Education, training and research in the information society

EDUCATION, TRAINING AND RESEARCH
IN THE INFORMATION SOCIETY.

A NATIONAL STRATEGY.

Ministry of Education

Helsinki 1995

To the Ministry of Education

On 13 September 1994, the Ministry of Education set up an Expert Committee to
prepare a strategy for education, training and research in the information
society. The deadline set for this work was January 31 1995.

The assignment given to the committee was

1. to consider how the level of education and research can be raised by
applying information technology and how thus to promote national
competitiveness and employment;

2. to assess the needs and identify the means of giving citizens basic skills
in using information and information technology and of promoting the
availability of information;

to estimate the need for high-performance computing capacity in scientific
research;

to appraise the prerequisites for the production and utilization of
network-based multimedia in Finland;

to assess how the information networks for education and research should be
structured and to define what their role is in the national information
infrastructure;

3. to draw up the outlines of information and communication policy for
education, training and research into the 21st century.

The Expert Committee met six times.

Chairman of the Expert Committee was Markku Linna, Director General, Ministry
of Education, and Vice-Chairman was Jukka Liedes, Special Government Advisor,
Ministry of Education.

Members of the Experts' Committee were
Maija Berndtson, Director, Helsinki City Library - Central Library for Public
Libraries
Dr Vilho Hirvi, Director General, National Board of Education; from 1 January
1995 Secretary General, Ministry of Education
Professor Fred Karlsson, University of Helsinki
Dr Juhani Kuusi, Director General, Technology Development Centre TEKES
Ritva Launo, Head of Information Service, Oy Alko Ab
Dr Olli Martikainen, Vice-President (R&D), Telecom Finland Ltd.
Dr Martti Mäenpää, Industrial Counsellor, Ministry of Trade and Industry
Dr Yrjö Neuvo, Senior Vice President, R&D, Nokia Mobile Phones Ltd.
Risto Nevalainen, Managing Director, Information Technology Development Center
(TIEKE)
Professor Risto Nieminen, Scientific Director, Center for Scientific Computing
(CSC)

The Experts' Committee invited Anu Lamberg, Special Government Advisor,
Ministry of Transport and Communications, to participate in its work.

When Vilho Hirvi was prevented from attending he was substituted by Senior
Engineer Ella Kiesi; Juhani Kuusi by Dr Pauli Heikkilä, Director, Information
Technology; and Yrjö Neuvo by Dr Pekka Heinonen, Scientist, Audio & Speech
Technology (R&D).

Senior Advisor Helena Savolainen, Ministry of Education, and Project Manager
Anders Hagström, Helsinki University of Technology, as well as Senior Advisor
Annu Jylhä-Pyykönen, and Special Researcher Markku Suvanen, both from the
Ministry of Education, acted as secretaries to the Committee. The Committee was
further assisted by Special Planning Officer Keijo Mäkelä from the Ministry of
Education.

The Expert Committee was assisted by the project group set up by the Ministry
of Education to prepare a strategy for the application of information
technology to education and by the Delegation for Information Provision.

Having completed its task on time, the Expert Committee respectfully submits
this document proposing a strategy for education, training and research in the
information society to the Ministry of Education.

Helsinki, 31 January 1995

Markku Linna

Maija Berndtson Olli Martikainen

Vilho Hirvi Martti Mäenpää

Juhani Kuusi Yrjö Neuvo

Fred Karlsson Risto Nevalainen

Ritva Launo Risto Nieminen

Jukka Liedes

Helena Savolainen

Anders Hagström

CONTENTS

EDUCATION, TRAINING AND RESEARCH
IN THE INFORMATION SOCIETY. A NATIONAL STRATEGY.

Ministry of Education

P. O. Box 293

FIN-00171 HELSINKI

Finland

Tel. +358 0 134 171

Fax +358 0 656 765

Cover and layout Yam & Co

Printed by Art-Print Painotalo Oy

Helsinki 1995

ISBN 951-53-0388-5

This document is available at the Internet URL address

http://www.mined.fi/infostrategy.html

gopher://gopher.funet.fi/11/FUNET/infostrategy

SUMMARY

Education and research are crucial factors for the development of Finland as an
information society1. For the citizens of such a society to prosper, they must
possess a good general education, a wide variety of capabilities to act and
solve problems, and the professional competences and skills required by the
continuous changes inherent in a working life based on networks. High-quality
education and the balanced development of both basic and applied research are
prerequisites for successful innovation.

In the information society, knowledge is the key resource. Advances in
technology which facilitate production and improve communication have an
essential effect on the structure, content and methods of education and
research.

On 13 September 1994, the Finnish Ministry of Education set up an Expert
Committee to prepare a national strategy for education, training and research
in the information society. This strategy document contains both the Expert
Committee's opinions and proposals for methods of utilizing information
technology to raise the levels of education and research, thus improving the
opportunities available to citizens to obtain and use information. A more
detailed action programme accompanies the strategy.

1 In Finnish, the word "tieto" stands for both "information" and "knowledge".
Whereas this strategy addresses the more profound needs of the "knowledge
society" rather than the "information society", the latter, more universally
used term, is used in this document.

From one-off training to lifelong learning

Networking methods and the changing requirements for professional competence
demand that the education system is both flexible and adaptable. Educational
authorities and organizations must promote networking of the education system
and create open learning environments to support the development from
"once-and-for-all" training towards lifelong learning. Individual study
opportunities must be improved at all levels of education, and study methods,
teaching material, as well as the required information services need to be
developed.

To ensure that the adoption of new teaching methods and the use of information
technology is effective, their development and application must become a part
of the everyday activity of universities and educational establishments.

Basic information society skills for all

The task of comprehensive school is to give every girl and boy the
multi-faceted basic skills and competences required to find and manage
information and to communicate. These are basic requirements in the information
society and are essential for further education. All levels of the education
system should support the continuous updating of these skills.

Adults must have the opportunity to learn the basic skills of obtaining and
managing information, communicating and understanding information technology.
They must have the opportunity to improve these skills continuously.

Vocational skills in the information society

Vocational education should provide such skills for living in the information
society that correspond to the requirements of a networked working life, one
which is continuously changing and becoming increasingly international.
Educational authorities and organizations should together ensure that the
initial and continuing education that supports the information industry is
sufficient, at the right level, and of the required quality. A national goal
should be that professional competence in the different sectors of the
information industry in Finland is counted among the best in the world.

The know-how of professionals in the information industries need to be extended
to meet the diverse needs of changing job requirements. The introduction of
information technology causes particular needs for change throughout initial
and continuing education in the fields of library and information services.

Focus on the teachers

In implementing the principle of lifelong learning, teachers' professional
skills are absolutely essential. Teachers need not only to know how to manage
and communicate information in their own field, they must also be able to teach
methods of obtaining and using information to enable learners to work
independently. Teachers should have the ability to use the media necessary for
open and flexible learning and be able to modify and develop material in ways
which make it suitable for them to use. The prerequisites and content of basic
and supplementary teacher training must be developed to respond to these
requirements.

Development of information products and services

The availability and competitiveness of high-quality Finnish information
products serving education and research must be guaranteed.

Using the new methods which technology makes available, information resources
need to be made available for both national and international use. To ensure
that Finnish information services function smoothly as a part of a global
electronic library, the technological capacity and know-how required to achieve
this need to be developed.

The production, distribution and utilization of information products published
in digital form must be increased in a variety of sectors, especially in
education and training, research and public administration, and in the
libraries, information services and archives which serve these sectors. Support
is needed for Finland's emerging multimedia production facilities and related
businesses through commissioned work and subcontract work.

Research in the information society

Developments in information technology impact all fields of research, from
basic to applied. Nowadays, in almost all cases, information technology is an
essential part of the research process. The prerequisites of scientific
computing, such as adequate high-performance computing capacity, workstation
facilities and high-speed network connections are crucial factors in
competitive research.

Finnish universities and scientific research aim to be at the international
forefront in applying information technology. Participation in the information
technology programmes of the European Union should be active. Finnish education
and research should be among the first to attain the goals set by the EU for
applying information technology and telecommunications.

Developments toward the information society, the application of information
technology and increased networking have far-reaching economic, social and
cultural impact that requires further research. The focus of pedagogical
research should be on the fields of media and learning, and on the interaction
between humans and machines.

Education and research networks

The national information infrastructure, the Finnish Information Highway,
should be assembled as a multi-layer, seamless system. The information network
for education, training and research will be a part of a global open network.
The Internet and emerging standards for broadband networks and services should
provide the foundation for the education and research information network in
Finland.

Schools and educational establishments must be integrated with their local
environment. Links between schools and educational establishments at different
levels and operating in different fields must be increased, and links with
community and business life improved. The information networks should be
structured so that they support these developments. The most effective
technical way of achieving this is based on regional networking and
cooperation.

Information network services are to be made available to all schools and
libraries. An adequate level of service should be guaranteed to all educational
establishments. Both scientific and public libraries must be guaranteed not
only adequate facilities, but also the telecommunications links and expertise
required to utilize these effectively. Special attention should be paid to the
development of public library information network services and to the
development of libraries as nodes in the open information network.

General framework

When implementing this strategy, many legislative and other special
prerequisites must be taken into account. These include, among others,
questions concerning copyright, standardization and privacy protection, as well
as issues of openness, data security and the price that is charged for
information.

In the information systems of education and research, the goals are openness
and flexibility while at the same time making sure that personal integrity is
respected in data processing which can affect individual rights. Openness and
transparency are the aims for providing information on the work of public
authorities which affects the lives of citizens.

