Policy Context and Legal Framework

The city of Besançon (122,308 inhabitants) is a pioneer in the area of information and communication technologies. Indeed, in 1994 the city created the Réseau Lumière (Network of Light), the first French metropolitan high-speed telecommunications network. Since that date Besançon has had the objective of offering digital information to all. Today, all public or semi-public institutions exchange information freely on the network: schools, universities, hospitals, libraries, the city administrative services, chambers of commerce, etc… Collaborative work has been started with the Ministry of State Education covering notably the pedagogical multimedia content as well as the development of the digital workplace (educational portal). This operation represents a sort of watchdog project for the National Education system. This operation, in its context, fully fulfils the objectives put forward by the European Union: - A society centred on information and knowledge, such as recommended in the Lisbon strategy or the i2010 strategy; - Sustainable development: computers previously used in the service sector are recycled so as to extend their useful lives. - Equal opportunity and non-discrimination: concerning access to information and communication technologies. The work performed by handicapped people is promoted by the work carried out on the refurbishing of computers by the Centre for Handicapped Workers; - International cooperation through the providing of technical expertise in the setting up of multimedia centres in schools in Senegal and the assistance to the Republic of Senegal in the distribution of equipment in schools.

Implementation and Management Approach

Besançon.clic is the result of a political decision of the mayor. A deputy mayor has been put in charge of the democratisation of information and communication technologies and a guidance committee brings together the city of Besançon and the Ministry of State Education. When the project was launched in 1999, partnerships with banks allowed the project to recover over 1,000 computers for schools. A partnership between Hachette Multimedia and the National Education system has allowed access to educational software, encyclopaedias, atlases and on-line documentaries, all of which are regularly updated. Given the pioneering nature of Besançon’s initiative, network licences were able to be acquired thanks to a significant reduction granted by Hachette Multimedia. The La Cinquième television station granted access to its library of educational documentaries for the computers. IBM France took care of the delivery of the servers, Lotus France the supplying of software, and Microsoft France the purchasing of software licences. Lastly, a partnership with AXA France, in the framework of "Seneclic", will lead to the supplying of 30,000 computers to schools in Senegal by 2009. In 2006 the German firm Johnson Controls provided dozens of laptops for Besançon’s elementary schools and the school in the Regional Hospital. Multi-channel issues: In order to reduce the digital gap, the city of Besançon wanted everyone’s working environment to be favourable to the apprenticeship of and use of information technology and Internet. Thus the services put into place are of several types: - I.T. equipment in schools, hospitals, physical therapy centres and retirement homes, - I.T. equipment in private homes, for pupils of all ages, accompanied by a guide for the use of the equipment. - 12 hours of I.T. and Internet training for the parents of pupils, - Technical assistance for families (a telephone number has been put into place) and repairs carried out within a maximum of one week in the case of a breakdown, - The putting into place of a digital workspace which allows teachers to send messages to parents. Homework notebooks and all other documentation concerning the classes are available on line. This educational portal also provides access to educational software and other programmes that are the same at school as in the home, - The proposal of a 60 euro grant for the families having received an "e-book pack" to enable them to subscribe to Internet, - The putting into place of a new branch of activity for the staff of the Besançon Centre for Handicapped Workers, - Assistance in the fitting out of schools in Senegal with I.T. equipment through training, the providing of computer equipment and educational software.

