OECD Work on Technology and Education: innovative learning environments as an integrating framework

Abstract

IntroductionThe aim of this article is two-fold. First, it presents in succinct summary a selection of the work conducted by OECD in the field of technology and education. This has been an on-going focus since the 1980s and recently, much of this has been carried out under the heading of 'New Millennium Learners'. But the technology focus extends well beyond a single project and includes work on innovation, open educational resources and the development of the digital resources market, as well as ICT use in educational settings, access, and digital competence.Second, the article considers the assumptions underlying much work on technology in education to propose that a more holistic focus on learning environments, of which technology is only a part, represents a fruitful avenue to help design education for current and future systems. OECD has a project called Innovative Learning Environments (ILE) which has just reconceptualised 'learning environments' in general and 'innovative learning environments' in particular, drawing on 40 case studies in 19 systems (sometimes countries, sometimes regions or states) to illustrate the framework and to refine it iteratively 1 . This article presents this framework to show how technology enters into schooling in very diverse ways. There is neither a single 'technology effect' nor does technology operate by itself, but always in combination with all the other elements, dynamics, contexts, and partners of learning environments. OECD Work on Technology in EducationThere is longstanding work in OECD on 'new technologies', dating back to the 1980s that include analyses on how such technologies might transform the teaching of reading, writing, science and mathematics (OECD, 1986; 1987). In the years that followed, adults were as much in focus as school-age students, and in the early 2000s this resulted in two reports that also had a strong equity focus -one on the digital divide (OECD, 2000) and one on ICT and out-of-school youth and adults (OECD, 2004a). Schools and schooling were not ignored, and the 2001 report 'Learning to Change -ICT in Schools', written under the 'Schooling for Tomorrow' umbrella, arrived at a set of conclusions that maintain a relevance today:Digital literacy is now a fundamental learning objective, including informationhandling skills, and the capacity to judge the relevance and reliability of web-based information. Curriculum change is needed in the Internet age: the open, skills-based, studentcentred approaches supported by ICT call for changes in schooling, teaching and learning.

Principals' and teachers' perceptions of Innovative Learning Environments

“…The Pedagogic Core -Elements and Dynamics (Istance & Kools, 2013, p. 49) It is suggested that a focus on the pedagogic core requires rethinking the spatio-temporal schooling context. This requires an examination of how schools redefine and re-work the notion of learners, educators, content, learning resources, and the dynamics that connect those core elements (Istance & Kools, 2013) (See Fig. 2.).…”

Innovation Practices in Elementary School Science and Technology Course and Their Effects on Students

“…Yapılan çalışmalarda öğretmenlere sınıf içi uygulamalarında etkili eğitim öğretim için rehber olmak ve öğrencilerin nasıl ve hangi koşullarda daha iyi öğrenebileceğini tespit etmek amaçlanmaktadır (Istance ve Kools, 2013). Bu amaçla yapılan çalışmalardan biri proje niteliği taşımakta olup, etkili bir fen eğitim ve öğretimi için öğretmenlere yönelik çok sayıda çalıştay içermekte, eğitim ve öğretimin geliştirilmesi için öneriler sunmaktadır.…”

A case study of teachers transforming pedagogical practices through collaborative inquiry-based professional learning in a ubiquitous technologies environment

“…Yet the applicability of existing professional learning models is questionable given that wide spread, highly effective use of digital technologies has not been realised (Ertmer & Ottenbreit-Leftwich, 2013;Hammond, 2013;Mama & Hennessy, 2013;Yang, 2012;Zheng et al, 2016). This is complicated by an inappropriate focus on investing in technology without adequate support for teachers to changes their practice (Istance & Kools, 2013). …”

“…Digital technologies in schooling is considered a critical component of global competitiveness (Istance & Kools, 2013).…”

“…Although OECD rankings provide some measure of comparability, the influences of a country's place in that rank order is multi-factorial and difficult to directly correlate to the integration of digital technology. This is compounded by an inappropriate focus on the technology in preference to supporting changes in learning and educational processes (Istance & Kools, 2013).…”