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Although the demise of communism in Eastern Europe in 1989 was described as "the ultimate victory of Democracy," this paper asserts that serious internal problems exist within modern democracies throughout Europe and the United States today. However, civic education offers a potential remedy. Part 1, "The New Democratic Question," identifies the main problem area as the relationship between the individual and the community, the so-called "communitarian debate." With the decline of many formerly dominant social institutions (religions organizations, the family, and school) that defined and provided answers to basic moral and ethical questions, the new replacements are often factions and small organizations that offer an almost infinite variety of moral norms, resulting in a new sense of uncertainty, a lack of social and cultural orientation, and a rise in individualism. In Part 2 "The Crisis of Democratic Orientation" is evidenced in the following three societal developments: the decline of central political institutions; the growth in distance between citizen and state; and the rise of special agenda organizations (social movements, interest and lobby groups). These developments represent a change in democratic attitudes resulting in a growing divide between the way democracy works in practice and its normative and legal foundations as set in its constitutions and laws. Part 3, "Implications for Civic Education," proposes that civic education is the best arena in which to ensure that democratic principles are embedded firmly in the social framework of a society and in the hearts and minds of the people. However, a new civic education framework should include expanded methods that reflect social change and the multiplicity of the factors at work in the public sphere. (CB)

The content and assessment of the curriculum is under discussion in many educational systems. Because the curriculum is a product of authority relationships, the role and position of several actors executing the authority relationships in the education system are under question as well. Traditionally, inspectorates, as part of the authority structure and examination systems, have the function of guaranteeing the quality of education in general and the curriculum in particular. This paper examines how inspectorates in Germany and Russia contribute to the development of new checks and balances regarding the curriculum. It examines roles and functions of the inspectorate, trends in educational reform, the curricular content and provisions, and the educational tradition in both countries. In Germany, regulation of evaluation (quality) does not appear to be a focus of concern for reform. Centralized regulation of the curriculum guarantees a certain quality, and the inspectorates do not play an explicit role in testing and examinations. In Russia, there are many more reform activities that concern the content and quality of curriculum. Functional decentralization to nongovernmental agencies can be found in Russia, and territorial decentralization can be found in both Germany and Russia. The redistribution of power implies a reduction of the political influences in the former socialist education systems. It appears that Russian inspectorates will fill a monitoring role, with elements of control and administration. (LMI)

