FCL

Now available: Novigado curated lesson plan

2022-06-03T08:51:17Z

During the Novigado MOOC “Active Learning and Innovative Teaching in Flexible Learning Spaces" (January-February 2022), the participants needed to create a lesson plan as a course assignment. They were also offered the opportunity to submit their lesson plan for duration, and if selected, to be published at the Future Classroom Lab resource directory. A total of 113 lesson plan submissions were received by the deadline, which were then reviewed by the Novigado project partners against a selection criteria to identify the best lesson plans.

As a result of this curation, 24 lesson plans were selected for publication. The topics of the learning scenarios range from language learning, sustainability, Artificial Intelligence, to human evolution and so much more. They have now been added to the Future Classroom Lab's resource directory. Browse through them and discover also the other Novigado resources (case studies, publications, expert articles, webinar recordings…) by selecting the “active learning” topic.

Most of the lesson plans were made using the Novigado learning scenario tool, which was offered to the participants during the course. The tool allows anyone to create their own innovative lesson plans and learning scenarios.

Active learning resources in one place

2022-04-21T12:31:07Z

The Novigado project has collected and produced many different kind of resources about active learning over the past two years. These resources have been are added in the Future Classroom Lab's resource directory to ensure a centralised storage and indexing system.

In the FCL directory you can browse the content by type, by topic or search according to certain type of technology, if you have one particular in mind. The Novigado resources include case studies, publications, expert articles, webinar recordings, and something more! Please feel free to make a search (select 'active learning' as topic) or do free browsing.

My New Beautiful School - Novigado Pilot in Şanlıurfa Secondary School

2022-03-30T07:54:55Z

Our main goal for Novigado was to quit the teacher-centered system and to move to the student-centered system. It was among our goals for students to create products using technology and for them to continue these products in cooperation with their friends. The project has helped students learn the subject more easily and to connect with technology more closely.

We think the project has been beneficial. We observed that active learning can be used effectively at every grade level and it contributed to students' skills. It was very productive for both students and teachers. We saw that the students were very enthusiastic and interested in the lessons.

The "Recycling and Planets" topic was selected to raise students' awareness and to capture their attention. We created the scenarios in detail. While writing the script, we made sure that the students could move freely within the scenario. The general structure of the scenarios was shaped thinking about the fact that the students produced solutions to the problems they experienced in daily life.
We took care to choose a topic that students could work in collaboration with, exchange ideas with each other, and that will attract their attention.

In the process students directly used the classroom for active learning, and students saw positive effects on cooperation, productivity and entrepreneurship.
In order to create an active learning environment, the scenario was first designed and the necessary physical environment was prepared. During the implementation of the project, we saw that all students could actively participate in the lesson and put active learning into practice. Students' self-esteem and self-efficacy levels improved as each student contributed implementing our scenario. We have seen that especially the students sitting in the back row contributed more to the lessons.

We held an informative workshop in Ankara that advanced our professional development. We had the opportunity to come back to our school and apply the knowledge and skills we gained during the workshop.

The article was written by teachers at the “Şanlıurfa Göbeklitepe Ortaokulu” school in Turkey who took part in the Novigado capacity building programme: Mahmut Demir- Hüseyin Buğra Başar- Ebru Binici- Nihal Kabuk

I Want I Learn I Achieve - Novigado Pilot in Erzincan Secondary School

2022-03-23T10:10:08Z

In this project we understood that students learn better when they are in the learning center, because they take their learning responsibilities. With these new methods they both learn and have fun. Meanwhile, for teachers it was more enjoyable and easier to teach.

In this scenario, we tried to use every learning area and we used different methods and techniques to foster their attention. With the participation of students we developed their 21st century skills.

We learned how to use FCL for active learning. In addition to this, we observed the development of students and the positive contribution that comes from making them active in the lessons. Through the interaction with teachers, we recognized the project's contributions to the learning process.

In this workshop in Ankara we made new friends and we shared our opinions. We understood the active learning methods and their benefits and also how to use these methods to teach more effectively.

The article was written by teachers at the “Erzincan Cumhuriyet Ortaokulu” school in Turkey who took part in the Novigado capacity building programme: Mehmet Atalay- Göknur Çiğdem Bulut- Çilem Sultan Özcan- Damla Çamlıca Daş- Ersin Koçak

My Home: School – Novigado Pilot in Ankara Secondary School

2022-03-17T10:14:39Z

We discovered that students learn better when they take responsibility for their own learning. Through these innovative and different learning methods we observed that it was easier to involve students in the lessons.

Throughout the scenario, we paid attention to the use of different learning areas, the active participation of students in the lesson, the use of different methods and techniques, and the writing of scenarios that will develop students' 21st century skills.

Thanks to this project and as a school team, we learned that active learning can be applied not only in FCL but also in traditional classrooms. In addition, we observed the positive impact that making students more active in the classrooms brought to the course and school success. Our students, who examined the blog pages of different schools, were enthusiastic about this project.

The inclusion of our school principal in the project made it easier for us to carry out the project. In the workshop in Ankara, we understood the importance of active learning, learning by doing and experiencing, by actively learning. Innovative learning methods positively affected the attitudes of both us and our students towards the lesson. In addition, learning to write a scenario was one of the most important points for us.

