ΠΑΝΕΠΙΣΤΗΜΙΟ ΑΙΓΑΙΟΥ ΠΑΙΔΑΓΩΓΙΚΟ ΤΜΗΜΑ ΔΗΜΟΤΙΚΗΣ ΕΚΠΑΙΔΕΥΣΗΣ

Transcription

1 ΠΑΝΕΠΙΣΤΗΜΙΟ ΑΙΓΑΙΟΥ ΠΑΙΔΑΓΩΓΙΚΟ ΤΜΗΜΑ ΔΗΜΟΤΙΚΗΣ ΕΚΠΑΙΔΕΥΣΗΣ ΠΡΟΓΡΑΜΜΑ ΜΕΤΑΠΤΥΧΙΑΚΩΝ ΣΠΟΥΔΩΝ «ΕΠΙΣΤΗΜΕΣ ΤΗΣ ΑΓΩΓΗΣ ΕΚΠΑΙΔΕΥΣΗ ΜΕ ΧΡΗΣΗ ΝΕΩΝ ΤΕΧΝΟΛΟΓΙΩΝ» ΜΕΤΑΠΤΥΧΙΑΚΗ ΕΡΓΑΣΙΑ EVALUATION AND COMPARISON OF PRIMARY EDUCATION SCHOOL WEBSITES FROM GREECE AND PORTUGAL ΚΩΝΣΤΑΝΤΙΝΟΣ Θ. ΑΡΑΜΠΑΤΖΗΣ ΡΟΔΟΣ, ΣΕΠΤΕΜΒΡΙΟΣ

2 UNIVERSITY OF THE AEGEAN DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY EDUCATION MASTER THESIS KONSTANTINOS T. ARAMPATZIS A.M.: /2009 EVALUATION AND COMPARISON OF PRIMARY EDUCATION SCHOOL WEBSITES FROM GREECE AND PORTUGAL SUPERVISOR: ANTONIO M. DUARTE, PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF LISBON, EDUCATION AND PSYCHOLOGY FACULTY CO-SUPERVISOR: KONSTANTINOS TSOLAKIDIS, PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF THE AEGEAN COMMITTEE MEMBERS: ILIAS ATHANASIADIS, PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF THE AEGEAN VASSILEIA KAZOULLI, PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF THE AEGEAN RHODES, SEPTEMBER

3 Table of contents Abstract...6 Introduction...8 Justification of the study...10 The school and the Information Society...11 The information Society...11 School Integration in the Information Society...16 The School Website...22 Website Evaluation...26 Education in Different Countries: the cases of Greece and Portugal...33 The Greek Educational System...33 The Portuguese Educational System...43 Greek and Portuguese Cultures...53 Education in Different Socio-economic Areas: the cases of Rural and Urban areas...59 Method...66 Sample...66 Evaluation instrument - the HETSI site...68 Procedure of Evaluation...74 Results

4 Discussion Conclusions Bibliography English Greek Used websites

5 The Introduction, the Method and some parts of Discussion and Conclusions of this Thesis are the same with Kourtikakis, Emm. Evaluation and Comparison of secondary education school websites between Greece and Portugal, The topic of these two Thesis is almost the same so some parts could not be differentiated. Περίληψη Βασικός σκοπός της διπλωματικής αυτής εργασίας είναι η αξιολόγηση δύο διαφορετικών δειγμάτων από σχολικές ιστοσελίδες της πρωτοβάθμιας εκπαίδευσης της Ελλάδας και της Πορτογαλίας και η σύγκριση των δειγμάτων αυτών. Η σύγκριση αυτή θα οδηγήσει σε συγκεκριμένα συμπεράσματα και διαφοροποιήσεις. Στο πρώτο κεφάλαιο, την «Εισαγωγή», αναλύεται κάθε πολιτική της Ε.Ε. που αφορά την εκπαίδευση και επιπροσθέτως παρουσιάζονται οι Ευρωπαϊκές κυβερνητικές γραμμές οι οποίες παίζουν σημαντικό ρόλο στην είσοδο των ΤΠΕ στα εκπαιδευτικά συστήματα των δύο χωρών. Ακολουθεί μια σύντομη αναφορά στα εκπαιδευτικά συστήματα της Ελλάδας και της Πορτογαλίας και στη χρήση των σχολικών ιστοσελίδων μέσα σε αυτά παρουσιάζοντας τις διαφορές ανάμεσα στις ιστοσελίδες των αστικών και των αγροτικών περιοχών. Επιπροσθέτως, σε αυτό το κεφάλαιο, περιγράφονται τα κρίσιμα σημεία αξιολόγησης ιστοσελίδων. Επιπλέον αναφέρεται λεπτομερώς ότι πρέπει να προσεχθεί και να εντοπιστεί κατά τη διάρκεια της ανάπτυξης και της βελτίωσης τους. Σε αυτό το κεφάλαιο παρουσιάζεται, επίσης, το εργαλείο το οποίο χρησιμοποιήθηκε κατά τη διαδικασία αξιολόγησης, το οποίο είναι γνωστό ως το εργαλείο HETSI SITES. Είναι ένα εργαλείο που έχει αναπτυχθεί από το Πανεπιστήμιο Αιγαίου και κύριος στόχος του είναι να βοηθήσει το χρήστη να αξιολογήσει ένα δικτυακό τόπο, μέσα από τη βαθμολόγηση της ιστοσελίδας σε πολλές παραμέτρους. Στο επόμενο κεφάλαιο θα προχωρήσουμε στην αξιολόγηση του δείγματος των ιστοσελίδων της πρωτοβάθμιας σχολικής εκπαίδευσης από την Ελλάδα και την Πορτογαλία. Αυτό το κεφάλαιο είναι γνωστό ως «η Μεθοδολογία» και η όλη διαδικασία περιγράφεται και βασίζεται στο εργαλείο που ονομάζεται HETSI SITES. Περιλαμβάνει τη σύγκριση μεταξύ των αποτελεσμάτων από τα δείγματα των δύο χωρών και από τα δείγματα των αστικών και αγροτικών σχολικών δικτυακών τόπων. Το τελευταίο κεφάλαιο περιλαμβάνει την συγκριτική ανάλυση η οποία καταλήγει σε ορισμένα συμπεράσματα - αποτελέσματα και την ερμηνεία μέσα από τη γενική ψηφιακή κουλτούρα των δύο χωρών. Συζήτηση, οι πιθανές μελλοντικές μελέτες και οι 5

