Bednet

Bednet is a regional project in Flanders, Belgium, in which 6 to 18 year old children who are suffering from long term and chronic diseases can follow lessons and interact with their class through videoconferencing (from home or the hospital). Using computers and specially selected peropherals, connected through broadband internet and a dedicated interface, the Bednet system enables learners to take partiin classes and their mainstream school activities.

Bednet's aim is to create a child-friendly environment where a long-term ill child can resume his/her lessons in the classroom from home or from the hospital as well as stay in touch with their teachers and class mates.

The technology which Bednet uses emerged from the ASCIT project which ran from 2005 to 2007 and which investigated the best means of technically supporting Bednet's target users. The system that was developed in this project is still in use today.

In 2007 the first children were able to try out the new Bednet system with their class. In the first complete school year for Bednet, 2007-2008, a total of 39 children were coached. In the year 2008 - 2009, Bednet catered for 75 childrem. In 2009 - 2010 the numbers rose to over 100 and in 2010 - 2011, 160 chldren were being supported by bednet.In the past school year, 2011 - 2012 this number has stabilised at about 160.

Bednet is not a virtual school in itself, it offers a service to ensure sick children are still able to stay in direct contact with their school which is considered to have not only significant pedagogical value but also and important social value.

Approximately 90% of the children supported by Bednet are abale to go on to the next year of their education along with their classmates.

Legally speaking, Bednet is a non-profit organisation or in Dutch: 'vereniging zonder winstoogmerk' (vzw). The main office of Bednet vzw is located in Leuven, Belgium. Bednet is funded 50% by the Flemish Ministry of Education and 50% by other sources including sponsorship form public agencies, provae donors and fundraising.

The Bednet website is http://www.bednet.be

The Bednet system

Bednet is a tailor-made system with a personal approach: when a child with a long term or chronic disease is registered at Bednet, a regional Bednet employee prepares the procedure for this student together with his school, the hospital school, his/her parents and, if applicable, a charity involved. Belgacom, one of the Belgian internet providers, installs a broadband internet connection in the child’s home and in the classroom free of charge for the duration of the course. Bednet also provides a helpdesk for child and class.

The child is linked to his class via the Internet. A Bednet set consists of 2 laptops (one with the child, one in the classroom), two webcams, two scanner-printers and a photo camera focusing on the blackboard. Whenever the teacher places a document onto the scanner in the classroom, the same document will be printed at the child’s home after a short time, and vice versa. The sounds and images from the webcam allow the child to follow the school’s lessons in real time. If he has a question or an answer to an asked question he can let the class know by giving them a sound or light signal. This way the ill child is able to follow the lessons as they are happening. After school the system can be used to give out homework and tasks or to hand them in. The child can sit tests and exams under supervision of the teacher at the same time as or at a different time than the other children. All these possibilities enormously increase his chances to succeed. But also the psychological impact is important because the child is visible again in the classroom and takes part in the social life of the class.

The Bednet employee also builds a regional network to enlarge the impact of the project for all persons involved (children, parents, school groups, pedagogical advisory organisations, CLBs (centres for student counselling), hospitals, patients’ organisations, …).

Example for Europe?

Bednet is carrying out pioneering work in this field and is working on a structural solution for all children with long term diseases. Since the Bednet system is focusing on simple and user-friendly technology and the physical limitations of ill children and those in rehabilitation, it can easily be adapted to all languages and to different target groups (such as patients in home care, seniors).

The current challenge is an enlargement of scale. With the support of the Flemish government, Bednet has been able to take on an additional number of employees and now employs a total of 12 people, several of whom are part-time. However Bednet is currently reviewing its practices in order to provide as cost-efficient and effective a service as possible and it has intention is to gradually scale its services to be able to supporta total of 500 children eventually.

While Bednet is aware of several similar initiatives in the Netherlands like Ziezon, there appear to be no similar services active in other parts of the world. Some work on telepresence robots in South Korea and USA is related.

Partners

Besides the appreciated support by the Flemish government and the provinces of Antwerp and East-Flanders, Bednet is also supported by Belgacom, GDF-Suez, PC Solidarity, Kom op tegen Kanker en the Koning Boudewijnstichting. On the IT level, Bednet cooperates with Develop-IT and Androme.

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