Management for sustainable educationDon Passey, Senior Research Fellow, Co-Director, Centre for Technology Enhanced Learning, Department of Educational Research, Lancaster University, UK, Vice-Chair, IFIP WG3.7

Denise Leahy, Associate Professor, School of Computer Science and Statistics, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland

Anna Grabowska, E-learnin g specialist, PRO-MED sp. z o.o. , Head of Autodesk Training Centre, Gdansk University of Technology, Poland, Advisor for U3A online, Vice-Chair, IFIP WG3.6

Roumen Nikolov, Professor, Chair of Department of Computer Science, UNESCO Chair of ICT in Library Studies, Education and Cultural Heritage, University of Library Studies and IT, Bulgaria

• What makes education sustainable?• What makes sustainable education manageable?• How does e-learning support the management of sustainable

education?

Introduction

• Managing sustainable education will rely on ways to consider roles and contributions of three key curriculum elements: the formal (classroom) environments; the non-formal (after-school and society) clubs and activities; and the informal (out-of-school, home and other location) endeavours chosen as and when desired

• Universities are regularly reviewing their curriculum, assessment and certification procedures to consider how different forms of online courses and blended courses can be offered

Emerging factors and contexts

• Many countries are concerned that assessment practices not only offer summative perspectives but also support future progress and longer-term aims linked to school improvement

• Many countries are exploring aspects of data handling and their wider use, evidenced by recent papers relating to developments in Germany and in Australia, for example

• Different forms of e-learning technologies and practices now allow policy makers at national, regional, local and school levels to consider forms of blended models that might better suit and benefit different groups of learners, rather than needing to provide a single model for all

The importance of blended education models

• Online communication enables interaction where cultural, ethnic or social conditions are not important when certain factors are accommodated, such as the language of communication

• Private tutoring is increasingly sought by parents• Digital resources are increasingly bought by parents• An international portal for parents, raising awareness of

opportunities available and points about safety and security, is not yet in place

Learning environments and their efficacy

• Employment factors should be considered by schools and education providers: young people are likely to be involved in a series of ‘vocations’ in their lives

• Portals offering advice and guidance to students, about access to online facilities to suit short-term and long-term interests, highlighting the importance and roles of project-based as well as classroom-based activities, and how forms of e-learning allow access to others are only locally available

• Vision and leadership are critically important – for all stakeholders

• Online methods to ask parents routinely about their experiences, values, and how they perceive future needs in terms of education are not in routine use

Long-term and short-term needs

• Teachers, managers, students and all engaged in education will need evolving ICT skills

• They will need:– Advice about the range of e-learning opportunities and the ICT

skills needed, how these work in ways to suit different or preferred pedagogical styles, in different settings, to engage with the three elements of the curriculum – formal, informal, and non-formal

– An ability to support different blended models of education and learning

– An understanding of e-portfolios in the future

The importance of ICT skills

• How ICT facilities can be used to “manage the business” - monitor cost effectiveness; meeting incoming and outgoing costs; monitor performance and achievement of students and teachers; how data can focus on aspects concerned with improvements; provide access to examples of managing unfamiliar situations, including a balanced blended curriculum

• Employers should be asked about skills needs, how they perceive value in education and how they see future prospects and needs for ICT skills

ICT skills for managers and employers

• Changing factors imply the need for lifelong and intergenerational learning approaches to education and training

• Analysing barriers to engagement with learning faced by older adults is a key need

• Seeking examples of good practice in engaging hard to reach older adults from national, European and international sources is at an early stage of development

The importance of intergenerational learning

• Exploring the role of intermediary agencies, organisations and individuals in supporting older people to take action is a necessary on-going requirement to support management approaches

• There is a need to develop face-to-face and online training for learning providers, both paid and voluntary

• There is a need to develop advice and guidance for intermediaries to support advocacy for learning

Factors affecting intergenerational learning practices

• Questions and points raised

Discussion

• Management of educational organisations (physical , blended, virtual): schools; universities; vocational training institutions; governmental and international organisations

• Educational content management: organisational content management; global open educational resources management

• Educational knowledge management: organisational knowledge management; global knowledge, research, best practices and innovation management; learning analytics

• Educational communication management: intranet communication; communication with stakeholders; social networks; communities of practice

Discussion summary - The role of ICT for sustainable education management

Discussion

Our 3 key recommendations:

1. Explore internationally uses of blended education models and ICT-based models for educational organisation, content, knowledge and communication management ,and make these accessible to individual stakeholder groups – parents particularly, but also school and educational managers, teachers, advisers and politicians

2. Explore the ICT skills needed by each different stakeholder group to engage with and support education and make these widely accessible in the context of lifelong learning

3. Explore evolving practices of intergenerational learning and make accessible how digital technologies are needed by, and can be used to support practices across, generations