Creating New Learning (CNL)

What is the Creating New Learning initiative?

Creating New Learning (CNL) is a multi-annual initiative central to delivering the European Training Foundation’s 2027 Strategy in relation to innovation in teaching and learning.

CNL aims to encourage the development, implementation and dissemination of innovative teaching and learning practices in the ETF partner countries, in order to develop more effective and inclusive education and training systems.

CNL supports innovation in teaching and learning across a number of thematic domains such as new educators’ qualifications, innovative learning environments, personalised learning, curricula and key competence, digital and online learning.

What are the main CNL activities?

Research on innovation in teaching and learning

CNL collects insights on the conditions for fostering innovation in teaching and learning and identifies and analyses innovative trends focussing on VET and skills development in the ETF’s partner countries in a lifelong learning perspective.

We started in 2020 by running a literature reviews on five thematic domains, resulting in five research papers:

- Learning Environments: Full paper in English,  Abstract in English, م ُّ خصدراسة المؤلفاتبعنوان "التعل مل َّ صصوالمتمايز" المخ, резюме на русском языке

- Digital and online learning:  Full paper in English, Abstract in English, ملخص دراسة المؤلفات بعنوان "بيئات تعلم وتعليم الكبار", резюме на русском языке

- Educators and educators’ qualifications: Full paper in English, Abstract in English, ملخص دراسة الأدبيات حول "التعلم الرقمي وعبر الإنترنت, резюме на русском языке

- Personalised and differentiated learning: Full paper in English,  Abstract in English, ملخص دراسة الأدبيات حول "المناهج الدراسية والكفاءات الأساسية للتعلم الجديد, резюме на русском языке

- Curriculum and key competences: Full paper in English, Abstract in English, لمعلمون و أثر تطويرهم المهني على بيئة التعلم الجديدة, резюме на русском языке

Then, following a validation of these results, we analysed the emerging trends in these domains and we produced an analysis of the main innovations emerging from these researches, that you can find here.

We are now working to analyse innovations in depth to learn about the mechanisms that can help new ideas and new practices flourish.

Support to innovation partnerships

Starting from the results of our research, CNL is supporting grassroots innovative partnerships among VET and adult leaning providers, engaging education and training professionals to co-create innovations and exchange know-how. Through these collaborations we identify, study and share existing inspirational and innovative practices, linking up with partner practitioner networks, projects and platforms, as well as by inviting practitioners to share their success in innovation with peers.

We are working at the moment with four partnerships:

1. Partnership for Innovation in Adult Learning (PIALE). PIALE explores different forms of innovation, by piloting  in partnership with DVV International an innovative practice in Adult Learning and Education with six institutions from Jordan and Palestine with a reach of total up to 260 participants and 15 Adult educators. 

2. Creation of authentic and engaging learning environments. Working in partnership with schools, national authorities, NGOs and donor organisations, this partnership support teachers in the Republic of Serbia to experimenting with different kinds of innovation in teaching and learning. 

3. Digital formative assessment. Working with six schools in Ukraine and Moldova to explore how digital formative assessment can support more powerful and individualised learning​.

4. Model for the 21st Century educator (READY). READY works to explore the adaptation and the application of the ETF model for 21st Century educators in Israel, in cooperation with the ORT and AMAL networks.

ETF Community of Innovative Educators

In September 2021 we launched a multistakeholder and multilingual community of education professionals from the ETF partner countries interested in learning innovation, to help them stay engaged and connected, contributing to peer learning and co-creation of innovation in teaching and learning across borders. 

To know more about the community activities and to join, please visit the community page. 

Digital education

The ETF supports policymakers and schools in its partner countries to design and implement digital skills and learning strategies to modernise vocational education and LLL systems, by promoting a bottom-up participatory approach. 

We are promoting the piloting and implementation of SELFIE, a diagnostic tool at school level for improving digital readiness and advancing teachers’ digital competence. See more in the SEFIE page.

We are working on a Framework for Digital Education Reform, to help policy makers navigate the complexity of digitalisation in a post-COVID era. More news soon.

We run awareness campaigns to promote specific digitalisation issues through webinars and on-line conversations. See the January 2022 campaign on digital skills for Inclusion.

Support to educators

We support teachers and trainers through a number of activities and tools:

- Teacher Booster

- READY

- Video Pedagogy Guides: Using video in initial and continuing vocational training and development, Using video in teacher training and development, Video pedagogy for vocational education: An overview of video-based teaching and learning

Key competences Lighthouse

The “Key competences Lighthouse” series aims at analysing and presenting the experience, successes and lessons learnt in the ETF partner countries while designing and implementing innovative education reforms.

See our videos here: Video - European Entrepreneurship Competence Framework, Video - Entrepreneurial Learning with #ETF Eastern Partnership countries, Video - Entrepreneurial Learning - Animation.

The first publication focuses on Ukraine and Georgia, two countries that are aligning their education systems with European approaches to key competence development, embedding key competences in teaching and learning practice and modernising their curricula and teacher training to achieve better students' learning outcomes. 

ЕФО и Министерство науки и образования Украины Модульные учебные программы (прямая ссылка на руководство Рекомендации разработчикам модульных учебных программ на компетентностной основе)

How can I get involved in Creating New Learning?

• Join the Community of Innovative Educators and participate in the debates on the needs, trends and ways to take the new learning agenda forward. Join here.
• Share with us your innovative practices, lessons, insights, and project ideas, by contacting newlearning@etf.europa.eu.