Information and communication technologies (ICT) in higher education

1. Information and communication technologies (ICT) in higher education Ministry projects (DT/ SDTICE)

2. 2003: Current status1 - Four-year contracts • In a short amount of time there has been progress, and some impressive strides have been made: • 2% of enrolled students (approx. 30,000 people) are involved in Internet-based distance learning, either fully or partially • 35% of enrolled students (approx. 500,000 people) make use of electronic resources made available for teaching purposes • 6% of students enrolled in regular university courses (approx. 85,000 people) benefit from online tutoring • On average, one computer is available for every 18 students.

3. 2 - Digital campuses • An in-depth evaluation of digital campuses (180 courses partially or fully available through distance learning, including 81 degree programs) reveals the following: • Online instruction meets the needs of its users (93% described themselves as satisfied). • The usefulness of digital campuses lies in their deployment of online tutorial systems, not merely that they make online resources available. • Having an international presence is one of the principal motivations behind the development of such systems; however, they are still in the early stages. • Some projects are still provisional; they need to become more professional in their approach and become better integrated into institutional structures. • Institutions of higher learning and their personnel are interested in pooling their expertise

4. 3 - Electronic resources • Research carried out over two years on digital resources (the Manum project) reached the following conclusions: • More and more instructors are placing teaching documents online that they themselves have written. Today, it is important to deploy an industry standard for production that respects professional norms.  • These documents are rarely reused beyond the domain of their authors; one of the reasons for this is the lack of involvement of publishers and shared documentation services. • The development of digital libraries of teaching materials is one answer to the problem, provided that publishers’ approaches can be made to mesh with the real-world practices of teachers and their students. In addition, the digital university cannot be reduced to being a mere library.

5. The 2003/2007 Plan • The plan calls for increased use of ICT for learning and teaching and for a strong international presence, in order to be competitive in the face of increased globalization of education. It is built around the policies set by the eLearning initiative of the European Commission. • The plan corresponds with DES (Department of Higher Education) areas of interest: • European higher education platform, • International presence of French universities, • Improving students’ living conditions and their entry into professional life. • The plan is within the scope of the main topics of the government’s RE/SO 2007 Plan: adult education, digital access for all of France and the presence of French universities on a global educational scale. • The plan will be carried out in close cooperation with the various groups that represent higher educational institutions (CPU, CDEFI, CDIUFM) and with the strong involvement of the institutions themselves, while respecting their independence.

6. Objectives for 2007 • For 70% of students to benefit from educational and university services through the use of digital tools (35% in 2003), • FOAD [Open and Distance Learning]: to increase from 2% to 5%, and to offer programs for international students. • The plan is comprised of twenty projects divided into five categories, which are in line with policies concerning institutional contracts (four-year contracts between the Ministry and universities)

7. 1 - Reinforcing open and distance learning • In an effort to promote excellence, digital campuses will be reorganized into ten Thematic Digital Universities. • This reorganization will take the following two criteria into account: • A professional, quality-oriented approach to putting training services online. • Promoting such services internationally (principally in Europe and French-speaking countries), with emphasis placed on masters-level programs offered in conjunction with internationally-respected research organizations.  • Information about online courses from established universities must also be made available (via catalogues, information hotlines, press campaigns and so forth).

8. 2 - Upgrading equipment and services • Digital work environments and their associated online services • The four-year contracts and the call for UNR (Regional Digital Universities) projects • Usage research in order to facilitate the creation of guidelines for establishments 

9. 3 - Training students to use ICT • Widespread “C2i Level 1” training (using tools for efficient learning) at the beginning of the 2004 school year. • Promote the implementation of “C2i Level 2” training (using tools for professional applications) • Emphasis will be placed on putting C2i training online.

10. 4 - Published resources • Educational programming by Channel U: • Areas of excellence • Consistency with university campuses • Target audience: first- and second-year university students • Publishing: • Make it possible for public/private resources to coexist with those produced by educators and researchers, in a manner that is consistent with the real-world practices of higher education professionals and their students.

11. 5 - A Quality Approach • Awareness • Project management • Management tools

12. Organization • The university network • University expertise • The programs: • Digital environments • Encouraging the production of high-school and university-level content • Training and supporting educators and users • Technology in the service of education • Quality (awareness, evaluation and promotion, and the project “Moving Towards Change”)

13. Organization: the new structure

14. Department CTICE network 1st deg. network 2nd deg. network Univ. network Public/ private network Local auth. network International. network Support Office for Digital Environment and Teaching ICT and Teaching Program Secretariat and Assistance Digital Work Environment Program Technical Support Program for the Encouragement of Production of High-School and University-Level Content ICT and Resources Office Secondary Education Expertise Office for Support and Quality Program for Training and Support Program for Awareness, Evaluation and Promotion Higher Education Expertise Delegation Children and Families Program