We are delighted to welcome you to the International Conference on Education and New Developments 2015-END 2015, taking place in Porto, Portugal, from 27 to 29 of June. Education, in our contemporary world, is a right since we are born. Every experience has a formative effect on the constitution of the human being, in the way one thinks, feels and acts. One of the most important contributions resides in what and how we learn through the improvement of educational processes, both in formal and informal settings. Our International Conference seeks to provide some answers and explore the processes, actions, challenges and outcomes of learning, teaching and human development. Our goal is to offer a worldwide connection between teachers, students, researchers and lecturers, from a wide range of academic fields, interested in exploring and giving their contribution in educational issues. We take pride in having been able to connect and bring together academics, scholars, practitioners and others interested in a field that is fertile in new perspectives, ideas and knowledge. We counted on an extensive variety of contributors and presenters, which can supplement our view of the human essence and behavior, showing the impact of their different personal, academic and cultural experiences. This is, certainly, one of the reasons we have many nationalities and cultures represented, inspiring multi-disciplinary collaborative links, fomenting intellectual encounter and development. END 2015 received 528 submissions, from 63 different countries, reviewed by a double-blind process. Submissions were prepared to take form as Oral Presentations, Posters, Virtual Presentations and Workshops. It was accepted for presentation in the conference, 176 submissions (33% acceptance rate). The conference also includes a keynote presentation from an internationally distinguished researcher, Professor Dr. Martin Braund, Adjunct Professor at Cape Peninsula University of Technology in Cape Town, South Africa and Honorary Fellow in the Department of Education at the University of York, UK, to whom we express our most gratitude. This volume is composed by the proceedings of the International Conference on Education and New Developments (END 2015), organized by the World Institute for Advanced Research and Science (W.I.A.R.S.) and had the help of our respected media partners that we reference in the dedicated page. This conference addressed different categories inside the Education area and papers are expected to fit broadly into one of the named themes and sub-themes. To develop the conference program we have chosen four main broad-ranging categories, which also cover different interest areas: (1) In TEACHERS AND STUDENTS: Teachers and Staff training and education; Educational quality and standards; Curriculum and Pedagogy; Vocational education and Counseling; Ubiquitous and lifelong learning; Training programs and professional guidance; Teaching and learning relationship; Student affairs (learning, experiences and diversity); Extra-curricular activities; Assessment and measurements in Education. (2) In PROJECTS AND TRENDS: Pedagogic innovations; Challenges and transformations in Education; Technology in teaching and learning; Distance Education and eLearning; Global and sustainable developments for Education; New learning and teaching models; Multicultural and (inter)cultural communications; Inclusive and Special Education; Rural and indigenous Education; Educational projects. (3) In TEACHING AND LEARNING: Educational foundations; Research and development methodologies; Early childhood and Primary Education; Secondary Education; Higher Education; Science and technology Education; Literacy, languages and Linguistics (TESL/TEFL); Health Education; Religious Education; Sports Education. (4) In ORGANIZATIONAL ISSUES: Educational policy and leadership; Human Resources development; Educational environment; Business, Administration, and Management in Education; Economics in Education; Institutional accreditations and rankings; International Education and Exchange programs; Equity, social justice and social change; Ethics and values; Organizational learning and change. The proceedings contain the results of the research and developments conducted by authors who focused on what they are passionate about: to promote growth in research methods intimately related to teaching, learning and applications in Education nowadays. It includes an extensive variety of contributors and presenters, who will extend our view in exploring and giving their contribution in educational issues, by sharing with us their different personal, academic and cultural experiences. (Individual papers contain references.)

The conference paper "Computerized Communication Between Learning Disabled Pupils in Three European Countries" is presented. The paper will be presented at the 12th Biennial Conference of the International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication in Dusseldorf, Germany, from July 29-August 5, 2006. It describes a project aimed at the use of Boardmaker, video conferencing and a web site to enable communication between special education pupils in the Netherlands, Ireland and Malta.

This document contains 21 papers from an international workshop designed to facilitate the exchange of ideas concerning the use of information technology in teacher education among experts from Central, Eastern, and Western Europe. The papers include: (1) "Communication and Information Technologies as Change Agents" (Jef Moonen); (2) "In-service Training and Information Technology from a Curriculum Innovation Perspective" (Tjeerd Plomp and Jan van den Akker); (3) "What Do Instructional and Information Technology Contribute to Problems in Teacher Education? Results and the Future" (Sanne Dijkstra and Hein Krammer); (4) "Supporting Teachers and Learners to Design Powerful Learning Environments" (Jules Pieters); (5) "New Possibilities for Teacher Education Through Computer-Based Environments" (Betty Collis); (6) "Perspectives on Teacher Training Related to Information Technology in Central and Eastern European Countries" (Ivan Stanchev and others); (7) "Computer Networks in Teacher Education: Realizations in the Framework of the Pluto Project" (Arno Libotton); (8) "Teacher Education and Communication and Information Technologies: Implications for Faculties of Education" (Bernard Cornu); and (9) "Teacher Education and Communication and Information Technologies: A Reflection on Emerging Possibilities for Collaborative Projects" (Stephen Heppell); (10) "The 'Yale Key' to Progress in Using Communication and Information Technologies: A Case Study About Introducing CIT in a Municipal School System" (Erling Schmidt); (11) "UK Case Study: Communications and Information Technology in UK Teacher Education" (Niki Davis); (12) "TELETEACHING '93: Norwegian Contributions" (Jan Wibe); (13) "Case Study: A European Multimedia Training Network for International Distance Leaning" (Leopold Reif and Stefanie Fisher); (14) "German Experiences with Communication and Information Technology for Updating Teachers in Germany (North-Rhine Westfalia)" (Rudolph Hambusch); (15) "Teacher Training and Information Technologies in Spain: Data, Experiences and Comparisons" (Carlos San Jose); (16) "The Implementation of Communication and Information Technologies in Teacher Education in the Netherlands" (Vim Veen and others); (17) "Not All Birds Are Turtles: Developing Teaching/Learning Environments in Initial Teacher Training at Comenius University" (Ivan Kalas and Andrej Blaho); (18) "Communication and Information Technologies in Teacher Education: The Experience of International Research and Training Center UNESCO/IIP at Glushkov Institute for Cybernetics" (Vladimir Gritsenko and others); (19) "CIT in Teacher Training at the Charles University in Prague: Examples from the Czech Republic" (Miroslava Cernocova and others); (20) "Hungarian Teacher Training" (Kristina Foghtuy and Beno Csapo); and (21) "The Computer: The Medium Stimulating the Development of a Teacher Education Workshop (illustrated by Geography)" (Krzystof Wozniak). (Individual papers contain references.) (JLS)

