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P1: HELLENIC OPEN UNIVERSITY (HOU)
URL: http://artemis.eap.gr/eeyem  

Hellenic Open University (HOU) is the sole Greek State University that provides distance education in both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. It consists of four Schools: Sciences and Technology, Humanities, Social Sciences, and Applied Arts and currently offers 6 undergraduate and 24 postgraduate programmes of study comprised of 184 Teaching Units. As a tertiary educational institution, HOU’s mission is largely identical to that of the other tertiary institutions of the country. However, its uniqueness lies in that it offers opportunities for undergraduate and postgraduate study to wider social groups of the population, thereby making continuing education and lifelong learning possible for all. The promotion of scientific knowledge is made possible by means of distance learning methodology (DL) which is facilitated through the maximal exploitation of Information and Communication Technologies and the production of appropriately developed materials. HOU pioneers new educational methods which are wholly based on the principles of distance education and offers innovative programmes of study. 
The Internal Assessment and Education Unit (IAEU), which is one of the two independent units of HOU, is responsible for the internal assessment of HOU, aiming towards continuous quality improvement of the education provided by the institution. Among its tasks are: a) to collect and analyze data from student registry and student performance records, b) to analyse and compare data from other Open Universities, c) to carry out labour market research, d) to evaluate educational material using quantitative and qualitative approaches and e) correlate these data in order to submit proposals for quality enhancement. In order to achieve these goals, IAEU has developed tools and methodologies for internal quality assessment. The staff of IAEU has participated in numerous national and EU funded research and development projects. As a result, they have developed state-of-the-art know-how in distance and lifelong learning methodologies and technologies and quality assessment and evaluation. IAEU is strongly linked to the Software Quality Research Group and the Software Quality Laboratory used for Quality Assurance and Quality Evaluation of Software Projects.


P2: RESEARCH ACADEMIC COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY INSTITUTE (RACTI) 
URL: http://www.cti.gr/

The Research Academic Computer Technology Institute (RACTI), http://www.cti.gr, is a non-profit organisation, founded in 1985 under the initial title Computer Technology Institute (CTI). It constitutes a financially and administratively independent institution under the supervision of the Greek Ministry of Education. RACTI’s mission is to conduct basic and applied research in computer software and hardware, networks and the socioeconomic et al. impacts of the Information Society (InfoSoc), to design and develop products and services, to support education and all forms of training with respect to Information and Communication Technologies and the InfoSoc, to develop technology and transfer know-how and to provide consulting, planning and administration services, particularly to the Hellenic Ministry of Education and at a broader scale to the public sector, to natural and legal entities, as well as to social institutions, in matters dealing with the migration of the country to the InfoSoc. 

In the SimSafety project two Institute sectors are involved: the Educational Technology Sector (ETS) and the Further Education and Training Sector (TEK), each bringing their expertise and experience in the field of ICT in education and pooling their human resources in undertaking project work.

ETS was established in 1996 with the aim of introducing and exploiting Information Technology in Education and of conducting applied research in the field. The Sector has undertaken, on behalf of the Greek Ministry of Education, the responsibility for the design, the co-ordination and the supervision of the implementation of pilot actions and national large-scale projects (e.g. ODYSSEIA, – Hellenic Schools in the Information Society Program” (http://odysseia.cti.gr) 1996-2000) concerning the introduction and exploitation of ICT in education (broad-scale development of educational software and activities, establishment of the necessary technical infrastructure, teacher training and in-school teacher training). It has also undertaken a number of EC-funded pilot projects, as well as application and evaluation studies, concerning the utilization in school, of innovative technological and pedagogical approaches in the educational process.

TEK was Established in 2001, its main objective is the ICT training of teachers, special groups and executives of the public sector; the promotion of innovative methods and technologies for education, training and certification and the development of the necessary supporting mechanisms and Information Systems. 

The activities of the Further Education and Training Sector focus on: (a) design, development and promotion of the use of innovative technologies for education and life long learning; (b) further education and training of teachers and trainers; (c) design and implementation of automated certification systems and software for assessing knowledge and skills; (d) development of Information Systems for managing large-scale education & training programmes; (e) design and utilization of modern educational tools and open learning environments, (f) Research, design and pilot application of new e-learning and blended learning methodologies, aiming at the inclusion and access for all in life long learning, especially of socially fragile groups.

On a national level, TEK has a key role in the study, organization and implementation of state programmes which primarily concern the further education (Training) of teachers and public executives in Information Technologies. TEK serves as the technical and scientific consultant of the Hellenic Ministry of Education for the training of school teachers (of all grades and specialties within our compulsory education system), on two levels: (i) acquiring basic ICT skills (120.000 teachers/ 2002-2008), (ii) ICTs utilization in the educational practice (400 teacher trainers, 15.000 teachers, 2005-2008).
P3: CYPRUS NEUROSCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY INSTITUTE (CNTI)
URL: www.cnti.org.cy

The Cyprus Neuroscience & Technology Institute (CNTI) is a non-profit, non-governmental organization established in 1992, governed by a Board of Directors and an International Advisory Body. CNTI conducts research in areas related to the human brain and learning, technology and social change, global society, conflict transformation and global peace. It currently employs 15 scientists and implements more than 10 scientific and socially-responsible projects. The vision of the organization is to apply scientific methods to contribute towards positive social change. For example, its video-game-like environments that map and strengthen cognitive abilities of the learning brain (MAPS: Mental Attributes Profiling System) attracted international interest. The New Media Lab team has also developed a definition and practical implementation of what they call KnowledgePacket™, a new standard for learning objects (LO) in designing IT curriculum units that extend over multiple domains.
P4: UNIVERSITY OF MINHO (UMinho)
URL: http://www.uminho.pt 

University of Minho (UM) is a public higher education institution, founded in 1973. Located in the region of Minho, known for its significant economic activity and by the youth of its population, has played the role of development agent in the region. Whilst a young university, it enjoys a very high reputation for its research and educational performance. 

