European Edtech Alliance’s Post

This is such a valuable truth. Technology should not be seen as the 'teacher,' but as a tool to enhance student learning alongside a great teacher. To do this, effective professional development regarding technology must be offered to teachers. Also, in creating and providing digital tools and programs, teachers' expertise must be sought to ensure the tools suit the context and culture of their classrooms and communities.

The year 2024 will soon be coming to an end, so I’m taking a moment to reflect on what 2024 has brought me. It has been an amazing and incredible year for my professional work and achievements, with wonderful international colleagues and work assignments around the globe, for which I am very grateful. There have been so many opportunities for new insights, personal growth, and memorable moments. Throughout the year, I have continued to advocate for the integration of new technologies with inclusive, scalable, sustainable open education practices and culture to improve learning experiences globally and enable open education for all, not leaving anyone behind. I also championed digital transformation to achieve UNESCO's new education social contract and open education for a better world in line with AGENDA2030. Some projects have come to an end during this year 2024 ➡️ NVL Digital Inclusion, a four-year project on behalf of the Nordic Council of Ministers. A successful project and even a research project. We did a lot of dissemination at conferences and events ➡️ DI4all. eu a two-year ERASMUS+ project with Egle Celiesiene Viktorija Braziunaite Lithuanian College of Democracy and with extension with @Vygotas Magnus University and the National Life Skills program and with Giedrė Kvieskienė. We did a lot of dissemination at conferences and events. The project was indeed very successful and it was also selected for after monitoring and evaluation. I will say a lot of extra work indeed ➡️ The ICDE NordFlexOn mandate period 2023-2024 initiative came to an end. Now is the report to be written ➡️ The ICDE OER Advocacy mandate period 2023-2024 came to an end as well. We did a lot of dissemination at conferences and events. Now is the report to be written ➡️ OE4BW by UNESCO runs every year and 2024 came to an end with conferences and mentoring ➡️ This year I made two TAM (Technical Administration Missions) by the European Commission. One in Uzbekistan onsite in Smarkand, and one in Kurdistan, Bishkek online ➡️ I have published as usual a lot, and just today a book Case Studies on Blended Learning in Higher Education. Policy, Planning, and Quality Assurance was published with my book chapter and contribution on Ecosystems for Online and Blended Learning to Promote Equity and Excellence ➡️ Editorial Board for several scientific Journals, Advisory Board Children's Future Foundation, Ukraine ➡️ IRN ISSE International Research Network for Innovative Sustainable and Seamless Education, where I know have a chapter in the forthcoming book ➡️ contributed to several international conferences, traveled a lot ➡️ Member of the committee for the Open Education Awards for Excellence 2024 ➡️ With ICDE I have contributed to the ICDE Strategy 2025-2028 ➡️ ICDE President Forum ➡️ EDEH Mentor program ➡️ EDEH Research and Report on Diversity Inclusion and Equity For 2025 some activities will continue and some more are in the pipeline...

CEI has undertaken a regional landscape study on education technology (“edtech”) in #singapore, recently published by GEM Report UNESCO. Digital technology has rapidly transformed #learning and #education in Southeast Asia over the past few years. There are around 400 million internet users in the region, but there remains a lack of locally relevant evidence, as well as limited evaluation of technological decisions and investments by education #policymakers. Preliminary research, meanwhile, has uncovered challenges with equity, access, governance and regulations when digital technology is employed in education. To help fill this gap, UNESCO's Global Education Monitoring Report (GEM) commissioned CEI to conduct a regional landscape study investigating potential and future directions through case studies and background research. This landscape study is part of a series of edtech reports across 11 Southeast Asian countries. Delving into the current state of education technology, CEI's Singapore report highlights four key trends: strong government leadership and investment; personalised learning; digital citizenship education; and emerging techologies. Read more and access the report here: #digitaltechnology #educationtechnology #educationtech #evaluation #research #evidencebased #policy #implementation #futurefocused