In fixing the tariffs for publicly produced information network services, the
nature of the service should be taken into account. The aim is to promote the
use of information and services. The areas in which information network
services are provided free of charge in accordance with the principle of public
service should be defined. Areas where flexibility of pricing is possible
should also be identified, as well as those sectors where the price of the
service should reflect the actual cost of providing it.

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1. INTRODUCTION

In most industrialized countries, extensive programmes are being carried out to
accelerate the development and use of information technology and its
applications in the different layers and functions of society. In many
countries, high-speed telecommunications and the construction of information
infrastructures have been made national priorities. Information technology is
not only expected to raise the level of research and technology, it is also
expected to clear the way for profound improvements in education, health care,
communications, telework, and administration. The controlled, dynamic
introduction and development of information technology are generally regarded
as an essential national strategy.

In Finland, extensive preparatory work for the information society is carried
out by different sectors of government. A working group set up by the Ministry
of Finance has drawn up a national information technology strategy for
developing the information society. The Ministry of Transport and
Communications has outlined the directions for the national development of
information networks during 1995-1998. Many technology projects essential for
the development of the information society have been initiated by the Ministry
of Trade and Industry. The most important of these is the multimedia programme
of the Technology Development Centre TEKES.

On 18 January 1995, the Council of State decided on the principles for the
development of Finland as an information society. In this decision, the
Government set out the most essential development goals, outlined the most
important directions for action, and gave the different ministries the task of
preparing action plans by the beginning of March 1995 for the achievement of
these goals.

According to this Government decision in principle, the Ministry of Education
is responsible for achieving the following goals in its own sector:

Education. All levels of education and training from comprehensive school
upwards must teach the necessary basic skills in information technology (IT),
management of information, and communication. Teacher training is a key
development area, especially in the adoption of new competences and skills.

Training of professionals for the information technology and information
industries will be developed to reflect the diversity of changing professional
roles. Students in vocational and higher education should learn information
technology, information management, and communication skills that meet the
needs of a fast-changing and increasingly networked working life.

Education and training in the information sectors at universities and in
vocational education will be increased. Continuing professional education and
training will be developed to stay abreast of technological advances and to
meet the needs of the information industry.

Adults will be given opportunities to learn basic information technology skills
by expanding the range of training available and by improving library services.
Exclusion from the labour market must not occur because of a lack of these
basic skills.

The whole education system will be brought within the reach of information
network services, ensuring that educational establishments can use these
services. Open and distance learning will be promoted at all levels of
education and training.

Research and development (R&D). Research that reinforces the industrial and
service base in the information sector and safeguards product development will
be increased, both through major spearhead projects which develop leading-edge
technology, and through networking projects which increase the know-how and
export potential of small and medium-sized companies.

Government agencies, business and industry must work together to guarantee
adequate, high-level development work on information and communication
technology and its applications, as well as the resources required.

Finland will participate actively in international research and technology
cooperation.

Continuous development of the national and international telecommunications
links needed for research and development as well as the availability of
sufficient computing capacity will be ensured.

Research on the economic, social and cultural prerequisites for and impact of
the information society will be supported.

Research on the reorganization of work through the application of information
and telecommunications technology will be accelerated. Research results will be
utilized in work organization development programmes for businesses and public
administration.

National information resources. Use of national information resources by new
technological means will be promoted, as will their further processing into
products of the information industry.

Basic registers, statistics and other information resources will be developed
as a foundation for decision-making and to ensure a smoothly functioning
democracy. Use of these resources by new methods will be encouraged.

The division of responsibilities in national information provision, cost
allocation and pricing principles of information will be studied, and the
information services that will be available to all free of charge will be
defined.

Public libraries will be supported as nodes in the open information network,
and information network services will be introduced throughout the library
system as soon as possible.

The possibilities will be guaranteed for scientific libraries together to
acquire and make available the information and material that is needed in
Finland to achieve the aims of education and research policy.

Culture. The information society will have a profound influence on the everyday
life of people, on their interaction and communication, as well as on their
cultural environment and the supply of cultural services. In terms of global
information networks, Finland is a small linguistic and cultural area. The
supply of products of Finnish culture - literature, music, drama, art, design,
architecture, media and audiovisual culture - on the information superhighways
are to be guaranteed.

The creation of Finnish information products and related applications will be
ensured. The establishment and development of Finnish multimedia enterprises
will be furthered, and the production, distribution and use of digital
information products will be promoted.

In addition to the above, the decision in principle by the Council of State
deals, among others, with issues related to legislation, international
cooperation and those having a bearing on the sector which falls under the
jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education.

The Council of State charged the Prime Minister's Office and the ministries
within their respective sectors to prepare detailed action plans for the
development of Finland as an information society by the beginning of March
1995.

The present strategy document deals with the role and task of education,
training and research in the information society. In accordance with the task
assigned to the Expert Committee, this document contains proposals for applying
information technology to meet the needs of education, training and research
and proposals for improving the possibilities available to citizens to obtain
and use information.

The Ministry of Education has also initiated a strategy project in the field of
cultural policy. In this project, the outlines of cultural policy in the
information society will be laid out and the effects of digital media on
Finnish national culture investigated. This work is scheduled to be completed
by the end of 1995.

The strategy for education, training and research in the information society is
related to many other national strategies, such as

A Finland of Knowledge and Know-how (Science and Technology Policy Council)

National Education Strategy (Ministry of Education)

Development Plan for Higher Education and University Research for 1991-1996
(Government Resolution)

The employment committee of the President of Republic (the so-called Pekkanen
Committee)

Industrial Strategy (Ministry of Trade and Industry)

Information Provision Strategy (Delegation for Information Provision)

The strategies of professional organizations, among others a resolution by the
Finnish information sectors

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2. BACKGROUND

2.1 A networked information society

The effects of information technology are revolutionizing almost every sector
of society. Few areas of human activity remain untouched, the results are felt
most strongly and immediately in the economy, in business and industry, as well
as in education, training and research.

As the information society develops, information and the know-how based on it
will become more and more decisive as factors of production. Networking based
on the application of information and communications technology, especially
telecommunications, is a major trend. As well as creating new ways of
communicating and working, information technology has made possible new methods
of producing and distributing products and services.

With the help of information networks, it is possible to transmit different
types of service to different audiences via a single channel. This also makes
possible the improved provision of education and other services to small target
groups and special audiences. Through increased cooperation and by exploiting
the potential of technology, regional equality can be enhanced and the
opportunities for individuals to acquire information can be improved. More
effective use of resources will be possible.

Networking has further accelerated internationalization in all fields. The keys
to success in international competition are know-how, ingenuity and innovation
based on high-quality education, training and research. Sound knowledge and
adequate know-how lead to increased economic activity and more jobs.

A typical feature of the industrial society was that as a production factor,
human labour was increasingly replaced by capital, machines and equipment. In
the information society, electronic communication and information networks
handle huge amounts of information which is continuously being updated. In this
flood of information citizens need to be independent, critical and analytical
in their acquisition, use and production of information. Increasingly, the
problem is to locate relevant material in the mass of data available.

In future communities, members of many cultures, nations and language groups
will live and work. With the help of information technology, boundaries between
languages, cultures, races and sexes can be crossed in real time. New kinds of
social communities will emerge. Citizens living in a networked, increasingly
technical, multicultural environment need multifaceted communications skills.

2.2 Foreign programmes

In many countries action programmes are under way and measures are being taken
to promote the use of information technology and the development of information
networks. In several countries these issues have been dealt with at the highest
political level.

In the United States, President Clinton's administration has launched its
National Information Infrastructure (NII) initiative. The initiative covers the
areas of telecommunications, information policy and applications. A special
programme, High- Performance Computing and Communications (HPCC), funds
research and development to develop more powerful computers, faster
communication networks and more sophisticated software. The US initiatives have
attracted great national and international attention, in particular with the
introduction of the "information superhighway" concept.

In Japan, a programme for the development of the information society, "Program
for Advanced Information Infrastructure" was published in 1994. Education and
research are two priorities in this programme. Networking of schools and
development of teaching materials as well as the improvement of teaching skills
are seen as important issues. In the field of research, the development of
massively parallel computers and "super-high-speed" networks serving research
as well as the development of "ultra-high-performance" computing are
priorities.

In December 1993, the Commission of the European Union (EU) published a White
Paper Growth, Competitiveness, Employment - The challenges and ways forward
into the 21st Century. It served as the basis for a high-level group chaired by
Mr Bangemann, the then Vice-President of the Commission, which produced a
report on the development of the information society, Europe and the Global
Information Society - Recommendations to the European Council, for the meeting
of the European Council in Corfu in June 1994. Following the Corfu meeting, the
Commission developed an action programme for the development of the information
society, Europe's Way to the Information Society. An Action Plan, which is now
being implemented.

In its educational policy, the European Union considers the development of
human resources throughout working life to be crucial. The objective is to give
individuals the ability to develop their own skills and thus the capability to
work in an advanced, complex technical environment where the extensive use of
information technology is typical.

In the EU's IV Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development
(1994-1998), there are several programmes aimed at the development of
information and communications technology as well as applications for the
information society. From the point of view of Finland's national strategy for
education, training and research in the information society, the most important
of these programmes are the Telematics Applications Programme (TAP) -
especially its Area B (Telematics for Knowledge); the Information Technology
Programme (ESPRIT 4) - especially its area for High Performance Computing and
Networking (HPCN); and the Advanced Communications Technologies and Services
programme (ACTS).

Education and research are also highlighted in strategy documents published in
Sweden (Wings to Human Ability) and in Denmark (Info-samfundet år 2000) in
1994.

