Creativity
Opening Learning Horizons: eLearning Papers Special Edition 2012 released
eLearning Papers Special Edition 2012 presents a selection of the best contributions from last year about Open Educational Resources, Virtual Learning Environments and Creative Classrooms. A tablet-friendly version of this edition can now be downloaded, browsed and enjoyed as an e-journal. Summaries are available in 21 languages.
eLearning Papers continues to support researchers and practitioners in the ongoing dialog about the role of ICT in education. The special annual edition 2012 focuses on Open Educational Resources, Virtual Learning Environments, and Creative Classrooms. We want to thank all our contributors for sharing their work and enriching the debate.
The six In-depth articles and five 'From the field' articles bring together selected contributions from last year, representing the ‘best of the best’ of eLearning Papers from 2011. Two of the articles cover three case studies of OER use in institutional contexts. Three articles address the wide spectrum of game-based learning, from schools to informal learning and language learning.
Learning design is addressed by three in-depth articles, while the potential of virtual mobility in higher education is explored in another. Blogathlon 2011 presents a case study of language learning and another case study looks into the potential of art-based learning interventions in eLearning.
Read more at www.elearningpapers.eu.
eLearning Papers topics for 2012 announced!
Cyber Security and Education; Learning and Active Ageing; 21st Century Teachers and their Workplace; The Worlds of TEL: Scientific and Cultural Perspectives; Mobile Learning, Cloud Computing and the Promise for Ubiquitous Learning are the topics of eLearning Papers for 2012. Read more!
eLearning Papers 28: Cyber Security and Education
With the rapid evolution of online media, new technologies have become more targeted and more sophisticated. This new context has been widely recognized in relation to its educational, social and even economic benefits. Wide use and popularity of social media also brings to the fore the notion of security and concerns regarding the management of the personal information circulating and stored on the web. Schools are an important resource, now that young people's use of the Internet is growing, and smaller children are quickly gaining access to and becoming proficient users of technology. Publication: April, 2012.
eLearning Papers 29: Learning and Active Ageing
Inspired by the European Year of Active Ageing and Solidarity Between Generations 2012, eLearning Papers will investigate how eLearning affects the lives of senior citizens. As a population at risk of marginalization, the elderly appear particularly suited to benefit from open educational resources. What is being done to make sure these digital immigrants can use and benefit from new educational technologies. Publication: May, 2012
eLearning Papers 30: 21st Century teachers and their workplace
This issue looks at how new learning technologies and other recent innovations have affected teachers' professional environments. 21st century learners has become a buzz-word in the field of educational research. This issues applies that term to the teachers, seeking practical examples and prospective visions that analyse what it means to be a teacher in the knowledge society. Publication: July, 2012.
eLearning Papers 31: The worlds of TEL - Scientific and Cultural perspectives
Technology-enhanced learning is not a new topic but the more normalized it becomes, the more we are able to develop nuanced critical perspectives on its development and impact. This issue will invite contributions that present a diverse range of practical and theoretical examples in order to discuss the state of the art regarding this topic, with special attention to areas that seem to be more problematic, or in particular need of further research. Publication: September, 2012.
eLearning Papers 32: Mobile learning, cloud computing and the promise for ubiquitous learning
While learning has always expanded beyond the walls of the classroom, the proliferation of devices and applications, which have greatly expanded when, where and how information can be accessed and stored, brings this issue to the fore. How have such devices had an impact in learning, and what role may they play in the future? This issue hopes to showcase practical examples and generate serious reflection on an emerging topic. Publication: December, 2012.
To know about the dates planned and to see the the Calls for Papers (to be published) click here
To know more about eLearning Papers click here
Digital Games for Empowerment & Inclusion
The Digital Agenda for Europe aims at the overall objective of having everyone connected and empowered, which poses special challenges towards disadvantaged parts of the population, to be included. In this respect, research shows that the digital games industry is expected to grow in the future. Developing a Digital Games industry can contribute offering a key instrument to fulfill these opportunities and addressing the key challenges set out in the Digital Agenda for Europe.
Within a scenario of rapidly increasing convergence of digital technologies and integration of media services, the role of the creative content industry is expected to increase accordingly and the video games software industry plays a major role. In this general context, Digital Games use the platforms and techniques of the videogame industry to create products and services and have a potential to further education, health, public policy, government or corporate training, and strategic communication objectives.