The article was written by teachers at the “Ankara Feride Bekçioğlu Ortaokulu” school in Turkey who took part in the Novigado capacity building programme: Serdar Kaya- Münire Ergüden- Süreyya Yaşar- Ayşegül Soner- Fethiye Pekcan

I Love My School – Novigado Pilot in Ankara Secondary School

2022-03-09T10:44:54Z

The Novigado project is more comprehensive than other projects. With its general aims, principles and method of application it addresses the need for radical changes in the education system. In the current education system, only successful students take an active role, while with active learning, everyone takes responsibility and increases the efficiency of education. Within the scope of the Novigado project, we received information about resources that our teachers can benefit from. The project activities carried out - or to be carried out in the future - are aimed at supporting the transition of schools towards active learning environments.

The project focused on science and mathematics courses. In addition, Turkish, Social Studies and Religious Culture course activities aimed at improving the children' social, cognitive and language skills were applied with interdisciplinary association.

Regarding active learning, first of all, we discussed and planned the scenario. The script was revised many times to adapt to the circumstances. After we prepared the scenario, it was implemented according to the calendar in the designated branches. It instilled in our school culture the belief that every student has the potential to succeed. We can say that it created a sense of belonging in teachers and students who come together for a common purpose.

Before I attended the Novigado workshop in Ankara, I was using the lesson techniques and methods that I knew and repeated. I am now more confident that I can apply many developing and changing learning areas in education. I understood better that teachers should be willing to learn continuously in order to ensure their development.

The article was written by teachers at the “Diyarbakır Nur Zekiye Has Ortaokulu” school in Turkey who took part in the Novigado capacity building programme: Recep Zengin- Mesut Baysal- Salih Aktaşoğlu- Şuheda Ceylan- Leyla Kantacı.

I am really an Active Learner – Novigado Pilot in Adana Secondary School

2022-03-02T11:41:27Z

The project made it easier for students to take an active role in the education process. Student motivation was higher than with traditional methods. It encouraged the use of digital tools in education. The learning was more long-lasting. Collaboration of students in different fields also reduced in-class discipline problems.

In the scenarios we prepared, we carried out activities for technology, mathematics, English and Turkish lessons by putting the science lesson at the center. In the activities, we made sure to create activities targeted towards the development of the 4C skills. The activities covered different disciplines.

The learning scenarios guided the teachers so that the students could learn by doing and experience. In this process, students gathered information by doing their own research. Learning methods such as discussion environments and brainstorming were used by implementing the information. Students were encouraged to identify problems based on knowledge and to associate the problem with their present life. More problem-solving steps were applied. Products were developed and presentations were made. In this whole process, the teacher didn't give the information but provided the students with knowledge and experience.

We can say that the workshop in Ankara strengthened our professional profile. We had the opportunity to get to know and use many web 2 tools that we had not used before in education. Obviously, our perspective on education has grown in a positive way. This project gave a new direction to the educational process in our school, and it improved the cooperation and communication processes with our colleagues.

The article was written by teachers at the “Adana Yavuz Selim Ortaokulu” school in Turkey who took part in the Novigado capacity building programme:

İsmail Emrah Çam- Süreyya Maraş- Ömür Sürmegözlüer- Nazire Batır- Sedat Köse.

Webinar 21 January - Developing a learning lab in a Turkish secondary school

2022-04-13T14:45:33Z

This Novigado webinar took place on Friday 21 January 2022, and made us discover a Turkish learning lab called FCL Mosaic, part of the Feride Bekçioğlu secondary school, in Ankara.

The presenter, Ayşegül Soner, told about the process of developing the FCL Mosaic as a flexible learning space and what benefits it has offered to the students and teachers. She also explained how the learning space has played a key role in eTwinning and Erasmus+ projects. We also heard of her school's experience taking part in the Novigado school pilot on active learning.

Couldn't attend the webinar? You can watch the recording here:

About the presenter: Ayşegül Soner is an English teacher in a secondary school in Ankara, Turkey. She has been running both Erasmus+ and eTwinning projects. She is also a member of a working group who created digital content in English for the EBA TV channel during the Pandemic lockdown. Besides, she takes active part in the teacher capacity building activities as a mentor trainer of the Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) created within the scope of the “English Together Project” coordinated by the MoNE DG for Teacher Training and Development in Turkey. She is one of the founders of FCL Mosaic, the flexible learning environment in their school and currently they are a part of the Novigado Project as one of the pilot schools from Turkey.

Social Reading: how to make students read a text more deeply and reach a more profound level of understanding?

2021-10-25T12:23:40Z

Social Reading is about people wanting to share what they have read with other people and receive feedback about their thoughts and ideas. Technology is the great enabler for Social Reading (source: Tame The Web). In this article Michele Gabbanelli, the co-lead FCL Ambassador in Italy explores this concept by explaining its advantages and by showing some examples.

