Promoting Effective Digital-Age Learning: A European Framework for Digitally-Competent Educational Organisations

Digital technologies are being incorporated in exciting and promising ways at all levels of education. To consolidate progress and to ensure scale and sustainability education institutions need to review their organisational strategies in order to enhance their capacity for innovation and to exploit the full potential of digital technologies and content. This report presents the European Framework for Digitally-Competent Educational Organisations (DigCompOrg). This framework can facilitate transparency and comparability between related initiatives throughout Europe and play a role in addressing fragmentation and uneven development across the Member States. The primary purposes of DigCompOrg framework are (i) to encourage self-reflection and self-assessment within educational organisations as they progressively deepen their engagement with digital learning and pedagogies (ii) to enable policy makers to design, implement and evaluate policy interventions for the integration and effective use of digital learning technologies.JRC.J.3-Information Societ

Towards a Mapping Framework of ICT-enabled Innovation for Learning

ICT is regarded as a key enabler of innovation and creativity in E&T and for learning at large. Based on desk research and on previous JRC-IPTS studies, this report provides a definition and classification of ICT-enabled innovation for learning that has significant scale and/or impact at system level, both within formal Education and Training and outside formal settings. A mapping framework is also proposed that can be used for an in-depth analysis of existing initiatives showing how ICT-enabled innovation is implemented on a large scale. Finally, the report provides a preliminary application of four diverse initiatives on the proposed mapping framework.JRC.J.3-Information Societ

Editorial

The editorial is written by the guest editor(s) of the special issue presenting its main contents. This issue takes stock of progress on the use and impact of Information and CommunicationTechnology (ICT) on learning. It provides a critical review of evidence and opens the discussion on identifying and implementing major changes in education systems to meet the challenges of 21st century learning and society. It shows that if we want to advance our knowledge and understanding of ICT for learning, the discussion must be broadened (e.g. not focused only on learning outcomes in terms of better scores in tests) and be clear and specific in terms of what we mean by impacts.JRC.J.3-Information Societ

Influence of employer support for professional development on MOOCs enrolment and completion: Results from a cross-course survey

Although the potential of open education and MOOCs for professional development is usually recognized, it has not yet been explored extensively. How far employers support non-formal learning is still an open question. This paper presents the findings of a survey-based study which focuses on the influence of employer support for (general) professional development on employees’ use of MOOCs. Findings show that employers are usually unaware that their employees are participating in MOOCs. In addition, employer support for general professional development is positively associated with employees completing MOOCs and obtaining certificates for them. However, the relationship between employer support and MOOC enrollment is less clear: workers who have more support from their employers tend to enroll in either a low or a high number of MOOCs. Finally, the promotion of a minimum of ICT skills by employers is shown to be an effective way of encouraging employee participation in the open education ecosystem.JRC.J.3-Information Societ

Are CSCL and Learning Sciences research relevant to large-scale educational reform?

This Symposium includes 4 papers: Paper 1 - From e-Learning Pilot Scheme to Scalable e-Learning Innovations: Wishful thinking or reality? (pp. 573-574 Nancy Law and Yeung Lee, University of Hong Kong) Paper 2: Restoring “how people learn” as the core of educational reform in Japanese classrooms (pp. 574-575 Naomi Miyake, University of Tokyo) Paper 3: Scaling up rapid collaborative practices in Singapore schools (pp. 575-577 Chee-Kit Looi, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University Paper 4: eTwinning: a European Network Community for Teachers to support cross-border school collaboration (pp. 577-579 Riina Vuorikari, European Schoolnet)CSCL 2013 Proceedings: v. 1 - Full Papers & Symposia - http://www.isls.org/cscl2013/Volume%201%20Final%20CSCL%202013%20Proceedings.pdf ; v. 2 - Short Papers, Panels, Posters, Demos, & Community Events - http://www.isls.org/cscl2013/Volume%202%20Final%20CSCL%202013%20Proceedings.pdfConference Theme: To see the world and a grain of sand: Learning across levels of space, time, and scaleMany scholars have contributed efforts to improve education in schools. A major motivation for learning scientists to develop design research as a methodology is to contribute to theory and educational practice through rigorous research without avoiding the complexities and messiness in authentic educational settings. There are many examples of successful implementation of collaborative, knowledge-construction oriented pedagogies using socio-cognitive and socio-metacognitive tools in formal and informal educational settings as well as in teacher professional development. However, there are many challenges to scaling up such innovations beyond small-scale implementation, including that of developing into “fatal mutations” (Brown, 1992). This symposium provides an opportunity for discussion and reflection on the impact that CSCL and Learning Sciences researchers have made on large-scale education reform and what, if any, may be done to extend this impact by bringing together a set of papers describing some large-scale education innovation initiatives in Asia and Europe.published_or_final_versio

