An annotated list of key on-line sources which focus on how ICTs (Information and Communication Technologies) are being used in Europe.

Defining Innovative Pedagogical Practice

http://www.oki.hu/article.asp?Code=english-art-koros-defining.html

Author(s): Márta Körös-Mikis

Summary: Well on the way to becoming a society based on information, we are hearing more and more about the renewal of education and the challenges we face in transforming the goals and content of the teaching/learning process. The term 'innovative' is often used when we speak about new pedagogical methods and creative educators who represent a deviation from traditional didactics. Attempts to initiate reform in the classroom must now also incorporate the use of technological resources that have stimulated the birth of the information society.

Innovative Schools

http://www.oki.hu/article.asp?Code=english-art-foldes-innovative.html

Author(s): Petra Földes

Summary: The Hungarian educational system has undergone fundamental structural changes in the past decade. Its main direction has been decentralization, which has been undertaken parallel to the society's democratic transition. The deconstruction of the centralized educational management system started in the early 1980's. The aim of the process has been to create a flexible school system that is capable of reacting to the more and more differentiated social needs. This strengthened local autonomy and increased the importance of local initiatives (innovations).

"Partnerships and participation in telecommunications for rural development: exploring what works and why"

http://www.itu.int/ITU-D-UniversalAccess/johan/papers/guelph.doc

Author(s): Johan Ernberg, ITU (http://www.itu.int/ITU-D-UniversalAccess)

Date of publication: October 26 1998

Summary: From a Conference at the University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada:

The overall objective of the Programme is to develop best-practice, sustainable and replicable models of ways to provide access to modern telecommunication facilities and information services, particularly to people in rural and remote areas. To this end pilot projects are implemented in a number of countries in different regions, at different stages of development and with different geographical, social, economic and cultural conditions.

Telecentres, IT and rural development: possibilities in the Information Age

http://www.csu.edu.au/research/crsr/sai/saipaper.htm#top

Author(s): Perry Share

Date of publication: May 11 1996

Summary: Originally presented to the Annual Conference of the Sociological Association of Ireland, Dundalk:

This paper is part of an attempt to sociologically understand the telecentre experience to date. It outlines the extent of telecentre development in a number of countries; it examines the range of telecentre types and activities; suggests some explanations for the emergence of telecentres at this particular time; and places the development of rural telecentres within a discussion of the direction of rural development policy in the advanced economies. Finally it raises some questions for the future.