This publication presents speeches, papers and discussion from a seminar on higher education in Europe, particularly in the Nordic counties of Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland, as well as Eastern European countries. Following an introduction the opening speech by Alexander Sannikov, the UNESCO Secretariat, is reproduced. Part I contains papers and comments on the evaluation of higher education in the four Nordic countries. The first, on Denmark, identifies three periods or eras since 1945 characterized by the doldrums, student activism, and professionalism, respectively. The second paper, on Finland, discusses forms of evaluation and development since 1960. It proposes a concept of development centers. The paper on evaluation of higher education in Norway reviews government initiative and the problems of management and evaluation. It notes the low productivity level of this particular system. The chapter on Sweden considers various types of evaluation and describes the Swedish system. Part II contains three shorter studies on Eastern Europe, one on Bulgaria, one on Germany and a third on the Soviet Republics. Where comments on papers were received, they are included in the publication. Most papers offer extensive references. (JB)

Germany has been found to be one of the most secular societies of the industrialized nations and in Europe, but there is more to be studied to better understand the religious phenomenon that does exist. Similarly, there are distinguishable differences between the social structures and practices of eastern and western Germany, with eastern Germany largely secularized. Only about 25-30 percent of eastern Germans belong to a church, compared to about 75 percent in western Germany. Using religious values questions from the World Values Survey/European Values Survey, to better define 'religiosity', this paper investigates how 'religious' those persons are who claim to be members of a church. We raise the following arguments and questions for investigation: Defining religiosity by a measurement of attendance and/or membership is inherently flawed and missing key components of determining what people believe and value. What differences are observed between church members and non-members? Likewise, what differences exist between eastern and western Germans who are church members? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We simulate wind power production for the EU28 including Norway and Switzerland for weather data ranging from 1995 to 2014. The modelling is based on high resolution reanalysis data from COSMO-REA6 (hourly, 6×6 km grid) and location specific data for European wind turbines. We make use of the novel dataset over 20 years to analyze long term variations in wind power production and balancing effects in Europe with a focus on Germany. The yearly wind power production may vary by up to 16% compared to the 20-year average wind production in Germany. Furthermore, Germany could potentially benefit from electricity exchange with neighboring countries in 80% of its low wind conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 6th Conference of the European Society of Criminology will take place in Tbingen, Germany from August 30 to September 2, 2006. The European Society of Criminology (ESC), founded in 2000, aims to bring together in Europe persons actively engaged in research, teaching and/or practice in the field of Criminology. The ESC wishes to foster criminological scholarship, research, education and training, and to encourage scholarly, scientific and practical exchange and cooperation among criminologists in Europe and elsewhere. Its objective is further to serve as a forum for the dissemination of criminological knowledge at the European level (http://www.esc-eurocrim.org). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]