Link:

https://www.evaluateproject.eu/

Partner:

Universidad de León, Spain
Universitat Autònoma De Barcelona, Spain
Instituto Politécnico De Castelo Branco, Portugal
Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary
Pädagogische Hochschule Heidelberg,Germany
Università’ Degli Studi Di Padova, Italy
Open University, UK

Abstract:

Erasmus+ KA3 (EACEA/34/2015): Priority 3 - Strengthening teacher training and education by using the opportunities of new technologies (School education): 582934-EPP-1-2016-2-ES-EPPKA3-PI-POLICY

Virtual exchange is an educational practice which involves the engagement of groups of learners in extended periods of online intercultural interaction and collaboration with international peers as an integrated part of their educational programmes and under the guidance of educators and/or facilitators. Virtual exchange is based on student-centred, international, and collaborative approaches to learning where knowledge and understanding are constructed through online interaction and negotiation with students from other cultures. There are various models of virtual exchange, and this study looked at the telecollaborative model which involves partner classes working under the guidance of their teachers. In the context of initial teacher education, the telecollaborative model of virtual exchange usually works in the following way: the project (http://www.evaluateproject.eu/) was a European policy experimentation funded by the European Commission’s Erasmus+ programme (EACEA/34/2015). The aim of policy experimentations is to assess the effectiveness and potential scalability of innovative policy measures through experimental or semi-experimental approaches. This particular European policy experimentation evaluated the impact of the telecollaborative model of virtual exchange on student teachers involved in initial teacher education (also referred to as ‘pre-service’ education) in European countries and regions. Between 2017-18, the project consortium worked with teacher trainers from 34 institutions of initial teacher education and organised 25 virtual exchanges which involved over 1000 student teachers. In total, institutions of initial teacher education from 16 countries were involved. The majority of institutions were from Europe, but teacher trainers from the United States, Brazil, Israel, Turkey, Macau, and Canada also took part in the project and their institutions were included in the study. The classes of initial teacher education engaged in a period of intensive virtual exchange with partner classes in institutions in other countries based on specifically-designed tasks and content related to pedagogical digital competence as well as intercultural competence. The guiding research question for the study was: The learning gains from these exchanges were analysed using qualitative and quantitative research methodologies. As regards the quantitative methodology, a pre-post-test design approach with a control group was implemented. In total, 1,018 participants were included in the overall sample set, making this, to our knowledge, the largest research study of telecollaborative virtual exchange to have been carried out to date in the context of initial teacher education. In order to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of the impact of virtual exchange in initial teacher education, qualitative data sources (in the form of reflective diaries and interviews with students, teachers and policy makers) allowed the team to achieve a comprehensive data capture and to answer those questions which were not susceptible to investigation using a classic pre-test, post-test method. To analyse the qualitative data and to help answer our research questions, qualitative content analysis was used. Following the research study, the consortium worked in collaboration with the public authorities to undertake actions to upscale the use of virtual exchange in teacher education across Europe. This included dissemination events with key policy decision makers as well as the introduction of virtual exchange into policy documents and systems of teacher accreditation.

Obiettivi:

1. Identify the models of telecollaborative exchange which are currently in use in teacher training contexts in Europe through a review of the academic literature and online reports.

2. Through the execution of a European Policy Experimentation (EPE) project involving qualitative and quantitative research methodology, test the efficiency of these telecollaborative models as tools for developing the necessary digitai literacies intercultural communicative ski lls and methodological skills which in-service teachers and future teachers require in order to teach effectively and to engage their own students in online collaborative learning in their own classrooms. Considering the lack of crossEuropean research evidence on the contribution of telecollaboration to teacher education, this study will be an important innovative element.

3. Following the publication of the results of the pollcy experimentation study, the consortium, led by the responsible public authorities, will take steps to facilitate the transferability and scalability of successful telecollaborative networks in teacher education programmes by:
a) upscaling the necessary training and resources for teacher trainers at European and national level;
b) ensuring greater awareness in policy circles and among decision makers of the activity through advocacy, events, profile raising, and coalition building across national boundaries;
c) providing qualifications and recognition for teachers who develop their telecollaborative skills and engage their learners successfully in such practices;
d) promoting an online community of practice dedicateci to the further training and development of teachers in the skills of telecollaboration for those teachers who wish to engage their own learners in online intercultural exchange projects.

Contatti:

francesca.helm@unipd.it

scientifica.spgi@unipd.it