase .
                1985                 1990          1995           2000
 ---pagebreak---                                                    22
4 . OUTLINE OF DELTA
4.1 . Action Line I
The objective of Action Line I is to optimize the use of available Community resources for
the advanced of Learning Technology and the realization of advanced Open Learning
concepts . Under this action line there will be a continuing effort in the analysis of the user
requirements, progress in Learning Technology and in information technology and
telecommunications , standardization , services and other factors impinging on learning
systems. In order to situate the numerous aspects and elements making up Open Learning
system DELTA foresees the development of a " Learning system Reference Model ( LSRM)".
The LSRM is to reflect at any given time the collective understanding of requirements,
objectives and options. Its specific function will be to establish and maintain transparency
by providing the reference against which to judge actions and achievements. This implies
that it needs to evolve with the work and progress in related domains.
The LSRM need to maintain transparency and coherence for all main aspects of learning
systems as they relate to the objectives of DELTA , ie
           Learner . Author . Teacher and Management Requirements in different domains and
           their specification in terms of features and cost-performance objectives;
           Learning Technology Potential identifying early on , new technology options     and
           operational concepts and evaluating their potential impact;
           Opportunities for Synergy with developments in related domains of IT & T
           application including systems architecture;
           Economics and Operations of IT&T-based Open Learning Systems;
           Linking into National Programmes so as to draw maximum benefit overall;
           Regulatory Influences which might favour or impede the developments.
The development work required for the LSRM to be able to fulfill these functions are
described in the DELTA Workplan .
The LSRM provides the DELTA Management Committee ( DMC ) with the analytical and
management tools it needs to monitor execution and orient future work. At the same time it
will help all active in the field to better situate their work and objectives which is
particularly important in this domain which relies largely on development in related but
mostly independent sectors of IT&T applications.
4.2 . Action Line II
Table 2 gives an overview of the tasks identified by experts as being suited for a European
concerted approach .
 ---pagebreak---                                   23
Table 2 : The Development of DELTA
 ---pagebreak---                                                             24
4.3 . Action Line III
Learning is possibly the most complex human activity of all and correspondingly the testing
and validation of new approaches to supporting learning support is of decisive importance.
The process is iterative and progressive . As technological progress removes constraints , the
pedagogic research and development work will become more and more important. This kind
of work will be carried out at many locations in response to a wide variety of needs. This
objective is best served by giving the numerous actors access to a "common test-bed",
providing them with the tools to experiment with Learning Technology and so permit new
expressions of pedagogic concepts.
This action line addresses, therefore , communications including the formation of a Satellite
based Qpen Facility for Testing (SOFT), a generally accessible test-bed for new Learning
Technology and pedagogic concepts.
SOFT as an experimental facility could be implemented using satellite transmission , which
would allow all parts of the academic and industrial community to access the test-bed from
the outset (s). The Member States would be expected to facilitate via Telecommunication
Operators and Broadcasting Authorities the linking-up of the respective centres involved in
testing and validation.
SOFT is conceived as a special non-commercial research Facility, limited to making use of
infrastructures and services developed primarily for other purposes . It would be introduced
Community-wide (or Europe-wide ) and operated by the respective national authorities.
DELTA’S role would be limited to working out the specifications , concertation and obtaining
the agreement of the Member States .
     s     In the framework of ESA there are discussions under way for the use of satellites for education .
 ---pagebreak---                                                        25
4.4 . Action Line IV
In order to make use of equipment and services of broadcasting, telecommunication office
automation , consumer electronics and personal computing for learning purposes one must not
only be able to connect them physically to operate as one system, but also generate the
matching management, control and application functions. This implies that for a particular
mix of media being used for learning all standardization and protocol questions from the ISO
- OSI layer 1 to layer 7 need to be resolved . For the lower levels one will be able to rely on
the work already being undertaken for reasons other than learning applications; however, for
the higher, application related levels , specific efforts in identifying and implementing
standards and protocols will be necessary. These efforts need to be undertaken with a view
to contributing      to   international    standardization, whilst including the definition of
’development standards’ (e.g. ENV ^ where international standardization is not sufficiently
advanced .
Approach to implementing Action Line TV
There are four parts to the implementation of Action Line IV :
           measures to ensure the implementation of directly applicable existing standards;
           measures to influence on-going standardization work in related domains so as to
           assure that the requirements in Learning Technology and Open Learning are taken
           into account;
           measures to develop standards and conventions specific to Learning Technology
           and its applications , in particular OSI Layer 7 , so as to complement other
           standardization work and to achieve overall the objective of "interoperability on a
           Community scale";
           measures to provide adequate solutions to the problem of software portability.