6 επιπτώσεις για την αξιολόγηση και το σχεδιασμό των ιστοσελίδων επίσης περιγράφονται με λεπτομέρεια. Abstract The basic aim of the diploma is to evaluate and compare different primary school websites from Greek and Portuguese rural and urban areas. At the first section, which is the Introduction, every important policy of the European Union concerning the education is outlined and, in addition, the E.U. governing lines which have a decisive role in the import of ICT in the educational systems of the two countries are analyzed. A brief reference to the educational systems of the two countries is preceded and, moreover, we refer on how the school s website is used in these, thus differences between rural and urban education are presented. Additionally, at this chapter, the crucial elements of evaluating a proper website are also described and analyzed. Moreover, everything that should be noticed and pinpointed during the development and the improvement of such a school site is mentioned in details. At this chapter, we also describe the tool which is used at the evaluation process, which is known as the HETSI SITES tool. HETSI SITES is a tool developed from the Aegean University and its main target is to help the user to evaluate a website, through marking the web page in several aspects. In this section there are also presented the cultural differences between Greece and Portugal. At the next section the method of the empirical study is presented which involved the evaluation of a sample of primary education school websites from both the two countries, Greece and Portugal and from both urban and rural areas. The evaluation process is described as based upon the tool named HETSI SITES. It includes the comparison between the results from the two countries and from the urban and rural schools websites as well. In the Results section the product of the evaluation is reported. The main findings of the Results section are that the Greek Schools have higher markings than the Portuguese Schools, and the Urban Schools achieved higher scores than the Rural Schools. Also the Totals of all School websites are relatively low. Despite the limitation of the sample, there are some major omissions stated in all categories. In the next section, of Discussion, there is an attempt to interpret the results, mainly on the basis of known cultural differences and similarities 6

7 between Greece and Portugal and between urban and rural education. The last pointing limitation of this study, as well as possible future studies and implications for the evaluation and the design of school websites are presented. 7

8 Introduction Outline A basic reason for the choice of the subject was that I work as a tutor of Computer Science and Informatics at secondary education schools and at Institution of professional training at the computer classes, and thus there is a familiarity but also an increased interest in the procedures that take place in the introduction of the websites in the Greek secondary school. Moreover, my scientific dealing with ICT and web page development in education in the frame of the MSc Educational Studies with Applications in Information Communication Technologies (ICT) in the Department of Primary Education in the University of the Aegean, reinforced my concern for ICT in secondary education. The idea of the comparative study of websites in the Greek and Portuguese Primary Education arose when I was given the opportunity through the Erasmus programme to do my thesis in Portugal, and after conversing with the consultory committee, it constituted the topic of the thesis. Thus, the basic aim of the thesis considering the above is: To evaluate and compare primary education websites from Greece and Portugal deriving from urban and rural province. This comparison will lead us to interpretations and implications. This thesis theoretical frame is based on references and bibliography whereas the evaluation and the comparison is an empirical exploratory study. For the purpose of the empirical study were used: Observation Evaluation Tools (HETSI Sites) The references constitute the basis for the collection of the thesis data but they are also used to complement data that are based in observation. Special emphasis was given to the 8

