Stimulating Educational Digital Content Development for the Irish Language

1. Stimulating Educational Digital Content Development for the Irish Language Michael Hallissy, National Co-ordinator, NCTE Interactive Software in the Curriculum

2. Software Industry • Global Market Consolidation • Small number of big market players • Internet • 16 million in 1995 (.4%) • 378 million today (6%) • CD-Rom Versus Web • US Schools 1998 • $13 million online • $340 million software

3. Market Size Department of Education and Science, 1998

4. Computer Levels • Total number of computers up 65% since1998 • Average number • Primary = 9 • Post Primary = 43 • Computer Ratio • Primary = 18:1 • Post Primary = 13:1 • 100% of schools connected to the Internet • 69% of post primary have ISDN • 62% of post primary have the Internet on more than one machine.

5. Software Market in Ireland • £15 million – May 1998 (Predominantly hardware) • £10 million – grant aid to schools in December 1999 • Further £60 million earmarked for Phase 2 • Decision making at the school level • Industry sources estimate market worth £3-5 million at present • Two main categories • Content Rich • Content Free • Predominantly UK and US software • Small Irish software publishing sector

6. Issues for Developers & Distributors • Small market • New market • Formalised Teacher Training two years in existence • Teachers now recognising that software/digital content holds the key • Annual software budget to schools • Educating teachers to appropriate software • Software Evaluation Programme • Home Versus the School Market • Primary Market more developed

7. Development Models • Funding Mechanisms • Grants • Competitions • Public Private Partnerships • Types of Product • Localization of existing software • Development of new digital content

8. Localization • Software Developers -build products with localization in mind • Teacher Support Materials • Curriculum Examples • Suggestedlesson plans • How can government agencies fund localization? • Selection criteria

9. New Content Development - Grants • Grants • NCET Example • Research at national and European level (Fabula) • Advantages Identified • Market stimulated in the right direction • Encouraged a climate of change • Schools had no computers due to lack of software • Disadvantages Identified • Industry dislikes subsidising competition • Some projects will fail (Risk) • Deadlines tend to slip

10. Competitions • Portugal and Canada • Public body runs a competition • Identifies a particular need • Draw up tender specification • Allows private companies to compete for the development • Teacher involvement • Downside – Unfair advantage in the marketplace

11. Public Private Partnerships • Typical Characteristics • Bring public/private sector partners together • Partners work toward shared goals or objectives • Each partner contributes time, money, expertise and/or other shared resources • Decision making and management responsibilities are shared among the partners • Could it work with digital content creation?

12. Moving Forward • Action is needed – define the best role for the NCTE • Funding • Grants • Competitions • Public Private Partnerships • Provide better information to publishers • Evaluate ROI