LfE Best Practices

Best Practices Examples

In the context of the Learning from the Extremes project, “good practice” is defined as a set of actions undertaken or initiatives launched to address a challenge/problem/issue related to digital education in any of the following dimensions:

(1) Availability of ICT tools and applications (digital technology equipment; network requirements; access to educational content)

(2) Professional development of teachers (e.g., five areas of the Digital Competence Framework)

(3) Leadership (instructional; transformative; distributed)

(4) Opportunities for personalized and inclusive learning (e.g., differentiation for personalized learning; differentiation for inclusive learning)

(5) Connection with local/regional stakeholders (e.g., clustering/sharing of resources with others)

(6) Opportunities for community learning (e.g., based on schools as community learning hubs; open schooling approaches, etc.)

We provide below 10 exemplary cases of such good practices that can facilitate rural schools in increasing their access to digital educational solutions. These examples relate to one or more of the aforementioned dimensions. Firstly, the main challenge that the school had to face is presented and then, the actions and initiatives to overcome this challenge with the use of digital technologies is described, as well as the impact of those actions on students, teachers and/or the school in general. Links to the digital tools/software/applications utilized by the schools are provided, as well as links for more information about each good practice for those that are interested to learn more.

 

If you would like to find more about the proposed LfE Best Practices, please click the box below to visit the LfE Community Portal. There are more best practices and with more detailed descriptions.

Dimensions:

(1) Availability of ICT tools and applications (digital technology equipment; network requirements; access to educational content), (4) Opportunities for personalized and inclusive learning (e.g., differentiation for personalized learning; differentiation for inclusive learning)

Main challenge:

Some students often have low interest and motivation for specific lessons. For example, in a rural school in Bulgaria, students had low interest and motivation for music lessons. In these cases, teachers often look for ways to increase student’s motivation and attention by implementing innovative approaches and digital technologies.

Actions and initiatives:

To overcome this challenge, the teachers of the Bulgarian school implemented some non-standard solutions, which at the same time were very creative. Specifically, special equipment was installed for broadcasting a music TV channel, some students have been encouraged to form their own rock band and others to conduct podcasts with musicians. In addition, a video clip editor software was used by students to create their own video clips. Inspired from this action and searching for free of charge video editing software someone can find plenty of those, such as the InShot or Filmora for phone video editing, and OpenShot for computer video editing. Another action that was taken by the teachers in the Bulgarian rural school was the adaptation of the assessment methodology for Music. In particular, they evaluated students’ learning artefacts produced when they applied all the above the new practices in their lessons.

Main change/improvement/impact:

The main impact of all these actions were that students’ performance in Music was increased, they had higher motivation and acquired creativity skills. At the same time, the good practice followed in the school was communicated on public television and as a result, the school popularity was increased and other teachers and schools have been inspired to follow similar practices for teaching Music.

More information:
Examples of video editing software:

Dimension:

(1) Availability of ICT tools and applications (digital technology equipment; network requirements; access to educational content)

Main challenge:

In most European countries, the effective integration of Arts in upper primary school is often neglected due to the gradual shift of focus on STEM disciplines. The access to innovative technologies, such as augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technologies, can potentially promote the effortless integration of Arts in STEM and the development of students’ ICT skills, imagination and digital creative expression.

Actions and initiatives:

European schools participated in the DiSTARS project (with the support of Universities, NGOs, IT companies) which offered the opportunity to combine scientific inquiry with artistic expression (e.g., visual and performing arts) and storytelling, through a storytelling platform and AR/ VR technology. Students of 10-12 years old worked collaboratively in groups to express their visions for the future of Space Exploration. The architecture of the authoring tools (e‐book, 3D rocket development and 3D colony building) allowed for the creations of the students (paintings, models, dioramas and constructions, 3D objects and landscapes, animations, science videos and science theatre plays) to be captured according to their scenarios and be integrated in storylines. Each group of students created a digital story in the form of an ebook (in a 2D or 3D environment) showcasing how they imagine a visit to any planet or moon in our solar system, from the journey and the arrival to the buildings and the life of humans there.

Main change/improvement/impact:

Teachers were able to familiarize themselves with a new approach to teaching which can support and enable the development of students’ deeper learning (e.g., communication, collaboration and problem-solving competences). The project also offered the opportunity to students and teachers to effectively interact with arts and hands‐on STEM activities, to gain an insight on how new ICT technologies (e.g. AR, VR) operate and how they can support science learning related to human Space Exploration.