In time of quarantine and lockdown following the Covid-19 pandemic, Social Reading through the use of technology can be a means of regaining a community dimension as reading will be no longer seen as an activity to be carried out in solitude. The dynamics of social media together with those of Social Reading will in fact allow a digitized conversation while still reading, and not only at the end.

But the technological breakthrough of reading together also brings other advantages. First of all, in terms of openness, as the digital medium is constantly just a click away and, thanks to the global network, potentially open to anyone in any moment and from anywhere. Furthermore, the Social Reading platform that will allow comments (commenting), comparisons or in any case all the activities related to a profound reading, will represent a permanent memory which can be drawn on with confidence even later.

Also, as it is digital, Social Reading is possibly seen as an educational activity for the development of digital citizenship skills, to be found in the DigComp2.1, the European reference framework for the development of citizens' digital skills. There are many specific and user-friendly platforms for socialized reading: NowComment, Anobii, Bookliners, etc etc. Particularly useful for educational purposes, precisely because it is expressly conceived as an educational platform, is the American Actively Learn. It is a real active learning environment available in a freemium version. Once created an account, the teacher will have a whole series of functions available which in distance learning as well as in integrated teaching will represent a valid tool to motivate a careful and profound reading, with the possibility of activating remote tests. Actively Learn allows you to create virtual classes thanks to an automatically generated code that will be communicated to the students.

As far as learning is concerned, this will be active. That is, thanks to the right tasks and stimuli, students build their knowledge on the text or topic under the guidance of the teacher who does not explain but makes them understand the importance of passing through the appropriate activities. The mix of media and digital text that the engineering of the work allows makes reading more engaging and opens up space for a comparison in which the real protagonist will be the student.

Article by Michele Gabbanelli – Co-lead FCL Ambassador Italy

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Example: Social Reading and comment of the lyrics of B. Dylan’s song Like a Rolling Stone

School subject: English Literature – Class: 1st class upper secondary school

Teacher: Mr Michele Gabbanelli

Insert here the full lyrics:

Photo by ©mmphoto - stock.adobe.com

Webinar 13 October - Guidelines in Learning Space Innovations

2021-10-26T06:36:56Z

The Novigado webinar on 13 October took us to discover the key points of the recent Novigado publication on learning space innovations and active learning! Find the webinar recording here.

The Guidelines in Learning Space Innovations were created based on a desk research and literature review on flexible and innovative learning environments, and on teachers' and students' practices from the classroom that support both active learning and innovative teaching.

Learning spaces can play a crucial role in stimulating not only active learning of students, but also innovative forms of pedagogy in the classroom or school spaces. This publication presents the reasons that justify this shift – in methods, spaces, and priorities – as well as practical insights related to creating future-ready school environments.

The guidelines are available here in 5 languages: EN, FR, PL, PT, TR

The Novigado partners from the Think! Foundation (Poland) gave a presention of the guidelines on Wednesday 13 October. Watch the webinar recording here:

Students’ well-being in the new normal

2021-09-08T16:30:49Z

In this series of articles, you find some contributions of the Future Classroom Ambassadors who support the local teacher community in their country. They share ideas that will be inspiring for the European and global community of teachers in this new learning landscape.

Author: Boglárka Tóth– FCL Ambassador Hungary

The pandemic was and still is a difficult time for everyone and it has a tremendous impact on students’ everyday life. Teachers try to do their best, to provide all data and information on each subject they teach however just giving a lecture is not enough. We have to focus on students’ well-being, too.

Living in isolation with other family members all the time can try us and the children, too. It can cause stress, insomnia, fatigue, etc. In schools, we rarely teach techniques that can release stress although we all agree how important it is to feel relaxed during the lessons and at home.

The pandemic, studying online, being isolated are all strong stress factors but we can make everyday life better for the students with some techniques.

How can we help? Use the three Cs: Communication, Consistency, and Control.

COMMUNICATION: mental health check-in

The importance of communication seems so obvious but teaching and studying from home makes it more difficult, especially if there are not enough devices for it in the family.

It is important (in fact students need it) to talk about the actual situation. Because simply talking about their fears, about this difficult situation and sharing their negative emotions can help them in reducing stress and coping with the situation.

Every student is different. Some of them can share their emotions easily but some of them will be silent during the lessons. If this is the case, what can you do? You can start your online lesson with a poll. Usually, the beginning of an online lesson is about waiting for everyone to connect. The first five minutes are enough to collect information about students’ well-being.

Use Google form or online polls like Mentimeter. If you don’t like online tools, you can simply ask them to write on the chat board. On a scale 1 (I am not ok or I have problems) - 5 (I feel great) how great/bad do you feel?

When you get the answers try to react to them. What are the difficulties? How can you help? What can they do to make it better?

If it is not possible to reach students online, then send them a phone number (with the homework) where they can ask for help if they need it.

It is also important to communicate with the parents. Try to use the same channel each time and support them, too.

CONSISTENCY

Schedules and routines

Giving a schedule, a daily routine to the students can help them to feel safer. The schedule might include wake-up time, lessons, reading, exercise, going outside, relaxation and rewards (e.g. watching TV, games), as well. You can also recommend them to use a daily planner, so they can think over and plan their day (Daily planner - Sample) - or a whole week (Weekly planner – Sample).

