Enhancing learning through the use of technology and the development of educational policy in the EU Brian Holmes Head of Unit, EACEA Quality Assurance of Distance learning/eLearning Cairo, Egypt May 2009

2 EACEA - Lifelong Learning Programme - Unit P1: Comenius, ICT & Languages Enhancing learning through ICT Policy context EU support Drivers of change Taking stock

3 EACEA - Lifelong Learning Programme - Unit P1: Comenius, ICT & Languages Policy context Role of the Commission Legal basis for EU involvement in education & training established in the treaty of Maastricht (1992) Article 149, for the first time, expressly refers to education: ‘The Community shall contribute to the development of quality education by encouraging co-operation between Member States... by supporting and supplementing their action …’ [1]

4 EACEA - Lifelong Learning Programme - Unit P1: Comenius, ICT & Languages Policy context Education and Training 2010 [2] Europe to become a worldwide quality reference in education & training by 2010 Barcelona European Council, March 2002 Strategic goals for education & training: Quality, Access and Openness to the wider world Stockholm European Council, March 2001 The ICT cluster: open forum for debate and peer learning

5 EACEA - Lifelong Learning Programme - Unit P1: Comenius, ICT & Languages Policy context The eLearning Action Plan Four action lines : Infrastructures and equipment Training at all levels Quality contents and services Co-operation and dialogue The eLearning Action Plan [3] helped to co-ordinate community actions concerned with e-learning, mobilising the educational and cultural communities, as well as the economic and social players in Europe

6 EACEA - Lifelong Learning Programme - Unit P1: Comenius, ICT & Languages Policy context The Knowledge Triangle [4] Creativity and innovation: education as a key element of the knowledge triangle Digital competence: one of eight key competences [5] ICT supports innovation in learning, and learning to innovate [6] Education Innovation Research Updated strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training [7] Priorities include: Improve the quality and efficiency of provision and outcomes Enhance innovation and creativity, including entrepreneurship, at all levels of education and training

7 EACEA - Lifelong Learning Programme - Unit P1: Comenius, ICT & Languages Enhancing learning through ICT Policy context EU support Drivers of change Taking stock

8 EACEA - Lifelong Learning Programme - Unit P1: Comenius, ICT & Languages EU support European Year of Creativity & Innovation Key messages Creativity and innovation contribute to economic prosperity as well as to social and individual wellbeing. Creativity and innovation are personal capacities requiring a social context. There is a wide consensus in the collective, collaborative nature of innovation, be it social, organisational or research-based We live in a networked society, and ICT provides unprecedented tools for sharing and for collaboration

9 EACEA - Lifelong Learning Programme - Unit P1: Comenius, ICT & Languages EU support European Institute of Technology A key driver of sustainable European growth and competitiveness Stimulation of world-leading innovations Higher education, research, business and entrepreneurship from the EU and beyond Ensuring that higher education is a partner for innovation: Masters and PhDs use ‘EIT’ label Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KIC) focusing on: –Information and communication society –Climate change adaptation & mitigation –Sustainable energy The first European initiative to integrate fully the three sides of the "Knowledge Triangle"

10 EACEA - Lifelong Learning Programme - Unit P1: Comenius, ICT & Languages EU support ICT in education and training programmes Improving the quality and accessibility of European education and training systems through the effective use of information and communication technologies (ICT) Specific objectives include: to support the development of innovative ICT- based content, services, pedagogies and practice for lifelong learning Minerva Socrates Promote European cooperation in the field of Open and Distance Learning (ODL) and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in education

11 EACEA - Lifelong Learning Programme - Unit P1: Comenius, ICT & Languages EU support Ongoing projects addressing quality eQSFA Quality Standards Framework for ICT in Learning Develop and test a Quality Standards Framework (eQSF) for existing and new technologies in education and training LLP IE-KA3-KA3MP HEXTLEARNHigher Education exploring ICT use for Lifelong Learning Developing a common strategy for quality assurance aspects concerning strategic integration of ICT in teaching and learning LLP HU-KA3-KA3NW eTTCampus 2.0Towards social eLearning environments Accreditation, certification, assessment and quality are key issues when incorporating social technologies into virtual campuses LLP ES-KA3-KA3MP

12 EACEA - Lifelong Learning Programme - Unit P1: Comenius, ICT & Languages EU support Previous projects addressing quality SIG GLUESpecial Interest Group for Game-based Learning in Universities and Lifelong Learning Assess and certify the quality of learning games and offer the SIG-GLUE Quality Stamp E-xcellenceCreating a standard of excellence for e-learning Contribute to the process of creating a European Area of Higher Education in the framework of the Bologna Process by creating standards of excellence in eLearning TriangleEuropean Foundation for Quality in eLearning Promote the European diversity of quality approaches and services in the field of learning, education and training

13 EACEA - Lifelong Learning Programme - Unit P1: Comenius, ICT & Languages EU support The eLearning Portal Supporting the exchange of ideas, good practice and resources in elearning across Europe and the world Open to everyone, everywhere Funded by the Lifelong Learning Programme eLearning Papers n° 2 (2007)

14 EACEA - Lifelong Learning Programme - Unit P1: Comenius, ICT & Languages Enhancing learning through ICT Policy context EU support Drivers of change Taking stock