2.3 The starting point in Finland

Finland has a good base for development as an information society. The network
of educational establishments is dense and there is an extensive supply of
training opportunities after comprehensive school. About 60 percent of each age
group go on to upper secondary school. Over 90 percent of each age group, after
completing comprehensive school or upper secondary school, go on to attend a
vocational training institution, polytechnic or university. The supply of adult
education has increased rapidly since the 1980s.

Information is readily available to people throughout Finland. The nationwide
public library system has been designed according to a networked model based on
cooperation and division of responsibilities. Every Finnish municipality
maintains a public library. In total, these public libraries have over 2,000
service units providing services which are available to all citizens. About 80
percent of public libraries have computerized library systems, and this
percentage continues to increase. Currently, libraries use over ten different
computer systems.

There are some 800 scientific libraries in Finland and university libraries
represent a central part of this network. Unlike the situation in many other
countries, scientific libraries in Finland are public services and open to
everyone. The joint data network of university libraries is the backbone of the
computer systems in scientific libraries. The uniform structure of this system
makes it unique in the world.

In some sectors, the information technology and telecommunications industry in
Finland is a world leader, and the development targets set by the EU have
already been reached. The quality of Finnish information technology has been
recognized in OECD reports, among others. The level of information technology
employed in society and business life is relatively high, this is also true in
some sectors of education and training.

Major improvements in information technology and telecommunications have also
taken place in the science and research sectors, especially during the last
five years.

Scientific computing and symbolic data processing have both solid traditions
and established positions in Finland. Internationally, computational science
and research are at the leading edge, and the results obtained are transferred
to companies for use in their product development. Finnish research leads the
world in some sectors of the data processing field.

Progress in very exacting areas such as supercomputer projects and information
network development has been made possible by effective national cooperation
and division of responsibilities between the universities. The number of
Internet connections per capita in Finland is one of the highest in the world.

In the 1980s, substantial hardware investments were made in schools providing
general education and in vocational institutes. At the same time, continuing
education for teachers was organized on a large scale. In recent years, as a
whole, the school system has not kept pace with the rest of society in terms of
information technology, even though a number of advanced regional communication
network projects are in progress and several development projects in open and
distance teaching and multimedia materials are under way.

The use of information technology in education and training has also been held
back by a lack of applications. Finland is a small market and language area,
and hence production of electronic information products has got off to a slow
start. This is clearly seen in the production of educational software. The weak
economic situation has also reduced demand for such software.

Currently, the level of information technology equipment available differs from
school to school, and some of it is obsolete. The situation is worst in primary
education. Even where adequate equipment exists, it is often not fully
utilized. Teachers have differing abilities in using information technology.
The level of utilization of telecommunication services and information networks
is still low in Finnish schools, mainly due to the slow development in
equipment resources. Cooperation between educational institutions in using
teaching resources has been rare. All these factors have slowed down the
development of an organizational culture that utilizes information technology.

3. THE CHANGING CONTENT AND FORM OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

In its development programme for higher education and university research, the
Council of State has defined the main goals for Finland's education and
research policy:

maintaining a high, broad level of education

promoting the intellectual growth of the nation

encouraging initiative and enterprise

improving the quality of education and research

strengthening and broadening the industrial base

nourishing the innovation system

integrating work, education and changing life situations, and

developing professional competence and improving employment

The foundations of the information society are the cultural education and
competence achieved through high-quality education and research. The changing
structures of society and economic developments create pressure to improve the
impact and effectiveness of education, and to increase the level of interaction
between the public and private sectors. On the one hand the goal is a broad
education and a critical attitude towards knowledge, on the other, thorough
professional competence.

In a rapidly changing society, the education system is faced by continuous
challenges. Decisions affecting the education system must be flexible, must
react quickly to changing circumstances, and, above all, must be able to
anticipate change. The education system should also try to bring about desired
change.

Changing requirements in working life mean that a person's life is no longer
divided into the two distinct phases of a period of education and training in
youth, followed by a long period of working life. Education and training
throughout working life becomes increasingly necessary, and in more and more
cases people must be retrained for a new, different profession. Boundaries
between the professions are becoming blurred and working methods are changing.
The importance of universal working and problem-solving capabilities are
growing.

The change from once-and-for-all education to lifelong learning can be
supported by promoting cooperation that increases the level of networking in
the education system. It can also be encouraged by improving those forms of
education and training which support independent learning, such as open and
distance learning.

3.1 Curricula are changing at all levels of education

Curricula at all levels of education in Finland, from preprimary education to
university postgraduate programmes, are in a process change.

The National Board of Education is carrying out an extensive reform of
curricula in general and vocational education. Decision making concerning the
organization and content of general and vocational education has been
transferred to those who maintain the schools: the municipalities and
federations of municipalities. At national level, general criteria for
curricula provide the framework for steering education.

New national criteria for curricula for comprehensive schools and upper
secondary schools were approved in January 1994. The national criteria for
curricula for upper secondary vocational education were approved at the
beginning of 1995. The criteria for curricula for higher level and institute
level are expected to be approved by 1996. At present, national criteria are
under preparation for the vocational diploma and special vocational diploma in
adult education, as provided for in the law concerning vocational diplomas.

Requirements of technical basic education, including information technology
skills, are incorporated in the curriculum criteria for basic general
education. The principles for how these skills should be taught vary from one
curriculum to another.

Comprehensive schools and upper secondary schools

In the national criteria for curricula for comprehensive schools, pupils are
expected to learn how to utilize information technology applications. The study
goal is that the pupil, irrespective of previous experience, learns how to use
computers and the most common software applications and is also able to make a
realistic assessment of the possibilities of utilizing information technology
in different subjects.

In the criteria for curricula for comprehensive schools, information technology
has not been allocated a separate number of lessons; it is regarded as an
integrated theme. Study goals for information technology have been set, but
since it is an integrated theme, teaching takes place either in conjunction
with other subjects or, in the upper levels of comprehensive schools, as an
optional subject, depending on the local curriculum.

In the curriculum for upper secondary schools, information technology is not
specified as a subject, course, or separate integrated theme, and no specific
goals are set for the skills to be acquired. However, upper secondary school
studies include optional, applied courses which can be taken either at the
student's own school or at another educational establishment. These optional
courses may include studies in information technology. In both comprehensive
school and upper secondary school, information technology is used as a tool
when studying other subjects.

Vocational education

According to the curriculum criteria for vocational education, information
technology must be taken into account from a variety of points of view in all
studies, both as a subject in its own right and as a tool for learning other
subjects. In general studies, from which a student may choose courses worth
between one and four credits (study weeks), information technology is an
optional subject available to all students. Information technology is also an
optional subject in adult vocational education.

General studies are intended only for those students who enter vocational
education from comprehensive school. No general studies are separately defined
for students entering from upper secondary schools. The goals of the general
studies are included in the national criteria for curricula in every field and
degree. This means that the emphasis on the teaching of information technology
varies according to the field and the degree. The general goal is to teach the
students to use the hardware, software and information resources available in
their own field and for them to gain an understanding of the basic functions of
computers.

At institute and higher vocational level, students may choose from one to five
credits in information technology studies. Drafting of the criteria for
curricula in this sector is only just beginning, so the appropriate study goals
have not yet been defined.

Universities

The universities in Finland are autonomous and they are responsible for
developing their own curricula. Recently initiated evaluations of university
activities have clearly encouraged the universities to pursue this work. The
evaluations have been the basis for the development of degrees and degree
programmes. A new two-level basic degree system has already been adopted in six
academic fields. During 1995, the intention is to have new degree statutes in
force in six or seven additional disciplines. Once this has been achieved, 90
percent of new students will be studying in accordance with the new two-level
system. The reform of diplomas concerns both structure and content. The goals
are to make study more effective and to improve the quality of research work.

In the performance agreements made between the universities and the Ministry of
Education, it has already been decided that universities carry out regular
evaluations of their teaching and that students take part in these evaluations.

3.2 Evaluation of education and training

Management by results and evaluations are the essential tools for steering the
education system. In order to reach the goals of educational policy, it is
important to have an adequate information base as well as the
telecommunications links necessary to collect and transmit information. As
working methods change with the development of the information society,
information and communication technology also need to be included in the
evaluation criteria.

General and vocational education

The National Board of Education has started a project for the evaluation of
general and vocational education. This project creates an evaluation strategy,
develops evaluation methods and standards, produces evaluation publications,
consultation and training services, and carries out tailor-made evaluations.

In 1994, the outlines for evaluation were drawn and the areas of focus for
evaluation in the next few years were defined. Among these areas are
self-evaluation by different kinds of schools and educational establishments,
the functioning of the education system and network, national curricula, and
educational experiments. In an extensive evaluation of the upper secondary
school, the teaching of mathematics and natural sciences was among the areas of
focus.

In 1995, the focus of evaluation will be on the accessibility and equality of
education as well as on content options. One of the objects of evaluation will
be the supply of optional subjects and integrated themes taught in connection
with other subjects at the upper stage of comprehensive school and upper
secondary school.

Universities

The evaluation of universities has started with thorough evaluations of
individual scientific disciplines. This evaluation process is being continued
by the Academy of Finland. The Universities of Oulu and Jyväskylä have already
undergone a general evaluation. Currently, the Universities of Lapland and
Vaasa and the Sibelius Academy are under evaluation. In addition to these
institutions, the University of Industrial Arts is included in an evaluation
being carried out by the European Union. At the University of Tampere,
evaluation is being specially focused on the quality of instruction. Some
universities have created their own evaluation systems.