Online lessons

At the beginning of the lesson specify the aim of the lesson (practice, new information, etc.). Make the rules about using the camera, asking questions, netiquette. Tell them to be honest and polite even if it is an online session.

Give the opportunity (online office hours) to the parents and students to ask questions or reach you online. Use for instance Doodle to book your time.

Online tools

When you teach online use the same platform and video conference tool each time. Send the homework at the same time in the same format. Try to avoid sending materials or tasks in the evenings or at night. Separate the learning and relaxing time, do not forget you also need to have a rest as a teacher.

If you want to use new tools during the lesson, first give a short presentation on how to use them, and then start using them. Gradually it will be better; the students will be more and more confident and enthusiastic about it.

Set clear requirements

It can also be a stress factor if the students don’t know the requirements e.g. the form of assessment, how will you evaluate their work. Discuss it with them at the beginning, make it clear how you will assess them, what are your requirements. You can help them by creating a checklist for instance about an essay or homework.

Time for relaxation and exercise (Mens sana in corpore sano)

The daily routine also has to include time for relaxation and for exercise. When the students study online it is essential to stand up from time to time, to stretch their muscles because sitting all day in front of the computer can cause spine problems and obesity.

Doing exercise and some sports regularly has a strong effect on the students’ physical and emotional health. Recommend online videos, activities that they can do to feel better. Start projects about health, well-being, eating habits, different types of training.

Don’t forget the phrase “a healthy mind in a healthy body” because physical exercise is a fundamental part of mental well-being.

CONTROL

A sense of control can give students the feeling to be more comfortable and safe. However, some situations and crises can cause stress and students can be completely consumed by emotional reactions. Teaching and using some techniques can help them to take control over a situation.

Self-care plan

Teach them to create a self-care plan. What is it and how does it work? It is an intervention, an identified structure: people, and activities that can help the students feel better.

Ask your students to create a list of activities that make them calm or happy e.g. listening to music, running, colouring, meditation, etc.
When the list is ready, ask them to identify one or two people with whom they have a good relationship and to who they can turn for help to.
Ask them to identify the stressors: what/who makes them nervous, stressed? Then ask them to think through a typical day, find the reason for the stress. Then ask them: ‘What can you do about it to feel better to avoid stress?
Make them create a plan about how they would react if they were stressed. E.g. choose some activities that make them relax.

For example, if someone has test anxiety (when the students feel so much pressure that they are actually unable to do their best) and listening to music makes them calm, then recommend listening to music before the exam.

There is another method, a great way to feel better in a stressful situation which is to focus on breathing.

Breathing techniques

Box breathing (a.k.a square or four-square breathing)

Box breathing is a technique that helps release stress and anxiety. It can be beneficial to anyone who wants to reduce stress. It is used by everyone from athletes, police officers, nurses even to U.S. Navy Seals.

Sitting upright, slowly exhale through your mouth, letting all the oxygen out of your lungs. Focus on this intention and be conscious of what you’re doing. Then start the box breathing. Imagine a square (you can use a photo or a picture) during the technique, or use the image below.

Breath in for 4 seconds through your nose filling completely your lungs and abdomen with air.
Hold your breath for 4 seconds.
Breath out for 4 seconds through your mouth.
Hold your breath again for 4 seconds, expelling the air from your lungs and abdomen.

You can do 4-5 sets at a time, and it will help you to relax.

According to this research, there’s evidence that intentional deep breathing can calm and regulate the autonomic nervous system.

4-7-8 breathing (relaxing breath)

The technique is developed by dr. Andrew Weil, and it is based on an ancient yogic technique called pranayama. It involves breathing in for 4 seconds, holding the breath for 7 seconds, and exhaling for 8 seconds. Using this breathing technique requires a person to focus on taking a long, deep breath in and out.

Find a comfortable sitting position, place the tip of the tongue on the tissue behind the top front teeth.
Breath out, empty your lungs of air.
Breath in through the nose for 4 seconds.
Hold your breath for 7 seconds.
Exhale forcefully through the mouth with pursed lips for 8 seconds.

Repeat the cycle up to 4 times, use the technique at least twice a day to see the benefits.

Using breathing techniques can also help the students to release stress, to feel and sleep better and get the control back, which is essential in a crisis.

Resources

How to teach when learning happens anytime and anywhere?

2021-08-19T14:18:14Z

by Marco Bento, the School of Education of Coimbra and the Research, Education, Training and Intervention Centre (ESEC)

In an era when learning happens anytime and everywhere, are we aware of how much is the use of technology massively needed in education? Today, the pandemic has accelerated this process. However, even if the use of technology in an educational context has over a century of history, we are still reluctant to use it. We call for a transformation in schools that is not only technological but includes a change in its pedagogy. Access to information does not depend exclusively on schools anymore. Students can easily search and find information, but they may encounter difficulties in selecting the correct one and analysing it properly.

In this whole new educational process, the role of the teacher has changed radically, acquiring new characteristics. However, getting used to the current reality is not an easy task. That's why teacher training is important in helping teachers adapt to the new type of learners and guide them on how to use the latest technology. It is a fact that recently suddenly Emergency Remote Learning and the use of digital technologies became the "New World" for the education system. For some teachers, this change happened more naturally while some others were forced to make a quick transition, and this brought difficulties and mistakes.