The release of "The European EdTech Ecosystem Roadmap: Towards Excellence in Educational Innovation" by the European Edtech Alliance marks a pivotal moment for education innovation across Europe. This report, developed through the EmpowerED project and funded by the European Union, addresses key barriers to creating a thriving EdTech ecosystem and offers actionable recommendations to foster innovation and collaboration. Key highlights: 📌 Standardising definitions for “EdTech” and “EdTech ecosystem” 📌 Tackling sector fragmentation through aligned European frameworks 📌 Improving market data access and collection 📌 Building trust through evidence-based testing and research repositories 📌 Strategic funding to support early-stage R&D and lower barriers to EU funding Beth Havinga, EEA's Managing Director, aptly noted that these recommendations not only pinpoint the gaps but also provide solutions for building a cohesive and innovative EdTech ecosystem. This report is essential for those invested in the future of digital education in Europe. Addressing the challenges of fragmentation and the need for shared standards will lead to a more united and impactful EdTech sector. Full report: https://lnkd.in/ezFX7B8b Marc Durando, European Schoolnet, UNESCO, Council of the European Union. #EdTech #Innovation #DigitalEducation #EmpowerED

Many, many thanks to University of Exeter for hosting the timely and thought provoking Digital Universities UK conference last week ... engaging speakers, sessions and serendipities made an exhilarating and at times daunting conference: many provocations to thought and action! Spoilt for choice, my moments that resonated are … ➡ Great reminder of why Universities matter from Lisa Roberts in her keynote ➡ Practical, tractable advice from Emma Woodcock to stop chasing shiny new systems (“Don’t buy a Lamborghini for a desert”): rather focus on getting more from what you have and every pound you spend (“Fund platforms and products, not projects") ➡ Engaging, persuasive, and suitably irreverent(!), Lorna Willis case that universities focus on “injecting ability into learners to adapt to constantly changing environment … asking the right questions a more and more important skill” ➡ Mark Thompson's blueprint for radical transformation of the quality-cost equation of how universities operate: a clarion call to action, and great provocation for “How might we address the sector cost crisis” (#Day1forHE) ➡ Martin de Heaver thought provoking workshop about responsible AI and research management, and the excellent big question from Natalie Lafferty about carbon cost as LLMs mainstream and mushroom ➡ Catching up with digital innovations of David Lefevre and then applauding his and colleagues success in the impressive field at the UK Start Up competition ➡ Exuberant energy in the room during Ideas that Make a Difference workshop with the lovely Lisa Harris and Sarah Dyer: please do get in touch and write with us! So many metaphors and ideas like Matt Cornock's little red ribbon around an empty box, and apologies to the queue of people who missed out ➡ Putting people at the centre of digital innovation with Paul Westmore's Swansea Digital Tx Strategy: IT being the little box in top left corner a neat metaphor that culture change via co-creation is key to unlocking digital Tx ➡ Potential to dramatically increase inclusivity in curriculum design via application of explainable AI (XAI) and universal design for learning (UDL); showcased by Arunangsu Chatterjee and colleagues. An inspiring and tractable example of how AI could amplify educator expertise ➡ Urgent and compelling case for digital inclusion by Raheel Nawaz and Tracey Jessup, backed with practical "how to" steps they are leading at their institutions, underpinned by the Digital Inclusion Manifesto and Toolkit … provokes the questions how might we apply “nothing about us without us” principles for authentic inclusivity in HE? ➡ Timely reminder of the imperative to lead in decarbonising campuses + operations: Srinivasan Keshav call for better use of campus data, and Jason Oliver excellent examples of initiatives at University of Sussex including campus based renewable power generation.  And so many more 😊. Looking forward to next year already, and again being surrounded by so many amazing people!!

Excellent conference. Really interesting debate on the impact of AI especially in research. Plenty of great questions on the potential of AI in the management of funding bids especially and the tools ORBIT has developed and use.

🔍 Insights from the EdTech Strategy Lab Workshop at UNESCO Last Wednesday, the EdTech Strategy Lab workshop at UNESCO headquarters in Paris brought together 140 participants from 30 countries, sparking inspiring conversations about the role of evidence-based practices in shaping the future of education through technology 🌍 The event’s themes resonate deeply with the challenges and opportunities we see within the Netherlands' EdTech ecosystem. Key insights from the discussions include: 👉 Fostering Collaboration Across Stakeholders: Building trust between educators, policymakers, researchers, and tech developers is essential for success. 👉 Turning Research into Action: Foundational research helps identify what works, while developmental research ensures EdTech solutions address real-world needs and scale effectively. 👉 Tailored Evaluations Over One-Size-Fits-All Frameworks: Effective EdTech evaluation requires understanding diverse needs and contexts. 👉 Aligning Research with Business Sustainability: Research should not only drive innovation but also support business growth to ensure solutions have lasting impact. These themes align closely with ongoing conversations within the Dutch EdTech community about fostering collaboration and building evidence-based solutions to address educational challenges. A huge thank you to the European Edtech Alliance for organizing such an insightful event. We’re excited to bring these learnings into future projects and continue fostering impactful partnerships. 🚀 It was lovely to see you there! Alicia Berlanga Albena Spasova Niko Lindholm Antonia Clary Beth Havinga Flora Retfalvi, PhD Thomas Van Cauwenberghe Annelies Volckaert Caroline Cormier, PhD #DutchEdtech #EdtechNL #EEA #UNESCO #EdtechInnovation #Collaboration #EvidenceBased

Make sure to check out the European Edtech Alliance March newsletter where we explore the topics of Collaboration and trust in the #edtech ecosystem!