The most extensive evaluations by scientific discipline have been carried out
in the humanities, the natural sciences and pedagogy. The overall evaluation of
all education in business and commerce following comprehensive school can also
be included in this category.

The most extensive evaluation of the academic system in Finland is the overall
evaluation of national education policy carried out by the OECD. This
evaluation was completed in November 1994. The non-university sector of higher
education (polytechnics) was also included in this evaluation.

In all these evaluations, the quality of teaching has been singled out as one
of the areas in the most urgent need of development.

3.3 New ways of learning and teaching

Modern concepts of learning emphasize the students' responsibility for their
own learning and their active role in seeking and using information. The role
of the teacher changes from being a distributor of book learning into being a
tutor guiding the students. The school environment becomes a centre for
learning and activity. In libraries and information services, telecommunication
and digital information products are increasingly found alongside traditional
services as information sources of equal value.

The development of information technology has facilitated new types of teaching
arrangements and a more flexible division of responsibilities between
universities and educational establishments. Education units can agree on joint
distance teaching which is able to reach students throughout the country. This
makes possible an increase in educational opportunities while reducing costs
resulting from the duplication of teaching. Locally, the focus can be on
tutoring support for students and on reinforcement of the learning process. For
working people, the possibility of studying without time and place constraints
is important.

In Finland, several small-scale experiments on networked training arrangements
have already been carried out or are currently under way. Several of these
projects have been executed within the framework of the EU telematics
programme. The large-scale introduction of new learning methods demands that
the development and application of these methods and the technology required to
support them become part of the day-to-day activity of universities and
educational establishments. Universities and educational establishments are
responsible for developing their own teaching methods.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
At all levels of education, possibilities for individual study should be
increased. Teaching material and information services should be developed, the
quantity of open and distance teaching should be increased. Networking of the
education system should be promoted and open learning environments created to
support the move from "once-and-for-all" education to lifelong learning.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  1.  Open and distance learning should be recognized as being equal to other
     forms of study. The criteria for obtaining financial support for studying
     and training need to be changed so that the form of study chosen or the
     study arrangements which are made do not prevent the receipt of support.
  2.  Open and distance teaching should be recognized as being equal to
     traditional teaching methods. The regulation and contracts concerning
     teachers' wages and working hours need to be changed. The compensation
     criteria for planning, carrying out and tutoring open and distance
     teaching must be clarified and adjusted to the job descriptions and the
     amount of work required for open and distance teaching.
  3.  Both for experts in the field and for all teachers within the education
     system, specialist education for open and distance teaching should be
     increased.
  4.  The universities need to prepare plans for restructuring their teaching
     with estimates of the need for training in their faculties and departments
     caused by new teaching arrangements. In particular, teacher training
     departments have a key role to play in developing pedagogy as regards the
     application of information technology.
  5.  The tasks of university service institutions, such as computing centres
     and libraries, need to be planned and adjusted to support as effectively
     as possible new forms of teaching, study and research which are based on
     utilizing information technology.
  6.  The development of teaching, the use of modern teaching methods and
     materials, and the application of information technology are quality aims
     of teaching which should be specified in performance agreements between
     the Ministry of Education and the universities, and between the Ministry
     of Education and the National Board of Education.
  7.  The Ministry of Education should support research and development
     projects which apply information technology to education and training.
     Experimental results should be collected and the introduction of good
     solutions and applications be promoted.

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4. INFORMATION SOCIETY SKILLS FOR ALL

4.1 Basic skills while at school

It is characteristic of the information society that information is available
through many different media. The digitalization of communication channels that
is currently in progress is leading to a fusion of the different media:
publishing, press, cinema, radio, television and information technology are
merging. A new media culture is about to emerge in which people need, in
addition to the traditional reading and writing abilities, a new type of
ability, "cultural literacy" - the ability to communicate, handle, understand
and interpret information. As society becomes increasingly technical, the
importance of a basic understanding of mathematics and the natural sciences
increases.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It is the task of general education to provide every girl and boy with the
versatile basic skills in acquiring, managing and communicating information
which are necessary in the information society and essential for successful
further study.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     8 The comprehensive school must ensure that every pupil learns how to
     acquire information independently from different sources, how to manage
     and process information, and how to use information in an analytical and
     critical manner.

     9 The task of the comprehensive school is to provide every pupil with
     basic skills in using information technology. Girls in particular need to
     be encouraged to use information technology.

     10 The use of information technology as a learning tool in initial general
     and vocational education should be increased as specified in the new
     national criteria for curricula. Information technology should not be
     taught as a separate subject, it should be a factor that is integrated
     into the teaching of other subjects.

     11 The municipalities need to ensure that the schools have the equipment
     and network facilities necessary for teaching the basic information
     technology skills. Continuing education should be increased to guarantee
     that teachers and necessary support staff possess an adequate level of
     competence.

     12 In school work, the characteristics and possibilities provided by
     different media should be studied. The skills required to communicate in
     different interactive situations should be practised. Special attention
     needs to be paid to the acquisition of skills in both the pupil's mother
     tongue and in foreign languages. By increasing cooperation and the joint
     teaching of languages and other subjects, the possibilities available for
     learning international interaction and communication should be improved.

     13 Including mathematics as an obligatory subject in the matriculation
     examination should be considered.

     14 The educational authorities should monitor and evaluate the
     implementation of the new criteria for curricula from the point of view of
     how well the criteria correspond to the requirements of the information
     society. The authorities should also determine how well the necessary
     basic information society skills are taught in schools.

     15 Vocational institutes and universities need to ensure that the basic
     skills needed by students in the information society develop as technology
     changes.

4.2 Adult skills in the information society

In addition to the public education leading to a degree or diploma and the
staff training organized and financed by employers, there are many independent
training opportunities for adults which people attend mostly in their leisure
time and at their own expense. These opportunities are provided, for example,
by civic institutes, by open course centres run by a variety of organizations,
and as open university courses. In addition to these opportunities, the labour
administration finances retraining schemes for the unemployed. These training
channels offer good opportunities for teaching information technology skills to
adults.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The opportunities for adults to learn the basic skills of acquiring and
managing information, communicating, and using information technology, and to
subsequently upgrade these skills, must be improved.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     16 The supply of training opportunities related to information society
     skills and especially the teaching of information technology need to be
     increased in adult education and independent training establishments. It
     must be possible to use the premises and equipment of schools and other
     educational establishments for offering these learning opportunities to
     adults.

     17 The use of open and flexible learning methods and teaching materials
     should be increased in adult education establishments, civic and workers'
     institutes, as well as in open university education. Students should be
     shown how to benefit from the use of information technology as a learning
     tool.

     18 The ability of libraries and information services to serve the public
     in acquiring information should be improved. The libraries should be
     developed as nodes in the open information network, and their role in
     providing user support for information networks and electronic information
     products should be strengthened.

     19 Through nationwide communications channels, such as The Finnish
     Broadcasting Company, knowledge of the applications and possibilities of
     information technology should be disseminated, encouraging people to learn
     information technology skills.

     20 In cooperation with the broadcasting and cable television companies,
     the Ministry of Education should assess the possibilities of making
     training accessible to homes via radio and television.

4.3 Focus on the teachers

All teachers need new knowledge, skills and competences in order to be able to
use information technology as a tool in their teaching work. They must also
become familiar with applications in their respective fields. Teachers of all
subjects need to know how to utilize information technology and take account of
the requirements of the information society in their work.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The conditions and content of both the initial and continuing education of
teachers must be developed to correspond to the demands of the information
society. Teachers need to be trained to use the equipment required for open and
flexible learning, to be able to tailor existing teaching material to suit
their purposes and also to be able to develop their own material. Teachers must
be able to manage the information relating to their own field as well as being
able to handle the media used for communicating that information.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     21 The form, content and practice of teacher education should be revised.
     Open and flexible learning should be included in the curricula of teacher
     education. Practice in using information technology skills should become
     part of teacher training.

     22 The continuing education of teachers should be developed and directed
     particularly towards methods of open and flexible learning and
     self-directed learning. As a matter of urgency, adequate continuing
     education for teacher trainers and a sufficiency of appropriate teaching
     materials must be ensured.

     23 The university subject departments which organize teacher education,
     the teacher education units and practice schools need to be equipped with
     adequate, up-to-date information technology facilities. This will also
     result in new requirements for their premises.

4.4 New vocational skills for the information society

In the information society, the skills related to the acquisition and
management of information are an increasingly essential part of professional
competence in every field. In addition to basic general skills, mastery of the
working methods and equipment essential for the practice of a chosen profession
is essential. For all persons, information technology skills become
increasingly important as a factor affecting employability.

The information and communications technologies develop so rapidly that
continuous updating of knowledge and skills is required in all sectors of
industry - not only in information content, but also in the production of
equipment, software and services. Advances in technology arrive at an ever
increasing rate, and the race to achieve developments and produce applications
is global. Businesses need to produce a continuous stream of new products and
services which are competitive. This situation requires that the quality of
education and research is guaranteed in the long term.

In some fields, the need for new personnel has grown so rapidly that the
educational system has not been able to take proper account of this when
estimating the requirements for education and training.

General vocational skills
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In vocational education, the skills and competences needed for the information
society should be taught to take account of the requirements of a working life
which not only changes continuously but is also becoming increasingly
international and network-based.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     24 In all fields, the basic skills of acquiring and managing information,
     communicating and using information technology should be reinforced, and
     teaching should be provided for the special professional skills needed in
     different occupations.

     25 The content and methods of vocational and university education should
     be continuously developed, not only to keep pace with changing
     requirements in the professions but also as a way of anticipating future
     developments.