9 bibliographical research of elements that define the educational systems of the two countries (laws, analytical programmes) but also to elements that justify the politics of the European Union for education. For the statistic facts effort was taken for them to come from the official services of the two countries (Statistics Portugal, National Statistical Service of Greece.) However, because in numerous occasions there were not any facts available, research from other sources was used. The participational observation, which is through the use of the evaluation tool, allows the researcher to experience the situations under observation. In some cases though, the under observation environment is not always representative, which makes the attempt of generalization problematic. In this thesis, the problem of generalization was more intense in what concerns the Portuguese Primary Education, because the educational system of the country allows every school to partially develop a special analytical programme. As far as the Greek primary education is concerned, the existence of specific analytical programmes about ICT that determine an accurate way for the implementation of ICT facilitated the generalization. Finally, my personal work as a teacher of new technologies in all-day schools as well as the contact with a significant number of teachers allowed the formulation of views without serious reservations. The Internet is a great tool, for finding useful information about every subject needed. The low cost and nearly instantaneous sharing of ideas, knowledge, and skills has made collaborative work dramatically easier. Not only can a group cheaply communicate and share ideas, but the wide reach of the Internet allows such groups to easily form in the first place. Messages can be exchanged even more quickly and conveniently than via . Extensions to these systems may allow files to be exchanged, "whiteboard" drawings to be shared or voice and video contact between persons. A scientific research could not be complete, without the appropriate bibliography. Many books and websites have been searched, in order to provide the theoretical framework needed, about the educational system of Portugal and Greece, the school network sites and the objective evaluation process. 9

10 The present study focuses in school sites and tries to research their criteria of quality, as these have been formulated in the international pedagogic bibliography. It is a comparative inquiring approach through which is developed a new tool of graded criteria of evaluation (Rubrics), which was named, HETSI Sites (Hellenic Evaluation Tool for School Internet Sites) taking into consideration the already existing tools of evaluation in Greece and abroad. The educational value of proposed tool, lies in the more effective and more objective evaluation of School Network Sites, so as to improve the provided quality of these sites. The HETSI Sites has been pilot tested for the evaluation of selected school network sites and, was evaluated according to qualitative, explanatory approach from 5 parallel teams for the validity and the reliability of criteria. Justification of the study The justification of the study of school websites can be stated, at least, in terms of their role in two important processes: community-school collaboration and web-based learning. Community-school collaboration is a vital process. For instance, research supports that home school collaboration is related with several benefits in academic and social emotional areas: increased student achievement, improved attitude toward school, higher attendance rates, lower dropout rates, higher parents-students connection, improved understanding of schools by families, better relationships with teachers, increased self-efficacy, more positive associations of teachers with families, better teacher performance, and greater teacher job satisfaction (Mizerek & Christenson, 2005). School websites constitute a potential way of supporting this community-school collaboration. Besides, nowadays much learning is and can be conducted in ICT platforms through the world wide web (i.e. web-based learning). Some research supports that ICT assisted learning has a potential to promote a deep approach to learning (e.g. a deep approach to learning is a type of learning that combines intrinsic motivation (i.e. learning for pleasure) with a deep learning strategy (i.e. learning by understanding) (Davies et al., 1994; Hambleton et al., 1998; Lamon et al., 1993; Laurillard, 1993; Newman et al ;). The use of a deep approach to learning tends to result in the construction of a more comprehensive, 10

11 personalized, lasting and transferable knowledge of subject matters, which correlates with higher achievement (Biggs, 1987). School websites can be also privileged platforms to support web-based learning. Nevertheless, it should be stated that neither ICTassisted learning through the world wide web does automatically lead to the adoption of a deep approach to learning (DeJong, 1994), nor probably school-community collaboration will be always adequately supported by school websites. This potential probably much depends on the specific design and content of the school websites, along with the context in which it is used (i.e. the skills of the user and the surrounding environment). Therefore the need to evaluate school websites in order to diagnose them and to promote, through their better design, their valuable potential. 1. The school and the Information Society 1.1. The information Society The evolution of human communication can be claimed that has been executed within four different but closely related time periods. Each period includes several important facts about the evolution of human communications, from whom most are inventive keys of new communication technologies. Each new mean that was being discovered could possibly change the function of the former mean but not vanish it. These four periods epochs are: 1. the writing epoch, 2. the printing epoch, 3. the telecommunications epoch and 4. the interactive communication epoch. (Rogers,1986) The interactive communication epoch culminates with the invention of World Wide Web in 1989 from Tim Berners-Lee. Τhe internet, even though it was much expensive (at the begging) and more complicated on its use, soon became one of the most popular means of communication and information transport, with increased abilities of information and choice. As a consequence of this, many scientists expressed their optimism about the transition from the sterile industrial society to the information society. The use of the term information society is extremely intense through the last decade during which the economical life takes 11

12 even more bigger dimensions, with basic impact of course on the social, political and cultural life of each country. On the velocity of financial transactions and activities spreading, the Technologies of Information and Communication (ICT) have of course the main role while they permit the automatization of big units production as well as the immediate transmission of information, facilitating -among everything else-the banking and financial function in particular. These big changes on the productive process have been accomplished and extended gradually, in the last fifty years, while the first period of Computer Science s development coincides with the end of the 1940 decade. Whatever explanations may be given about this development: coverage -at first- of the military necessities, combination of factors and historic junctures, as a matter of fact remains the connection of the Computer Science -and the ICT in general with the social, political and cultural life, mainly on the most developed countries. The spreading of these technologies appears to be a major characteristic of the contemporary societies evolution with a result to use the term information society in order to describe them The term information society is so far the most widely used in order to describe the evolution of the contemporary societies. But, the use of this term is multiple and made different and often obscures, instead of explain, not only the characteristics but also the interdependences of the societies, as well as in which rate a global society really exists and functions, of whom all people living on this planet feel as its members. The term is used on scientific analysis as well as in journalistic presentations, from whom they can be embodied more easily in the daily speech and extensively in the way of million people s thought, mainly on the most developed countries. At the same time, it also used in texts of conservancies and organizations and by giving them a unique dimension on their officially declared aims and targets. The mention although on the term happens in several ways, which giving him a different semantic meaning. To conclude, it is used differently on the sociological analysis and differently on the formal documents of the European Union. In the case of the European Union, that her views are of a special interest on this project, important is the description that has been given by the European Commission High-Level Expert Group report of 1996: 12

13 The society is currently being put in place, where low-cost information and data storage and transmission technologies are in general use. The generalization of information and data use is being accompanied by organizational, commercial, social, and legal innovations that will profoundly change life both in the world of work and in society generally. Already though, in 1993, when the White Book 1 about Growth, Competitiveness, Employment (Commission of European Communities,1993) was published, with subtitle: The Challenges and Ways Forward into the 21st Century, the mention on the information society is extensive and accesses in the part II, which is relevant to competiveness. There, after the mention on the radical transformation of economical and social life s aspect, from the ICT, the moulding is mentioned, in the decade of 1990, of an unprecented, as it is characterised, link between the procedure of technological innovation and economical as well as social set up. Furthermore, it is clarified that, the economical effect of the technological progress, on development and occupation depends on the procedure of innovation, which demands permanent and organised interaction between the faces that relate to technology and the faces that relate to the market on the other side. In this context of the connection between technology and economy, the evolution of European union s societies towards the direction of an information society shows up as casuality and the Community(E.U.) will have to exploit as much as possible, the changes that are provided by the evolution. The necessity for ICT familiarization and efficient economically work, in big scale, is also clear on the pointings of European Commision (August 2004), on the book Looking beyond tomorrow Scientific research in the European Union ''. According to the book Research is an investment in our future well-being. The fruits of efforts made today may not be visible for several years. But equally, failure to invest now will cost future generations dearly. The European Union is aware of the stakes involved as it strives to become the world s most dynamic knowledge-based economy by To meet this challenge, the EU has a strategy. 1 White papers are documents containing proposals for Community action in a specific area. They sometimes follow a green paper published to launch a consultation process at European level. While green papers set out a range of ideas presented for public discussion and debate, white papers contain an official set of proposals in specific policy areas and are used as vehicles for their development. 13

14 It aims to get the best out of national research efforts and to combine resources where research efforts would otherwise be too small and fragmented. It is creating a frontier-free European research area, enabling scientists across the EU to join forces in pursuit of excellence. In addition in emphasizing digital inclusion, the European Commission aims to distinguish the European approach to the information society from other regions of the world. It is no secret that the United States, for example, outperformed Europe in the initial speed with which industry and citizens took up the Internet. Europe focus now on channeling efforts at regional, national and European levels to ensure that the digital economy brings benefits to all European citizens and to put a European stamp on the Internet. (European Commission October 2002). The importance that is given on the proliferation of the ICT was made clear on the summit meeting of Lisbon in March 2000 when the leaders of European countries and governments recognized that the European economy must be revolved and inserted on the digital era. Already, in November 1999, the European Union itinerated initiative eeurope only to manage this transition, not only inside the Union but also for the entrant countries of East and Central Europe. As a result, on the European Union the initiatives eeurope 2002 and eeurope 2005 have taken place and now another initiative, that is in progress, is the initiative i2010. The prementioned initiatives are discussed below. During the meeting of the European Council in Lisbon (March 2000), the Heads of State or Government launched a "Lisbon Strategy 2 " aimed at making the European Union (EU) the most competitive economy in the world and achieving full employment by This strategy, developed at subsequent meetings of the European Council, rests on three pillars: A) An economic pillar preparing the ground for the transition to a competitive, dynamic, knowledge-based economy. Emphasis is placed on the need to adapt constantly to changes in the information society and to boost research and development. B) A social pillar designed to modernize the European social model by investing in human resources and combating social exclusion. The Member States are expected to invest in education and training, and to conduct 2 Information about Lisbon Strategy was taken from the European Union s Gateway 14

15 an active policy for employment, making it easier to move to a knowledge economy. C) An environmental pillar, which was added at the Göteborg European Council meeting in June 2001, draws attention to the fact that economic growth must be decoupled from the use of natural resources. The Lisbon Strategy gives particular accent in the role of ICT, the education of human capital in their use, as well as in the business dexterity. The European Union's eeurope scheme was based on the premise that the Internet is essential to future economic growth, job creation and improvements in the quality of life not only in Europe but across the globe. It aimed to bring everyone in the European Union online as quickly as possible so that using the Internet becomes commonplace - whether by way of a computer, a mobile phone or a television set-top box and whether at the office, at school or at home. (European Commission, 2002) It sought to create a digitally literate Europe and to ensure that the whole process would be socially inclusive, builds consumer trust and narrows the gap between the haves and havenots in European society. Action Plan 2002 casted its net very wide and successfully put the Internet at the top of the European political agenda. When the eeurope programme was conceived in 2000, use of the Internet in the Europe was being hampered mainly by expensive, insecure and slow access, an insufficient number of digitally literate people online, the lack of a sufficiently dynamic, entrepreneurial, service-oriented culture; and the public sector not doing enough to help develop new applications and services. (European Commission, 2002) eeurope identified the steps needed to correct these weaknesses. They centered on three main objectives: A) to develop cheaper, faster and secure Internet access, B) to invest in people and skills, C) to stimulate use of the Internet. The eeurope 2005 Action Plan 3 was launched at the Seville European Council in June 2002 and endorsed by the Council of Ministers in the eeurope Resolution of January eeurope 3 Information about Lisbon Strategy was taken from the European Commissions Gateway 15

16 2005 focused on a more limited number of priorities. These concerned the effective use of the Internet for e-commerce and public services, including schools and businesses. It gave top priority to egovernment, elearning and ehealth and the creation of a dynamic environment for the development of ebusiness. The Action Plan set out two groups of actions that reinforced each other and which were both essential in enabling the provision of priority services: A) action to ensure widespread broadband access and a secure information infrastructure, B) services, applications and content, covering online public services and ebusiness; The i2010 strategy 4 is the EU policy framework for the information society and media. It promotes the positive contribution that information and communication technologies (ICT) can make to the economy, society and personal quality of life. The European Commission presented it in June 2005 as the new initiative for the years up to The i2010 strategy has three aims: A) the completion of a Single European Information Space which promotes an open and competitive internal market for information society and media, B) strengthening Innovation and Investment in ICT research to promote growth and more and better jobs, C) achieving an Inclusive European Information Society that promotes growth and jobs in a manner that is consistent with sustainable development and that prioritizes better public services and quality of life School Integration in the Information Society The general guiding lines of the European Commission, regarding education, are of a high importance and exert influence on the tracing of the Greek and Portuguese educational policy. This happens especially because they are often related to important financings from the side of the E.U., something that also happened, in a big rate, with the programs of inserting the Computer Science at the Greek school system. 4 Information about i2010 strategy was taken from the European Commissions Gateway 16

17 Charactecteristic is the fact that in almost every country of the EU, the programs for inserting the Computer Science at primary and secondary education begin after This fact cannot but to be related to far from the global tensions and national strategies-the general guiding lines of the E.U., as they are formulated on several, important texts of the European Commission. Because, it happens the same temporally to both Greece and Portugal and because, as it was mentioned before, an important part of the programs for inserting the Computer Science at the Greek school, is financed by outlays of the E.U., the mention on the European Commission s texts regarding education on the ICT, it is considered necessary. The transformation of the communal educational speech in the decade of 1990 moves on the bounds of the additional relation of the education and formation policies to the policies of point about the competiveness, occupation and social cohesion. After the Treaty of Maastricht (1992) and in the middle of the 1990 s decade (between 1993 and 1996), a series of the European Commission s texts exerted decisive influence on the transformation of the communal speech about education on the bounds of knowledge and information society. The Green Paper on the European Dimension of education (1993) and the White Paper on Education and Training (1995), will form the framework of transforming the communal speech and define the basic directions of applying the communal policies regarding education. The green paper on the European dimension of Education was published in September 1993 by the Commission of the European Communities. It defines the school as «an entity comprising a system encompassing many players (pupils, teachers, parents, the local community etc.). A place for organizing the resources available, as well as one capable of offering services to its community, with which it develops dynamic and interdependent relationships.» In addition, the general objectives of schools according to the paper should include contributing towards: equality of opportunity for everyone giving all young people a sense of their responsibilities in an interdependent society 17

18 developing their pupils ability to act autonomously, to make judgments, to assess matters critically and to make and adapt to innovations; enabling all young people to achieve their full potential in their working life and in their own personal development, especially by developing in them the taste for lifelong learning; giving their pupils training and qualifications which will facilitate their transition to working life, in particular through being able to master technological change. There are also mentioned actions in the area of education on the basis of partnerships including: cooperation through mobility and exchanges; the training of teachers and others involved in education; the development of language teaching; distance learning through multimedia systems; the promotion of innovation in teaching; the exchange of information and experience; using the experience of the European Schools. It is stressed that from the point of view of ensuring the greatest effectiveness of Community action, distance learning including the use of telematics - is essential in that it allows for better access to education, in particular in the less well-off regions. In addition, it is a support for transnational partnerships and could be a major instrument for disseminating innovations resulting from Community activity. However, the use of new technology is not limited to open and/or distance learning. Indeed, multimedia systems are called to play an increasingly important role in the transmission of knowledge and increasing the range of places where learning happens. In November 1995 the White Paper on Education and Training - Teaching and Learning - Towards the Learning Society was published by the Commission of the European Communities. 18