Digital learning has been lately demonised, based on the assumption that face-to-face teaching and digital teaching are opposite sides of a battle. Nothing could be more misleading: both environments are fundamental to learning improvement.

Most teachers, parents and students may have critically evaluated their experiences with Emergency Remote Learning, due to lack of resources (such as computers or internet connection), and a proper pedagogical and technical preparation suitable for the digital environment, resulting in a loss of confidence in the new set-up.

The truth is that the world was not prepared for a pandemic of this nature, neither the school. In the emergency, teachers brilliantly tried to do their best to ensure that school would not stop. For all these reasons it is now misleading to continue calling any type of online learning Emergency Remote Learning, giving it a negative connotation.

The challenge is now to rethink the school environment, trying to combine the digital and the face-to-face environments (Hybrid Learning Models).

We know that many teachers are already putting this into practice with their students, creating pedagogical scenarios that are not just a replica of the "analogue" ones. Students are encouraged to search and select information, watch and analyse videos, systematise content and produce resources that bring together what they learn.

Collaboration has been crucial to overcome isolation and help teachers to keep growing as professionals. The networked learning that many teachers have been able to experience was beneficial since it allowed them to establish online relationships with colleagues from various parts of the country and thus create learning networks for professional development.

The use of digital technologies in learning completes students' knowledge development. They serve to support classroom dynamics and the evolution of informal learning, constituting an enormous added value in the learning process. In this context, one of the biggest challenges faced by the educational system is the design of new pedagogical learning environments. It is time to think about pedagogical models that rethink the role of the teacher: what s/he teaches, why s/he teaches, how s/he teaches, in what spaces, using what resources.

We know pupils feel a great attraction to mobile technologies and they use them daily whether for communicating, researching, playing games, or creating social connections. According to this, there may be the possibility to improve learning results using pedagogical, technological, convergent, portable, multimedia and interactive resources via mobile technologies in educational contexts.

New media are changing teaching and learning. They not only open access to information but also provide them in various formats (text, image, sound, video) using different forms of communication.

Teaching strategies should promote the integration of various senses: imagination, intuition, collaboration, and emotional impact. Formats such as images, video, music (multimedia resources) can facilitate the learning process, providing interactive experiences to the learners by connecting senses, feelings, and reason. In this way, students can become active parts. Its effectiveness is deeply connected to the students' involvement in the research, in the interaction with their knowledge, looking for new ways of expressing it.

The most widely used hybrid model is "flipped learning", which combines face-to-face and virtual learning for greater efficiency.

Students have the opportunity to study online (at home or school) and discuss what they have learned, in groups or individually in the classroom. Face-to-face activities can be carried out in different forms, such as discussions, elaboration of projects, researches. This model involves students in the production of the learning outcomes, making the learning process more meaningful.

Hybrid models need to be planned considering the diversity of access conditions of each student, inside and outside school. Teachers should design different activities for those who have hardly or no access, partial or regular access to digital technologies: before class (individual study), during class (face-to-face or online group activities) and after school (follow-up and evaluation).

Today, the greatest challenge for the school is to transform the traditional teacher-student relationship into an active and more participatory model. A complex process that will take time.

Author: Marco Bento is a teacher at the School of Education of Coimbra and a researcher in educational technology at the Research, Education, Training and Intervention Centre (ESEC) and the Centre for Research in Education of the University of Minho. He is also part of the Pedagogical Direction of Colégio Santa Eulália, the first Google for Education reference school in Portugal, leading the Google Educators Group SUPERTABi.

Article translated from Portuguese by: Patrícia Baeta

Photo by Ari He on Unsplash

Innovate the Learning Spaces - Webinar and articles

2021-08-19T14:36:38Z

In October 2019, the European Commission's School Education Gateway platform focused on learning spaces - Find here some of the articles and published resources!

Articles:

Practice article featuring different European projects: Learning spaces and how to modify them (in 23 languages)
Interview with Karen Könings, Associate Professor at Maastricht University, about participatory school design, building information modeling, and other topics: Education Talks: Learning spaces designed together (in 23 languages)
Expert opinion article by Professor Ellen Beate Hansen Sandseter of QMUC, Norway. Spaces for risky play and learning risk management (in 23 languages)

Webinar:

The webinar organised on 14 November 2019 focused on how schools can innovate the learning spaces to accelerate teaching innovation processes with practical examples. The speakers were:

Massimo Belardinelli, School Principal at the 1st School district "San Filippo" in Città di Castello, Italy
Cidália Marques, Deputy Headmaster at Agrupamento de Escolas Fernando Casimiro Pereira da Silva, in Rio Maior, Portugal

Graph Hybrid Fair at Lycée Pilote Innovant International

2021-07-20T12:41:47Z

How to assess students skills in project based learning scenarios? The "Fair" makes it much easier, efficient and dynamic!