     26 Opportunities for further and continuing education and training must be
     guaranteed. The content of courses need to be developed to keep pace with
     the changes in job requirements.

Education in the field of library and information services

Education in the fields of library and information services is offered by three
universities in Finland. In addition, training for information specialists is
organized as continuing education. This training strives to provide competence
and versatility in handling the different tasks within the field of information
provision.

Education in the field of library and information services at institute level
and in the non-university sector of higher education has been reduced
substantially in recent years: both the number of educational establishments
running courses and the number of students have fallen. Over the same period,
the importance of information in society has grown, the amount of information
available has increased, and information technology has developed rapidly.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The new role of libraries and information services in the information society
should be taken as the basis for developing education and training in these
fields.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     27 In both vocational education and the universities, sufficient initial
     and continuing education in the field of library and information services,
     as well as the matching of course content with changing job requirements,
     must be guaranteed. In particular, professionals working in libraries and
     information services need to acquire new skills in information technology
     and pedagogy.

Professional competence and skills needed in the information industry

The information industry in Finland is very successful and growth is rapid.
This has led to a shortage of competent personnel, and an growing number of
professionals will be needed in the future. It is crucial that success of
industry in this sector is secured. Education and training, or the lack
thereof, must not be an obstacle to the development of the Finnish information
industry. There is a current need to define clearly the education and training
tasks which are the responsibility of universities and vocational education,
and those which fall to business and industry.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sufficient, high-level and high-quality initial and continuing education and
training necessary for the development of the information industry in Finland
must be guaranteed. It should be a national objective that professional
competence in the different sectors of the information industry in Finland is
at the international leading edge.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     28 To meet the ever broader requirements of changing job descriptions, the
     competence and skills of the different professions in the information
     industry need to be developed. Cooperation between different fields in the
     information industry should be encouraged by support for a variety of
     cooperative projects. Training in the information field should be
     broadened by adding modules from related subjects to basic degree
     programmes.

     29 In the new, growing areas of the information industry, student intake
     into initial education as well as the provision of continuing education
     must be increased. This requires both new resources and the transfer of
     resources from fields where the need for personnel is decreasing.

     30 Know-how centres for multimedia and other digital media should be
     established and training that underwrites development of this sector
     should be increased.

Cooperation between educational organizations and business

The objective of initial education is for the student to acquire fundamental
strategic skills and competences while also learning the basic skills necessary
for a successful working life. Because the time spent in initial education is
long, the results of changes made in its structure and content appear very
slowly. The education system cannot therefore react to each economic
fluctuation, and this would not even be wise. Increasingly, the response to the
rapid pace of change must come from continuing education.

To make the education system responsive to the requirements of working life, it
is important that developments in initial education are based on a profound
understanding of the long-term need for education and training. Closer links
between the education system and working life must be established.

The European Union has repeatedly paid attention to the development of
cooperation between industry and education. Finnish companies and educational
establishments have participated actively in the EU programmes in this area.
Even though the situation in Finland may be better than in many other European
countries, opportunities offered by the EU, such as the LEONARDO programme,
should be utilized more effectively.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Interaction between educational establishments, the educational authorities,
and business and industry needs to be increased. This should make possible a
better understanding of the changes required in education and training and
should also improve communication between the worlds of education and working
life.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     31 Curricula and study methods should be changed to support alternating
     periods of study and work. Representatives of business and industry should
     be appointed onto the administrative bodies of universities.

     32 Training required particularly by small and medium-sized enterprises
     should be supported by developing training and services that meet their
     special requirements. New models of cooperation between small and
     medium-sized enterprises and educational organizations should be created
     so that problems relating to business competence, especially those
     involving applications of information technology, can be identified and
     solved.

     33 Participation in international cooperation in education and training
     should be active, especially in postgraduate education and in the
     development of forms of cooperation between education and industry.

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5. RESEARCH, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND NETWORKS

Information technology is a crucial element in high-level research and product
development. Nowadays, information technology is an essential part of the
research process in almost all disciplines.

Information technology in the service of research includes different computers
and peripheral devices, the global information network and the software and
applications that make it possible to utilize these resources. Scientific
computing uses powerful computers in both research and product development, in
particular for the numeric simulation of different phenomena, visualization and
animation. The phenomenal growth in the processing capacity of machines used
for scientific computing has created new computational sciences that cross the
borders of traditional disciplines. For example, research on languages and
other intellectual functions of the human being has been revolutionized by
working with computers carrying out symbolic data processing.

Scientific databases and archives make possible the rapid updating and
dissemination of research material. They have rapidly become indispensable
resources in research work carried out in disciplines such as microbiology and
the environmental sciences.

The computers used in research can be described as a pyramid, the base of which
is made up of personal computers and workstations. The centre of the pyramid
consists of file servers available to a group of users. The top of the pyramid
is made up of supercomputers being used for the most demanding tasks.

$50 million "Teraflops"

300-600 GFLOP/s (1994) Massively parallel

$10 million Supercomputers

10-50 GFLOP/s Vector/Parallel

$1 million Clusters Servers Mainframes

1-10 GFLOP/s

$0.05-0.1 million

0.1 GFLOP/s Workstations/RISC PowerPC/Pentium

(1 GFLOP/s = 1 billion floating-point operations per second)

A similar three-part conceptual division can be used to describe information
networks. Local area networks in research institutes and laboratories are the
foundation. These form campus and metropolitan area networks, which are
themselves interconnected through a national trunk network. A further, fourth
level is the global information networks, such as the Internet, which are made
up of the national networks.

Finnish universities spend about FIM 300 million (ECU 52 million) per year on
information technology; two-thirds of this sum is spent on equipment and
maintenance. It is difficult to allocate this expenditure according to its
exact use, but the share taken by research is clearly the largest.
Telecommunications costs are growing because the construction, maintenance and
upgrading of campus networks and their external links requires a continually
increasing level of funds. To balance this expenditure, it is clear that good
telecommunications links grow ever more important for science and research.
Scientific libraries, for example, already make extensive use of information
networks to retrieve and disseminate information.

A high-speed broadband network is a key prerequisite for the whole scientific
community. Only by means of such a network can increased cooperation and proper
integration of the Finnish university system be realised at national and
international level.

Effective use of equipment make it possible to address increasingly difficult
research problems and to model ever more complex issues. High-speed network
links, transfer of images and sound, massive file servers, archives, and the
use of multimedia reduce the limitations on access to information: the
researcher's individual creativity, innovation and imagination are emphasized.
The key to successful research work becomes the researchers' ability to
understand extensive and complex entities and to make use of the information
available at their fingertips.

5.1 Information technology in the service of science and research

Tools based on information technology and networked working methods have
revolutionized both basic and applied research. Information technology has
diversified research methods, radically improved the opportunities for
researchers to interact on an international basis, increased the information
services available, and given researchers much more rapid access to the results
achieved by others. High-speed communication networks also make it possible to
use and operate equipment from a remote location.

The following examples illustrate some possibilities for applying information
technology to different fields of research.

Computer linguistics is one example of multidisciplinary research where Finnish
researchers have achieved success by combining linguistics and information
technology. Universal models and workstation-based methods developed at the
University of Helsinki facilitate the automatic analysis of texts in different
languages. Texts in, among other languages, English, Swedish, German and
Finnish have been analyzed. In this field, Finnish research is currently a
world leader.

In the field of medicine, image processing and visualization are rapidly
advancing technologies which can be employed using information networks. As an
example, computer tomography makes it possible to render on screen an exact
three-dimensional image of a non-visible object such as a tumour or organ, and
this can then be examined and analysed remotely using network connections.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The target of universities and scientific research in Finland must have as
their target the international leading edge in the application of information
technology.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     34 Information technology needed by high-level research must be secured
     through long-term public funding programmes which invest in the balanced
     use and development of the whole pyramid of information technology.
     Investments should be made at all levels: researchers' workstations,
     servers, supercomputers, local area networks and high-speed national and
     international trunk connections.

     35 In the next few years, a special area of investment should be the
     development and testing of applications using broadband networks which
     serve education and training, research and industry.

5.2 High-performance computing

As computers have become more commonplace and their processing capacity has
increased, the use of information technology in research has become more
effective. A new computational way of carrying out research has emerged. The
realistic numerical simulation of complex phenomena and systems has created
completely new opportunities. Examples of this can be found in scientific and
technological research, product development, the biosciences, climatological
and meteorological modelling and environmental monitoring.

The procurement decisions for a new supercomputer for Finnish research made in
1994 initiated a gradual transfer in high-performance computing towards
parallel computing, a technology where peak performance is achieved by
connecting together a large number of processors. This not only makes it
possible to scale hardware systems, it also allows the use of the same
processors in combinations applied to different purposes.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To secure the basis of scientific computing, resources for high-performance
computing in particular must be guaranteed.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     36 Finland needs to be an active participant in international programmes
     involving high-performance computing and broadband networks for research,
     in particular the European Union's High-Performance Computing and
     Networking programme (HPCN), and joint initiatives by the Nordic
     countries.

     37 The resources for high-performance computing should be guaranteed
     through long-term programmes which underwrite, in particular, the
     continuous development of parallel computing. The target is to achieve a
     capacity of one teraflop (1012 or one trillion floating-point operations)
     per second by the end of the current decade. In 1994, the peak capacity
     available to Finnish researchers was just one percent of this.

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6. RESEARCH AND THE INFORMATION SOCIETY

Basic research in many fields plays an important role in the development of the
information society. Applied research, which supports product development and
industrial activity, builds on the achievements of long-term basic research.

