Socrates programme

3. Rationale, Objectives, Target Groups (maximum 3 pages)
The overall objective is to bring critical innovation into the way history is studied, taught, learned and used in the public arena by proposing to as many actors as possible the need for a new approach, whether in teaching/learning or research. The complex activities and offer of CLIOHNET work at different levels, but all tend to the same end: the expected impact is through an articulated, structured offer of what we believe is a vital need, a way of introducing concretely a critical, comparative European dimension in history teaching and learning activities. By furnishing concrete proposals and useful reference points we wish to offer tools to teachers, learners and institutions which will allow them to acquire and use the elements of the proposed innovation, in their own way, in actual practice.

The main targeted area are students and teachers of history, and students and teachers in general; further targets are the readers and members of historical reviews and associations, the users of archives, museums and other bodies dealing with historical sources and ideas. The end target is the general public.

Output / product	Direct target	Indirect target
Plenary meetings	Coordinators and their institutions, student organisations, other TNs	Broader network of academic community
National meetings	Academics and other stakeholders in each participating country	National academic and scholastic community
Macro-regional events	Students, academics and other stakeholder in the macro-region	Broader community
Web site	Coordinators, all other interested parties	Academic world, other parties not restricted to Europe
Small publications	Teachers/learners institutions	Academic and scholastic community on European scale
CLIOHNET-TUNING booklets	Teachers/learners, other stakeholder; as model, other TNs and disciplinary areas	General academic community, not restricted to historians
Other materials (books, on-line books, videos, DVS)	Teachers/learners, general public	Academic, scholastic and broader community
Archipelago activities (see pt. 10 below)	Academics, students, cultural and educational stakeholders of all Humanistic disciplines	Broader community, research community
“Exogamie’ Pilot Project (see pt 10 below)	Universities and students, teachers and teacher trainers	Broader public

1. 
   Explain the rationale of and background to the project for the dissemination and exploitation of results (current situation, previous or preparatory work, the results of any needs analysis undertaken etc.). You may attach appropriate but succinct supporting documents.
   

The potential for dissemination is very great. Nearly every educational institution in Europe teaches history at some level and in some way. During operation as an Erasmus Thematic Network CLIOHNET has prepared systematically for what it considers to be the real challenge: dissemination and discussion of its insights and proposals to as broad a public as possible, academic and non-academic. Realistically it will not be possible to touch all the thousands of HE institutions, schools, reviews, associations, museums and other cultural bodies that could use the Network insights and materials. However we have learned when possible to use existing meetings (such as the annual meeting of the UK Learning and Teaching support centre, or annual meetings of deans of faculties of History – as in Spain—or of historians – as in Sweden) in order to reach largest number of people possible with the available time, energies and funds. Our national meetings, directories and materials are all designed with broad impact in mind. In a certain sense the first three years of the TN have been a build-up for the real challenge of dissemination.

2. 
   Define the concrete aims and objectives for the dissemination and exploitation of the quality finalised products and outcomes; describe the ways in which the situation set out under 3.1 above will be changed and the needs set out in 3.1 addressed by the project.
   

Our concrete aims are

1. to alert an ever growing part of the academic community, students and general public to the fact that there is an active body, CLIOHnet, which is addressing with important results the challenges of creating a a widespread critical attitude towards the partial or biased views of the past which have are one of the products of the nation state while supporting and not destroying the positive and useful elements of each national or regional culture; that this body represents a European way of elaborating cultural strategies, an open way, dependent on the contribution of all countries; that this body is a prime reference point for historians, for representatives of the humanistic sciences, for Universities and students in managing change in this remarkable phase of expansion and consolidation of the European Union;

2. to furnish concrete foresightful information, based on broad consultation, reflection and debate which can give guidance in designing and delivering quality teaching/learning experiences in the Bologna-Prague-Berlin context. This means furnishing useful reference points respect to which each University can design its own way to deliver excellence in a commonly agreed and recognisable framework.

3. to furnish a conceptual and practical background for the preservation and valorisation of rare and disappearing areas of knowledge and expertise;

4. to furnish a conceptual and practical background for the promotion of knowledge about new and emerging ways of teaching, learning and studying history. Among the emerging innovative ways that can be detected and promoted we place the particular multinational, multilingual ‘connected’ approach which CLIOHnet itself has developed, practices and disseminates.

5. To involve students more deeply in the development of the European Higher Education Space

5. To give greater cohesiveness, visibility and impact to Historical and Humanistic culture, by collaborating with other Thematic Networks, within the framework of the European Archipelago of Humanistic Networks (see below under point 10) and as appropriate with other TNs.

3. 
   Explain what you consider to be innovative about the project, the added value and expected spin-off effects of the dissemination and exploitation activities envisaged by the project.
   