Digital Games with useful objectives going beyond the simple fun of playing may serve social purposes like inclusion, health, skilling, learning and other public services, where their action complements more classical approaches. Because of their ludic dynamics, they are usually very welcome to different kind of public (not only youngsters) and this is their strength.
Considering that the video games industry is going through a period of change, including significant transformation in the value chain, Digital ‘Serious’ Games thus offer opportunities not only for the existing actors but also to new entrants with expertise in training, simulation, healthcare and social inclusion.
Objectives
The aim of the exploratory study is to better understand:
- what are the industrial, market, social opportunities and limitations of Digital Games for users' empowerment and as a tool for socio-economic inclusion of people at risk of exclusion (such as youth at risk, migrants, elderly, unemployed, low-educated);
- what are the technological, market, implementation, adoption and policy challenges of creating this potential and if and how policy actions could address the challenges identified.
Activities
The research will carry out the following activities:
1. Analysis of the State of Play of Digital Games for Empowerment and Inclusion
This analysis will specifically look at exploring the supply side, including various typologies of digital games, technological platforms; current knowledge of market diffusion and adoption; the state of the art of research and existing practice, as well as identifying the key actors involved in the domain. The goal of this analysis will be to define key (technological, research, policy, industry/market, social, economic) opportunities and challenges of putting Digital Games at the service of empowerment and social inclusion purposes, and to gather evidence of impact in this domain.
2. Vision Development
Building on the consolidated version of the Report of the State of Play, on the opportunities and key challenges identified, through a consultation process among EC policy officers, a common vision of the possible future application of Digital Games for Empowerment and Inclusion will be defined.
3. Development of a Roadmap for Action through Stakeholders' Consultation A multi-stakeholders consultation will be organized to enable a broader dialogue and engage stakeholders, validate the vision defined, identify stakeholders actions and build consensus on possible EC research and policy options to support the vision.
This study is co-funded by the Information Society Unit of the JRC-IPTS and DG INFSO ICT for Inclusion Unit. The JRC-IPTS conducts the study in collaboration with selected external experts in the domain of Digital Games and ICT for Social Inclusion.
JRC-IPTS is looking for examples of successful initiatives from across the world on the use of Digital Games for Empowerment and Inclusion, and for the participation of experts from research and practice in the development of the vision and roadmap. Please contact the Project Leader and the Scientific Coordinator if you wish to contribute to the future of Digital Games for Empowerment and Inclusion.
Draft ICT PSP Work Programme and Call for Proposals 2012 now online
The draft ICT PSP Work Programme 2012 has been approved by the CIP ICT Committee. The work programme is still subject to the formal approval by the Commission (expected in January 2012). The 6th Call for Proposals would be opened from 1 February to 15 May 2012 (pending to the formal approval of the Work programme 2012 by the Commission). An information day on the 6th Call for Proposals is planned for 3 February 2012 in Brussels. Confirmation of the date, the exact venue and the draft agenda will be published during the week of 9 January 2012. On line registration will be open from that page during the same week.
The ICT Policy Support Programme (or ICT PSP) aims at stimulating innovation and competitiveness through the wider uptake and best use of ICT by citizens, governments and businesses.
NEW : Work Programme and Call for Proposals - 2012
The draft ICT PSP Work Programme 2012 has been approved by the CIP ICT Committee . The work programme is still subject to the formal approval by the Commission (expected in January 2012).
You can download the draft ICT PSP Work Programme 2012 here.
The 6th Call for Proposals would be opened from 1 February to 15 May 2012 (pending to the formal approval of the Work programme 2012 by the Commission).
Please pencil the date of 3 February 2012 for an information day on the 6th Call for Proposals, in Brussels.
Confirmation of the date, the exact venue and the draft agenda (the event is planned from 9h30 to 16h00) will be published during the week of 9 January 2012.
On line registration will be open from that page during the same week.
THEME 2: DIGITAL CONTENT, OPEN DATA AND CREATIVITY
The Digital Agenda for Europe promotes the creation, production and distribution of digital
content and services for a vibrant single market.
This theme contributes to the design of added-value products and services across Europe based on high-quality digital content.
The theme 2 will support:
- Objective 2.1 Europeana18 and creativity;
- Objective 2.2 Open Data and open access to content;
- Objective 2.3 eLearning.
The total funding available for this theme is 41 M€, encompassing three objectives.
Information session on the Commission's proposal for a new Creative Europe funding programme for the cultural and creative sectors
If you are a European network representing cultural stakeholders and would like more information on the European Commission's proposal for a future Creative Europe Programme, register for the information session the Commission is holding on 30 January 2012 in Brussels.
On 23 November the European Commission's proposal for the Creative Europe Programme (future funding schemes for the cultural and audiovisual sectors) was made public and sent to the EU Council of Ministers and the European Parliament who will now begin discussions and negotiations on it with a view to adopting the proposal in 2012-2013.
The Commission would like to offer this opportunity to European networks representing Europe's cultural and creative sectors to attend an information session on the programme which will be taking place on 30 January 2012, from 2 p.m. in the auditorium of Tour Madou, Madouplein 1, St. Joost ten Noode, Brussels.
You can register for this session by sending an email to: EAC-UNITE-D2@ec.europa.eu.
Registrations should be made by Friday, 20 January. Please mention the name of your organization, indicate the stakeholders it represents and provide your contact details. Please note that space is limited.
Confirmation of attendance will be sent to you.
The Creative Europe proposal and relevant documents can be found on the following website: http://ec.europa.eu/culture/news/creative-europe_en.htm
Empowering Educators for Creative Learning: A European View. Results from the DG EAC workshop in OEB
Once more DG Education and Culture and the Agency were present at the ONLINE EDUCA conference in Berlin. This is the largest yearly event on technology supported learning & training at an international level. The theme of this 17th edition was "New Learning Cultures". The conference included more than 100 sessions (workshops, demos, labs work, etc.) organised between the 1st and 2nd December, attracting more than 2000 participants from approximately 100 countries.
At the conference, DG EAC and the Agency organised a workshop titled "Empowering Educators for Creative Learning: A European View" chaired by Brian Holmes.
Presentations
Creative classroom
Lieve van den Brande, from Directorate General Education and Culture underlined the need for a wide mobilisation of stakeholders to facilitate the integration and use of ICT in education and training. There is a gap between the potential of ICT, the evidence coming from research, the policy objectives and the reality of use of ICT in formal and non-formal education. To fill in this gap the European Commission is launching a new initiative called "Creative classrooms" which will help mainstream innovation in learning and teaching, providing systemic impact.
Presentation 1 
Presentation 1(PDF)
Presentation 2 Presentation 2(PDF)
Orchestrating technologies: Empowering teachers in creative classrooms
Pierre Dillenbourg, professor at the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne made a presentation on "Orchestrating technologies: Empowering teachers in creative classrooms" which emphasised the benefits of keeping teachers and educators at the centre of the educational process. There is a need to focus on solving problems rather than simply running after innovation and sometimes rather simple technology can greatly assist educators in their work.
Presentation (available soon)
These interventions were followedbypresentations from 3 EU funded projects two of which are co-funded by the Lifelong learning programme Key Activity 3-ICT. The projects illustrated various strategies to engage and empower educators with innovative pedagogies:
Teaching to Teach with Technology
Teaching to Teach with Technology ("T3" project): Maria Luisa Nigrelli from the Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie della Cognizione, CNR (Italy) showed how pupils can effectively use ICT and how teachers can support their learning through technology. The project also developed a framework matching different technologies with various pedagogical strategies. Maria Luisa Nigrelli emphasised that ownership of the process if fundamental and embracing ICT in education is a challenge for today and not for tomorrow.
Presentation Presentation (PDF)
Fostering Teacher's creativity through Game-based learning
Fostering Teacher's creativity through Game-based learning ("ProActive" project): Mario Barajas from the University of Barcelona (Spain) introduced some of the challenges faced by game-based learning approaches being perceived as entertainment whereas research has shown that they can result in very effective learning. Teachers can have a central role in using these tools, and putting creativity at the centre of the learning experience.
Presentation Presentation (PDF)
Innovative Technologies for an Engaging Classroom
Innovative Technologies for an Engaging Classroom ("ITEC " project): Will Ellis presented possible scenarios for future classrooms and introduced some of the key challenges in this context: visions versus pragmatism; innovation versus mainstreaming, conservatism versus popular educational philosophy and secure versus open learning systems.
Presentation Presentation (PDF)
The workshop, attended by approximately 100 participants, concluded on the need to involve a wide range of actors including school leaders, public authorities, and practitioners at large to provide educators with the necessary support to effectively implement ICT in education.
ICALT2012 - International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies
Growing by architecting on top of our memories with design inspired learning, fostering creativity and fun, complex educational experiences and their monitoring, ubiquitous learning and flexible environments as featured topics (for an extended list see Topics of Interest).
The technical program will feature keynote addresses, workshops, tutorials, panels in addition to presentations of standard full and short papers, posters and doctoral consortium's contributions.
The novelty of the 12th edition is the introduction of two new tracks:
- an 'Industrial track'
which focus is on: a) the presentation of a technologies ready to be transferred to the industrial context or to be exploited; b) the presentation of successful case histories of industrial development and or application;
- an 'European project track'
which aim is: a) the demonstration of the impact that outcomes of past European projects had or are expected to have in the next future on the technology enhanced education ; b) the presentation of concepts, prototyping, etc. that are produced by the on-going European project and that are expected to have a relevant impact on the technology enhanced education; c) critical analysis of past and on-going experiences.
eLearning Papers special edition presented in OEB workshop on Creative Learning Environments
Director of the eLearning Papers editorial board, Tapio Koskinen, along with Dr. Gráinne Conole, guest editor of the journal issue n.27 Designing for learning, presented a widely-attended workshop earlier this month at ONLINE EDUCA BERLIN in collaboration with Lieve Van den Brande, a Principal Administrator at the DG Education and Culture of the European Commission. Also in attendance was Pierre-Antoine Ullmo, founder of P.A.U. Education.
The session, which had more than 80 participants, was promoted through LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+, and Facebook. Addressing the new European initiative to overcome the implementation gap of technology in education, the workshop presented material from the new special issue of eLearning Papers, focussing on best practice experiences and concrete examples that demonstrate how good learning design can make a difference.
The event also launched the first tablet version of eLearning Papers. This interactive PDF format, suitable for all tablets, marks a new and exciting direction for the journal. Workshop attendees interacted with the tablet and were able to experiment with its functionality.
Drawing on the material from eLearning papers, the workshop focused on the following issues:
- What are the implications of new social and participatory media for education and how can they be harnessed more effectively to support learning?
- What are the different ways in which learning interventions can be represented?
- How can social networking and other dialogic tools be used to enable teachers to share and discuss their learning and teaching practices, ideas and designs?
- What are the implications for learners, teachers and institutions of new social and participatory media?
- What new pedagogies are emerging as a result of the use of new social and participatory media?
- How are Open Educational Resources being design, used and repurposed?
The workshop opened with an introduction by Tapio Koskinen that discussed the history and current role of eLearning Papers. Tapio is Executive Committee Member of European Distance and e-Learning Network – EDEN, Board member of the Finnish eLearning Centre and Director of the Editorial Board of eLearning Papers. He is currently Head of New Solutions at Aalto Professional Development, extension of Aalto University. Since 1995 he has been participating in the work of several European R&D and training projects. His works include NoE Prolearn roadmapping (FP6) and Time2Learn roadmapping (FP5). In 2011 he was invited as a rapporteur for the Digital Agenda Assembly workshop: “Mainstreaming e-Learning in education and training”.
Next, Lieve Van den Brande, presented the talk: “Creative learning environments: a new European initiative to overcome the implementation gap”. Lieve is a Principal Administrator at the DG Education and Culture of the European Commission. She is responsible for "ICT for learning" both in terms of policies as parts of the Lifelong learning programme. She holds a Ph.D. in educational sciences from the University of Liège and has several degrees in education, psychology and teacher training. Lieve has been working for more than 20 years at the EC: DG Information Society around 'Telematics for Education and Training'; DG Research around social sciences research and now since 4 years at DG EAC on e-Learning and digital competences. Lieve is also a member of the Editorial Board of eLearning Papers.
Afterwards, Gráinne Conole offered a comprehensive presentation of the state of the art on designing for learning. Gráinne is Professor at University of Leicester since September 2011. Previously she was Professor of e-learning in the Institute of Educational Technology at the Open University. Gráinne has research interests in the use, integration and evaluation of Information and Communication Technologies and e-learning and impact on organisational change. Her latest book about Learning Design will be out any time soon. She guest edited the eLearning Papers special issue on Learning Design that will be published in this workshop.
The workshop ended by opening the floor to the audience members for discussion. The eLearning Papers board members were pleased to have the chance to interact with readers and contributers of the journal, and to receive their enthusiastic responses to the tablet format. The board looks forward sharing the journals' new issues and further developments with them, as they arise.