19 The White Paper considers in turn: the importance of education and training to Europe in the current context of technological and economic change; and the guidelines for action in the pursuit of objectives to build up high-quality education and training. According to the White Paper there are three major trends, three 'factors of upheaval' among the many complex changes taking place in European society, The impact of the information society: The main effects of this are to transform the nature of work and the organization of production. Routine and repetitive tasks which used to be the daily lot of most workers are tending to disappear as more autonomous, more varied activities take their place. The result is a different sort of relationship with the company. The role of the human factor is increasing but the worker is also more vulnerable to changes in the pattern of work organization because he has become a mere individual within a complex network. Everyone therefore has to adapt not only to new technical tools but also to changes in working conditions. The impact of internationalization radically After initially affecting only commercial, technological and financial trade, internationalization is now bringing down the borders between the labour markets, thus making a global employment market closer than is generally thought. The Commission, in its White Paper "Growth, competitiveness and employment", took a clear option to open on to the world, while stressing the importance of preserving the European social model. This means raising the level of qualifications in general if the social rift is not to widen still further and spread the feeling of insecurity among our citizens. The impact of the scientific and technical world: The growth in scientific knowledge, its application to production methods, the increasingly sophisticated products which thus emerge, give rise to a paradox. Despite its generally 19

20 beneficial effect, scientific and technical progress engenders a feeling of unease and even irrational misgivings in society. Many European countries have endeavored to allay these misgivings by promoting scientific and technical culture from a very early stage at school, by defining ethical rules, particularly in the areas of biotechnology and information technology. The solutions that are proposed on the paper in order the above three 'factors of upheaval' to be eliminated are two Focus on a broad base of knowledge and Developing everyone's employability. The second part of the White Paper presents ideas for action to facilitate cooperation between all those concerned or to complement their activities, leaving each to exercise their full responsibilities Member States are responsible for shaping and developing the structure, organization and content of their educational and vocational training systems. They therefore have a crucial role to play in bringing about the learning society; educational and training establishments must be strengthened and actively participate in setting up cooperation networks involving others concerned; enterprises must have an increasing role in training and must help to disseminate any new skills developed from their experience; individuals must also be able to enjoy permanent access to a whole range of better targeted and more clearly identifiable education and training provision, which complements general knowledge and can be acquired outside formal systems. At the decade of 2000, the context of the European Union s policy was defined from the Lisbon s Strategy on education that is materialized via the program Education and training The main target of the program 2010 is to pursue, for the following ten years, the future aims of education and formation systems that will compose the main core of the educational planning of the countries-members. It aims at the improvement and adaptation of 20

21 education and formation on the demands of the economy s knowledge, the improvement of the occupation level and quality, the fighting against social exclusion and the ability for all European civilians to participate on the new society of knowledge. The future aims have been impressed on the Education Council s exposition on the 14 th February 2001 towards the European Council. European Council approved them on March 2004 in Stockholm. The Council focused its attention on the three objectives below. Objective 1: Improving the quality of education and training systems Education and training are an excellent means of social and cultural cohesion and a considerable economic asset with a view to making Europe a more competitive and dynamic society. It is necessary to improve the quality of training for teachers and trainers and make a special effort to acquire the basic skills, which must be updated in order to keep pace with changes in the knowledge society. Literacy and numeracy also need to be improved, particularly with regard to information and communication technologies and general skills (e.g. learning to learn, teamwork, etc.). Improving the quality of facilities in schools and training institutes by making the best use of resources is a further priority, as is increasing recruitment in scientific and technical fields, such as mathematics and natural sciences, in order to ensure that Europe remains competitive in the future economy. Finally, raising the quality of education and training systems means better matching of resources and needs, and enabling schools to develop new partnerships to support their new, wider role. For the first objective, the following results are to be pursued: ensure that all education and training institutions have access to the Internet and to multimedia resources by the end of 2001; take steps to ensure that all the teachers involved are qualified in the use of these technologies by the end of 2002; bring about a substantial increase in per capita investment in human resources every year. Objective 2: Making access to learning easier The European model of social cohesion must be able to allow access for all to formal and non-formal education and training systems by making it easier to move from one part of the 21

22 education system to another (e.g. from vocational education to higher education), from early childhood right through to later life. Opening up education and training systems and working to make these systems more attractive, and even adapting them to meet the needs of the various groups concerned, can play an important part in promoting active citizenship, equal opportunities and lasting social cohesion. Objective 3: Opening education and training to the world This objective involves building the European education and training area through mobility and foreign language teaching on the one hand and strengthening the links with the world of work, research and civil society as a whole on the other. The following results are to be pursued: promote training for entrepreneurs and self-employed workers; encourage people to study two European Union languages in addition to their mother tongue(s) for a minimum of two consecutive years; promote the mobility of students, teachers, trainers and researchers The School Website Definition of Website A website is a collection of documents known as webpages (or pages for short) that contain information: images, words, digital media, etc. The main page in a website is called a homepage, and other pages in a website are called subpages. These are connected by hyperlinks, which are spots on a page (usually text or images) that, when clicked, take the user to different location. This can be another subpage, another location on the same page, or another website altogether. 22

23 Webpages are written in a language called HyperText Markup Language (HTML). HTML tells web browsers (the programs used to surf the Internet, such as Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, Safari, or Google Chrome) what information to display and how to format it. Webpages are stored on a server, which is a network of computers designed to store websites. Server space is sold and maintained by hosting providers. Hosting your website on a server ensures that your website is open to the public. The importance of Website for any institution/person The importance of having a website is determined by the reason for wanting one in the first place. Many people feel extensive programming and graphic design skills are necessary to have a successful website, but it's a matter of choice between detailed site and a simple one. Products If we have a product to sell, it's almost impossible to become successful without having some way to sell it on the Internet. It's convenient for consumers to research, view and buy that product at any time. Business Presence on the Web is important for any business because it can advertise services, mission statement and anything else necessary for potential customers. The Web is a virtual salesman, and Web real estate is so inexpensive that sometimes a website is the first thing a company does on startup. Communicate It s not necessary to have something to sell to have a website. Maybe you have something to say or you just like to write. The Internet is visited by billions of people a day, and the importance of having a website for communicating is to catch some of the users. Inform Everyone has knowledge about something or knows how to do something many people don't. Using a website to inform others is a great way to do that. Millions of users a day can potentially be teached or informed. 23

24 School Website A school website is a website built, designed, and maintained by or for a school. Possible functions of a school website include: a) Displaying student projects b) Providing information on homework and current class assignments c) Directing visitors to other resources on the web d) Providing a forum for administrators, students, teachers and parents to exchange information such as news and calendars of events e) Introducing people who don't know much about the school (such as parent or students who are considering moving into the district, community members who don't have children, and teachers seeking employment) to its current events and general culture f) Showing that a school is excellent with regard to sciences and new media in comparison to competitive schools. Creation of a school website There are various ways in which a school can approach the task of creating a website. (Carr, 2006) 1. CMS ( content management system): Schools may purchase or create software to organize and display their information on the web. This software typically gives every administrator and teacher the ability to post on the school's site, by using their own username and password. This kind of School websites tend to be the largest. However since most webmasters of school websites are not especially trained for administrating a cms, still about every second school website is maintained without using a cms. 2. A school website provides an excellent possibility for pupils to learn about webdesign and how to work in a group. 3. Webmaster: Some schools ask a faculty or staff member who is particularly technologically savvy, or who works in their computer science department, to design and update their websites for them. While some technology coordinators do an excellent job of this, maintaining a school website is generally thought of as a rather large task for just one person. The problem with the maintenance is that maintaining a school website takes at least several hours a week but in most cases staff members are only paid for one or two hours. Typical content and structure of school websites 24

25 A proper school website should contain content about the following aspects: School Information: Contact Information (Name, Address, City, County, State/Province, Country, , web address), School Background (History, Mission, Song, Logo), Virtual School Tour (Directions, Map, Photos, Classrooms, Videos, Live Cams), School Accomplishments (Awards, Achievements, Grants, Special Thanks), School Announcements (Events, Schedules, Calendars, Timelines), News and Information (Minutes, Newspaper, E- zines, Announcements), School Policies & Procedures (Mission, Philosophy, Handbook, Curriculum Guides, Policies, Programs) People Information: Staff/Administration (Principal Welcome, Directory), Teacher Pages (Directory), Class or Grade Level Pages (Classroom, projects, assignments, themes), Student Pages (Project posting, sharing, links to personal pages), Support Departments (Content Area Departments, Library/Media, Technology, Health Services, Bus Routes, Art & Music, Sports, Clubs, After School Programs), Parents/Volunteers (Directory, Activities, Opportunities, Events, Needs) Curriculum Connections: Student Resources (Assignments, Course Information, Projects, Popular Links), Teacher Resources (Lesson Plans, Professional Development, Popular Links), Parent Resources (Parenting Resources, Popular Links), Curriculum Materials (Online Curriculum Materials: lessons, activities, homework) Community Information and Outreach: Local Information (Weather, Geography, Culture, events, Attractions, Library), Local Resources (Natural and Historical Resources, Business & Nonprofit Contacts), Business Connections (School Supporters, Grants, Free Advertising), Call For Participation (Volunteers, Wish List, Funding Needs) Why school websites? Significant benefits to be obtained from creating and maintaining a web presence of the school are suggested in the literature. 25

26 Examples include linking all the schools in the district and developing an active businesseducation relationship that may help foster a deeper understanding and commitment from the community at large (Monahan&Tomko, 1996) (Ngeow, 1999) developing communication across classes, grade levels, cultures and even continents (Azuma,1999) (Feld,1999) (McKenzie,1997) encouraging parental involvement (Grimm,1998) (Holzberg,2001) (Ngeow,1997) introducing visitors to the unique attributes of schools and allowing the showcasing of awards and achievements of the school, faculty and students (McKenzie,1997) (Starr,2002). Additionally, having teachers, parents and/or students create and maintain a website has been shown to facilitate acquisition of technology skills (Azuma,1999) (Buchanan,1997) (Grimm,1998). In sum, many benefits can accrue from the development of a web site. A compilation of the articles by (McKenzie, 1997) and (Bellingham Schools, 1996) reveal four primary goals that encompass the unique objectives of most school websites: (1) an introduction to the school; (2) an interface to outside resources; (3) publisher of good works and; (4) a data resource. Though, generally, content analysis of items currently included in school websites and stakeholder judgments of items desired in school websites, remain absent in the existing literature. 2. Website Evaluation Website evaluation is a good practice for managing a website. It s the process of collecting, analyzing, and evaluating data that tell how well the website is meeting its objectives, so as to make improvements. Routinely evaluating a site helps create a higher quality product that meets customers needs and the agency s mission. It s not a one-time exercise; it s an ongoing process that requires an overall strategy to determine what, when, and how to evaluate the website. Why Is Website Evaluation Important? A website costs money. So we have to make sure that the website is written and designed well, that visitors can use it easily, that it s accurate, and that it s contributing to the 26