As in education, investment in research at universities needs to targeted on
new, developing fields. In engineering and technology, additional resources are
required in fields which support the information industry, especially those of
the electrical and electronic industries.

Today, information technology is a tool used in almost all product development,
as well as being used for the underlying research. The contribution made by
information technology is also growing in the development of products and
services in fields other than the information industry itself.

6.1 Research, product development and the information industry

The automated data processing, telecommunications and media industries in
Finland are expanding rapidly, and they represent great export potential. It is
not only the information industry - information technology products and
services, telecommunications, content production - that is becoming an
increasingly important business activity in Finland, research and development
into information technology is a fast growing field in its own right.

The tools and methods available to manage and organize information create added
value for the information industry. File servers, electronic archives and
information networks, as well as the data storage in many types of
organizations contain a wealth of information in digital form, but this mass of
data cannot be fully exploited because it is not structured sufficiently. The
structuring, condensing, abstracting and indexing of information produced and
needed by society, research, business and industry become major targets for
study. Multidisciplinary research, involving disciplines such as communications
and information science, linguistics and computer science, needs to focus on
these areas.

In tomorrow's information industry, language engineering - the automatic
processing of natural languages - will grow in importance. As an information
society, Finland will need to develop technologies and applications for the
automatic processing of the Finnish language. This is essential for nurturing
the national culture; otherwise the dominance of, in particular, English may
grow too strong. New network-based services must also be available in the
national languages of Finland.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In order to maintain and enhance the competitiveness of business and industry,
research which supports research and development must be promoted.
Research in software engineering needs to be increased, especially in fields
which support the development of industry.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     38 Long-term R&D funding in Finland needs to be directed towards
     developing the software and information product industries.

     39 Finland's position in the field of automatic language analysis should
     be further strengthened, and R&D in the field should be supported.

     40 Interaction between enterprises and the scientific community should be
     increased in order to assist, in particular, in the definition of areas
     where short-term and long-term research is needed, and to facilitate joint
     research and development projects.

     41 Universities and research institutes need to participate actively in EU
     research and technological development programmes to ensure, among other
     objectives, that Finnish industry has access to the research results it
     needs.

6.2 Research on education and training

The purpose of introducing information technology into education and training
is not only to instruct people on how it can be used as a tool, but also to
stimulate the development of teaching and working practices that enhance
learning. Some research has been carried out in Finland on computer-aided
teaching, on attitudes towards the use of computers in education, and on
methods of applying information technology to different subjects. Little
research, however, exists on what types of teaching material encourage
learning.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pedagogic research should be directed towards self-directed learning, the
learning process, and the new communication and interaction methods and
intercultural communication made possible by technology.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     42 In order to develop teaching and working methods, research on the
     pedagogical effects and social impact of information technology, and on
     the interaction between man and machine should be increased and receive
     support. The focus of pedagogical research should be on media and
     learning, and on the role of the different media in teaching.

6.3 The information society as a focus for research

The development of the information society, networking and the application of
information technology have far-reaching economic, social and cultural effects,
into which little research has so far been carried out. Also, the prerequisites
for achieving any desired changes are not well understood.

There are many areas in the networked society where little or no research
information is available. Some examples of these are: ways of working and
communicating, practices and routines employed when using technology at the
individual level, changes in ways of thinking and in job descriptions, the
management of change, the ethics of using information networks, and the
virtualization of phenomena.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Scientific research needs to be directed towards studying the effects of the
information society on different walks of life, thus supporting the
transformation to a network economy.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     43 Research on aspects of the information society should be increased in
     order to gain an overall understanding of the probable economic, social
     and cultural changes that could take place.

     44 The prerequisites for the development of the information society should
     be targets for research. An interdisciplinary research programme on the
     information society, communication networks and access to information
     should be initiated.

     45 Research work on the practices employed in the information society and
     network economies should be increased.

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7. DEVELOPING INFORMATION PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

National information resources are made up of many different types of material,
such as books, newspapers and magazines, statistics, patents, basic registers
and databases, collections of images, maps, as well as unpublished information
material. The number of producers of information is huge, ranging from
commercial publishers to companies, public administration, communities,
organizations, and private individuals.

The principal organizations providing information are libraries, information
services, archives, and, to a certain extent, museums. Education and training,
research, mass media and other forms of primary communication are extensive
systems for the transfer of knowledge in society. All these sectors can be
information producers, transmission media, and information users. The
development of electronic media, in particular, blurs the distinction between
these roles. New, alternative methods are emerging for the production,
transmission, and acquisition of information. The roles of the various
organizations involved are changing. One example of such a new form of activity
is the "Cable Knot" of the Helsinki City Library.

The use of information and communication technologies changes the ways
publishers produce, process and distribute information. Functional technical
solutions are essential, but information content and methods of presentation
are a much more complex challenge to electronic publishing. Market conditions
and competition guide the business of commercial publishers, but it is possible
for society to direct commercial activities, if so desired, through different
forms of support.

Characteristic of national information provision in Finland is the small size
of the language and economic area. This means that the market for Finnish
information products is a limited one. The special requirements of technical
compatibility, the dependence on information generated abroad, and reliance on
global networks hold back the utilization and development of content products.

In Finland, information generated abroad is of particular importance in higher
education, research and product development.

7.1 National information resources and information maintenance face new
challenges

In information provision, technology enables links to global information
networks and the use in digital form of reference data and original material.
Users gain access to a virtual resource, the "Global Electronic Library".
Through the use of information technology, publications can be tailored for
different readers and published and produced on demand.

As information resources become increasingly accessible over networks, finding
a relevant piece of information becomes increasingly problematic. Easy-to-use
tools for information retrieval are needed. A few such tools already exist,
such as the World Wide Web (WWW) and the Wide Area Information Service (WAIS),
but these are only the first steps in the right direction. National network
directories of resources on the information superhighway are needed. Different
network services must be integrated so that different tasks do not require
different procedures. This is also the aim of the Telematics Application
Programme within the European Union's Fourth Framework Programme for Research
and Technological Development.

A functional electronic library in Finland requires a rapid increase in the
amount of information available over networks. This can be achieved either by
increasing electronic publishing or by converting printed, paper-based
information into digital form. In addition to the technical and economic
problems involved, legal questions, especially copyright issues, need to be
solved. Methods for ensuring the authenticity of publications accessible over
networks need to be introduced, as must electronic payment systems. Information
published in new forms which is important for the national cultural heritage
must also be preserved for future generations.

One factor restricting the publication of scientific articles in electronic
form is the lack of a referee system for digital publications. Once such a
referee system has been established, universities will have an important and
growing role in the production and distribution of digital scientific
publications.

Secrecy of information is not a serious problem when developing content
products and services within the public sector, because the resulting
information is already mostly public. As technology develops, public
administration can further progress towards the information society by
providing network access to public information resources. In this situation,
the allocation of costs becomes a central issue.

As the amount of digital information increases, the allocation of associated
costs needs to be resolved. A basic principle of a citizens' society should be
that basic information resources, services, and systems are developed and
maintained out of public funds. Standard basic services for large user groups
should be available at no cost. Information required in education and research
should be available at reasonable cost. Additional costs incurred by supplying
individual or specialized services should be borne by the users.

Most new information is already produced in digital form, but currently only a
small amount can be utilized by end-users in the form in which it was produced.
Technically, it is not difficult to make new material accessible in digital
form.

The use of digital information can be promoted by converting printed,
paper-based information into digital form. Digitization of material on paper is
not only a matter of solving the problems relating to technology and copyright,
it is above all a financial question. The magnitude of the task is shown by the
estimate that digitizing all the material published in Finland so far would
cost about FIM 1.7 billion (ECU 300 million). Converting the material published
in Finland in a single year into digital form would cost about FIM 35 million
(ECU 6 million).

The amount of archive material in digital form is growing rapidly. Central
government administration alone has 150 gigabytes (billion bytes) of digital
material in permanent storage, and the volume of this material grows by 10
percent each year. The preservation of digital material is still unreliable and
digital records cannot yet be used to replace files on paper or microfiche.
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The national system for information provision must be guaranteed the necessary
technology and adequate skills to make it a seamless part of the global
electronic library. National directories of network information resources need
to be established. Finnish information resources should be made reciprocally
accessible in electronic form for international use.
The use of national information resources by means of new technology must be
promoted. Production, distribution and use of digital information products
should be increased in different areas, especially in education and training,
research, administration, and in the libraries, information services and
archives serving these sectors.
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     46 The production of new information in digital form needs to be promoted
     in order to improve the supply of information over networks.

     47 Scientific publishing over information networks should be increased.
     Graduate theses and doctoral dissertations, conference proceedings and
     reports, and publication series of scientific and professional societies
     are particularly suitable for network publishing. In respect of theses and
     dissertations the universities need to revise their degree regulations.

     48 The selective digitization of collections in libraries, archives and
     museums should be promoted, starting with frequently used or fragile
     material, material with special value, and material for which no copyright
     problems exist. Before this work begins, however, archives and museums
     need to compile databases with information on their collections and to
     make these accessible over information networks in the way that libraries
     have already done.

     49 Methods for preserving material in digital form need to be developed,
     as the preservation of digital material requires special technology and
     continuously maintained conversion capacity.

     50 Resources need to be guaranteed for scientific libraries, working in
     cooperation with each other, to obtain and transmit the information
     material necessary for achieving the objectives of education and research
     policy. Developments in public libraries, where network connections are
     used to both produce and distribute information, should be promoted.

     51 The structuring of information needs to be given special attention.
     Professionals in the areas of library and information services, together
     with experts in information and communication technology, need to develop
     methods of locating relevant information in the mass of data available
     over networks.

