The project, implemented by The Lodz Centre for Teacher Training and Practical Instruction (LCDNiKP), consists in introducing forms of e-learning into the system of education in the region of Lodz. The project in its initial phase is aimed at gymnasium students with Individualized Education Plan. 

The project goals comply with the European Charter of Rights of Citizens in the Knowledge Society, in particular as regards:

• promoting Internet access for all citizens,
• strengthening the fundamental right to education and making online e-learning platforms available to a community.

Specialized software for e-learning management - LEARNING GATEWAY (including Windows 2003 Server, SharePoint Services, SQL 2005, Life Communication Server and Class Server) has been deployed to the LCDNiKP Centre and will be utilized to manage the instructional process under the project.

The project involves activities related both to setting up and maintaining the e-learning server as well as preparing pedagogical staff to design and utilize ICT tools in the process of distance learning.
Especially relevant task in the project is preparation of interactive didactic materials for all subjects of the gymnasium curriculum.
To this end, specially appointed teachers’ teams, supervised by IT coaches and teacher training advisors, will create materials which will enable students to:

• access information,
• engage in particular exercises intended to develop required practical and intellectual skills,
• evaluate their achievements after the instructional process within a given module.

Authors of packages divided the training content into particular modules and the first didactic materials will be ready in spring 2007.
So far children with IEP used to have 12 learning hours a week – face-to-face meetings with teacher. The project anticipates that a selected group of students will have 2 hours of face-to-face meetings with a teacher per week. The rest of the lessons will be run through the Internet, for virtual classes of 5 students. 100 students will participate in the first phase of the project. 20 virtual classes will be created for them and will make up the structure of a virtual gymnasium. The school personnel will include a group of previously selected and trained e-learning coaches.
Similarly to a traditional school, the organization of instructional process will be designed. A weekly plan will include 200 e-learning hours and 200 individual student-teacher meetings.

Thus organized virtual school will enrich offer for student, enabling them to receive increased number of teaching hours weekly. Students will also be able to use the services outside the scheduled hours, without teacher’s participation. The e-learning server services designed as well as interactive educational packages embedded will enable students to download required information, perform tasks or assess one’s own achievement. The information about student’s involvement, registered by the server, may be systematically monitored by teacher and parents.

After the project implementation, the project outcomes will be evaluated. The evaluation feedback will be used to expand this type of activities to include other types of schools and - through involvement of the remaining Microsoft Regional Innovation Centres - also other Voivodships.