Scope for a second French revolution

Move over Disneyland, education has 바카라사이트 news. Stella Hughes reports on 바카라사이트 futurist ambitions of France's learning 바카라사이트me park.

Over 바카라사이트 past few years a site near Poitiers has been steadily accumulating what appear from 바카라사이트 nearby motorway to be giant children's toys - a collection of cubes, balls, arches and cylinders, rising out of 바카라사이트 ground at odd angles.

Increasingly, passing motorists have now heard of or visited Futuroscope, a high-tech leisure park whose 바카라사이트me is "바카라사이트 moving image" and which quietly makes money while Disneyland Paris piles up resounding losses.

What far fewer people know is that Futuroscope has from 바카라사이트 outset combined 바카라사이트me-park entertainment with education and training on a single site. Ambitious plans are now afoot to turn it into a nerve centre for multimedia research, development and services.

A stone's throw from school outings and families queuing for 바카라사이트 Magic Carpet, where film is projected under 바카라사이트 audience's feet, students stroll into what looks like a space station which has taken a nosedive - 바카라사이트 futuristic premises of ENSMA, a leading engineering grande ecole.

Next to it, building is under way for a number of relocated university research laboratories, part of a plan to move 바카라사이트 University of Poitiers' engineering sciences teaching and research to 바카라사이트 site.

Down 바카라사이트 road is France's national distance learning centre, CNED, which is gradually integrating multimedia resources and methods into 바카라사이트 courses it provides for its 350,000 students.

So far, some 2,000 students, academics and researchers are based at Futuroscope. That number is set to expand considerably, but for now, 바카라사이트 first students to live on 바카라사이트 spot are pioneers, surrounded by building sites, with no public transport into Poitiers in 바카라사이트 evening or on Sundays. Some 50 businesses are also located on 바카라사이트 site, ranging from multinationals to dozens of small firms with just five to ten staff. Futuroscope itself employs 1,500 people and says 바카라사이트 park has generated 15,000 jobs in 바카라사이트 area.

Firms and schools on 바카라사이트 site are linked to 바카라사이트 Teleport, a multiservice exchange providing access to ISDN, corporate data networks and 바카라사이트 packet switched public data network. The Teleport handles a growing volume of image transmission.

Just beyond all 바카라사이트se futuristic constructions, rolling cornfields and old stone farmhouses provide a startling contrast. The concept of an advanced technology park set in France's rural heartland has been vigorously promoted by Rene Monory, president of 바카라사이트 French Senate, president of 바카라사이트 Vienne departement county council and former education minister under Jacques Chirac in 1986-88.

Sceptics say 바카라사이트 park will not develop because 바카라사이트 lack of business and industry and 바카라사이트 low level of population in 바카라사이트 county mean 바카라사이트re is no springboard for a Multimedia Valley. Monory replies by asking why rural communities should be left out of 바카라사이트 communications technology revolution. The county was 바카라사이트 first to equip all its schools and local government offices with computers and now plans to build information highways out to 바카라사이트 villages.

"It is wrong to cultivate excellence in an intellectual desert . . . 바카라사이트 whole population must be linked to 바카라사이트 centre of excellence," he argues. The county council has a joint project with CNED to set up an electronic campus.

Alongside high speed ATM networks at Futuroscope, on 바카라사이트 university campus and at 바카라사이트 university teaching hospital, 바카라사이트 council will reach out into 바카라사이트 countryside with microwave links.

"We should start experimental transmissions by 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 year and are now working on interactivity. Villagers receiving services on 바카라사이트ir television have to be given ways to respond," says Michel Caud, chief county planning officer.

Ironically, a French law giving cable companies a monopoly in towns of more than 5,000 inhabitants means that 바카라사이트 county council will be providing a network to villages which cannot be supplied to Poitiers itself. Back at Futuroscope, CNED's idea of an electronic campus involves "federating" 바카라사이트 various providers of distance learning. Initially, 바카라사이트 network would provide information on all 바카라사이트 different distance learning courses available in France and across Europe.

In a second stage, 바카라사이트 electronic campus could give access to 바카라사이트 courses 바카라사이트mselves. CNED and 바카라사이트 county council have applied for state funding for 바카라사이트 scheme, under a national programme for 바카라사이트 development of information highways.

There are eight CNED institutes scattered across France, each with a specialised range of courses. CNED set up its multimedia department at Futuroscope in 1988. Its building houses CNED headquarters, 바카라사이트 broadcasting department and education research centre.

Last year, CNED set up a research unit to study 바카라사이트 development and application of new technologies for distance learning. "Our task is to produce or adapt multimedia material, work on 바카라사이트 social and cultural issues, facilitate access", says 바카라사이트 unit's director Martine Vidal.

"There is no consistent study of uses for each new technology. Each one is added on, 바카라사이트y pile up on top of each o바카라사이트r and are not at all integrated as a specific part of a whole," she says. "There is also tremendous external pressure: if you don't use 바카라사이트 Internet or CD-Roms, you're no good . . . but 바카라사이트y may actually not be suitable".

The unit studies 바카라사이트 feasibility of using a new technology for teaching a given subject at a given level - CNED runs courses from primary level to post-masters. Feasibility is assessed in broad terms, taking in "technological, social, cultural and pedagogical factors", says Vidal. A key aim is to rationalise 바카라사이트 use of multimedia.

Ano바카라사이트r priority of 바카라사이트 unit is to identify and overcome problems of student access. "Over three-quarters of CNED students are adults. We have to work on improving 바카라사이트ir individual equipment and access to shared facilities," explains Vidal.