7.2 Promoting information production in Finland

From a business perspective, Finland is a small market for content products of
the information industry: multimedia, digital publications, teaching material
and special products. Although relevant know-how concerning content is
available, this type of production is often unprofitable when it is targeted
solely at national distribution. On the other hand, the education and training
sector as a whole is an important and exacting customer the demands of which
can increase competition, thereby strengthening domestic suppliers.
High-quality teaching material and educational entertainment - "edutainment" -
products have market potential also outside purely educational uses: in homes,
in pre-school education, and in clubs and leisure activities. In the areas
where sound know-how exists, markets are not limited to Finland.

Both government and commercial companies can support the development of
competitive digital information products and the creation of new markets.
Production can also be increased through different financial arrangements which
support the creation of know-how and business activity in the field of
information products.

Information networks make possible the fast and flexible distribution of
teaching materials and they also create new methods for producing material.
While supporting the introduction of products which exploit new storage media,
such as CD-ROM and CD-I (CD-ROM Interactive), products that are produced and
distributed using networks should also be developed.

Information produced by public administration must be available to the
information industry for further processing into information products. This
issue is also being taken up within the European Union. The price of public
information supplied for further processing is governed by the law on the
pricing of government services.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The availability and competitiveness of high-quality Finnish information
products serving education and research must be guaranteed.
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     52 The further processing of national information resources into products
     of the information industry must be promoted.

     53 The development of information products and services in selected areas,
     especially those serving the needs of education and training, needs
     support from public funds.

     54 The creation and development of Finnish multimedia production and
     related business activity should be furthered through commissions and
     subcontracts.

     55 The interactive development, production and distribution of teaching
     materials and other information products should be supported, and
     international cooperation encouraged.

     56 Translation and other applications used to facilitate the use of
     international information products need to be developed. Technical
     solutions adopted in Finland must be internationally compatible.

     57 Services which make it easier for people to get acquainted with and
     start using digital information products need to be developed.

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8. NETWORKING

8.1 Towards an open information network infrastructure

The information networks serving education, training and research form a part
of the national and global infrastructures of information networks. The
national strategy for education, training and research in the information
society needs to build on a public information network with open access and
comprehensive services, where the free exchange of information and services to
benefits everyone. The basic network structures need to be maintained with
long-term public finance, so that the information facilities and
telecommunications technology paid for out of public funds are adequate and
up-to-date. When building the information technology infrastructure for
education, training and research, international developments need to be
followed and influenced as actively as possible.

The public and commercial sectors share many common interests. Advances in
switching technology make possible the seamless but controlled interconnection
of open information networks and those of commercial telecommunications, such
as telephone networks, the entertainment industry, media and broadcasting, and
where required, the necessary billing mechanisms can be put in place. Here the
comparison to the road network with bridges and ferries is appropriate. The
integration of networks is a central objective that needs to be pursued with
determination. This development ensures that people can connect to the open
broadband network as switching technologies develop.

The Internet is a global, open information network which has spread extremely
rapidly, and it continues to grow. A large number of universities and research
institutes were the first to get connected, but in recent times a growing
number of companies and other organizations have joined the network. The
Internet is used in many ways for communication and for transferring
information. It is quite natural to connect the networks serving education and
research in Finland to the Internet, since the Finnish university and research
network has been a part of it for a long time.
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The national information infrastructure, the Finnish "Information
Superhighway", must be assembled as a multi-layered but integrated system. The
present Internet and the standards for emerging broadband networks and services
should be the foundation of the information network for education and research
in Finland, so that it becomes part of an open, global information network.
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     58 Connection of publicly funded activities and services, such as schools,
     libraries and hospitals, to the information networks needs to be
     accelerated.

     59 The construction and use of information networks in society should be
     promoted by developing the interconnection of telephone and cable TV
     networks and the open information network. Development of technology that
     facilitates such interconnection and the increased use of networks needs
     to be accelerated. In this way the foundations for the rapid integration
     of households into the national information network infrastructure will be
     laid.

     60 The compatibility and interconnectivity of the different parts of the
     information network need to be secured. Links between the advanced
     university information network, the developing school network, and the
     public communication network should be established as seamlessly as
     possible in order to guarantee that services are both accessible and
     available.

     61 Cooperation between the education and research networks and commercial
     network operators should be promoted. Commercial services should be made
     available over the open information network. By supporting the development
     and implementation of interconnection technology, the public sector can
     make the use of the network for commercial purposes as easy as possible.

     62 A network of support centres should be created to assist with both the
     development and use of network services designed for the public.

8.2 Information networks for science and research

The scientific community has used information networks for a long time. The
FUNET project, initiated in 1984, was the beginning of the university and
research network in Finland. The FUNET network in its present form was
established in 1987 and since that time the required network capacity has more
than doubled each year. The latest stage in the development of FUNET is the
upgrading of the network to the new broadband ATM (asynchronous transfer mode)
technology. This upgrade represents a ten-fold increase over the present
transmission speed to 34 megabits (million bits) per second. This increase in
speed will bring with it two advantages: the capacity for traditional
telecommunications will increase, and the high transmission speed will make
possible new network applications such as distance learning and the
transmission of multimedia.

The ATM upgrade will require a total investment of about FIM 5 million (ECU 0.9
million) in 1994-1995. The update will raise annual telecommunication costs by
FIM 1 million.
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The continuous development of the national and international telecommunication
links necessary for research must be guaranteed.
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     63 The FUNET trunk network will be upgraded to ATM technology in 1995. As
     use of the network increases, the FUNET network needs to be developed
     further so that by the end of the decade the network transmission speed
     will reach 155-620 megabits per second.

     64 To match the development in Finland, active cooperation should be
     sought to upgrade Nordic network links and international links with
     Central Europe and the United States.

     65 Adequate resources need to be provided to enable universities to
     upgrade their own local area networks.

     66 In order to develop and utilize next-generation transmission
     technology, the universities need to carry out joint experiments using
     transmission speeds at gigabit level (billion bits per second).

8.3 All schools and libraries to be a part of the open information network

Schools and educational establishments are not islands: they need to be an
integral part of the daily life of their environment, their municipality and
the local business community. Increasingly, schools also have international
contacts. Good telecommunication links facilitate networking with the local
environment and provide for versatile contact with the outside world.

Effective telecommunication links should be considered as an investment in the
most important resource of any educational establishment, knowledge, and thus
as one of the institution's important competitive advantages. The cost
structure of each network should encourage its multifaceted and efficient use.
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The whole educational system must rapidly be brought within the reach of
information network services. All educational establishments should be
guaranteed a certain level of service.
The links between schools and educational establishments at different levels
and in different fields, to municipalities and to business need to be
increased. Information network solutions should be constructed in ways which
support this development. The best way of achieving this is to base technical
solutions on regional networking and cooperation.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     67 All educational establishments are to be rapidly connected to
     information networks. Models for local telecommunications solutions need
     to be developed at a national level. The regional networking of
     educational establishments maintained by the same body or located in the
     same region should be given priority. The services of commercial
     teleoperators and system providers should be used to provide the necessary
     telecommunications links.

     68 All educational establishments need national network links and
     international Internet connections which are available to every student
     and teacher free of charge.

     69 Schools and other educational establishments need to be equipped with
     the information technology required for using telecommunication and
     network services in education. Support needs to be provided for the
     purchase by schools of information technology equipment.

     70 The Ministry of Education should initiate an Information Network
     Project for Schools to coordinate the construction of the school network
     at national level.

     71 Information services provided by the educational authorities,
     especially the local school administrations, need to be improved. Better
     connections for education and research to the information systems of the
     educational authorities need to be established.

     72 The task of the educational authorities must be to ensure that the
     whole education system is within the reach of information network
     services. A common framework is needed for the information network
     services provided by the educational authorities and different educational
     establishments.

Libraries continue to have an important role in securing the public's right of
access to information. Libraries are central in guaranteeing equality, in
ensuring the availability of information, and in guiding users in handling
equipment and accessing information. All citizens should have the right to use
information network services in libraries at an affordable price.
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The whole library system must rapidly be brought within the reach of
information network services. Adequate equipment and telecommunications links
as well as the existence of necessary expertise in both scientific and public
libraries need to be guaranteed. Special attention should be paid to improving
network services in public libraries and to the development of libraries as
nodes in the open information network.
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     73 The information network links of the public libraries should be
     developed by providing libraries with support to procure necessary
     equipment and offer user assistance. Public library network services need
     to be developed in parallel with the Information Network Project for
     Schools of the Ministry of Education.

     74 Information about the resources available in archives and museums
     should be made accessible over information networks.

8.4 Digital broadcasting and cable television networks

Broadcasting and cable networks are currently the highways of electronic media,
especially those reaching the homes. The broadcasting network covers over 99
percent of homes, and the cable TV network about one-third. All these networks
transmit programmes that have significance for education and training. The
broadcasting companies also produce separate educational programmes for radio
and television.

It is also possible to transmit data over the broadcasting network. Data TV can
be used, for example, to distribute software or teaching material.

Broadcasting and cable TV networks are also moving to digital technology: first
radio broadcasting, satellite transmissions and cable TV networks, followed
later by the terrestrial TV networks. Digital transmission will increase the
number of channels available while reducing the distribution costs per channel.
The advent of digital radio and television means that channels specializing in
education and training may become commercially viable.
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The Ministry of Education should seek to promote the supply of educational
programmes and information services via broadcasting and cable networks to
school pupils, students in vocational, higher and adult education, and to the
general public.
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     75 The possibility of reserving for educational purposes some of the new
     broadcasting channels, emerging as a result of the introduction of digital
     technology should be studied.