EntreCOMP: Το ευρωπαϊκό πλαίσιο αναφοράς για την ικανότητα του επιχειρείν

Tο Ευρωπαϊκό Πλαίσιο Αναφοράς για την Ικανότητα του Επιχειρείν (EntreComp) που παρουσιάζεται στην παρούσα έκθεση φιλοδοξεί να φέρει κοντά τους νευραλγικούς τομείς της εκπαίδευσης και της εργασίας, συμβάλλοντας στην κατανόηση, προώθηση και καλλιέργεια της ικανότητας του επιχειρείν. Ο απώτερος στόχος είναι η απελευθέρωση του δυναμικού των ευρωπαίων πολιτών ώστε να συμμετέχουν ενεργά και με αυτοπεποίθηση στην κοινωνική πρόοδο μεταμορφώνοντας τις ιδέες τους σε πράξη

The influence of management as a strategy for managing communication in schools

The purpose of this mini-thesis is to investigate communication as a management strategy in schools. An attempt was made to define communication and to determine the possible barriers that could exist to prevent effective communication. The investigator examined ways by which management could encourage effective communication in order to stimulate efficient schooling. Various types of communication, such as up down, down up, lateral and horizontal communication as well as non~ verbal communication received attention The roles of both principals as well as teachers in a number of schools in the Moutse East Circuit. in the Mpumalanga Province were ascertained by means of questionnaires and interviews. The data obtained indicated deficiencies in communication between the principals and their subordinates. As communication skills can be lean1ed, it is recommended that more attention should be paid to the training of managers to become effective communcators and thereby facilitating more effective communication in their schools.Educational Leadership and Managemen

How are Higher Education Institutions Dealing with Openness? A Survey of Practices, Beliefs, and Strategies in Five European Countries

Open Education is on the agenda of half of the surveyed Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in France, Germany, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom. For the other half of HEIs, Open Education does not seem to be an issue, at least at the time of the data collection of the survey (spring 2015). This report presents results of a representative a survey of Higher Education institutions in five European countries (France, Germany, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom) to enquire about their Open Education (OE) practices, beliefs and strategies (e.g MOOCs). It aims to provide evidence for the further development of OE to support the supports the Opening Up Communication (European Commission, 2013) and the renewed priority on Open Education, enabled by digital technologies, of ET2020JRC.J.3-Information Societ

Learning2.0. The Impact of Web2.0 Innovation on Education and Training in Europe

This report presents the outcomes of the expert workshop held at the Institute for Prospective Technological Studies (IPTS) on 29 and 30 October 2008 to discuss the impact of the social computing on Education and Training (E&T) in Europe. The workshop aimed to validate the results of the Learning 2.0 study, launched by IPTS in collaboration with DG EAC. The study explored the impact of social computing on E&T in Europe (in terms of contribution to the innovation of educational practice, and to more inclusive learning opportunities for the knowledge society). It also assessed Europe¿s position in the take up of social computing in formal educational contexts and - by identifying opportunities and challenges - devised policy options for EU decision makers. The report offers a structured account of the debate that took place during the two day workshop. It reflects the discussion on the potential of social computing take up in organized educational contexts, focusing on innovation (from the pedagogical, organisational and technological standpoints), and on inclusion. It further discusses how, despite the recent emergence of the phenomenon mostly outside E&T institutions, its primarily experimental nature within formal E&T contexts, and the speed of its evolution, there are clear signs that it can transform educational practice and that a new schooling culture is called for. The report then presents the main risks that were identified by the experts and proposes a number of items for research and the policy agenda to respond to the educational needs of society as it is being transformed by the social computing wave. Finally, it summarizes the trends identified as likely to affect the future evolution of the learning landscape.JRC.J.4-Information Societ