ICTs to improve learning and research

Description

1. Content Some 20 years ago, expectations for Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) were rather ambitious. ICTs were expected to improve both personal and institutional performance, leading to higher outcomes and a better life for all. Learning and ICTs also became important issues in European education, entrepreneurship, and policy. However, when ICTs were first introduced in schools and universities, it was observed that the technologies implemented were designed as a replacement for traditional education, including the well-known system-based problems for marginal learners and their teachers in particular.Nowadays, digital online tools increasingly reflect differentiations in social, cultural, educational, work, and societal realities. Teachers and students use digital media in ways that are more in line with the potential of ICTs. Moreover, European researchers and developers increasingly collaborate to analyse and create educational conditions that are designed to support the potential and achievement of various types of learners across national borders. Both types of development can be used to define specific criteria to guide and check the improvement of theory and practice of ICTs in learning and research in the future. 2. Planning (two hours)2.1. First, an overview is given of some main ICT-related features, trends, and conditions in learning and research. Three models of ICT-based learning and research can be distinguished in European practice. The models range from ‘traditional’ via ‘more flexible’ to ‘optimal’ learning. They imply different theoretical, methodological, and practice aspects that differently promote further development and research of, for example, self-regulated and technology-enhanced learning and research in a European perspective. The three models are illustrated by the use of five papers based on presentations at two symposia of ICT-network 16 (ECER, Cádiz 2012). The research is conducted in preschools, primary and secondary schools, and universities of various countries. By way of preparation, the workshop participants are expected to read the papers before the workshop. This first part of the workshop ends with questions and a common discussion.2.2. In the second part, participants build small groups to answer the question: How can your own learning, or your own research, be made more optimal by making use of one or more of the design possibilities as sketched in the first part of the workshop? The small groups then successively report their results. Finally, these results are discussed in the whole group.

Period	Sept 2014
Event title	Emerging Researchers
Event type	Conference
Location	Porto, PortugalShow on map
Degree of Recognition	International