Milestones in the development of the German Education Server
2017
The German Education Server is relaunched in September , with a focus on responsive web design.
2016
The office of the German Education Server and the Learning Lab at University Duisburg-Essen have developed a social tagging tool – edutags - , which receives the first OER award at the OER Festival 2016.
2015
The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) commissions the office of the German Education Server to conduct a feasibility study concerning the setup and operation of OER infrastructures in education. The study targets the need, acceptance, technical and organisational requirements for a central (respectively disseminated, federated infrastructure for Open Educational Resources (OER) across different areas in education.
Together with the German Society for Educational Administration (DGBV) and the Society for the Promotion of Pedagogical Research (GFPF), the office of the German Education Server at organizes a conference in March 2015 on the perspectives of free digital educational resources.
2013
Publication of the dossier on open educational resources from an international perspective, commissioned by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research.
2012
Launch of the central homepage of the content pool ELIXIER, jointly created by the German Education Server and federal state servers
2011
In March 2011, the German Education Server is awarded the media prize for education 2010 by Aktionsrat Bildung.
In late February 2011, the institute for information management in Bremen (ifib), which has been commissioned with an evaluation, submits its final report on the user potentials of the German Education Server.
2010
Publication of the third national educational report.
As of March 2010, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research funds the further expansion of the portal Reading Worldwide.
In co-operation with the Faculty for media didactics and knowledge management at the university of Duisburg-Essen, the office of the German Education Server focuses on edutags, a project which targets the practical testing off social bookmarking and social tagging elements.
The federal government, the states and the German Institute for International Educational Research (DIPF) which is in charge of operating the portal, agree on commissioning an evaluation of the portal regarding its usage and potential.
The German Education Server and the German Education Portal jointly develop the thematic catalogue for educational science.
2009
The web presence of school media centres, schulmediothek.de, is integrated into the association of portals under the umbrella of the German Education Server.
Furthermore, the media education portal ISM -Informationssystem Medienpädagogik is integrated into the association of portals.
2008
The second national educational report is published.
In November 2008, the portal Reading worldwide is put into practice on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. It provides documentation regarding international good practice examples in the field of reading promotion.
The development project “Bildungsserver 2.0“, is brought to an end: social software applications have successfully been tested and developed for the German Education Server (wikis, weblogs, podcasts etc.)
The teacher training portal Lehrer werden goes online.
2007
The federal government and the Länder states jointly decide on an administrative agreement (date: June 4, 2007) to associate all of the educational portals that are subject to public funding under the umbrella of the German Education Server.
2006
In January 2006 the Education Server is re-launched in a completely new structured design, with a new logo.
In June 2006, the online presence of the first national report on education, Education in Germany, is presented to the general public on an Eduserver platform.
In October the Innovations Portal of the German Education Server is launched: it provides documentation as to projects and programmes by the federal and state governments targeting innovative measures in educational policy.
2005
In January 2005, the nationwide search engine for continuing education, InfoWeb Weiterbildung (IWWB), is integrated into the Education Server platform.
In March 2005, the portal Lesen in Deutschland a joint project by the federal government and the states, is launched. The portal provides information on projects promoting reading skills that are located outside schools.
The FWU institute collects and analyses information on Media and education thus designing an information module that is published in April 2005.
2004
The user report "Wegweiser im Netz - Empirische Untersuchungen zur Qualität und Nutzung von Bildungsportalen" (an empirical study on the quality and use of education portals) is published in 2005. It is the result of a project on the development and assurance of quality in education information portals conducted by the Humboldt University from November 2002 until March 2004.
In October 2004, the portal Schulmediothek, which provides information on school media and libraries for pupils and teachers, goes online. The project was designed by a school library expert group of the Deutscher Bibliothekenverband, the German Library Association, in close co-operation with the institutions DIPF and FWU.
In September 2004, the information service Social Pedagogics is launched. It is provided in co-operation with the department of education science, Westfälische Wilhelms Universität Münster.
2003
An initial editorial meeting of the federal Education Server and the state servers in January 2003 results in a co-operation in annual conferences, and topical workshops.
Since September 2003, the Education Server and the German Institute for Adult Education co-operate in providing the service Target groups in adult education.
In December 2003, the information service Early childhood education and care is launched in co-operation with the German Youth Institute (DJI).
2002
The FWU activates its portal Karriere mit Zukunft (Career with a Future) for target groups interested in a teaching career in vocational training. The project was sponsored by the Education Server.
Bildung PLUS, a web site originally designed by a commission of federal and state representatives promoting educational reform, constitutes a journalist partner portal to the Education Server, with a focus on reform related subjects.
SchulWeb is newly designed.
2001
Since April 2001, the Education Server provides its English language site for international visitors.
The information system Rechtsfragen von Multimedia und Internet in Schule und Hochschule (Legal aspects of multimedia and Internet relevant for schools and higher education) goes online. The portal is provided by the Institute for Information Technology Law of the Saarland University.