     76 The possibilities for students to receive credits for open university
     education and other types of independent study based on electronic media
     needs to be guaranteed.

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9. GENERAL FRAMEWORK

9.1 Standardization

There are many issues related to the functioning and security of networks that
are important not only in business life and public administration but also to
researchers and other users and producers of information. Verification of the
origin of the information and the integrity of its content are examples of
problems arising out of the introduction of new technology. From the point of
view of compatibility of information systems and networks, the key question is
standardization. An open information network requires standard solutions that
are compatible both nationally and internationally.

     77 When developing information technology for education, training and
     research, the advancement of international standards need to be carefully
     monitored and solutions chosen so that they serve the development of
     information systems and networks in Finland as a whole.

9.2 Legislation

Copyright issues

Practically all text, image and sound material is subject to copyright or
related rights. Copyright protects, for example, written presentations,
technical designs and drawings, catalogues containing large amounts of data and
tables, photographs, video and sound recordings, and radio and TV broadcasts.
Information technology makes it very easy to create, record, duplicate,
transmit, distribute and display material protected by copyright.

The introduction of digital technology creates the need to develop new contract
practices and to review the work of organizations which supervise copyright. It
is also likely to create the need for amendments to legislation, international
contracts and international treaties.

Among the issues which must be resolved are the granting of permission to make
use of existing material in multimedia productions and the question of the new
use of material and other information resources in general. Licence systems
need to be developed accordingly. In addition, the rights of producers and
makers of material must be effectively protected both in network environments
and in the distribution of recorded media so that easily copied products can be
released for distribution.

In addition to legislation and contracts, technical methods of protection will
probably be necessary to limit the copying of products, to secure the
distribution of products through encoding, and to guarantee recognition,
invoicing of charges and payment of licence fees for right of use.

     78 As a member of the European Union, Finland needs to make an active
     contribution to the preparation of legislation concerning digital
     technology and participate actively in international cooperation aimed at
     clarifying the needs for drafting or completing general international
     agreements.

     79 The need to reform national legislation should be scrutinized. The aim
     must be to create solutions which are compatible with international
     developments. The Ministry of Education has commissioned its Copyright
     Committee to chart the needs for legislative amendments in 1995.

Act on legal deposit

In section 7.1 the problems related to the preservation of electronic
publications for future generations were discussed.

     80 The preservation of information material important to the national
     cultural heritage must be guaranteed regardless of the form in which it is
     published. The Act on legal deposit of publications needs to be amended to
     include material that is published in electronic form.

Data protection and publicity

A directive on data privacy is currently under preparation within the European
Union, together with an international set of norms. From the point of view of
education and research, personal privacy and the principle of open access are
closely linked to each other.

81 In the information systems and networks serving education, training and
research, the aim should be openness and flexibility, while also guaranteeing
that any processing of information which affects individual rights respects
personal integrity.

82 In the information systems and networks serving education and research,
information possessed by public bodies which concerns the actions of the
authorities or which affects the lives of people should be as open and
transparent as possible.

9.3 Taxation of digital publications and network services

As digital publications and network services for education and research become
increasingly common, the manner is which they are taxed needs to be reviewed.

     83 The lower value added tax rate which applies to books should be
     extended to also cover those digital publications which are comparable to
     books both as products and in the way that they are used.

     84 The aim of stepwise abolishment of the current telecommunication tax
     should be supported. The revenue lost to the state by the ending of the
     tax will be made up by the increase in economic activity resulting from
     telecommunications and by the improved competitiveness of the service
     sector which exploits telecommunications services.

9.4 Tariff criteria

When fixing tariffs for publicly produced information network services the
nature of the activity requiring the information must be taken into account.
The objective should be to increase the degree to which information and network
services are used. Full cost accountability can be used for certain services,
where the user pays the costs incurred to the producer.

     85 The areas in which information network services should be available
     free of charge according to the principles of public service need to be
     defined. The possibilities for flexibility in pricing should be explored
     in other areas, and the areas where charges should be based on actual cost
     need to be defined.

10. IMPLEMENTATION

In its decision in principle of 18 January 1995 on the development of Finland
as an information society, the Council of State gave the different ministries
the task of preparing a set of actions by the beginning of March 1995 to reach
the desired goals.

In accordance with this decision, the Ministry of Education has prepared an
action programme using the general objectives set out in this strategy document
for the years 1995-1999. The detailed action programme includes a list of
projects with timetable, details of the parties involved, and a financial plan.
The following fields are included in the action programme.

National curricula and evaluation

Actions to develop curricula at vocational institute and higher level as well
as at universities following the lines defined in the national strategy. An
evaluation of how the strategy objectives are met at all levels of education
and training.

Networking of schools

A plan for linking schools and educational establishments to the information
networks. The plan contains an estimate of the need for equipment and
information network connections. The Ministry of Education is initiating a
project to develop the information network for schools.

Teacher education

A plan for developing initial teacher education and for organizing continuing
education, as well as for improving the information technology equipment
available at teacher education units.

Initial and continuing education for the information professions

An action programme to develop initial and continuing education in information
technology, telecommunications, production of software and applications, media,
and other fields related to the information industry.

Libraries and information services: networks, staff and cooperation

A development programme for public libraries. Continuing education for staff in
libraries and information services. Closer cooperation between libraries,
archives and museums.

Networks and applications serving the scientific community

The development and testing of applications using broadband and other networks
to serve education and training, research, and industry.

Information technology in higher education and research

Development requirements for information technology in research and higher
education: volume, funding.

Research areas

Definition of the areas of research which are relevant to the strategy for
development of the information society.

Information resources and information production

Digitization of national information resources. Promotion of information
production and the location of relevant information. Preservation of valuable
national material regardless of the media of publication. Support for the
content industry in Finland.

Legislation and general framework

Copyright issues. Act on legal deposit.

TERMINOLOGY

In this publication, the following terms have been used.

ATM, asynchronous transfer mode Packet switched network system, which can
transmit voice, data, images and video faster and more reliably than previous
technologies. The ATM network is also referred to as B-ISDN (Broadband
Integrated Services Digital Network) or "cell relay".

bit (binary digit) In communication and information theory, a unit equivalent
to the result of a choice between only two alternatives, as between 1 and 0 in
the binary number system used in digital computers.

CD-I (CD-ROM Interactive, Computer Disk - Interactive) Distribution standard
for interactive multimedia developed by Sony and Philips. Separate device used
with a television set.

CD-ROM (Compact Disc-Read-Only Memory) Optical storage device, which can store
large amounts of data in digital form. Used for storing text and high-quality
audio, images, graphics, and video and for other databases of large volume.

communication network See information network.

content industry See information industry.

data processing Operation or series of operations, such as storing, combining,
selecting, sorting, or calculating, carried out on data in order to present,
interpret, or obtain information.

flops, FLOP/s Floating-point operations per second, measurement used to
characterize the performance capacity of micro chips.

gigabit Billion (109) bits.

hypermedia Multimedia with associative links. As technology develops, the
boundaries between multi- and hypermedia and traditional media become diffuse.

hypertext The linking of related pieces of information by electronic
connections in order to allow a user easy access between them. Hypertext is a
feature of some computer programs that allow the user of electronic media to
select a word from text and receive additional information, such as a
definition or related reference.

information industry The production, sale and distribution of equipment,
applications, software and other products, and the associated services. The
content industry of the information industry refers to the production and
compilation of data, information, works of art, video programmes or other
performances for dissemination through information networks or electronic
media.

information material The entity of documents collected for a specific purpose.

information network, communication network System consisting of hardware,
software and applications of information and telecommunications technology,
which offers transmission and processing services for information to users in a
certain area.

information product Product related to the contents of the information
industry, such as data, information, works of art, video programmes and other
performances distributed through information networks or electronic media.

information provision The organized activity by which society or an
organization takes care of the production, procurement, storing and bringing
into use of the information it needs.

information service The area of information provision which procures and
distributes information to those who need it and which assists in the use of
information resources.

information technology The equipment, software and methods for the automatic
processing and transmission of information and the associated know-how.

Click here for Picture

interactive television, ITV Service where the viewer issues commands or
instructions which influence the course of the programme. The interactivity
does not necessarily demand a two-way distribution network, because the viewer
can send the control sequences or other messages to the broadcaster, for
example, through the telephone network with the help of a specialized computer
and a modem. Interactivity as such is a part also of other systems, such as
text TV.

ISDN, Integrated Services Digital Network Integrated network in which data is
transmitted as digital signals.

megabit Million (106) bits.

multimedia Material consisting of text, sound, images, computer graphics and
video material in any combination which is manipulated via a computer. Can be
used interactively, for example, in open and distance learning.

open and distance learning (ODL), study, teaching A planned entity of study for
a specific target group, consisting of a combination of face-to-face and
distance teaching, self study combined with tutoring and counseling. Open and
distance teaching can make use of electronic communication, telematic services
and information technology. The teaching is often organized in cooperation with
several training organizations. Arrangements for open and distance learning is
often referred to as open learning environments.

telecommunication, telecommunications The technology of sending signals and
messages over long distances using electronic equipment, for example telephone,
radio, data communication.

telecommunications network The combination of transmission channels and nodes,
which establishes teleconnections between two or more users for
telecommunication.

telecommunications technology The area of information technology which deals
with the equipment and methods of telecommunications and the knowledge related
to their use.

telematics The area of information technology which covers both
telecommunications technology and data processing.

teraflop Trillion (1012) floating-point operations.