Impact

- Reduction in the digital gap. Besançon.clic contributes to the generalisation of use in the area of information and communication technologies.It allows the most impoverished of families to become familiar with such tools and thus for the children to benefit from equality in education,independent of social class. Besançon should soon become a city in which the number of homes connected to Internet will be very high. - Improvement in social/ cultural links. Initiating families to I.T. tools free of charge allows parents to more closely oversee their children’s learning. Collective training sessions take place in digitally equipped public areas which favours communication between parents and brings the neighbourhood to life.This then gives parents the desire to go even further, which, in turn, creates needs that will be met by a more diversified choice of training, which will be offered by the associations. - A significant amount of I.T. equipment:schools in Besançon have one computer for 4 pupils while at the same time the national average is one computer for 20 pupils. Since CE2 class,each pupil can keep a computer at home. - Increased I.T. skills among the pupils of Besançon. In 2001 the Ministry of State Education created the Brevet Informatique et Internet (B2I) (Certificate in Information Technology and Internet), which attests to the skills acquired by pupils in the areas of multimedia tools and internet.These skills are to be continuously evaluated during the pupils's school years, from primary school to the end of junior high (US) or year 10 (UK). The experience in Besançon has shown that pupils beginning their first year of secondary school have a much higher success level on the B2I than the national average. - The capacity of Besançon.clic to be carried out elsewhere, because of its very low cost. Indeed, Besançon.clic is able to use previous generation computersi:It is based on a new “light” technology. These computers are, in fact, used as simple monitors for visualisation with the software being installed on servers.These servers are generally located in the I.T. department in the city hall or directly in remotely situated schools. - Promotion of the work of handicapped people. Participation in setting up and making the computers available to families represents a new activity for the Centre for Handicapped Workers. A similar centre for handicapped workers has just been set up in Senegal with the same objective: refurbishing computers so as to use them in the future and thus create employment for handicapped people. This work, both in Besançon and in Senegal, could eventually be part of an enterprise based on the recycling of microcomputers. A partnership is currently being put into place with the CISCO group that will eventually lead to a common teaching programme between the universities in Besançon and Dakar, as well as the overseeing of the various exchanges that exist between the two universities. - Sustainable development: the re-use of computers coming from firms prolongs their useful lives.The economic and social key dimensions are also filled by Besançon.clic. - Economic development. The impetus of the project has obviously created an increase in the turnover of local I.T.retailers. The 60€ grant given to each family for Internet connection has also increased the number of internet subscriptions. In the medium term, the family will have become accustomed to using computers and will more easily purchase of new material. - Implementation of new teaching techniques by teachers. The use of educational software to improve knowledge, to look for new information, to watch videos, to use e-mail to exchange information with other schools, including foreign schools, in the framework of twinning operations for example. Innovation: The principal innovation concerns the development of the digital workplace, or educational portal, which is accessible to computers both in the schools and in the homes. This is a pilot project for France, which allows teachers to send messages to parents. Homework notebooks and other documentation concerning the classes are available on line. This educational portal also provides access to educational software and other programmes that are the same at school and at home. This is also an innovative project in the sense that it reaches an entire age group, independent of its social class. Finally, the project allows, at a lesser cost, the re-use of older generation computers bringing them back into service thanks to the work of handicapped people and ensuring full support. The use of the “light” technology, that is to say a technology that does not necessarily require the latest generation of microcomputers, is a new technique. The computers are used as simple monitors, because the software is installed on a server. The advantages of this method are the following: -The software is installed only on the server, which eliminates any risk of deletion or destruction of software or files by the workstation used by the student, either at school or at home; -The server ensures the adequate access to Internet at schools; -The server can host access to network CD-ROMs; -The software programmes used are the latest versions and it is easy to update them on the server, meaning that all workstations can automatically benefit from the updates; -The risk of theft is limited.

Track record of sharing

Besançon has received a commendation from the Ministry of State Education for the development of the digital workspace that has been recognized as being a “watchdog project”. After having been impressed by Besançon.clic during a visit to the city in the spring of 2005, the President of the Republic of Senegal wanted to equip his schools in the same manner. “Seneclic” first saw the light in 2006. After having carried out a trial in three schools, the usefulness of the project became clear. So far, 500 computers have been installed in 23 schools in Senegal. A centre for handicapped workers has been put into place to refurbish the computers locally. The objective is to equip 1,500 schools in Senegal, i.e. 30,000 computers in 2009. This cooperation integrates the training of the technical and teaching staff so as to ensure that the project is run entirely by Senegal. Lastly, further to Besançon’s participation in various events and conferences concerning the area of multimedia, and thanks to extended press coverage, several administrations have already shown interest in such a project: Tunisia, several French towns, district communities. In order to contribute to the World Information Summit that took place in 2003, a local poll of French communities was carried out. Several workshops took place in France; including one in Besançon with the theme “Internet Access/Fragile Populations”.

Lessons learnt

Lesson 1 - Besançon.clic encourages the mastery of I.T. tools by a whole generation of young people and more largely also takes into account the training of their parents who are thus more able to oversee their children’s learning. Above and beyond this, Besançon.clic facilitates this apprenticeship through the use of public multimedia access points, associations, retirement homes, etc.

Lesson 2 - Besançon.clic is part of a virtuous circle, the guarantee of the usefulness of the project and the possibility of putting into place other projects like it: the partnership between the private and the state sectors, the promoting of the work of handicapped people, respecting the environment through the recycling and extending the useful life of the equipment concerned, developing the economy (attracting families to I.T. equipment and associated products, internet connections…)

Lesson 3 - Besançon.clic is a project that can be put into place elsewhere without the need for large investments: this has been proven by “Seneclic”.