Mapping and analysing prospective technologies for learning – Results from a consultation with European stakeholders and roadmaps for policy action

EU policies call for the strengthening of Europe’s innovative capacity and it is considered that the modernisation of Education and Training systems and technologies for learning will be a key enabler of educational innovation and change. This report brings evidence to the debate about the technologies that are expected to play a decisive role in shaping future learning strategies in the short to medium term (5-10 years from now) in three main learning domains: formal education and training; work-place and work-related learning; re-skilling and up-skilling strategies in a lifelong-learning continuum. This is the final report of the study ‘Mapping and analysing prospective technologies for learning (MATEL)' carried out by the MENON Network EEIG on behalf of the European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Institute for Prospective Technological Studies. The report synthesises the main messages gathered from the three phases of the study: online consultation, state-of-the-art analysis and a roadmapping workshop. Eight technology clusters and a set of related key technologies that can enable learning innovation and educational change were identified. A number of these technologies were analysed to highlight their current and potential use in education, the relevant market trends and ongoing policy initiatives. Three roadmaps, one for each learning domain, were developed. These identified long-term goals and specific objectives for educational change, which in turn led to recommendations on the immediate strategies and actions to be undertaken by policy and decision makers.JRC.J.3-Information Societ

City Science for Urban Challenges

Between January 2019 and July 2020, over 35 European cities formed the City Science Initiative (CSI) to explore how the science-policy interface operates in light of the emergent urban challenges and crises. It seems that the impact of current national and EU funded research funded programs needs to be enhanced for tackling cities urban challenges. This report aims to inspire people in municipalities, universities, networks, different layers of government and the European Commission to develop a variety of science-policy interfaces for handling of urban challenges in the near future. The CSI pilot collaboration has brought together European small, medium and large sized cities, different services of the European Commission, different networks of cities and funding programmes. The gathered City Science Officers reflected on what they need and exchanged current practice and insight. To bridge the existing gap between science and policy, new methodologies need to be developed in all phases of the research process. The report argues that design as a discipline can help to build bridges, solutions and communication strategies for such science-policy interfaces. The CSI concludes that the science-policy interface needs to improve significantly and soon. Cities are not rich and need to be efficient in how they develop policy for making people’s living environment healthy and safe. Collaboration between cities, facilitated by European institutions and networks, is crucial for handling urban challenges and unanticipated crises as also the COVID 19 pandemic indicates

Increasing student attainment and engagement through the use of technology to enhance learning

Enhancing Student Attainment and Engagement through the use of Technology to Enhance Learning; Practical Ideas to Takeaway. The rationale for this workshop is to enable delegates? to have the opportunity to explore the potential of several Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) strategies for themselves, with the specific intention of enabling them to have not only an awareness, but upon leaving the conference to hold the enthusiasm and confidence to explore for themselves, and go onto embed those strategies which are appropriate within their own practice. Following a brief introduction, which will outline the context within which the TEL strategies have been employed, this session will adopt a workshop style format, practical and interactive in nature which is designed to be ?hands on?. The session will be supported by a number of current final year undergraduate students (trainee teachers) who have recently completed work, both in and outside of the University, which has incorporated a variety of TEL techniques. For the duration of the workshop each delegate will be assigned a trainee who will act as a personal TEL mentor. Through this unique approach, working in this way, irrespective of the delegate?s individual awareness or understanding of TEL, with virtually ?one-to-one? support each delegate will be able to choose which aspect(s) of TEL they would like to know more about. In addition to providing delegates? with the opportunity to explore a bespoke number of potential TEL strategies, the session will facilitate the potential for discussion between delegates and trainees, upon the direct impact TEL has had upon their engagement, attainment, motivation and employability. A range of physical and electronic resources, which will include information about each TEL strategy explored within this workshop, will be available for delegates? to take away. TEL Strategies include: QR Codes, Prezi?, Blogging and Augmented Reality (AR)

Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, Threat (SWOT) Analysis of the Adaptations to Anatomical Education in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland in Response to the Covid‐19 Pandemic

The Covid-19 pandemic has driven the fastest changes to higher education across the globe, necessitated by social distancing measures preventing any face to face teaching. This has led to an almost immediate switch to distance learning by higher education institutions. Anatomy faces some unique challenges. Intrinsically, anatomy is a three-dimensional subject that requires a sound understanding of the relationships between structures, often achieved by the study of human cadaveric material, models and virtual resources. This study sought to identify the approaches taken in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland to deliver anatomical education through online means. Data were collected from 14 different universities in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland and compared adopting a thematic analysis approach. Once themes were generated, they were collectively brought together using a strength, weakness, opportunity, threat (SWOT) analysis. Key themes included the opportunity to develop new online resources and the chance to engage in new academic collaborations. Academics frequently mentioned the challenge that time constrains could place on the quality and effectiveness of these resources; especially as in many cases the aim of these resources is to compensate for a lack of exposure to cadaveric exposure. Comparisons of the actions taken by multiple higher education institutions reveals the ways that academics have tried to balance this demand. Discussions will facilitate decisions being made by higher education institutions regarding adapting the curriculum and assessment methods in anatomy

