Innovative use of ICT in schools based on findings in ELFE project (The European e-learning Forum for Education) Ulf Fredriksson Centre for Research on Lifelong Learning, Ispra, Italy and Mid Sweden University, Sweden Tjeerd Plomp University of Twente, the Netherlands Gunilla Jedeskog Linköping University, Sweden Elsebeth Sorensen Aalborg University, Denmark Maria Rasmusson

Innovative use of ICT in schools based on findings in ELFE project The ELFE project – a short presentation Findings from the project Discussions and conclusions

The ELFE project Initiated by ETUCE 2 year project financed by the EU allow ETUCE and the wider society to get a better understanding of the strengths and the weaknesses of using ICT in primary and secondary education

The ELFE project: aims Aim 1: Analyse and share good experiences and identify good practices in using ICT Aim 2: Study the possibilities of transferring these good practices to other schools and countries Aim 3: Create a debate on how the European policy on eLearning and use of ICT in education should be developed

The ELFE project Cooperation between researchers and teacher unions Denmark, Germany, Norway, Portugal and United Kingdom Three schools from each country An additional study in Sweden (three schools)

The ELFE-project: selection of schools normal’ - no extra budgets and support primary and secondary schools pedagogical innovation the school as a whole national trade union representative three school - one day per school

ELFE instruments interviews - questionnaires - documents principals - innovative teachers - other teachers - ICT coordinators - students

Seven questions What difference does the use of ICT make in schools where ICT is intensively used for instructional/pedagogical purposes? To what extent are teachers’ practices and outcomes changed? What are perceived advantages and disadvantages of the use of ICT in teaching and learning? What factors influence the intensive use of ICT?

Seven questions How are the students influenced by this different way of teaching as compared to the traditional classroom education, both individually and as a collective? What are the possibilities to sustain and to transfer good ICT based teaching/learning practices? To what extent did the local discussions on and experiences with use of ICT have contributed to whole school development?

What factors influence the intensive use of ICT? (Q 4.4) Vision on teaching and learning School’s involvement in other innovations Leadership style of the principal Integration of ICT in the school’s culture Teachers’ professional development Teacher collaboration External policies and linkages relevant for ICT use and pedagogical changes

What difference does the use of ICT make in schools where ICT is intensively used for instructional/pedagogical purposes? (Q 4.1) Interaction between teachers Interaction between teachers and students Better communication with parents Other type of interaction with local community Influences on teaching and learning New physical arrangements Increased efficiency of school administrations and effectiveness of school management

How are the students influenced by this different way of teaching as compared to the traditional classroom education, both individually and as a collective? (Q4.5) What students do with ICT How students experience working with ICT no hard evidence of what impact the intensive use of ICT in subjects and/or in projects and independent learning tasks has on students new competences such as being able to work independently and in projects, to search for information, to collaborate and communicate, etc

Students show more confidence and have better learning motivation How are the students influenced by this different way of teaching as compared to the traditional classroom education, both individually and as a collective? (Q4.5) Students show more confidence and have better learning motivation Students have no ‘instrumental’ problems in working with computers and more general with ICT In general students like working with computers

To what extent are teachers’ practices and outcomes changed?(Q. 4.2) Project based teaching Teachers - facilitators A variety of resources More individualised instruction New competences Some teachers - forerunners - enthusiasts Some teachers - disagree with policies of change

What are perceived advantages and disadvantages of the use of ICT in teaching and learning? (Q4.3) Perceived advantages - the use of email, problem solving, critical thinking, improve learning processes etc. Perceived disadvantages - not enough hands-on activities,difficult to work independently, distraction, copying from Internet etc.

Influences on teaching and learning Interaction with local community To what extent did the local discussions on and experiences with use of ICT have contributed to whole school development? (Q4.7) Influences on teaching and learning Interaction with local community Interaction between teachers Interaction between teachers and students Better communication with parents Increased efficiency of school administrators and effectiveness of school management New physical arrangements

Discussion and conclusions: The teacher as the key The appropriate role of technology depends on the individual educational designer’s/teacher’s views and perception of the goals of education A conscious choice Time

Discussion and conclusions: “Time” is an issue (Fullan, 2001) Three stages: Initiation: Being informed Implementation (change): Fear, risk, etc. Pedagogical imagination Competence Institutionalization

Discussion and conclusions: A set of questions for reflection The role of the teacher/student? How to balance student initiatives and teachers’ need to control? Dialogue/collaboration? How to use ICT to foster collaboration? Imagining appropriate assessment models?

Discussion and conclusions The findings from the ELFE project are not possible to generalize. Comparing schools that are supposed to be in the forefront may give some hints about the directions of developments in the involved countries The differences between the schools in the project seem to reflect the differences between the countries.

More information about the ELFE- project http://www.elfe-eu.net/

Merci Danke Thank You! Tack Gracias