15 EACEA - Lifelong Learning Programme - Unit P1: Comenius, ICT & Languages Drivers of change Policy Policy Move from specific eLearning strategies, to ICT mainstreaming, to innovation [7] Education as part of a larger process of lifelong learning e.g. new skills for new jobs [8] Recognition of need for educational institutions to enter into partnerships e.g. University-Business forum [9] Greater cooperation between Ministries of Education, sharing good practice and resources

16 EACEA - Lifelong Learning Programme - Unit P1: Comenius, ICT & Languages Drivers of change Technology Technology Universal broadband access with mobile connected devices Web 2.0 and social technologies: networking, linking, embedding Open standards, open source, open educational resources Asynchronous and synchronous communication  70% of adolescents spend more than two hours per day on the internet [10]

17 EACEA - Lifelong Learning Programme - Unit P1: Comenius, ICT & Languages Drivers of change Learning approaches Learning approaches Change in pedagogical approaches from behaviourism and instruction, to constructivism and learning-by-doing, to social context and peer learning From passive learners receiving information to active, creative learners constructing knowledge Emphasis on key competencies such as digital competence, working in teams, learning to learn, …. [5] Formal, non-formal and informal learning

18 EACEA - Lifelong Learning Programme - Unit P1: Comenius, ICT & Languages Drivers of change Organisational Organisational Third generation distance learning: from correspondence and broadcasting, to multimedia and tutor mediated communication, to peer learning, group work, student-student communication [11] Integration of distance learning with on-campus learning From economies of scale and massification of higher education to flexible, tailored, personalised learning making full use of the latest social technologies

19 EACEA - Lifelong Learning Programme - Unit P1: Comenius, ICT & Languages Drivers of change Integrated learning Policy Technology Learning approaches Organisational Integrated learning

20 EACEA - Lifelong Learning Programme - Unit P1: Comenius, ICT & Languages Enhancing learning through ICT Policy context EU support Drivers of change Taking stock

21 EACEA - Lifelong Learning Programme - Unit P1: Comenius, ICT & Languages Taking stock Commission report 2008 [x] (1/2) Progress so far: Impact of ICT on education and training has not yet been as great as expected transformation of business and public services through ICT has not yet reached teaching and learning processes Embedding ICT in education and training systems require further changes across technical, learning and organisational aspects Potential of ICT to support continuum of lifelong learning not yet realised between formal and informal; across schools, universities, home, workplace and civic life

22 EACEA - Lifelong Learning Programme - Unit P1: Comenius, ICT & Languages Taking stock Commission report 2008 [x] (2/2) We need policies to focus on: Embedding ICT-based tools in education systems for teaching and learning, for management and administration Enabling lifelong learning by exploiting ICT’s important advantages providing easy access to learning resources; support to personalised learning paths; and scope for innovative learning tools and resources Leveraging innovation and change into the core functions of education Innovative content, services and pedagogy

23 EACEA - Lifelong Learning Programme - Unit P1: Comenius, ICT & Languages  Change of emphasis from information to knowledge  Learners as active producers rather than passive consumers  Focusing on developing key competencies  Learning collaboratively, with peers  Learning to innovate and innovating to learn  Supporting creativity, innovation and positive change  Embracing new technology  Learning for everyone – young and senior alike Taking stock In summary Our perception of the Knowledge Society is changing. So too is our understanding of the nature of learning and its contribution Society and the way we learn are changing, so too must our education institutions. Distance learning faces challenges in the way it integrates technology and manages quality.

24 EACEA - Lifelong Learning Programme - Unit P1: Comenius, ICT & Languages References 1.EU (1992) The Maastricht Treaty - Provisions Amending The Treaty Establishing The European Economic Community With A View To Establishing The European Community, 2.EU (2001) Report from the Education Council to the European Council, "The concrete future objectives of education and training systems", Brussels, The European Council, 3.EU (2001) Commission Communication “The eLearning Action Plan - Designing tomorrow's education”, COM(2001)172 final, 23 March 2001, EU (2008) Draft 2008 joint progress report of the Council and the Commission on the implementation of the 'Education & Training 2010' work programme "Delivering lifelong learning for knowledge, creativity and innovation“, Brussels, The European Council EU (2004) Key Competencies for Lifelong Learning, a European Reference Framework Brussels, European Commission, OECD (2008) Innovating to Learn, Learning to Innovate, Paris, OEC, 20/11/ EU (2008) Commission Communication “An updated strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training”, COM(2008) 865 final, 16 December 2008, EU (2008) Commission Communication “New Skills for New Jobs Anticipating and matching labour market and skills needs’”, COM(2008) 868, 16 December 2008, 9.EU (2009) Commission Communication "A new partnership for the modernisation of universities: the EU Forum for University Business Dialogue", COM(2009) 158 final, 2 April MDE (2008) 'Génération Digital Natives'. Le Monde de l'Education, Bates, T. (2008) 'Transforming Distance Education through New Technologies', in Evans, T., Haughey, M. & Murphy, D. (Eds.) The International Handbook of Distance Education. Bingley, UK, Emerald Press

25 EACEA - Lifelong Learning Programme - Unit P1: Comenius, ICT & Languages Thank you ! ‘Learning and innovation go hand in hand. The arrogance of success is to think that what you did yesterday will be sufficient for tomorrow. ’ William Pollard The Lifelong Learning Programme: DG Education and Culture: The Executive Agency: