ETF Launches Webinar Series on Best Practice in Distance Learning

Social distancing and lockdowns in response to the COVID-19 pandemic have transformed the nature of distance learning and training in a few short weeks. Educators have scrambled to revamp lesson plans and move courses online and provide alternative delivery methods.

Many examples of best practices in vocational education and training (VET) are already emerging. To help practitioners move from a crisis response to a more systematic approach, the European Training Foundation (ETF) is scheduling a series of webinars in the coming weeks designed to share expertise and information. The inaugural webinar, titled Vocational Learning at a Distance: Supporting Vocational Teachers Under the Lockdown, will take place tomorrow, Tuesday May 26, at 10:30 CET.

“In a period of eight weeks, many teachers have learned how to teach remotely,” said Julian Stanley, a vocational teacher and trainer specialist at the ETF. “To have so many teachers learn radically new teaching skills and then to put these skills into practice is truly remarkable – in normal times this does not happen.”

The current experience offers a unique chance to accelerate innovation in VET, including via the more dynamic use of distance learning. Yet, in the rush to react, few practitioners have had time to reflect. “Everyone has been so busy doing things,” noted Stanley, who will moderate the webinar. “If people can share their experiences with the world, we will all be wiser.”

The multilingual event will include presentations by representatives of ministries, training agencies and schools from eight countries, including ETF partner countries and European Union Member States. They will focus on four main topics:

·         national support and training for teachers for distance learning

·         school-based teacher support for distance learning (teacher peer-to-peer learning and school-to-  school)

·         teacher networks

·         monitoring and coordination of training and support

The first segment of the webinar will elaborate on the role of ministries and national agencies. For example, they can offer national online platforms and helplines for teachers. They might also provide inspectors who can monitor the work of teachers and provide feedback. The webinar will feature examples from Armenia and Portugal.

The second will address what can be done at the school level. Teachers and administrators with sufficient knowledge and experience can share information and best practice with each other. “In Estonia, schools know what to do,” Stanley said. “In a confident economy like Estonia, a lot can be done at the school level. In the end, you want to do as much as possible at the school level.” In addition to Estonia, this segment will also concentrate on efforts in Moldova.

Branching out from individual schools, teachers can form broader networks to share expertise and information. These can be based on clusters of institutions that share common traits or happen to be nearby. Compared to working with national officials, “It is not so remote,” Stanley said. “It is not so frightening to admit that you can’t do something. There is more trust.” On this facet, the webinar will offer lessons from Albania and Latvia.

Shifting back to the national level, monitoring and coordination can provide avenues for measuring success and disseminating best practice. Representatives from Kazakhstan and Israel will discuss these aspects.

“We are going to hear real examples from people on the frontlines,” Stanley said. “We will hear about how they have struggled and improvised.”

The webinar will conclude with a poll to allow participants to give input about what they would like to see in future editions. The series will run through September.