As we continue with the UCL EdTech Labs Spring Accelerator with Cosmo by Filisia, this week we dived into some great conversations about evidence-based educational technologies. Some questions we tried to address were: ➡️ How to ensure EdTech research is relevant and impactful? ➡️ What strategies could actively engage teachers in scientific research?  ➡️ How to best collect and consolidate dispersed user feedback to guide product development? Thanks Brendan Nel Amin Farjadi Mojdeh Deris and Grecia Perez Calderon for a great chat. After our discussion, I started wondering how each of us as solution providers would define the boundaries of evidence 🧐 💬 "The use of EdTech during the pandemic revealed structural weaknesses in the system, from the way it is designed to the way it is funded, selected and implemented by schools." To address these challenges influential bodies such as the English government, Jacobs Foundation and EdTech Exchange proposed a reform aiming to develop a universal strategy on what counts as "evidence". This would include standardising how EdTech is defined, measured and mandated worldwide to ensure unified positive impact on children's learning. Have a look at this interesting read👇 https://lnkd.in/gGYHTw6u #EdTech #EdTechResearch #EdTechChat

📢 Guidelines for Erasmus+ Projects on Digital Transition 🇪🇺 The European Commission has published the "Implementation Guidelines - Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps Programmes Digital Strategy". This key document outlines how Erasmus+ projects can drive digital transformation across education. 💡 These guidelines align with the Digital Education Action Plan (2021-2027) and leverage European reference frameworks like DigComp, DigCompOrg, and DigCompEdu, as well as tools such as SELFIE, SELFIE for Teachers, and SELFIE for workbased learning to empower learners, educators, institutions and companies. 🎯 Here are the highlights with an emphasis on Vocational Education and Training (VET): 💻 Digital Skills: A Cornerstone of Modern VET ➡️ 44% of EU citizens lack basic digital skills; only 39% of teachers feel confident using digital tools in teaching. ➡️ Erasmus+ addresses this through mobility projects, teacher training, and tools like SELFIE and Digital competence reference frameworks. 🌟 Innovative Digital Pedagogies for VET Excellence: ➡️ Encourage the use of AI, virtual exchanges, and other emerging technologies to enhance hands-on learning. ➡️ Tools like the European Digital Education Hub and Erasmus+ Key Action 2 partnerships support innovative teaching practices. 🌍 Equity in the Digital Transition: ➡️ Reduce digital inequalities by involving marginalized groups in VET, promoting inclusion via tailored mobility, virtual exchanges, and ensuring access to digital tools and skills for all learners. ➡️ Increase the participation of women in STEM and foster digital entrepreneurship in underserved regions. 🏫 Institutions as Drivers of Digital Transformation: ➡️ DigComp and DigCompEdu frameworks guide the design of high-quality, technology-enhanced VET programs. ➡️ European Centres of Vocational Excellence promote collaboration and innovation in VET through partnerships that integrate AI, virtual exchanges, and digital tools into training. 🔍 Evidence-Based Approaches for Digital Impact: ➡️ Use tools like the Erasmus Project Results Platform and SALTO Digital to monitor, evaluate, and scale impactful digital education practices. ➡️ Collaborate across sectors to share insights and best practices for evidence-informed policy. 🤝 Synergies for Maximum Impact: ➡️ Combine Erasmus+ resources with complementary EU programs (e.g., Digital Europe, Horizon Europe) to scale VET digital transformation. ➡️ Foster collaboration across sectors for sustainable innovation and capacity-building. ✨ Conclusion: These guidelines offer a clear roadmap to help the education sectors and in particular VET adapt to the demands of a digital economy. By empowering educators, learners, and institutions, Erasmus+ is shaping a future-ready workforce. #DigitalSkills #VETInnovation #ErasmusPlus #DigitalTransformation EfVET European Association of Institutes for Vocational Training (EVBB) European Vocational Training Association - EVTA EURASHE eucen UNESCO-UNEVOC