In view of the highly specialized nature of this kind of work and the need to take into
account developments in several areas at the same time , use will need to be made of an
"Inter-media Group of standardization experts" to identify, guide and monitor efforts . In
organizational terms it is suggested that this group acts as a specialist working party of the
DELTA Management Committee and makes maximum use of the structures and procedures
already established at the European level in the area of standardization.
     4     Europ&iache Norm Vorb«reitung .
 ---pagebreak---                                                   26
4.5 . Action Line V
Action Lines I - IV have been devoted mainly to measures to improve the prospect for the
Community-wide supply of advanced equipment and systems for open learning. But some
action on the demand side is also required , and this has to be sought in a reduction of the
eventual cost of entry to open learning of the communication costs incurred in the running
of the DELTA systems, and lowering of the regulatory barriers which would otherwise lead
to higher costs for the learner.
Two approaches are envisaged .       First, a possible easing of the burden of the initial
expenditure by the firm or the individual by means of concessions relating to TVA and
income tax both for learners and for companies . Second, with a view to reducing the
continuing cost of running learning systems, and also securing fair access to broadcasting and
cable time, the Community would seek to facilitate the negotiation of favourable treatment
for DELTA with the responsible authorities .
In particular DELTA will rely on the telecommunications carriers for the provision of the
all-important communication services . Most of these would be utilized by DELTA at hours
when network capacity is vastly underused. Action at the Community level could facilitate
negotiation with the telecommunications carriers for preferential tariff rates for the services
supporting DELTA . Similarly, the Community would help to secure some harmonization in
the regulatory regimes of member countries so that differing requirements for certification
of equipment and systems do not frustrate the Community-wide penetration of a single range
of equipment , and thus increase costs to the learner.
 ---pagebreak---                                                         27
DELTA Glossary
AI                     Artificial Intelligence
CAI                    Computer-axUted Instruction
CAL                    Computer-existed Learning
CEDEFOP                Centre Europien de Formation Profexionnelle
DBS                    Direct Broadcasting by Satellite
COMETT                Community programme in Education and Training for Technology
DMC                   DELTA Management Committee
E&T                   Education and Training
ESPRIT                European Strategic Programme for R&D in Information Technologix
Fifth Generation      Expected new generation of computers using natural language etc
HDTV                  High Definition Television (next generation )
IBC                   Integrated Broadband Communications
ISDN                  Integrated Servicx Digital Network
ГГ&Т                  Information Technologies and Télécommunications
LSRM                  Learning Systems Reference Model
RACE                  Research in Advanced Communications for Europe
RAI                   Radio Televisione italiane
SOFT                  Satellite-based Open Facility for Testing
Authoring             Writing/"creation" of learning material
Cellular Radio        Mobile radio system working via geographical " cells"
Content-addressable   Queries put in terms of content - ie not coded
Context-addressable   Queries put in terms of relationships, ie indirectly
Course-ware           Learning material (^learning software)
Delivery              Distribution of finished material to learner
Distance Learning     Where learner is not in same place as the teacher
Expert systems        Branch of AI;programs based largely on statement of rules
Interoperability      Ability to use equipment from different sources without special aids
Modularization        Design /construction enabling components to be used in any choosen combination
Near-natural language Enables queries to be put in terms nearer to normal language than to code
Open Learning         Enables learner to learn when , where and how fast he chooses
Production            " Realisation" of learning material in finished form
Protocol              Sequence of communication codes establishing a connection
Smart                 Programess or interfaces with some " artificial intelligence"
Tools                 Software programmes facilitating the authoring process
Tutoring              " Delivery" plus monitoring of progress and help to learners
 ---pagebreak---                                  PROPOSAL FOR A COUNCIL REGULATION
                                                       of .....
                  on a Community action in the field of Educational Technologies
                              Development of European Learning through
                                   Technological Advances ( DELTA )
                                                 - Pilot Phase -
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES ,
 Having regard to the Treaty setting up the European Economic Community, and in particular
 Article 130Q paragraph 2 ,
 Having regard to the proposal from the Commission/1^
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, and 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 , emphasised 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 (4);
Whereas the Heads of State or of Government in their meeting of 28-29 June 1985 approved
and endorsed 5 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 utilisation of technology in education/8^
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;
(1)                     OJ .....
(2)                     OJ .....
(3)                     Opinion :OJ....(Approval : OJ ..... ;Amendment : OJ ....)
(<)                     Bulletin CE 3.1985
(5)                     SI(85)500
(6 )                    COM(85)S50 , P 15
(7)                     OJ nr C 135 , 2t.05.83 , Bulletin CE 3.85
(8 )                    OJ nr C 322 15.12.86
 ---pagebreak---                                                              2
 Whereas the Framework Programme for Community actions in respect of research and
 technological development ( 1987-91 )^              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^ 10) ;
 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 communcations 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 standardisation lay the ground for introducing advanced learning support, yet additional
efforts will be required to realise the full potential of this new field;
 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
( U ).
      y
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 ,
(9)                      OJ COM(86)430 final , Brussels 05.08.1986
( 10)                    Action Line 11 /3 , new service* of common interest
( H)                     OJ nr L 222 , 08.08.86 , p 17
 ---pagebreak---                                                  3
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
                                          Article 1
   1.  A Pilot Phase of a Community Action in the field of learning technologies, called
       DELTA , is adopted for an initial period of 18 months commencing 1st 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 pre-competitive technology
      exploration as required for the objective of concerting European efforts in the
      domain of learning technology. The field of application of the 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 an R&D 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 Communities
      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 .
 ---pagebreak---                                              4
                                      Artide 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 MECU over 18 months , including expenditure on
    staff (9A,2B,4C temporary officials ).
2.  The indicative allocation of these funds is set out in the Annex .
                                      Artide 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
    accordancea 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.
 ---pagebreak---                                             5
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
1. 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 1st December 1987.
   This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all
   Member States.
   Done at Brussels..... 1987
                                                            For the Council
                                                            The President
 ---pagebreak---                                                     6
 ANNEX
                                        DELTA Pilot Phase
Summary of Areas
 1 . Learning System Reference Model ( Action Line I )
2 . Collaborative Development of Advanced Learning Technology (Action Line II )
        2.1 Learner Environment
        2.2 Authoring Facility
        2.3 Learning Material Production Environment
        2.4 Tutoring and Monitoring Facilities
        2.5 Information Resource Management
3 . Testing and Validation of Communications and of SOFT (Satellite-based
     Open Facility for Testing) (Action Line III )
        3.1 Video-audio conferencing
        3.2 Information and programme exchange system
        3.3 Adaptation to ISDN
        3.4 SOFT operational plan
        3.5 Design and Specification of a Satellite Educational Channel
        3.6 Controlled expérimentation via SOFT
4 . Interoperability ( Action Line IV)
        4.1 Identification of standards relevant to learning
        4.2 Organisational support for learning standards
5 . Promotion of Favourable Conditions ( Action Line V )
        5.1 Fiscal Treatment
        5.2 Regulatory conditions
        5.3 Télécommunications policy
        5.4 Copyright and authors* rights
 ---pagebreak---               Proposai for a Council Régulation
                             on a
    Community action in the field of Learning Technology
                          DELTA
(Developing European Learning through Technological Advance)
                        - Pilotphase -
                    Draft Workplan
 ---pagebreak---                                                     1
                                              Contents
Introduction                                                                    1
 1 . Learning System Reference Model (Action Line I)                            1
2 . Collaborative Development of Advanced Learning Technology (Action Line II ) 2
        2.1 Learner Environment                                                 2
        2.2 Authoring Facility                                                  3
        2.3 Learning Material Production Environment                            4
        2.4 Tutoring and Monitoring Facilities                                  4
        2.5 Information Resource Management                                     5
3 . Testing and Validation of Communications and of SOFT (Satellite-based
     Open Facility for Testing ) ( Action Line III)
        3.1 Video-audio conferencing                                            6
        3.2 Information and programme exchange system                           6
        3.3 Adaptation to ISDN                                                  6
        3.4 SOFT operational plan                                               6
        3.5 Design and Specification of a Satellite Educational Channel         6
        3.6 Controlled expérimentation via SOFT                                 6
4 . Interoperability (Action Line IV)                                           6
        4.1 Identification of standards relevant to learning                    7
       4.2 Organisational support for learning standards                        7
5 . Promotion of Favourable Conditions (Action Line V)                          7
        5.1 Fiscal Treatment                                                    7
       5.2 Regulatory conditions                                                8
       5.3 Télécommunications policy                                            8
       5.4 Copyright and authors* rights                                        8
 ---pagebreak---  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
possibly scenarios, corresponding both to differing learning requirements and to user groups.
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 R&D - 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 inter-relation of these components and of the way in which the key
           actors (employers, educators, the information industry, service providers) can
           participate .
 ---pagebreak---                                                    2
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 specialised 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 .
           Training Server
           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
           workstations 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 .
           Learner Expert System
           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
           needs of the learner and enable him/her to make more effective use of the system .