27 achievement of the agency s mission. It is needed to evaluate and test the website routinely to make it more efficient, appropriate, and useful to the visitors. (Stern, 2002) The best way to improve the effectiveness of a Web site is to have data that indicates how it s performing. Many measures can be used to improve the website. Web managers no longer need to rely on conjecture, opinions, hunches, personal preferences, or other subjective information. Decisions can be based on data and research. From the critical and comparative study of the bibliographic sources and references (Maier, 2010) (Barker&Obromsook, 2009), is found that the quality of a web interface is separated in three major categories: 1. The quality of the website concerning every aspect. 2. The quality of the content. 3. The quality of the pedagogical elements which are in this site. As far as it concerns the quality of the website in every aspect, as it is defined from the international standards, it is studied as a mean of information and presentation in a specific field (i.e. education), through the proper managing of the technical tools which are given. There are also and other views that determine the final result such as: Transparency, Navigation, accessibility, Interoperability, Maintenance, Aesthetic Presentation, Multilingualism, Safety (Minerva, 2002) (Alexander & Tate, 2005) (Labrakis Foundation, 2005). At the same time, the technical Completeness and the design are emerging too (Lynch & Horton, 2009). Continuing, as far as it concerns the quality of the content, it is approached as the dimension of collecting and digitalizing a sensible and safe material, with the goal of satisfying the user and at the same time, being in a safe environment. It is determined of meanings such as: Authenticity, Objectivity, Reliability, Affinity, Sufficiency, (Johnson & Lamb, 2007) (Minerva, 2002). Moreover, an important place has the clarity of the content s layout and the way it is presented. Ending, as far as it concerns the pedagogical elements, the quality is defined in relation with the educational and learning processes, the contribution of the media content and its structure concerning the knowledge, the active participation of the pupil, the feedback concerning its 27

28 cognitive process. (Sofos, A., Kostas, A. 2009). Additionally, we must refer to the development of a cooperative with exercises environment, when discussing about the creation and the use of school web page (Becta ICT Advice, 2003) (Dange, 2006). An element we should not forget is the option of giving the opportunity to use educational material and sources, educational information, inter-scientific interaction through the media and multimedia. At the table below, are presented the categories of Criteria of website evaluation in Greece, Europe and United States of America respectively. Table 1: Categories of Criteria of website evaluation in Greece, Europe and USA CATEGORIES OF CRITERIA Countries Greece 1 Europe USA 3 Content ٧ ٧ Organization of Content ٧ ٧ Sufficiency of Content ٧ ٧ Quality of Content ٧ Presentation of Content ٧ ٧ ٧ Automization ٧ CMS(Content Management System) ٧ Design ٧ ٧ ٧ Navigation ٧ ٧ ٧ Accessibility ٧ ٧ ٧ Communication ٧ ٧ Aim Goal Clarity School ٧ ٧ ٧ Briefing ٧ ٧ ٧ Timeliness ٧ Information about the School ٧ ٧ Technical Characteristics ٧ ٧ ٧ Parents ٧ Links ٧ ٧ ٧ Home Page ٧ ٧ ٧ 28

29 CATEGORIES OF CRITERIA Countries Greece 1 Europe USA 3 Pupil s Projects ٧ ٧ ٧ School Calendar ٧ ٧ Staff list ٧ Copyrights ٧ ٧ Personal data ٧ Curriculum and Syllabus ٧ ٧ E-Content E-Cognition ٧ Educational Use of New Technologies ٧ ٧ Student s participation in creation ٧ Student s Pages ٧ Teacher s Pages ٧ Interactive elements ٧ ٧ Educational sources ٧ Race and National equality ٧ ٧ Sensitivity ٧ Target Group ٧ ٧ Representation of School Community ٧ 1. (Greek Union of the IST Use in Education e-δίκτυο-τπε, 2009) 2. (Federal Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture of Austria Bm:ukk, 2009) 3. (Christie Α.,2007, Greenville Country school, 2003, Voelker, C.,1999, Lesley University 2005) Considering all the criteria mentioned above, those who are accepted from all the communities are: Content Presentation, Navigation, Statement of goal, Accessibility, Briefing, Technical characteristics, links, Home page, students Projects and the rest of the criteria are less frequent. The HETSI Sites Tool 29