Centre for Educational Research and Innovation (CERI)

Innovative Learning Environments – Insights from Recent OECD/CERI Analyses 

David Istance

EDEN Conference, Porto October 2009

CERI at OECD• OECD has worked on education since

founded in early 1960s• A separate Education Directorate since 2002

with different sections• One of these, the Centre for Educational

Research and Innovation (CERI), aims to inform long-term policy development by:– generating forward-looking research analyses and

syntheses;– identifying and stimulating educational innovation;– promoting international exchange of knowledge

and experience

CERI work – strong focus on learning and innovation

• Innovative Learning Environments (ILE)• Innovation Strategy/Systemic Innovation

(including Digital Learning Resources)• New Millennium Learners (NML)• Teacher Education and Cultural Diversity (TED)• Social Outcomes of Learning• Globalisation and Linguistic Competence• R&D and indicators• Market Mechanisms & Decision-Making• The Future of Universities• Trends Shaping Education• Education Today: the OECD Perspective

This presentation

• The context – learning moving centre stage

• Present our ‘Innovative Learning Environments’ project

• Some conclusions from ‘Beyond Textbooks’ (in press)

Learning moving centre stage – the context • Knowledge society and economy – strong ‘21st

century’ agenda, global drivers• Strong focus on learning outcomes (including

PISA) – but which outcomes and how to change them?

• ICT and non-formal learning – resets parameters• The limits of conventional educational reform• We understand learning better and better but…

– Too many school practices don’t match lessons of burgeoning learning sciences, and

– Research too often disconnected from policy & practice

THE INNOVATIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS PROJECT

Innovative Learning Environments Project• The “Chemistry” of Learning Environments –

understanding the ‘micro’ level, learners in context

• Effectiveness of Learning Environments – international research reviews - evidence-based principles for policy & practice

•  Innovations reconfiguring the Learning Environment – the compilation of different types of innovative learning environment - some in schools, others non-formal

•  Innovative Learning Environments that Promote Effective Learning –in-depth study of inspiring and effective innovations (the ‘Observatory’)

• Policy dialogue and dissemination – promoting policy reflection and reform with participating systems

Research Reviews on Effective Learning Environments

7. Technology and LearningRichard Mayer

8. Learning about Real-world ProblemsBrigid Barron & Linda Darling-Hammond,

9. Learning in Social GroupsRobert Slavin

10. The Community as a Resource for Learning Andrew Furco

11. Assessment for LearningDylan Wiliam

12. Making change happen – transversal implications for practice

Lauren Resnick

13. Conclusions and PrinciplesOECD/ILE team

1. OECD/CERI Introduction2.The Historical Developments in the Conception of Learning Erik De Corte3. The Cognitive Perspective on Learning

Elsbeth Stern & Michael Schneider, 4. Emotional and Motivational Aspects of Learning

Monique Boekaerts5. Developmental and Biological Bases of Learning

Cristina Hinton & Kurt Fischer6.The Role of the Family in Learning

Barbara Schneider, Keesler & Morlock,

Emerging ‘principles’ of effectiveness – the learning environment:

• Makes learning central, and learners increasingly understand themselves as learners (‘regulation’)

• Promotes vertical and horizontal connectedness – building on prior learning, across activities & subjects, in- & out-of-school

• Is where learning is social, engages most all, and is often collaborative

• Highly sensitive to emotions and motivations, as an integral part of the cognitive

• Assesses intensively to promote learning, giving formative feedback and engaging learners

Perhaps familiar but in reality highly demanding• To be sustained across the board over time, and• A really effective learning environment does them all

…in educational terms• Learner-centred but key role of learning

professionals (not learning vs. teaching)• Structured and designed, mixes of

activities, learner autonomy and pacing (not abandoning learners to their own devices)

• Demanding but not excessive • Personalisation, but…• Social and Inclusive (not personalisation

as individual compartmentalisation)Compatible with different models &

approaches

The ‘micro’ level – elements and compounds

• Contextualised• Through time• Mixes of learning activities by…• …Aggregated ‘classes’ of learners

Learners –who? How many?

Content – the ‘curriculum’

Organisation of learning, pedagogy, learner

grouping, feedback, guidance

Learning professionals Resources & technology

Innovative Learning Environments

• Focused on reconfigured learning arrangements at the micro level

• In educational, physical, social, & geographical contexts – environments

• Departures from the traditional approach of most general or vocational education – they are innovative

• Serve the learning needs of children and/or adolescents (3-19 years, or age bands within)

• Fulfil a full set of learning and educational needs, not very part-time

• Formal or non-formal, or both, maybe in schools, maybe not

Finding and Studying ILEs

• A Universe of ILEs from as many countries as possible (200+ cases), all meeting ILE project criteria – being built 2009 and 2010 (first incomplete compilation available)

• An Inventory 35-50 cases from those submitted by participating systems to ‘universe’ – more detailed reporting and analysis

• Observatory with 10-12 cases - some from Inventory, others from other routes - “thick” in-depth case studies on learning processes, contexts, and outcomes.

Already substantial interest and participation

• Joining the project - active engagement - open to countries and regions, and some other organisations

• 20 countries/regions/organisations have joined so far and we expect this list to grow longer

– Austria, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Mexico, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Slovenia…

…Victoria (AUS), Alberta (CAN), Thüringen (DEU), Nuevo Leon (MEX), Bern & Ticino (SWI), Scotland (UK), Ohio (US); ENSI (Environment and School Initiatives)

• Means to engage in international network and analysis, and lever change in one’s own system

TOWARDS SYSTEMIC INNOVATION – DIGITAL LEARNING RESOURCE USE

The CERI DLR Project• Developments towards more systemic

innovation regarding digital learning resources

• School level, Nordic countries• Followed on from earlier CERI study on

open educational resources (‘Giving Knowledge for Free’, 2007), at higher education level

• To be published imminently (‘Beyond Textbooks’, in press)

Key policy recommendations• Establish a coherent vision on digital

competence• Make publicly-funded information freely

available for commercial and other use• Join up innovation initiatives making

researchers and entrepreneurs visible• Establish a forum for dialogue between

innovators and stakeholders• Support the building up of a formal

knowledge base for DLR development

We’re interested in nominations of ‘innovative learning environments’

david.istance@oecd.org

On DLR and New Millennium Learnersfrancesc.pedro@oecd.org

Thank you!