The operation "Success Stories" meets a three-fold, wide-spread need : the need to collect examples of the successful use of NTIC (new technologies of information and communication) in education, to integrate them, and then to broadcast them.
As a matter of fact, in the surrounding atmosphere of gloominess that brings people to point out the difficulties or problems encountered in any innovative process, it is important to be aware that many satisfactory experiences of NTIC exist under various forms (there are different and complementary places, levels, subjects, pedagogical strategies). However, its actors and innovators are most frequently isolated, hence the critical mass necessary to achieve a dynamic broadcast and exchange cannot be attained simply at the local level.
The origin of this work goes back to the discussions in the "Focus groups" of the conference organized in Santa Barbara, in August 1991, by the IFIP (International Federation for Information Processing). After this symposium, the members of the Working Group 3.1 were asked to make an active contribution to put this project into concrete form. The present product is a group of near 300 "Success Stories".
Version 1.0 of the April 1994 "Success Stories" has been presented in Barcelona, during the IFIP Working Conference called "Integrating Information Technologies into Education" (Barcelona, Oct 94). Participants were very interested by the process of the promotion of so- called "good practices". Moreover, this was one of the recommendations of the Focus Groups of the Conference (see the Proceedings of the Barcelona Conference). It has thus been decided to organize, in respect with the (IFIP WCCE'95) World Conference Computers in Education (Birmingham July 1995), the Operation "Success Stories (version 2.0)". This second edition has taken the form of a competition, open from begin of January on, until April 95. Each National Correspondant was in charge of collecting all contributions up to that deadline.
We are especially happy to offer this rich source of information which brings out the pedagogical thoughts and actions of many colleagues. At a time when people concerned with teaching and involved in NTIC are busy with issues that are indeed important, but often not directly related to the learning process (choice and test of computer equipment, negotiation of licences for software, efforts to renew the hardware, race towards the latest version of software, loss of time due to incompatibility of installations, war against viruses, etc.), it was sensible to capitalize in a systematic way these positive experiences which are centred on practices and uses rather than on products. How is this information organized ? what are the different ways in which the "Success Stories" can be consulted ? how can you contribute to the next version ? etc. : all these questions will be answered in the State of the Art that follows.
The direction of the CIP (Centre Informatique Pédagogique = Pedagogical Computer Centre, in Geneva) wishes to thank warmly all the people who have contributed to this operation (teachers, sponsors, working groups, administrative and technical assistants), as well as the Genevese, cantonal and national authors and correspondents.
R. Morel
Director of the CIP
IFIP TC-3 Swiss Representative
July 1995