A fair-like assessment scenario is basically a chance for all the groups to present at the same time. The visitors are mainly project members but can also be outsiders. In the first part of the scenario, half of the class build a stand and present their project. The other half are visitors taking part in the assessment (either formative or summative depending on when it happens in the project planning). After half-time students swap roles.

>> How to present and assess end-of-project products?

Pandemia made it more difficult to organise but thanks to technology, LP2I students succeeded in presenting and visiting both at school or remotely.

Further information:

Active learning scenarios: 04-20-20 webinar (prep doc) & recording
Fair-like assessment: Teach Meet 03-13-20 (prep doc) & recording
https://padlet.com/Xavier_Garnier/NFSJ12019VV (in French)

The learning environment today and tomorrow – a new Novigado publication

2021-10-28T15:05:32Z

To suit the 21^st century, more and more educators and policy-makers are calling for a shift in teaching methods and education content towards student-centred, active learning.

Critical thinking, communication, collaboration and creativity – the 4Cs– are the “super skills” which are essential for successful learning, teaching, assessment, working and living in today’s digital economy. How can schools prepare the young generation of learners for the challenges ahead of them in this ever-changing world?

Learning spaces can play a crucial role in stimulating not only active learning of students, but also innovative forms of pedagogy in the classroom or school spaces. This publication presents the reasons that justify this shift – in methods, spaces, and priorities – as well as practical insights related to creating future-ready school environments. Download the publication here:

English
French
Portuguese
Polish
Turkish

The Guidelines is accompanied by 13 case studies from schools that have implemented flexible and innovative learning environments.

Poland

France

Turkey

Portugal

Makerspaces in Schools: Empowering students’ 21st century skills

2021-06-23T12:10:07Z

In this article we are going to introduce you to Makerspaces, which are designed to empower students with transversal skills. The article is based on EUN’s practical guidelines “Makerspaces in Schools”.

Makerspaces are a particular type of learning environment aimed for hands-on collaborative, creative work and are a fairly recent addition to some schools in Europe and worldwide. School makerspaces provide students with everyday materials to work with as well as programmable robots to create and complete many different projects using a big variety of tools and machinery. The learning space is adapted to create a safe, yet collaborative environment.

Activities used in makerspaces

Makerspaces allow students to shift from passive use of objects created by others to better understanding how technologies work and creating innovative objects themselves. Activities can include analysing objects, especially electronic, mechanical and IT devices, breaking these down and creating new objects from the pieces and knowledge acquired. Also, creating new objects by working in design cycles that lead to a solution by progressively correcting errors is encouraged.

Projects may vary from introductory topics requiring basic knowledge of specific technologies or subjects and might progress to applied knowledge projects, that may be collaborative and inter-disciplinary, in which they enhance their knowledge and skills through problem-solving activities. Students can also participate in more ambitious, long-term projects, that may simulate a professional context. These can relate to competitions that require planning, teamwork and project management skills in addition to making skills.

Benefits of makerspaces

Research conducted by EUN’s member INDIRE has confirmed that the advantages of makerspaces are numerous and multidimensional and concern not only students but also teachers, classes and schools. Improvement in students’ engagement, motivation, communication and problem-solving skills, development of leadership skills, enhanced reputation and innovation for schools, enhanced team working spirit in classes constitute a small sample of them and more can be found in the original document.

Learn more here!

EUN’s Makerspaces in Schools publication, including:

The full report with a detailed introduction about the use of makerspaces and its benefits, and practical guidelines to school leaders and teachers on how to plan and create their own spaces.
15 cases studies in nine countries, including interviews with the experiences of schools’ principals and teachers of already existent school makerspaces.

Learning Scenario Tool - Introductory webinar

2021-06-15T09:23:15Z

Future Classroom Lab and Novigado are happy to introduce you to the new Learning Scenario Tool. Build your own scenario from scratch or explore ready-made activities and adjustable examples that will help you create your scenarios for active learning in your classroom. Want to know more? The tool is already available on the Future Classroom Lab website!

The Novigado scenario tool helps you to engage your students as active and committed learners. Add activities, specify methods and tools, and share the result with colleagues. The best way to let students take their learning into their own hands! Throughout the development of your lesson plan or learning scenario, the tool helps you to provide your best pedagogical work with expert-made activities and insightful statistics.

>> Download the presentation

>>Watch the introductory webinar for more information

If you missed the past webinars you can find the recordings online:

- Learning journals: developing reflecting skills for active learners, 6 April 2021

- Good practices in Flexible Learning Spaces in Portugal: what has been done in spaces in pandemic times? 31 March 2021
- Co-design with teachers and students, 17 September 2020

- Designing Post-COVID Learning Spaces, 18 June 2020

- Active learning and innovative teaching in flexible learning spaces, 20 April 2020

Redefining schools’ space design for thriving teachers

2021-06-10T16:51:12Z

The 21st-century classroom benefits learning through an innovative and flexible design, moving from a teacher-centered to a student-centered space. However, in classroom design, we often focus on students’ needs. Isn’t it about time to consider how can teachers thrive in their classrooms, too? This is what Lennie Scott-Webber ponders in her recent article, which has inspired us for this blog article!