Learn more about the DiSTARS project here: https://www.distars.eu/

Dimensions:

(1) Availability of ICT tools and applications (digital technology equipment; network requirements; access to educational content), (5) Connection with local/regional stakeholders (e.g., clustering/sharing of resources with others)

Main challenge:

Many schools in rural areas have limited access to broadband and are isolated from other schools. A school in Ireland with limited broadband attempted through clustering with other schools nationally to enhance digital teaching and learning and share practices with them.    

Actions and initiatives:

The school participated in EU and “National Digital Clusters Schools of Excellence” initiatives that funded rural schools through development programs. Specifically, the programs provided the opportunity for collaboration with private stakeholders to provide connectivity to the surrounding school community. In addition, the school participated in the national initiative “Schools of Excellence Digital Cluster” with the project entitled “Creative Problem Solving and Digital Education in 21st Century Teaching, Learning and Assessment”. In the context of the project, schools of the cluster used new technologies in robotics and programming to facilitate student problem solving abilities and share their experience and materials.

Main change/improvement/impact:

The main impact of participation was that the school acquired adequate broadband and hardware. Moreover, the project facilitated the development of students’ problem-solving skills and creativity, through the use digital technologies, such as Beebots, Microbit circuit boards, Lego We Do, Izak9 Cubes, tablets and more. This project showcases how schools can share equipment with each other and collaborate  to create a common learning materials.

More information:

Main website: https://sites.google.com/view/cenfadhb/home

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CenFadhb

 

More information on digital educational equipment/software:

Izak9 Cubes: https://sites.google.com/view/cenfadhb/resources/izak9‐cubes

Lego We Do: https://sites.google.com/view/cenfadhb/resources/lego‐wedo

Microbit: https://sites.google.com/view/cenfadhb/resources/microbits

Minecraft: https://sites.google.com/view/cenfadhb/resources/minecraft

Dimension:

(2) Professional development of teachers (e.g., five areas of the Digital Competence Framework)

Main challenge:

Technology is improving rapidly and new technological features appear every day. Many schools own new educational hardware and software but teachers often do not have the appropriate knowledge on how to use them appropriately. Thus, further development of the digital competence of teachers is required, aiming to effectively integrate digital tools in teaching and learning.

Actions and initiatives:

Teachers of a Cypriot school, participated in different actions and events (i.e., staff meetings, exemplary teaching, co‐teaching, exchange of experiences related to the use of digital tools in teaching and learning) in an effort to incorporate new practices in their teaching. During these initiatives, the teachers presented digital tools to colleagues in staff meetings and also invited peers to their classroom to attend and reflect on each other’s teaching style and to provide support and guidance, so that they can utilize digital technologies in their own teaching. Some of the tools presented or used were the following: Kahoot,Wordwall, Google Forms, Plickers, Teams and Augmented Reality. Another action that was taken by the school was the arrangement of a training delivered from external partners on interactive whiteboards and on the use of robotics.

Main change/improvement/impact:

The main impact of the aforementioned actions was that teachers developed understanding on how to utilize the available equipment and began to integrate digital tools into their teaching practice. They were also able to guide their peers collaboratively develop materials and lessons. Students’ interest in learning seemed to be enhanced through the integration with digital tools.

More information about some of the digital tools used by the teachers:

Kahoot: https://kahoot.com/

Wordwall: https://wordwall.net/

Google forms: https://www.google.com/forms/about/

Plickers: https://get.plickers.com/

MicrosoftTeams: https://www.microsoft.com/en/microsoft-teams/group-chat-software/

Dimension:

(1) Availability of ICT tools and applications (digital technology equipment; network requirements; access to educational content); (6) Opportunities for community learning (e.g., based on schools as community learning hubs; open schooling approaches, etc.)

Main challenge:

Student field trips to science centres and science museums have long been part of the educational programmes of all schools across Europe, with many exhibitions of science centres and museums developed with school students and their families as their main target audience. This very powerful interaction between the formal and informal education sectors has recently been hit by the COVID‐19 crisis. Hence, a challenge has arisen to continue schools’ access to services and learning resources provided by science centres and science museums, as well as to develop effective methods and technological tools that can facilitate fruitful interactions between visitors and exhibitions.

