ETF has recently published research that documents the opportunities and potential benefits of innovation in teaching and learning across a range of areas: Learning Environment, Pedagogy and Personalised learning technologies and methods, Continuous Professional Development of teachers, and especially in the digitalization of all educational processes. The CoVid pandemic has at once interrupted and stimulated innovation – making it plain that ‘carrying on’ as before is not always an option. As a university teacher and a researcher I believe that innovation in teaching and learning is essential if we are to prepare learners for the changes in job markets, society and the environment that they will have to live with. I am already able to learn about and share innovations with my colleagues and through my existing networks, however, I want to reach out to share practice and interact with practitioners internationally. This is what I expect from ETF’s Community for Innovative Educators – this is why I am getting involved and encouraging others to do so too. I believe that learning about innovative practice, searching for partners, new resources and projects should become a routine part of the professional life of educators. ETF’s Community for Innovative Educations should aim to become the first point of call for innovative teachers and trainers working in Europe, in neighbouring countries or in some way cooperating with Europe. Discussions that innovators, researchers, practitioners, educators, trainers and VET administrators from different countries hold about technologies, practices and obstacles will help all of us innovate wisely and appropriately.
Innovation is not only a response to the potential of new technologies and to the challenges of economic and environmental change. Unfortunately, traditional pedagogies do not work effectively with the new generation of students as they may have done in the past – when education systems were more focused on selection than on inclusion and maximizing learning outcomes. Teacher-centred didactics within the framework of strong academic disciplines does not take into account differences in student age, cultural background, personality or aspiration. Creativity, key skills and autonomy are undervalued and discouraged. Pedagogical innovation is necessary to meet these challenges but this is not a technical challenge – even if new technologies may have a role to play in developing new teaching and learning relationships.
Despite the enormous promise of innovation, there are many difficulties and disappointments to be faced. That is why it is so vital that innovative teachers cooperate – so that they are not overwhelmed by doubts about what may happen and risks of failure. The task of our community is to develop our professional mindfulness so that we retain our ambition, keep our nerve, avoid mistakes, set achievable goals and choose tried and tested approaches which will deliver better and relevant outcomes for our learners.
Perhaps the single most important domain for innovation is the integration of teaching and learning with digital technologies. Digital technologies are now used, to some extent, in every educational sector, with every kind of teacher and learner and at every phase of education and training. With the help of digital technologies teachers can lecture, communicate, set reading, access educational materials, assess, question, set tasks, monitor, interact, discipline, motivate, grade and manage discussion. Teaching and learning can be conducted remotely – both synchronized and asynchronized, for large and small groups, freely or paid for, certificated and uncertificated. Digital tools for data analysis, gaming, simulation, virtual reality and artificial intelligence are already in use, though to a lesser degree, but perhaps have an even greater potential to disrupt pedagogy and improve outcomes. For me, a major priority for the Community for Innovative Educators will be to evaluate these opportunities and to enable more educators to make successful use of a greater variety of educational technologies. Of course, there is no real alternative to trying out a new practice oneself – but learning directly from another educator about their experience is the next best thing.
A culture of innovation and ‘on-line life’, make it possible for teachers to become on-line educators. An on-line educator can, over time, build up their personal brand through their own website, making use of social and professional networks. People have always looked for teachers, and now, thanks to digitalization, it has become possible to find the ideal teacher not only in their village, city, but somewhere else in the world. ETF’s Community for Innovative Educators offers innovative teachers a chance to ‘test the water’ of global professional education.
Digitalization and globalization do not necessarily lead to fair and equal opportunities for all teachers and all learners. There is increased competition in the job market and, sometimes, in education. It is easy to talk about personalized learning, inclusion and empowerment – more difficult to make them a reality. What I think this means is that successful innovation is not only a matter of choosing the right tools and partners and matching approaches to the needs of learners and the particularities of different schools and cultures, it is also a matter of values and of building consensus. That is why it so important that innovative educators discuss and evaluate innovations openly and critically – so that we are not neglecting the perspective of those who may believe, rightly or wrongly, that innovation will be damaging for them.
Innovative educators cannot afford to think only about pedagogy and digital technology. If pedagogy is to change systematically then there must be changes in the professional development of educators. If the process of teaching and learning changes that this will have implications for the curriculum and for assessment. Traditional curriculums and traditional assessment methods constitute a major barrier to pedagogic innovation – but of course it would be naïve and wrong to assume that they can somehow be re-booted so that they work with transformed pedagogies. Therefore we need to reflect upon and discuss practical experiments to make pedagogy, curriculum, assessment, student, technology and educator connect to one another and work together.
Change and innovation in education, for better or worse, seems to be irresistible. It is worth noting that for the most part, students are happy to accept something new, interesting, unusual. They are ready for change – but of course they expect that innovations will work to benefit them. They will be disappointed if innovations fail. So, as teachers, we face considerable expectations.
Please provide your views on my blog, for example:
- How do you find out about opportunities for innovation?
- Where kinds of innovative practices are you most attracted to?
- Have you positive or negative experiences of making use of digital technologies?
Dear Mathew, Yes I will share the survey