 ---pagebreak---                                                    3
           Personal Electronic Libraries
           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
          organisation 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.
          Electronic Notebook
          To develop initial specifications for a memory-oriented device as a portable
          extension of the work-station and able to store, organise 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 realised , and
competition with imported learning systems made more effective, if courseware can be
produced and delivered on a Community-wide 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 .
          Software Workbench
          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
          systems based on experience and good practice .
          The intention here is to concentrate R&D 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.
 ---pagebreak---                                                     4
 2.3 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, 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 .
           Multi-media integration
           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 possiblities of distributed authoring
           and production with the utilisation of new and enhanced telecommunication
           facilities , 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 .
           Tutoring Facility
           To specify the communications facilities which will allow interaction during the
           learning process between the tutor and the learner, eg 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 .
           Intelligent monitoring of performance
           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 .
 ---pagebreak---                                                     5
2.5 Information Resource Management
Objective
To support the effective organisation and management of the interactive access and exchange
of learning-related information and information resources, including catalogues of
courseware and the courseware itself.
           On-line European Learning Resource Directory
           To develop and introduce the first generation of this directory, incorporating
           existing databases , but with multi-lingual 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.
           Intelligent information accessing
           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 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.
 ---pagebreak---                                                      6
 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 of existing educational networks , with transparent
           communications protocols and a 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 analyse 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 potenitalities 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 expérimentation 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 multi­
           media material . These experiments will be organised in full cooperation with Strand
           D of the COMETT Programme .
4 . Interoperability ( Action Line IV)
Obiective
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
           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;
 ---pagebreak---                                                     7
             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 Organisational support for learning standards
           The organisation 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 specialised 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 .
 ---pagebreak---                                                    8
5.2 Reeulatorv 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 utilisation of cable networks where appropriate would be
          explored in the light of EEC initiatives on audio-visual policy .
5.3 Télécommunications policv
          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 ..
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 organisations in the field of intellectual
          property .
 ---pagebreak---                                                     1
                                   FINANCIAL STATEMENT
L_____Budget Heading
        7343 Developing European Learning through Technological Advance (DELTA)
                                          - Pilot Phase -
2 ._____Legal Base
        Article 130
3 ._____Description of project
        DELTA is a programme , of which the present is a Pilot Phase, which seeks to
        concert the development, on a European scale , of the equipment, systems and tools
        for advanced open learning , by building, incrementally, on equipment and systems
        devised for other uses, and on identified technological advances to be expected over
        the period . The Programme has 5 Lines of Action:
I.      Interdisciplinary concertation on present and future learning support requirements via
        a Learning System Reference Model
II.     Cooperative development of Advanced Learning Systems
III .   Testing and Validation, including the Communications and an Open Facility for
        Testing (SOFT)
IV.     Promotion of interoperability of Learning Technology equipment, software and
        services
V.      Creation of favourable conditions throughout Europe for the application of Advanced
        Learning Technology.
4 ._____Justification of the project
        The skills of its population are the most important asset of the Community.
        However, the current rate of change, both of technology and of the international
        division of labour, means a necessity for the average adult to undertake either
        continuous updating of his professional knowledge or periodic retraining 3-5 times
        in the course of his active life . This training requirement can be met economically
        only by a purposeful application of the available technology. Identifiable advances in
        information and telecommunication technologies, including those promoted by
        existing Community programmmes, offers the possibility of overcoming distance and
        access constraints and the consequent realisation of "open learning".
        DELTA seeks, therefore, to take advantage of the introduction, into business and
        entertainment, of new techniques of information processing and of communications
        which can , at incremental cost, be harnessed to learning . However, achieving full
        benefit from such synergy will depend on reinforcing the Community’s effort in the
        field of Learning Technology.
 ---pagebreak---                                                               2
          Learning equipment and services represent a major future market opportunity for
          Community industry, but it will require quick and determined steps to increase the
          efforts in this direction and to make better use of existing human , industrial and
          financial resources, so as to match the increasing commitment to this domain in other
          parts of the world .