Actions and initiatives:

New digital technologies can provide the transformative opportunity to support the development of solutions that enhance the digital presence of science centres and science museums in student learning. The VIRTUAL PATHWAYS approach is based on the Open Schooling concept that promotes the collaboration of schools with non‐formal and informal education providers, enterprises, and civil society to ensure relevant and meaningful engagement of all societal actors with science and increase the uptake of science studies and science‐based careers, employability and competitiveness. By combining expertise from innovative interventions in schools and informal science learning settings, the project can bring real‐life projects to the classroom and engage students with projects and activities that simulate the real scientific work by building on the strengths of both formal and informal science pedagogy.

Main change/improvement/impact:

The proposed methodology and tools of the VIRTUAL PATHWAYS, which can be impactful and resilient to unpredictable disruptions such as the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, can support the development of students’ 21st century skills and interest in careers related to science. In addition, the project can facilitate the creation of resilient connections between schools, science museums and science centres by incorporating digital technologies into everyday school activities.

Learn more about the VIRTUAL PATHWAYS project here: https://www.virtualpathways.eu/

Dimension:

(4) Opportunities for personalised and inclusive learning (e.g., differentiation for personalised learning; differentiation for inclusive learning)

Main challenge:

During the pandemic, when students were home schooled, access to labs and physical equipment was not possible. Many science teachers are familiar with online labs (e.g., the PhET Interactive Simulations) but usually, they use them to demonstrate a physics law or property. The main challenge was to support teachers in delivering inquiry-based lessons with the use of online labs while making sure that all students could actually follow and participate in the lesson.

Actions and initiatives:

Teachers from different schools were introduced and trained to use the Graasp online platform to implement Inquiry Learning Spaces concerning current societal challenges (e.g., climate change, water management), developed in the context of the inSTEAM project. Teachers also learned more about Inquiry-based learning and the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) guidelines in order to adequately utilize the inSTEAM lesson units that incorporated aspects of both approaches and also to address students’ individual needs through inclusive learning scenarios.

Main change/improvement/impact:

On the one hand, teachers really felt how important inquiry can be for students to really learn and develop their skills, as well as how the UDL guidelines can help them implement inclusive online lessons. On the other hand, having teachers and students using digital platforms was also a big step for all of them.

Learn more about the inSTEAM project here: https://insteam.deusto.es/

Dimension:

(1) Availability of ICT tools and applications (digital technology equipment; network requirements; access to educational content)

Main challenge:

A huge gap exists between learning materials and teaching practice to help create connections to real life and make students more engaged in learning. In a typical school, most of the knowledge presented to students is purely theoretical and the teaching materials do not provide enough opportunities for hands-on engagement that can motivate students and increase their interest in the subject.

Actions and initiatives:

In a Bulgarian school, equipping two labs with specific digital equipment as part of a larger STEM initiative was the needed connection element that helped students feel more confident and engaged in what they are doing. One of the labs was VR related and helped teachers better illustrate and students better understand the nature of elements, the physical and chemical processes and to gain the feeling that they are really participating in the learning process. The other lab was devoted to robotics and programming and helped students program, test and optimize their codes in real time, which encouraged them to be more engaged and concentrated in what they were doing.

Main change/improvement/impact:

An increase of students’ interest in the new technologies was observed, as well as an enhancement of their motivation and engagement during the lessons.  Hence, the students can long-term improve their performance, sustain their motivation and develop interest for related careers.

Learn more about the initiative here (video in Bulgarian): https://bnt.bg/f/video/o/305/0027529e2fc48d15841ac93d846e3635.mp4

Dimension:

(1) Availability of ICT tools and applications (digital technology equipment; network requirements; access to educational content)

Main challenge:

Headmasters, heads of school departments, and teachers are facing the challenge of switching to e-teaching within days. This includes finding suitable learning platforms and tools, finding and/or creating digital learning content, introducing electronic communication tools and procedures, and many other tasks. Schools are urgently looking for free digital learning resources, which could support teaching and learning.