We consider that the particularly strong innovative content of the project is a direct consequence of the way History is structured as an intellectual, academic and educational pursuit. Because History of all disciplines is perhaps the most closely linked to national views and agendas, being able to work together in the TN framework at such a time of political innovation as the present allows us to gain and to disseminate striking insights. Any relevant theme of European History (or even of World History) when considered from a multitude of national points of view springs into high relief. This is not the merit of CLIOHnet alone, it is the serendipity of being able to work as a TN at this time. The general awareness of the productivity of our methods which we gained in the 1990’s was sharpened enormously when we became able to collaborate closely with the Eastern and Central European countries, most of which will very soon be full member states in the European Union. Now we have the further opportunity of working with Turkish institutions as our full partners – and we have developed ‘associate’ partnerships with South Africa, with the SEE countries and with Russia. This means that innovation and illumination will continue, as we ourselves broaden our horizons and knowledge: our products are designed to bring these insights to as many people as possible and to make them concretely operative in the educational system.

Spin-off is in many forms: further projects which we are undertaking on the basis of the work done until now (these have been mentioned elsewhere in this proposal) and also the new and significant kind of spin-off that we expect from working more closely with other Thematic Networks in the Archipelago project.

4. Envisaged outputs (maximum 2 pages)

1. 
   Describe precisely the envisaged outputs of the project and specify, in each case, their expected impact.
   

The main outputs are: our website: continuing operation and expansion of the existing www.clioh.net site and its resources, continuing development including of a portal and CLIOHblog; the publication, publicisation, distribution and discussion of a general report on status of History today, including perfected Tuning findings; booklets for wide distribution presenting CLIOHNET publications and products, including guide to CLIOHNET-Tuning reference points for curriculum design, teaching/learning/assessment methodologies and quality assurance for programme design and delivery; a pan-European Directory, on-line; a certain number of macro-regional theme events; thirty National Meetings (when possible bi- or tri-national meetings); two plenary working conferences, of which one with student participation. Special dissemination partnerships with Institutions, reviews and associations have been set up for the dissemination year.

Further synergies will be developed through connected projects presented by CLIOHNET as a whole or by its Task Forces (at present an e-Learning project has been presented by the University of Turku on behalf of the Network and approved by the Commission; a proposal for a second cycle degree in Mediterranean studies has been presented; other proposals are being prepared). CLIOHNET has taken a leading role in building networking relations with other Erasmus Thematic Networks in order to form an ‘Archipelago’, network of networks in the Humanities (www.archhumannets.net). It is participating in the ‘Exogamie’ pilot project [see below ‘0int 10] and it has presented a proposal for a network of excellence in the sixth framework project.

2. 
   Indicate for each output the direct beneficiaries of the results or those that will implement the outputs from the project, both among and beyond the participating institutions.
   

Website: CLIOHnet Coordinators, their contacts, all interested persons who become aware of the site.

General report and enhanced CLIOHnet -Tuning book: All Universities which have (or do not have yet) History of historical studies among the subjects taught.

Brief general multilingual presentation of CLIOHnet: Coordinators and their contacts, especially dissemination contacts, and all other parties who are introduced to CLIOHnet and its activities in this way.

Pan-European directory: Coordinators, organisers of National Meetings.

Macro-regional events: the participants (Macro regional events where possible will be organised through combined National Meetings), including CLIOHnet members and other teachers, students and interested parties.

National meetings: Academic community and learners in each country.

Plenary working meetings: Coordinators; for the planned spring meeting in May 2005 also students, for the public part of the meeting, academics and students (and other interested parties) of the hosting country.

Students’ conference: Students themselves from all eligible country, CLIOHnet Coordinators and Coordinating Committee for insight and interaction

Dissemination links: The special dissemination partners, institutions, reviews, associations: their users, readers and members.

2. 
   Make specific reference to any outputs relating to information and communication technologies, as a pedagogical or management tool or as a competence to be acquired by learners or other groups as a result of the project (where applicable).
   

As a pedagogical tool, we indicate the ever growing materials and products that we are able to offer on line, on the www.clioh.net and linked sites. These include, as state elsewhere in this proposal, special t/l materials such as Periodisation Maps, Materials on the History and Organisation of Universities, Translations of Clioh’s Workshop I and II volumes in other languages, and indexes to the volumes. At this time DVD materials, teaching/learning unit proposals and free download of all the books are being placed on-line.

As a management tool, the www.clioh.net website is the basic means of communication in the Network, containing much on-line material, the calendar, posters, application forms, logistical information, contact information on the partners and the management, and much else.

An even stronger impulse to this aspect of the Network outputs will be given by the ‘spin-off’ e-learning project, e-HLEE, prepared by the CLIOHnet Task Force C and presented by the University of Turku on behalf on the entire Network. In this project, among other aspects, we intend to go beyond the kind of teaching/learning ICT environments we have been able to create until now, creating true virtual environments in which it becomes possible for the learner to assume different national identities, interacting with other students around Europe and beyond.

