!Frequently Asked Questions about ERDE

Answers taken from our Grundtvig 2 proposal.

What are the aims and objectives of ERDE?

This joint venture intends to develop concerted methods and contents to build up supporting ICT structures in rural areas.

The aim of the project is to learn about examples of best practise of regional development and educational cooperation in different countries, as well as to support their distribution. We expect from every participating country to present relevant projects which will, hopefully, lead to innovative jointly developed training facilities for adults in rural areas. Our main emphasis is on the connection between educational and social processes initiated by ICT.

What is the nature and expertise of the organisations?

The participating institutions are very heterogeneous. They cover various working sectors:

• regional development
• regional education
• research and ICT

• cultural heritage
• ecology
• economy
• administration and social affairs

What activities are taking place?

• [Meetings ERDE Meetings].
• Finalise the project report
• Evaluation of the project
• View to next projects

• 1. Organize discussion groups in the Lithuanian language of independent thinkers in the countryside. The purpose is to study this interaction, how the people are integrated into the global Internet society.
• 2. Translate various material of ERDE ideas from English and other languages into Lithuanian, so they would be available for discussion in our native language.
• 3. Print this material and discussions as a regular newsletter so that it can reach the many people who are not able to participate through the Internet.
• 4. Create portions of a website that assembles the materials that help shape the outline of the curriculum we foresee, and use as examples the materials that we have collected from independent thinkers.
• 5. Publish such materials in an electronic form, preferably the new USB flash keychain storage devices - this could be a "test ground" in the rural area!!
• 6. We would like to conduct English language learning workshops during the year at Varenos Technologijos ir Verslo Mokykla so that the people there could learn to speak well on ERDE issues, in preparation for the conference here, and also in preparation for travel.

What are the particular results or other outcomes which are expected?

Final products:

• Developing a curriculum for a training course, designed to create regional information coaches
• Preparing a Grundtvig 1 project
• Cooperative, transnational net of various multiplier
• Interactive website as a platform for all interested persons

Extending our own competencies and tasks, realising different solutions, getting new ideas, becoming experienced in transnational cooperation, learning to transmit new experiences

What impact is expected on the participating institutions?

Becoming more well-known even in foreign countries, extending the own image, improving the own offers, increasing core competences, becoming open minded, building up a network of competences

What impact is expected on the local communities?

getting fresh impulses; fostering networking; improving the social climate; raising the interest in education; stopping the rural exodus; implementing precise educational measures; fostering the acceptance of the EU`s enlargement in regions, which share borders directly with new members

How do you intend to evaluate the success of ERDE?

The realization of:

• Interactive website
• Curriculum for the regional information coach
• Grundtvig 1 proposal
• Written evaluation of the workshops to the contents and methodic and organisational criterias
• Self evaluation of the particiapants adaped to the demands of the project
• Intensive use of the ICT of the partners and the multipliers in the rural areas (e.g. raising the participants of local and global mailinglists)

1) between the participating organisations:

• via [ERDE website ]
• via common mailing list (english yahoogroup)

• lectures and events (e.g. Cyberspace,Internet & Co in Austria,etc.)
• via national mailinglists (e.g. the "Bildung&Begegnung" yahoogroup)

• presentations at specific events
• website, CD-Rom or similar media

The project is designed for people working in the field of adult's education, and for those supporting local processes. Within this project we wish to create specific educational offers in various thematic fields.

How will ERDE ensure the active participation of learners?

By the active incorporation of all participants during the whole process (planning and participating in workshops and excursions, using the interactive website). Reflexion and evaluation after each workshop will be made.

Are there any provisions for the (self-)assessment of the participating learners?

We intend to design a concerted questionnaire before the first workshop as well as the "self evaluation tool".

Will ERDE address in any way the issue of accreditation and certification of the knowledge, skills or competence acquired by adult learners prior to and/or during the project?

As this project is seen as an informal learning processes, certificates of knowledge and skilles are not important, but the question of certificates might become important as soon as we develop new traning courses. The aim of the first workshop is to define all expertises in the vast field of "cooperations in rural areas supported by ICT" of all participants. All them already have this, although in various thematic fields. This is the focus of this partnership to exchange knowledge to empower rural areas in the whole complexity. At the end of the project another position finding is made to controll the learning process. As we aspire a 1 year partership, it will be possible to integrate new knowledge into our daily work.

One aim is the preparation of a Grundtvig 1 - project. The content: the curriculum of a training course for multiplier in ural areas.

How will ERDE enhance learning opportunities for persons with a disability, chronic illness or other special educational need?

Although no specific measures for handicapped people are proposed, we expect a barrier-free access to knowledge and cultural heritage through the application of ICT, which is also open to the above mentioned. promote the participation of learners or organisations / institutions disadvantaged for socio-economic, geographical or other reasons?

Most of the participating organisations focus on low populated rural areas, where the access to education is basically difficult, and where without intensive support the access to a fast electronic datanet is not possible.

How will ERDE promote equality between women and men?

Women in rural areas can only get free access to information and knowledge by the application of ICT!

What are the roles and tasks of the coordinating institution?

• contributes the experience of networking groups (austrian workshop)
• is involved in designing the first workshop (germany), main emphasis is placed on group development
• is responsible for the flow of information between all partners
• takes care of the evaluation about the increased knowledge
• makes sure that all partners will keep to the schedule
• integrates all participants into the process

• contribute their expertise
• organise a workshop in their country in order to exchange experiences
• participate actively in the exchange of information (website, email etc.)

• ensuring the understanding (working languages will be German and English)
• building transnational, thematical working groups (connecting thematical multipliers of each country)
• interactive website
• personal exchange of experience at the workshops

Communication within the project will be mainly ensured via internet and email. ICT`s and their application in rural areas are the core part of this partnership which focusses on extensive spread of knowledge supported by ICT (wireless LAN etc.)

Additionally, we want to test new efficient forms of electronic communication e.g. weblogs, wikis, open theory etc. too.