Actions and initiatives:

The Go-Lab platform offers one of the world’s largest collection of free online laboratories for teaching STEM subjects, including virtual labs, simulations and data bases, as well as access to real laboratory equipment remotely via a web interface. Furthermore, the option of creating virtual learning scenarios for each classroom session (the so‐called Inquiry Learning Spaces), containing online labs, educational applications, and any other multimedia learning content is available. The tools, labs and online lessons available on the platform offer the opportunity to students and teachers to conduct experiments safely with equipment that might not have been available to them, access real-time data and use tools that facilitate peer collaboration, reflection, data analysis etc.

Main change/improvement/impact:

The expected impact of the inclusion of online labs and lessons in everyday science classroom for students is the development of 21st century skills, transversal and social skills, as well as the increase in engagement and motivation for STEM subjects. The utilization of online digital tools and materials also provide the opportunity for self- and peer-assessment, reflection and peer learning without the necessity of face-to-face interaction.

Find more information about the Golabz platform here:  https://www.golabz.eu/

Dimension:

(6) Opportunities for community learning (e.g., based on schools as community learning hubs; open schooling approaches, etc.)

Main challenge:

The objective was to increase the opportunities for cooperation and collaboration between schools across European countries and the encouragement of relationships between stakeholders of both formal and informal education to develop and/or sustain an open schooling culture. Furthermore, the establishment of a school network can on one hand increase student’s interest in science, on how science is made and how it affects everyday life, and on the other to stimulate teacher motivation on up‐taking innovative teaching methods, subjects and practices to enrich and renew the science curriculum.  

Actions and initiatives:

Projects related to educational seismology (especially for countries of the European South that experience frequent seismic activity) offer the opportunity to study real data, do analysis of real seismic activity in real time and communicate the findings to the local community. Surveys in the field demonstrate that the general public is not well informed on the necessary measures that have to be applied to minimize the societal impact of this natural phenomenon. A complicated geophysical phenomenon like earthquakes is possible to be studied in the classroom with the use of a simple instrument and results can be obtained with the combination of data from the collaborating schools that are active in citizen seismology. Seismology and specifically the availability of real-time data from a school network engages students in employing scientific practices and problem-solving skills and offers the inclusion of RRI principles since students deal with real seismic data that they have acquired themselves while they have to communicate their findings to the local communities.

Main change/improvement/impact:

Educational seismology projects facilitate the collaboration between schools that share data, experiences and ideas and encourage the development of relationships between stakeholders (e.g., researchers, seismologists, NGOs). Seismology in school education also promotes scientific literacy at all levels but its benefits go far wider than simply providing scientific knowledge about this natural phenomenon; It provides the basis for informed action to protect lives and property on local, regional, and national levels. 

Find more information about educational seismology projects here: https://portal.opendiscoveryspace.eu/en/community/schools‐study‐earthquakes‐849203

Dimension:

(1) Availability of ICT tools and applications (digital technology equipment; network requirements; access to educational content)

Main challenge:

Problem‐solving is one of the key skills for the 21st‐century job market. STEM teaching relies on the left half of the brain and thus is logic driven. Artistic activities, which uses the right side of the brain fosters creative problem‐solving. STEM education is necessary but it is not sufficient: Youngsters need STEAM (Science, Arts, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education to get ready for their future.

Actions and initiatives:

The IMuSciCA project can support schools in introducing new methodologies and innovative technologies supporting active, discovery-based, collaborative, personalised, more engaging leaning. In particular, iMuSciCA delivers a suite of activity environments and tools on top of core enabling technologies integrated on a web‐based platform. These include a 3D environment for designing virtual musical instruments, advanced music generation and processing technologies to apply and interpret related physics and mathematics principles, gesture and pen‐enabled multimodal interaction for music co‐creation and performance and 3D printing for realising virtual instruments. The project’s approach models two families of music instruments (stringed and percussion), with realistic sonic feedback by utilizing a physical model‐based sound synthesis engine. The project also offers a set of practical activities to give secondary students many opportunities for the exploration of different phenomena and laws of physics, geometry, mathematics and technology through creative music activities.

Main change/improvement/impact:

The project can support students’ proficiency in core academic STEM subjects ‐ Physics, Geometry, Mathematics, and Technology, creativity development and deeper learning skills through music activities. The iMuSciCA project also addresses contemporary requirements in education and learning for new STEAM pedagogical methodologies and innovative educational technology tools by supporting active, discovery‐based, personalized learning and by providing students and teachers with opportunities for collaboration, co‐creation and collective knowledge building.

Learn more about the iMuSciCA project here: http://www.imuscica.eu/