4. 
   Indicate any additional benefits and spin-offs expected from the project.
   

Aside from the many above mentioned connected projects and initiatives – which seem extraordinarily varied and incisive to us – we may mention that if as we hope the Tuning-Latin America project is approved under the Alfa programme, CLIOHnet will be involved as one of the three subject areas (the others being Math and Education Sciences) in building, in collaboration with HE institutions from all Latin American countries, a kind of “Bologna –Latin America”: this will be of great benefit in developing contacts and detailed knowledge of an important sector of the non-European world, on which we can build in the future, for example in the Erasmus Mundus programme. Contacts are also becoming important in Central Asia: here too an Asia-link is being developed.
5. Identification and internal quality evaluation of finalised outcomes (maximum 3 pages)

The Network relies in the first place on the Coordinating Committee and the central management structure to monitor and evaluate progress. In the case of the present dissemination project, it should be relatively simple to evaluate whether or not the concrete activities take place in the planned way. However the Network has already asked for the collaboration of three outside experts to advise and monitor in a more general way on the impact and the quality of the activities.

1. 
   Identify the finalised products and outcomes developed during the three-year period of Community support.
   

Website: continuing operation and expansion of the existing www.clioh.net site and its resources, continuing development including of a portal and CLIOHblog; publication of general report on status of History today, including perfected Tuning findings; booklets for wide distribution presenting CLIOHNET publications and products, including guide to CLIOHNET-Tuning reference points for curriculum design, teaching/learning/assessment methodologies and quality assurance for programme design and delivery; pan-European Directory, on-line; macro-regional theme events; thirty National Meetings (when possible bi- or tri-national meetings); two plenary working conferences.

Further synergies will be developed through connected projects presented by CLIOHNET as a whole or by its Task Forces (at present an eLearning project has been presented by the University of Turku on behalf of the Network; other proposals are being prepared). CLIOHNET is now engaged in building networking relations with other Erasmus Thematic Networks in order to form an ‘archipelago’, network of networks in the Humanities. It is presenting a proposal for a network of excellence in the sixth framework project.

2. 
   Prioritise the identified products and outcomes in relation to your project objectives and target groups, preferably in table format.
   

Product/outcome		Objectives	Target Groups
Website	Very High priority	Information about the Network, communication within the Network; download of materials	Network itself, national groups, students, other TNs, general public
General report and CLIOHnet Tuning Book	Very high Priority	Information and overview of status of History today, reference points for designing and delivering History products in Universities and schools.	Universities, students, higher education authorities and – as a pilot model – other disciplinary areas as well.
Clioh’s Notebooks volumes, videos, DVDs, with indexes, free download	Very High Priority	Giving concrete examples of the new methodology, attractive reader friendly studies on relevant themes, 150 chapters; 6 videos, 3 DVDs	Students, professors, general readers
CLIOHnet booklet in all partner languages	Very High Priority	General information about the Network in attractive, simple clear form in many languages	All interested parties; both historians and history students and others. A first taste.
Pan-European directory	High Priority	Allows organisation of mailing lists and contacts	Use in the Network
Theme events	High Priority	When possible National Meetings and Task Force meetings are organised around theme conferences	Allow production of new books and studies for wide dissemination in HE and general public
National Meetings	Very High Priority	Allows follow up and consolidation of National Meetings held during the three years of activity, leads to formation of national CLIOHnet groups, with work-plans	Represents a very powerful was to support national historians, students and academics in the management of change and innovation
Plenary Meetings including public meetings	High Priority	Essential work and planning time for network members	Constitutes the basis of Network collaboration rather than a dissemination product,
Dissemination partnerships with institutions	High Priority	Extending knowledge and active understanding of CLIOHnet and its activities	Universities, teachers, students: in effect will double CLIOHnet informed membership
Dissemination partnerships with reviews and associations	High Priority	“as above	As above
Student conference (‘Exogamie’)	Very High Priority	Represents the possibility of giving a multi-national high level experience of international cooperation and gives the Network the possibility to interact with interested students	Students, Network, and in the longer period, new formulations for design and delivery of history teaching learning experiences
Archipelago Team	High Priority	Represents the possibility of interacting with other Humanistic disciplines	European bodies, universities, general public

3. 
   Please differentiate between the overall outcomes and justify your priorities for those outcomes which are the object of the present project for the dissemination and exploitation of results.
   

In order to explain, justify and prioritise we think it is opportune to divide the outcomes into groups:

Those that illustrate and make visible the existence and the action of the Network, its basic philosophy and orientation (website, multilingual booklet, publications on reviews, presence in international conferences and reviews);

Those that regard national areas, and emphasize supporting activities at a national level by putting them into the pan-European context of the Network (national meetings, national websites, national working groups);

Those that regard specific thematic areas within the general area of historical studies (Task Force inquiries, spin-off projects);

Those connected with the Tuning and the TEEP projects (Tuning reference points, trans-national evaluation of programmes);

Those which lead to the elaboration of t/l materials and materials of interest for a broader public (IPs and CLIOHnet conferences followed by production of books, videos, on-line publications and DVDs).

This dissemination project is designed to spread knowledge and gain feedback with respect to all these outcomes, which are interlocked.

Since we are asked to designate and justify priorities, we think that the first priority is to make known the existence, the activities and the outlook of the Network in order to make clear and widely known that there is a common forum for development of a European policy toward innovation in the field of History; the second to diffuse knowledge of the reference points, level descriptors, subject specific and generic competences developed by CLIOHnet in conjunction with Tuning; the third the materials prepared which allow teachers students and the general public to access the central CLIOHnet insights.