5 ;_____Financial implications for the intervention appropriations
5.0       Implications for expenditure (Million ECU)
5.0.0    Total cost over the whole of the expected duration:
          From the Budget of the Communities:                                              20.00
          From other sectors at the national level:                                        17.75
                                                                         TOTAL:             37.75
5.0.1     Multiannual schedule
Commitment Appropriations              1987   1988     1989     1990     1991              Total
                                                                         and later
Contracts                                      4.3      13.45                              17.75
Personnel Costs                                 0.59      1.1                                1.69
Administrative Costs                   • -·-    0.11      0.45                               0.56
Total                                           5.      15 .                                20.00
Payment Appropriations                 1987   1988     1989     1990     1991              Total
                                                                         and later
Contracts                                      0 80     9.95      7.                       17.75
Personnel Costs                                 0.59     1.1                                 1.69
Administrative Costs                            0.11    0.45                                 0.56
Total                                           1.5      11.5    7.                         20.00
π        The Proposal for a Council Regulation concerning the Framework Programme of Community Activities in the
         Field of Research and Technological Development ( 1987-1991 ) COM(86) 430 final includes the provisions for
          this action under Action Line 111 .
 ---pagebreak---                                                    3
5.0.2   Method of calculation
        a)     Expenditure bv contract
               This expenditure covers the Community’s financial contribution to analytical
               work, pre-normative and pre-competitive R&D as required for identifying
               functional specifications, standardization and technology requirements ,carried
               out normally under shared-cost contracts ( research and development for a
               total of about 300 Man Years) to be concluded with industry, operators ,
               service providers, universities, research establishments, undertakings ,
               including small and medium sized enterprises and other bodies established in
               the Community , active in the field (average Community financial contribution
               - about 50% of total costs).
        b)     Operational expenditure
               Administrative costs (management committee and working party meetings,
               consultation of experts , missions , document distribution or dissemination of
               techniques, use of data processing, telecommunication and broadcasting
               equipment ).
        c)     Management staff expenses
               The requirements of this project have been estimated on the basis of a staff
               of :
               [9]      temporary officials - category A
               [2]      temporary officials - category B
               [4 ]     temporary officials - category C.
               This staff is requested under the Budgets 87 and 88 .
6 ,_____Financial implications for staff and current administrative appropriations
        (See sub-point 5 above - included in the general budget of the Commission)
7 ._____Financing of expenditure
        The appropriations required to cover the Community’s contribution to this project are
        to be entered in the Community’s future budgets.
8 ;_____Implications for revenue
                Community tax on salaries of officials
                Officials’ pension contributions .
 ---pagebreak---                                                    4
9 ;_____Type of Control
               administrative control by the Director General for Financial Control as
               regards budget implementation;
               Scientific Control:
                       Management Committee
                       scientific control by officials of the Commission
                       audit by the Court of Auditors in accordance with provisions of the
                       Treaty.
                                                ***********
 ---pagebreak---                                                     1
                                      DELTA and the SME's
  DELTA is relevant for SMEs since
            it provides opportunities for start ups and other innovative companies to enter a
            high-technology application at a formative stage, and
            it favours the development of a learning support infrastructure providing easy and
           flexible access to education and training without large initial investments of the
           users, thereby reducing the entry-barriers for continued education also in SMEs.
 The object of DELTA , as a complement to COME'IT, is to stimulate and support the
 development of open education and training. The supply side is at the moment largely in
 the hands of a few specialist publishing houses and the educational institutions, while on the
 demand side only a relatively few enlightened companies, including the multinationals, can
 afford to release staff and pay for their attendance at conventional courses or invest in
 computer-aided instruction .
 The establishment of the powerful concept of open learning, and the development of the
equipment to support it, will change the prospect. On the supply side we know from the
experience of Open Tech in the United Kingdom that small entrepreneurs readily see the
 return to be made from entering the new market for training. The requirements are not for
capital or machinery but predominantly the ability to recognise and tap the talent available
 in the teaching profession, and the willingness to expend effort in packaging and marketing
the right products to the right people .
The authoring of learning material tends at the moment to be capital-intensive - as soon as
the stage of writing has been passed. The transition from the story-board to the finished
product can be expensive. Some degree of standardisation of authoring languages and
interoperability of production equipment (an objective of DELTA ) will also help to make the
entry to this market possible for individual authors , perhaps under contract to a small
entrepreneur rather than a powerful publishing house .
Part of the development of this new industry depends on the creation of a European market­
place - ie a means whereby buyers know where to seek information on what is available and
suppliers can let it be known what they have to offer.        The market-place is thoroughly
imperfect at the moment, even nationally, and DELTA will help to make it function , via
communications links , at the Community level.
On the demand side it is well-known that smaller companies in most Member States are not
able or willing to undertake a training effort which involves paying for external courses and
at the same time foregoing the services of the employee while he attends the course . Even
the alternative of paying for tutors to come to the firm is a considerable expense. Open
learning in the business environment will change that. First , the learner need not be absent
from his job, but will be able to take up his course at the desk or workbench . Second, the
equipment he uses can be based on existing office systems with the help of the enhancements
and interfaces to be developed under DELTA .