Located in two campi, (Gualtar, Braga and Azurém, Guimarães), it has a student population of over 16000 together with more than 1100 teaching staff and almost 650 technical and administration staff make UM one of the biggest Portuguese Universities.
UM has been making a lot of effort to have a large volume of international work in many categories, which reinforce each other and have institutional coherence. The University has a long and sound-based experience in coordinating and participating in several European programmes and initiatives.

The Institute of Child Studies (IEC) is the UM school that assures teaching, research and other specialized services in the ambit of child studies and the initial and continuous education of pre-school and elementary teachers.
P5: TRANSYLVANIA UNIVERSITY OF BRASOV(UTBv)
URL: www.unitbv.ro

University Transylvania of Brasov is one of the largest universities in Romania, consisting of 15 faculties and over 22,000 students. Its strategy is based on the academic objectives stated in the University Charter, oriented towards the following fields of activity: teaching, scientific research, postgraduate training, inter-university co-operation, university deontology, social protection of the university community members, development and upgrading of the material base. The Department of Links between the University and the Economic, Social and Cultural Environment (DESC) aims to be the interface between university and the extra-academic environment, regarding the cooperation on three main directions: Students education and training - by developing cooperation in practical placement, graduation / dissertation thesis with subjects proposed by the economic environment; identifying the needs of the economic environment and changing the academic curricula in terms of these needs; Research and development - scientific research and technological transfer; Training in alternative systems: life-long education, open distance learning - by launching the university offer into the economic environment, on one hand, and by identification the needs of the extra-academic environment and their tuning to the university offer, on the other hand. In this respect, the university is involved in a large number of education training and research projects, at national and European level (available on http://www.unitbv.ro/proiecte/pagini/PROIECTE%20utbv.htm)
P6: DAFNORD ASSOCIATION(Dafnord)
URL: http://dafnord.eduprojects.net

The Dafnord Association was founded in the Goethe Institute Helsinki October 29, 2005, and registered as an association in Helsinki April 17. 2006. Dafnord is active as a network of teachers of German as a foreign language (DaF) since 2002 and promotes the use of educational ICT in teaching German working in educational cooperation with teachers of German throughout the world. There are German teachers from more than 60 schools in Finland involved in the Dafnord activities. More than 300 language teachers (DaF) from different countries (Poland, Hungary, Italy, Russia, Estonia, Greece, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Austria, France, Rumania, Bulgaria, Spain, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium) belong to the mailing list of Dafnord. The Dafnord Association in Finland is responsible for maintaining and developing activities of the organization. The bylaws of the association allow full membership also for teachers with other nationality than Finnish, including all board positions. Interaction of members is enabled by the mailing list of Dafnord, and also by live online sessions. 

A special concern for Dafnord is to face the contemporary challenges of collaborative learning in the Internet. The theory behind the activities of Dafnord is constructivism, i.e. the learners build up their knowledge by their own educational activities. The approach implies all possible e-journalistic activities of project-based eLearning. They are performed in educational cooperation and collaboration with project partners. The Dafnord website was opened officially October 12, 2002 in Tallinn Estonia. Nowadays the main aspiration of Dafnord is the transition from email projects to project-based eLearning realized by collaborative web tools. A large number of students participate in German projects which are made using web tools. The web tool called eJournal was especially designed for purposes of international project work. The Comenius 3 network COMP@CT has provided teachers with eJournals, and COMP@CT has also looked after training, tutoring and support of teachers working in cooperation with Dafnord. The eJournals allow teachers to structure web-based project work in their own eJournal independently and to coach their students effectively in the Internet.  

Partners and supporters of Dafnord have been the Educational Board of Finland, OPEKO, the National Center for Professional Development in Education, the Finnish Association for Teachers of German, the European Schools Project ESP Association, the Comenius 3 network COMP@CT, the Comenius 3 network DaF Netzwerk and the Comenius 3 network ECOLE, the training initiative Netcoach Poland, the Palmenia Center of the Helsinki University in Vantaa, the Pori Center of Learning Technology and the Goethe Institute Helsinki. The Educational Board of Finland gave funding for the activities of Dafnord in 2003-07. The Goethe institute of Helsinki supports the activities of Dafnord on a standing basis. Many active participants of Dafnord are active in partner projects of “Das Bild der Anderen”, and also in the eTwinning projects of the EU. A good example of eTwinning projects made in an eJournal by DaF teachers was the award of the 2nd best eTwinning project in Europe 2007 for Loredana Vertuani from Italy and Kirsti Lähteenmäki from Finland .

P7: THE UNIVERSITY OF HULL(Hull University)
URL: www.hull.ac.uk

The University of Hull is a traditional, medium-size, first division research-led University, providing a diversity of courses, from Bachelors to Masters and Doctorate level. Founded it 1927 it has a total student population of 19818 across both campuses, with 2515 people employed by the university of which 1026 are academic staff. All faculty staff are active in evaluation and research.

International Partnerships are an important aspect of the University's relationships. The University has a range of international relationships with partner institutions and also engages in joint research projects and post graduate delivery. Other Partnerships include University faculties and colleagues working with sub-regional partners in local authorities, schools and colleges in fields, such as progression to HE, teacher training, professional development, and ‘Every Child Matters' policy subgroups. Similarly, health and NHS partnerships, as well as business groups and network-based trainers, are also important areas of engagement for the University.