Learning space designers need to start with the following questions:

What places are currently provided for educators only?
What is/was their intention?
How are they currently being utilized, if at all?

Other questions like: What type of spaces do you need for: yourself, one-on-one with students or parents, preparation/assessment, work with colleagues? might help educators become aware of other needs that they might have, for example working collaboratively across departments.

As Lennie Scott-Webber states, the “Work of Pedagogy” (see diagram below) is multi-faceted and we need to understand its full spectrum for benefiting both teachers and students. From the students’ perspective, learning space designers need to understand that there are no boundaries in learning, it can happen everywhere whether onsite or online, anytime, morning or afternoon and anyhow through multiple sensory inputs. Therefore, this experience count for learners is what keeps them engaged and motivated.

On the other hand, designers should also keep in mind that the school is where the teacher goes to work every day, every month, every year. The students move through the system and eventually out of it. The teachers don’t. The 21st century shift means the design needs to support the work of pedagogy and what teachers need to do that work, collectively and individually across several types of scales for the work types, work needs, and human needs.

For that reason, Lennie Scott-Webber wisely proposed the idea of applying the workplace model into the education-place. In particular, she developed a diagram in which the 5 Work modes: to (1) Focus, (2) Socialize, (3) Collaborate, (4) Create and (5) Rejuvenate are applied into the educational environment to support productive and psychological comfort.

The Work of Pedagogy, retrieved from What Design Forgot: What Happens When 'My Classroom' Goes Away? - Essentials Magazine (edmarket.org)

In the diagram above these 5 Work modes are incorporated in the four aspects of working as an educator, and each is better served with functional space:

School & Community
Teach and Learn
Prepare and Assess
Create and Collaborate.

There is also need for the ‘me’ and ‘us’, which are indicated in the two-by-two matrix, as well as ‘private’ and public’ time. For educators to thrive, it is essential that the work of pedagogy has places to support all these multifunctional needs.

In her article, Lennie-Scott Webber focuses on how users and designers might think about these places and shares some insights/guidelines for thinking about the ‘work of pedagogy’ aiming at advancing all types of work, work needs and collaboration needs. As a concluding remark, the article wants to ensure that educators are aware of the opportunities that spatial designs may offer in support of these well-defined work needs. Read Lennie-Scott Webber’s original article here.

References:

Scott- Webber, L. (2019). What Design Forgot: What Happens When “My Classroom” Goes Away? Essentials.Edmarket.Org. https://essentials.edmarket.org/2021/04/what-design-forgot-what-happens-when-my-classroom-goes-away/

Ten Key Strategies to Implement Active Learning in Classrooms

2021-06-03T11:03:33Z

Photo by Jeswin Thomas on Unsplash

Novigado invited different stakeholders to respond to the two questions: How should active learning look like in a school? What would you recommend to teachers? Here, Ahmet Göçen, Assistant Professor in Harran University Education Faculty in Turkey, shares his perspective on how active learning should look like in schools.

According to Ahmet, active learning means involving students in the goals of lesson through discussions, problem solving, case studies, role plays and other in-class methods. It requires the full participation of all students in learning activities, and education processes that are attractive to the needs of diverse students in the same class. For that reason, a good teacher needs to take into account the emotional, psychomotor and affective development of his/her students. A good teacher “does less to achieve more” by planning a set of activities that help students to be part of them in the teaching period.

To show teachers what active learning looks like, Ahmet uses an example. As he mentions, all schools have computers but the way these computers are used defines how effective learning and teaching are. Some teachers most probably would use those computers as typewriters, calculators or teach excel functions. However, wise teachers would not teach advanced computer uses in the class. They know what students enjoy and give them computer-based tasks where they can learn the use of computers, make search and design their learning. As things have changed in the 21^st century and Industrial Age is a past, the classrooms of today are to be shaped for the digital age. Educational systems need to innovate themselves and help teachers and students gain 21^st century skills.

The full article of Ahmet Göçen will provide you with not only the questions that teachers should keep in mind to make students interested in the learning procedure but also, and most importantly, with practical suggestions to teachers.

If you are interested to find out which are the ten key strategies to effectively implement active learning in class, read the full article of Ahmet Göçen here.

Flexible Learning Spaces: the ‘Space’ dimension and the quality parameters of the classroom

2021-05-17T09:17:36Z

In the educational context there has been a growing interest in learning spaces, motivating the term "learning environment" mean much more than “the physical space in which learning takes place; to encompass both pedagogical and psychosocial elements of such environments” [1]. This article will address the issue of quality/environmental parameters to be considered when (re)building flexible learning spaces.

Although it is difficult to find a consensual definition, it is considered that the new spaces are not limited to a new approach for the organization of the physical space. In this ways, it is necessary to rethink the layout and organization of the present classrooms which requires a flexible, modular and adaptable architecture, bearing in mind the knowledge that has been developed from different scientific areas about the impact of environmental space on human learning [2]. The classroom must be understood as a plural, reconfigurable, dynamic and not just as a single space. Consequently, it is inadequate to think that today’s learning can succeed in classrooms that were built in the middle of the last century [3], when what was expected from school was extremely different from what is expected now.

