Two new reports have recently been produced relating to the Multimedia Industry. The UK governments Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has produced a report by the "Multimedia Industry Advisory Group" which contains a section by the Education sub-group. The European Commissions Task Force on "Educational Software and Multimedia" has also produced a second interim report. Full details of both reports can be accessed via the LearnTel WWW Site. They make interesting reading and comments are invited from both reports.
Multimedia is now considered to include accessing information and resources online as well as CD-ROM. In the UK DTI report Education Sub-Group it considers the benefits realisable from use of multimedia in the education sector, the development of technology and the education marketplace, obstacles to the use of multimedia and networks in education, and the contributions that could be made by Government, industry and the education community. The main conclusions in the report - together with some of the options for action - are as follows:
multimedia products and network services offer considerable benefits in the education field, for instance by enabling self-directed learning and greater tailoring of work programmes to the needs of individual students, including under-achievers and special needs children
acceptance of the value of multimedia material and on-line information and communication services rests upon sound conclusions as to the contribution they can make
evaluation needs to be based on a critical mass of evidence and experience, gained from a coordinated programme of major trials
adequate resources need to be allocated for multimedia and on-line services to be fully integrated in teaching methods, and innovative approaches will be needed to help achieve this, such as earmarking of funds, special tariff structures from service providers, or possibly the Universal Service Fund being considered by Oftel
the market for multimedia educational software should be stimulated, by raising awareness and disseminating best practice information, and through close co-operation between content suppliers and teaching staff to develop products tailored to educational needs
emphasis has to be put on skills-training and technical and professional support for teachers so that they have full confidence in the use of IT and electronic networks and understanding of the advantages that can be obtained
multimedia and on-line information services need to be widely available; public access points in libraries, community centres and other public buildings could help secure this, as could out-of-normal-hours use of equipment in educational establishments.
Following on from the first report (detailed in issue 6 of LIGIS) this intermediate report now describes in five statements what was the situation and prospects in 1995. This is then followed by twelve recommendations - a modification of the first report and linked in more closely with the December 1995 White Paper on "Teaching and Learning - towards the Cognitive Society" and the numerous opportunities offered by the 1996 European Year of Lifelong Learning.
This report tends to be rather more "up beat" then the UK DTI report as in its first recommendation it states that given what is at stake, Europeans should mobilise at all levels of action - local, regional, national and Community - to ensure that, by the year 2000:
every teacher has access to multimedia tools and to training which enables them not only to use them, but especially, to integrate them into his teaching practice;
every pupil has access to multimedia teaching resources at school, a particular effort being made to cater for the needs of handicapped children;
every primary and secondary school has at least one multimedia microcomputer per classroom, connected to a local area network which is itself connected to a national and trans-European telematics network enabling them, to establish links between pupils and teachers or offer them access to on-line teaching services;
every adult has access to multimedia tools at work or in the course of their vocational training;
every university has access to the very high-speed networks needed for exchanging and using multimedia educational materials with high-quality images;
every public library offers, free of charge, opportunities for access to telematics tools and services, so that all citizens can benefit from multimedia information, education and training facilities;
every firm has access to a centre for multimedia educational resources, thereby creating a virtual "open university for industry".
This EC report is essential reading for all organisations who are looking towards the European Commission for assistance in funding towards developing sustainable telematic-based learning services. It will undoubtedly form the basis for future policy in all the European Commissions Programmes related to Telematics and Multimedia.
Members will find further details on the LearnTel WWW Site with hyperlinks to the full reports.