While the core centers of Russia itself and the former Soviet Union (e.g., Moscow, St. Petersburg, Volgograd) have a rich history of science investigation and science education, the areas currently comprised of republics and regions that are more isolated have long suffered from a dearth of options. Two collaborative initiatives seek remedies. The Education Reform Project, in collaboration with the Russian Federation’s Ministry of Education (now the Ministry of Education and Science), seeks to reform existing infrastructure and policy, while initiating what the West knows as vocational education. Specifically, the goals of the project are to “improve quality and standards; promote the efficient and equitable use of scarce public resources for education; modernize the education system (structure of network and institutions); improve the flexibility and market-relevance of initial vocational education” (Education Reform Project, 2001, para.5).

The E-Learning Support Project (2004), working with the Ministry of Education and Science, “seeks to improve the accessibility, quality and efficiency of general and initial vocational education,” through ICT (para. 8).

• * Building sustainable Russian capacity to produce high quality, affordable and flexible learning materials...
• * Supporting both pre-service and in-service teacher training in the introduction of ICT into classrooms and its embedding in teaching and learning practices...
• * Establishing in project regions a network of resource centers which would improve regional access to ICT enhanced education opportunities and dissemination of new teaching practices (E-Learning Support Project, 2004, para. 9).

The British Council’s Faulkes Telescopes Project established a collaborative with urban Russia that has the potential for outreach to more remote areas as ICT infrastructure development permits. Users access the remote-controlled telescopes, located in Hawaii and Australia, through a control center in the UK, transmit commands and then receive the requested images through Microsoft® (Redmond, WA) or Apple® (Cupertino, CA) operating systems. Professional astronomers collaborate with individual schools, working with teachers and students to identify a suitable research project. Designated projects require hands-on activity by teachers and students, including data collection “which will contribute to finding answers to research questions which are of interest to professional astronomers. Through a new website, ‘Hands-On Universe, Russia’, schools and astronomers will share and discuss their findings with each other and with schools and astronomers in the UK and across Europe” (Faulkes Telescope in Russia, 2006, para. 3).

Southeast Asia Capacity

As in the Middle East, development across Southeast Asia is neither uniform nor universal, although the past decade has witnessed tremendous growth and a comprehensive study of the region was recently completed (UNESCO, 2004). Australia, South Korea, and Singapore are vigorously engaged in science education, with special emphasis on distance science education. Typically, “almost all classrooms are equipped with computers and other ICT tools; the student/computer ratio is high; Internet access is available in all schools; curriculum revision ensures nationwide ICT integration; delivery of education is increasingly online” (UNESCO, 2004, p. 9). Later chapters include work from some of these countries, as we discuss standards for best practices (Clark & James, 2005; Rich, Pitman, Gosper, & Jacobson, 1999).

Surprisingly, the same UNESCO study found that Japan, typically considered an academic powerhouse, was joined by China, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, and India in a second, less vigorously engaged group. These countries each had developed national ICT education policies, with goals and objectives, but had not yet fully integrated ICT. Other countries (e.g., the Vietnamese peninsula) are in the early stages of ICT development or “have no relevant policies but are running pilot ICT projects. In both instances, however, there is insufficient budget to implement policies and work plans and ICT infrastructure and penetration are poor” (UNESCO, 2004, p. 9).