In the (re)construction of the space for the modernization of the classroom, Leahy [4] argues that the following aspects should be considered:

Layout aspects – how the space is divided and used, where the equipment and furnishings are placed, and how flexible the layout is;
Human aspects – the spatial relationship between teacher and students as well as between the students, how these agents are allowed to move and how are they positioned for the activities;
Physical aspects – the state, quality and maintenance of the room, its furniture and teaching equipment;
Environmental aspects – the quality of the air, the lights, the temperature, and the space acoustics.

Several studies [5][6] revealed that the factors underlying the design of classroom space (air quality, lighting, noise, temperature, ventilation), when well designed, have a positive effect on students, and contribute to the development of learning, increase performance and decrease school retention.

In a study developed between december 2016 and february 2017 [7], with the aim of analyse and describe the Innovative Learning Spaces (ILS) that have been built in the context of national primary, secondary and higher education, were analysed the quality parameters/improvements in the construction of the spaces. The determination of the quality parameters (air quality, lighting, noise, temperature, ventilation, colour of the room, comfort etc), was something that was taken care of in the creation of the study, taking into account that in this area there are few studies in the national context.

As shown in Figure 1, in 100% of the 19 ILS created, it was verified that improvements were established in the space that hosted them, both regarding lighting, acoustics, temperature, colour, comfort, safety and/or air quality. Mostly, these improvements were associated with changes in the colour of the walls and/or floor (89.5%), being frequently referred the adoption of the colours associated with the different activity zones recommended by the EUN FCL.

Figure 1: Quality improvements [8]

The improvements associated to comfort were also substantially mentioned, mainly through the integration of new furniture in these spaces. This furniture is signalled as being quite different from the furniture often found in classrooms of the public education system. This distinction lies in diversity and comfort. There is an indication that the ILS hosts a wide variety of furniture, going beyond the usual tables and chairs. At the same time, the analysed answers indicate that the furniture chosen has high levels of comfort, ergonomics, robustness and flexibility. Another distinctive feature is also identified: the ease of movement and the consequent reconfigurability of the elements in the space.

Today’s learning spaces must be changed in order to “motivate learners and promote learning as an activity, support collaborative as well as formal practice, provide a personalized and inclusive environment, and be flexible in the face of changing needs" [8]. Therefore, it is necessary for schools to adopt student-centered classroom models instead of orienting themselves to the already established models which tend to favor transmissive teaching practices. "Imagine the classroom space that fits the learning instead of learning that fits the space!" [9]. Through the implementation of spaces that benefit multiple experiences in the teaching and learning process, together with the constitutive elements (furniture, technologies, etc.), teachers can create subtle and unexpected changes within the classroom, promoting the students’ interaction, motivation for learning, and involvement. For that to happen, the space should be thought out and organized for a better and more diversified educational experience.

Author:

Patrícia Baeta, is based in Santarém, Portugal and works at the school cluster Fernando Casimiro Pereira da Silva (AEFCPS) where she coordinates projects and technological resources, and supports students and teachers in the use of ICT. She has a PhD in Education, specialization in ICT in Education by the Institute of Education, University of Lisbon.

REFERENCES

[1] Byers, T. (2015). The empirical evaluation of the transition from traditional to New Generation Learning Spaces on teaching and learning. Second Annual International Learning Environments Research Higher Degree Symposium, pp. 32-41, 2015. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11343/191816.

[2] Scott-Webber, L, Branch, J., Bartholomew, P., and Nygaard, C. (2014). Learning Space Design in Higher Education. Oxfordshire: Libri Publishing.

[3] Oblinger, D.G. (2006). Chapter 1- Space as a Change Agent, in Learning Spaces, pp. 1-12, Educause. Retrieved from http://www.educause.edu/research-and-publications/books/learning-spaces.

[4] Leahy, G. (2016). The Modern Classroom: Strategic Insights for School Leaders. Blackburn, Lancashire: Promethean Editions.

[5] Barrett, P., Kobbacy, P., Moffat, J., & Zhang,Y.F. (2013). A holistic, multi-level analysis identifying the impact of classroom design on pupils’ learning. Building and Environment, vol. 59, pp. 678-689. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360132312002582

[6] Barrett, P., Zhang,Y. F., Davies, F., & Barrett, L. (2015). The impact of classroom design on pupil’s learning: Final results of a holistic multi-level analysis”, Building and Environment, vol.89, pp. 118-133. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360132315000700.

[7] Baeta, P., & Pedro, N. (2017). Future Classrooms: Analysis Of Educational Activities Developed By Teachers And Students. ICERI2017 Proceedings, pp. 130-139. Retrieved from https://library.iated.org/view/BAETA2017FUT

[8] Joint Information Systems Committee. (2006). Designing space for effective learning: A guide to 21st century space design, pp.1-36. Retrieved from http://www.webarchive.org.uk/wayback/archive/20140616001949/http://www.jisc.ac.uk/media/documents/publications/learningspaces.pdf

[9] Basye, D., Grant,P, Hausman, S., and Johnston,T. (2015). Get Active: Reimagining Learning Spaces for Student Success (1^st edition). United States of America: ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education).