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E-Maturity and School Development[When the Tail Wants to Wag the Dog]
Peter Micheuz
Peter Micheuz Gymnasium Völkermarkt and University Klagenfurt
Peter Micheuz, Plymouth, April 2009 2
AUSTRIA,THE HEART OF EUROPE
~ 8 Millions inhabitants~ 1.200.000 pupils, aged 7 – 19~ 120.000 Teachers~ 6000 Schools at primary/secondary levelFocus: Secondary level I (10 – 14 years)
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Peter Micheuz, Plymouth, April 2009 4
Gymnasium Völkermarkt, Carinthia, Austria
Peter Micheuz, Plymouth, April 2009 5
17. April 2009
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O u t l i n e
• Introduction • Structuring and Benchmarking
ICT Integration at Schools• The Austrian Project eLSA• eLSA and School Development• Recognizing e-Mature eLSA-Schools• Findings and Concluding Remarks
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Introduction
• ICT Integration at Schools is still driven by enthusiastic teachers
• Lack of sustainable guiding strategies for the roll out of the technology
• Two approaches: – Digital technologies can be seen as …• catalyst for reform/development/evolution • lever for reform/development/evolution
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Introduction
• No miracles derive from the mere presence of ICT in a school
• The lever pattern implies that ICT is not used as an agent but as a tool
• These different models are critical for a national policy in case of large-scale national investments in IT infrastructure
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Structuring and Benchmarking ICT integration in Schools
• Despite many - technologically - fairly well-equipped schools in Austria, there is evidence that many schools are in a state betweene-ready and e-mature.
• BECTA (British Educational Communications and Technology Agency): Institutional e-maturity is the capacity and capability of a college or learning institution to make strategic and effective use of technology to improve educational outcomes.
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Recognizing e-mature eLSA-Schools
• The inherent nature of organizations can be considered conservative…
• Necessary transition from an “I-culture” to a “We-culture.”
• Roger’s Theory of Diffusion of Innovation• “Schools change slower than churches”
[American school researcher Richard Gross]
• ICT Integration cannot be seen independently from school quality and development!
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Structuring and Benchmarking ICT integration in Schools I
Treshold Standards for the ICT-Mark (BECTA, UK)
• 1. Leadership and Management – ICT vision and strategy
• 2. ICT in the curriculum • 3. Learning and Teaching with ICT • 4. Assessment of and with ICT • 5. Professional Development • 6. Extending opportunities for learning • 7. Resources - provision, access and management • 8. Impact on pupil outcomes
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Structuring and Benchmarking ICT integration in Schools II
European Framework for the Evaluation of ICT in Education
• Conditions – C1. Leadership– C2. Infrastructure and access– C3. Curriculum planning– C4. Quality assurance and improvement
• Use – U1. Pupil use– U2. Teaching process– U3. Administrative use
• Outcomes– O1. Impact on learning and standards
INPUT
PROCESS
OUTPUT
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Structuring and Benchmarking ICT integration in Schools IÌI
Belgian model drawing on the EFQM excellence model
• The vision for ICT use in school (a strategy to achieve the ICT vision)
• Secondary processes (school organization and management, ICT co-ordinators)
• Resources (ICT infrastructure, government regulations, funding programmes)
• Primary processes (curriculum development, Integration of ICT)• Desired results (results for the learner, teacher, parents, society
and government)
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An Austrian Top Down Approach “eLSA” for Secondary Level I (10-14 years)
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• Full? Coverage of ICT-Use (pupils, teachers)• Communication among teachers• Evaluation and Cooperation • Strategy (School program)• Leadership • Controlling (steering group)• Offer of an ICT Certificate
Goal driven Austrian Project “eLSA”(“e-Learning im Schulalltag”)
since 2002
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Aims of the Austrian Project eLSA(“e-Learning im Schulalltag”)
1. Each student has to get in touch with e-Learning and has to try out “e-Learning sequences” in lower secondary education.
2. Each teacher has to experience e-Learning sequences in his/her own subjects (in at least one subject) and has to share his/her experience with all members of the teaching teams involved in these subjects and the participating classes.
3. Within their subject area, teachers have to discuss the potential and limits of e-Learning.4. eLSA schools develop concrete models for evaluating e-Learning. They cooperate and share
their experiences with other schools.5. The school program should explicitly contain (revised) e-Learning aspects.6. e-Learning must be an important concern of the school administration.
The project has high priority in the school routine.7. A steering group coordinates and harmonizes the “e-Learning” content developments,
ensures their practical application and the progress of the project.8. The school offers its students the possibility to obtain at least one IT or e-Learning
certificate (on a voluntary basis).
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One Exemplary Goal
2. Each teacher has to experience e-learning sequences in his/her own subjects (in at least one subject) and has to share this experience with all members of the teaching teams involved in these subjects and the participating classes.
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Indicators and positive evidenceIn all subjects there are E-Learning-sequences/materials or documentations for using digital media available
Provision of materials or documentations
In all subject areas there are experts who inform all the other teachers about innovations and try to get them into the project (playing missionary)
Protocols of meetings and conferences
Teachers took part verifiably in in-service training in the field of E-Learning and didactics
Dokumentation in the annual report, certificates of participation
Teachers of the schools are verifiably interested in new developments and are ready to use digital technolgies in their lessons.
Participation at in-service training, newsletters, reports from the lessons
The teachers are „computer literate“ and have basic competencies about digital media
ECDL certificate, advanced training courses, Online-Courses
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The school submits an application for certificationat the regional coordinator
Report from the regional coordinator
The schools determins whenthe goals seem to be reached
School visit hospitations, conference, talks with the headmaster, schoolcoordinator,steering group
eLSACertificate
Improvementsat the school
Proving E-Maturity of eLSA-SchoolsThe Certification Process
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Findings I
• eLSA-certified schools have already fairly good preconditions in terms of good IT infrastructure and engaged ICT teachers before the eLSA project.
• eLSA-certified schools are led by extraordinary supportive headmasters with (clear) visions and a sense of accountability.
• The IT-infrastructure in eLSA schools is maintained by very engaged system administrators who complain about the lack of a sufficient IT infrastructure and low budgets.
• Cooperation among teachers is still underdeveloped.
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Findings II
• Many teachers use computers in their lessons, but often only to show and distribute digital material.
• The dominating learning platform, with a fairly well usage is Moodle. However, most courses lack interactive and collaborative activities.
• Many special ICT related activities in various subjects could be observed.
• Almost all pupils explicitly expressed their joy with e-Learning. They liked working with computer because “one learns differently”, “it is a nice variety in view of everyday school”, “it is practical because we have less paper”, “you get quick feedback”, “you can choose exercises individually”.
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Concluding Remarks
Preconditions for E-Maturity • Successful ICT-Integration should/must be
part of (strategic) School Development• Strong Leadership• Excellent IT-Infrastructure • Cooperation among Teachers • Climate of Innovation and Open-Mindedness
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Last slide …
Each progress is due to unsatisfied people. Satisfied people do not like change …
[Salvatore Quasimodo (1901-1968)]
Thank You for Your Attention.