The Use of ICT for the Assessment of Key Competences

This report assesses current trends in the area of ICT for learning and assessment in view of their value for supporting the assessment of Key Competences. Based on an extensive review of the literature, it provides an overview of current ICT-enabled assessment practices, with a particular focus on more recent developments that support the holistic assessment of Key Competences for Lifelong Learning in Europe. The report presents a number of relevant cases, discusses the potential of emerging technologies, and addresses innovation and policy issues for eAssessment. It considers both summative and formative assessment and considers how ICT can lever the potential of more innovative assessment formats, such as peer-assessment and portfolio assessment and how more recent technological developments, such as Learning Analytics, could, in the future, foster assessment for learning. Reflecting on the use of the different ICT tools and services for each of the eight different Key Competences for Lifelong Learning it derives policy options for further exploiting the potential of ICT for competence-based assessment.JRC.J.3-Information Societ

eAssessment in engineering mathematics: gaps in perceptions of students and academics

This research investigated the perceptions held by first-year undergraduate engineering students and academics regarding the assessment of mathematics in online environments. The study was motivated by hearing students’ voices, in a moment of serendipity, and realizing that academics do not always hear those voices when teaching in online environments. Currently, there is no literature providing an insight to engineering students’ perceptions of eAssessment in Irish institutes of technology. The research considered students’ perceptions of self-efficacy, expectancy, motivation, and barriers to learning in parallel with those held by academics towards their students. The aim was to develop an understanding of students’ perceptions of eAssessment to help address the concerns of academics involved with online assessment of engineering mathematics. The population of interest in this study comprised first and second year undergraduate engineering students and academics from an Irish institute of technology as the principal group, and first year students from its higher education equivalent in six European countries. A convergent mixed methods design, where surveys and interview data were integrated, interpreted, and analysed, was employed. The convergent mixed methods design permitted flexibility in the data gathering stages to accommodate cultural and language differences within the academic and student populations. The findings of the research are presented under three themes: preparation for eAssessment and barriers to eAssessment; expectations, values, reward, and effort; motivational emotions and self-regulation. The three findings provide valuable insights and adds new knowledge to an understanding of the processes in eAssessment for engineering mathematics. Without listening to and hearing students’ voices, it is not possible for academics to gain an understanding of their students’ perceptions, emotions, and motivations. I therefore argue that higher education institutions take cognizance of the need for a meta-dialogue between students and academics to aid an understanding of the processes of eAssessment

Usefulness and reliability of online assessments: a Business Faculty's experience

The usefulness and reliability of online assessment results relate to the clarity, specificity and articulation of assessment purposes, goals and criteria. Cheating and plagiarism are two frequent and controversial issues that arise and there is a view that the online assessments mode inherently lends itself to both these practices. However, reconceptualising practice and redeveloping techniques can pave the way for an authentic assessment approach which minimizes student academic dishonesty. This article describes research which investigated online assessments practice in a business faculty at an Australian university and proposes what might constitute good, sustainable practice and design in university online assessment practices

Models of content analysis in virtual communication

Este artículo contiene una revisión de literatura sobre los modelos utilizados en la educación virtual para el análisis del contenido de las comunicaciones. Se examinan los aspectos teóricos y metodológicos, los antecedentes en que se basan y las modificaciones realizadas por investigadores relevantes en el campo. Analizar la comunicación virtual es útil para los actores del proceso educativo sin limitación de distancia y tiempo, en entornos integrados por tutores, enseñantes y estudiantes que interaccionan en una nueva modalidad con características propias. Describir los modelos de comunicación mediada por ordenador aporta una información valiosa para ampliar el conocimiento científico, con pretensiones de sistematizar las líneas de investigación que se están desarrollando actualmente y, como consecuencia, de repercusión sobre la comunidad investigadora.This article contains a review of literature on the models used in virtual education for the analysis of the content of communications. It examines the theoretical and methodological background underlying and relevant amendments made by researchers in the field. Describe virtual communication is useful for education stakeholders without limitation of distance and time, in environments integrated by tutors, teachers and students to interact in a new modality with its own characteristics. Systematize models computer-mediated communication provides valuable information to further scientific knowledge, with pretensions to systematize the research currently being developed and, therefore, of impact on the research community

Limitations in Written Summative E-Assessment in Higher Education – An Analysis of a Student Survey

Written summative online examinations are usually conducted virtually from remote locations (Bloh, 2006) and ofer various advantages and challenges like high fexibility, low travelling cost and lower climate impact due to less paper consumption (Alruwais et al., 2018; Guàrdia et al.,2017). But virtual methods will not necessarily simplify the examination process at universities (Broadfoot, 2016). Observations at Technische Universität Dresden (TUD) have shown that even with a high level of efort in creating summative e-assessment online, it is hardly possible to develop a widely accepted method for implementation of written online exams mostly because it is technically complicated and leaves not enough room for various didactical approaches. Summative e-assessment has been the exception before 2020 (Riedel & Möbius, 2018) and the rush to digitize written exams due to the pandemic leaves both students and teachers dissatisfed with the outcome of the many written online exam approaches (Handke & Schäfer, 2012). Research shows how socio-demographics infuence the success of e-assessment (Bahar & Asi, 2018) or address security issues for users (Uotinen et al., 2020). But there is no research so far on specifc technical limitations that infuence students’ performance in written online exams. This paper addresses that gap with a quantitative analysis of a survey of business and economics students at TUD in the winter semester 2020/2021, who were examined exclusively virtually due to the pandemic. With these fndings, new technical and didactical methods for the implementation of summative e-assessment can be developed. [Aus: Introduction