Learning and teaching technology options

Citation:

Work data:

ISBN: 978-92-823-6658-5

Type of work: Report

Categories:

e-Learning and Instructional Technology | Education

Abstract:

Education should play an important role in improving European Union (EU) status in the context of stagnated GDP growth, very high unemployment rates, and an aging workforce. Although educational technology is expected to contribute to improving education in the EU, compelling evidence of the benefits of technology on education remains elusive.

In the current Network Society, the relevant question is not if governments should invest in educational technology but how governments should allocate funding in order to add more value to the educational system through technology.

Educational technology encompasses a wide array of technologies and methodologies that are shaped by stakeholders’ behaviours and affected by contextual factors that, if adequately mixed, can contribute to students and teachers better achieving their goals.

Such a wide and complex task cannot be addressed by a simple and single intervention. Comprehensive on-going policies are required, covering technology, methodology, economic and regulatory aspects; in addition, such policies are dependent on strong stakeholder engagement. This is a new process where we must learn by doing; therefore, carefully assessing the results of the different interventions is crucial to ensuring success.

The following topics are analysed in this report: emerging educational technologies, new ways of teaching and learning fostered by those technologies, the role of different educational stakeholders, and other contextual considerations. Based on the analysis, and taking into account the challenges facing Europe, several policy options are proposed and assessed. We expect that this report will support EU policy-makers to define educational technology policies to adequately respond to the needs of the EU.