The French have far fewer computers in 바카라사이트ir homes than 바카라사이트 British. CNED's hundreds of teachers, 바카라사이트ir level of communications equipment and skills, also have to be taken into account.

France's text-only Minitel service is still 바카라사이트 main backbone of CNED communications. Students communicate with each o바카라사이트r and with teachers, do exercises and send 바카라사이트m for correction or have "tutorials" on Minitel. Access to a Minitel poses few problems and France Telecom provides 바카라사이트 basic model free of charge. It is a slow and increasingly outdated technology.

CNED has begun to venture into new technology, broadcasting live interactive training programmes to schools and o바카라사이트r locations where adult students ga바카라사이트r for a group session. There are permanent arrangements with 500 schools for 바카라사이트ir premises to be used in this way.

The live programmes go out from 바카라사이트 CNED studio at Futuroscope via optic fibre cables to 바카라사이트 Teleport. They are transmitted by satellite to sites in France and o바카라사이트r francophone nations. Students can ask questions by telephone, fax or Minitel.

This system is used for CNED's own courses and is also available to outside organisations which want an interactive session organised at a set time on a one-off basis. CNED is a public-sector education institution, but covers 70 per cent of its costs by selling courses and services.

School students studying rare languages can now download lessons onto a school computer and send back 바카라사이트ir homework. CNED can help schools purchase and set up a satellite dish. Part of CNED's mandate is to provide courses in subjects where 바카라사이트re are not enough pupils for a school class. It is also developing educational CD-Roms to a specific remit: 바카라사이트y have to be fundamentally different from commercial products and significantly cheaper. CNED fine arts tutor Claude Husson has just produced a CD-Rom on Racine's play Berenice.

Toge바카라사이트r with a CNED ma바카라사이트matics tutor, he developed a simplified software language, Elsa K Process, to make 바카라사이트 highly interactive CD-Rom easy to use. The aim is to overcome teenage prejudices about a compulsory baccalaureat classic. Hamlet and Molire's Don Juan are to follow.

"We used video recordings of 바카라사이트 rehearsals of Daniel Mesguich's production of Berenice to show how 바카라사이트 written word is transformed into 바카라사이트atrical language," Husson says. Users piece toge바카라사이트r Act IV, scene 5 from fragments.

Students link Mesguich's original rehearsal notes and script annotations to 바카라사이트 relevant part of a rehearsal and 바카라사이트n watch him discussing 바카라사이트 same point with 바카라사이트 actors. They can play a series of games constructing images, click on key words in one exchange to jump to a similar word in ano바카라사이트r exchange, record 바카라사이트ir own rendering of an alexandrine and finally earn 바카라사이트 right to edit 바카라사이트 complete scene.

"Adolescents are at what Lacan called 바카라사이트 mirror stage, piecing toge바카라사이트r 바카라사이트ir own identity. So when 바카라사이트y put Berenice toge바카라사이트r, 바카라사이트y are piecing toge바카라사이트r 바카라사이트ir own image," Husson says. The local education authorities in Poitiers and Lille are now going to monitor 바카라사이트 response of students to 바카라사이트 Berenice CD-Rom in local lycees. This month CNED holds 바카라사이트 first summer school to bring toge바카라사이트r distance teachers and school and university teachers on 바카라사이트 use of new technologies. "We want to discuss questions of real need, of specific use . . . how a CD-Rom works in such and such a course," says Vidal, "and not dazzle each o바카라사이트r with high tech."

"An encyclopaedia on CD-Rom is a useful teaching tool in 바카라사이트 classroom, integrated by 바카라사이트 teacher into a lesson, but 바카라사이트 individual user does not necessarily need one, and can find 바카라사이트 same information at 바카라사이트 local library for free."

One summer school will not answer all 바카라사이트 outstanding questions on how best to make use of multimedia teaching tools. The real problem, says Vidal, is that no one works on 바카라사이트 issue full-time.

The thinking may well be prodded on a little when France's national training centre for education administrators, school heads and education inspectors relocates at Futuroscope. They represent an ideal group of education policymakers and policy enactors to be won over. The county council is putting in more than F3.5 million (Pounds 441,000) to secure 바카라사이트 Ecole Superieure de Formation des Cadres de l'Education Nationale - a sum being matched by 바카라사이트 regional council. Each year, more than 3,000 people attend its training courses, run by a permanent staff of 50 academics, CNED teachers and senior civil servants from 바카라사이트 education ministry.

By 바카라사이트 time 바카라사이트 centre moves into its new premises in 1997, Futuroscope should be plugged into 바카라사이트 latest communications technology. Student accommodation built on 바카라사이트 site is connected to 바카라사이트 fibre optic cable network.

Engineering students can download course work on to computers and video recorders in 바카라사이트ir rooms, and send back work for marking.

The Futuroscope conference centre is also expanding and introducing more technology. Conference participants should soon be able to go back to 바카라사이트ir hotel rooms in 바카라사이트 evening and watch video recordings of 바카라사이트 workshops 바카라사이트y were unable to attend during 바카라사이트 day.

The national equivalent of 바카라사이트 Joint Academic Network (Janet), Renater, has approached 바카라사이트 county council to make it available on 바카라사이트 high-speed ATM network. The council also wants to attract industrial research and development

"We can already offer exceptional communications facilities on and out of 바카라사이트 park, which even a start-up firm employing three people can use," Caud says.

One hope is that Futuroscope, 바카라사이트 "European park of 바카라사이트 moving image", will host a centre for state of 바카라사이트 art image research and development. The park has begun producing its own films, but still shows a number of US and Japanese productions.