The state education server of Hesse launches the site Bilingualer Unterricht Online (bilingual teaching online), a service developed by the institute for teacher education.
The Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder joins the Education Server in the development of two data bases on curricula and on legal issues, Lehrplandatenbank der KMK and Rechtsnormen-Datenbank.
The Wittenberg Institute for Higher Education Research (HoF) and its information and documentation system (ids) for higher education co-operate in order to enhance the topic area Higher education.
In the summer of 2001 the catalogue for education and media developed in co-operation with the ZDF, the second German public TV channel, goes online: ZDF-Katalog für Unterricht und Medienarbeit.
In autumn, the topical area Special education is launched in collaboration with the university library Dortmund.
2000
In November 2000, a complex graphical and technical re-launch results in the new design and a new logo which characterise the appearance for the next five years.
From a technical point of view, the concise re-programming allows for a change from static to data based functions. Thus, the information service, which is becoming mor complex, can be more easily administrated and updated.
New navigation options are developed: apart from offering an enhanced subject catalogue, and information for special interest groups, the advanced search option "Erweiterte Suche" enhances research possibilities for the data bases.
The new design was implemented by DBS 2000 an umbrella project by the Humboldt University Berlin, which governs a total of ten projects aimed at the technical and editorial development of the Education Server. Duration: March 2000 until December 2002.
The job exchange service for education professionals, Jobs in Education (JOBi), a co-operation with the DGfE, goes online in March 2000.
A data base on the genealogy of vocations requiring professional training, Genealogie der Ausbildungsberufe, goes online. The project was supported by the Education Server, and developed by Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung (BIBB), the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training.
The Hesse Ministry of Education launches its site Arbeitsschutz, Gesundheitsvorsorge, Sicherheit in Schulen (Occupational Health and safety at school - online assistance for schools), which is financially supported by the Education Server.
1999
In October 1999, a co-ordinating office is located at the Deutsches Institut für Internationale Pädagogische Forschung (German Institute for International Educational Research), DIPF. Related projects and initiatives by the BLK, the Bund-Länder-Commission for Educational Planning and Research Promotion, and the KMK, the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder, are merged with the Eduserver. A governing body consisting of federal and state delegates and experts consults and monitors the further development of the German Education Server.
The homepage of the Education Server now allows visitors to suggest entries into the data base in the section "DBS-Datenbank". Moreover, a co-operation with the DGfE provides a ""Who is Who in Education" data base.
The Institut für Film und Bild in Wissenschaft und Unterricht (FWU), an institute providing media for schools, signs responsible for the school section of the Education Server. It is also responsible for SchulWeb, which is now a subportal of the Eduserver.
The permanent location of the Education Server at the DIPF results in further tasks. A team of online editors enhances the topic areas and the technical development of the server. Additionally, the Education Server is to promote innovative projects in the field of web based educational information. The financial means provided for this task are invested in several projects and portals in the following years.
By November 1999, the navigation structure of the German Education Server is basically the same as today.
1998
In December 1998, the Calendar of Events, which is produced in co-operation with the DGfE, goes online.
1997
The homepage of German Educational Resources is enhanced by the provision of an overview of its most frequently visited sites, Moreover, it now offers link collections for special interest groups, such as teachers, pupils, parents, scientists, and professionals in education.
A co-operation with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Erziehungswissenschaft (DGfE), the German Society for Educational Science, results in the initiation of the institutions data base: Adresses and descriptions of educational science universities and institutions from the "Handbuch Erziehungswissenschaften" (Educational Science Manual) are entered and provided online by the German Education Server.
SchulWeb, an information network for schools, goes online with its own logo and design. Its first prototype was designed in Spring 1995.
1996
The German Ministry of Education and Science (BMBF) begins with the financial support of the Eduserver as a development project of the Humboldt University Berlin. The body responsible for the project is the Verein zur Förderung eines Deutschen Forschungsnetzes (DFN-Verein) (Germany`s National Research and Education Network). It co-operates with Offenes Deutsches Schulnetz (ODS), a web information system for Berlin schools. Moreover, the Eduserver is part of the initiative "Schulen ans Netz" (Schools Online).
In April 1996, a first working version of the Eduserver, German Educational Resources (GER), goes online. The platform consists of the columns Information, Communication, and Resources. Information concerning the original design can be found in the archives of the Eduserver, for instance in the project application. The concept dating fron April 2, 1996 and a thesis published by one of its initiators, Prof. Peter Diepold, provide further information.
In September 1996, the German Educational Resources receive their first logo, and go online for the general public.
The server defines itself as "a central entry point for communication and information in the field of education within the rapidly developing German educational network." It provides the columns Forum, Participants, and Resources. One of its core tasks is the provision of "documents from German federal and state (Länder) servers", for instance, decisions, curricula, statistics, and legal norms.
In November 1996, the developers of the German Educational Resources server and those of the Länder (state) servers meet in a joint venture workshop - the so-called Bonsai-Group is founded and meets on a regular basis.
More information on the development of the German Education Server can be found in the archives.
