Futurelab identifies influential technology trends as part of €9.5 million iTEC education project

July 1, 2011 - PRLog -- British research organisation Futurelab (www.futurelab.org.uk) is spearheading a key element of the iTEC project. Innovative Technologies for an Engaging Classroom (iTEC) is the largest and most strategic project of its kind and aims to shape education across Europe for years to come.

Futurelab, the pioneering, independent, not-for-profit research organisation, will be leading one of 11 work packages and will be responsible for identifying trends in policy, technology and teachers’ realities which may influence classrooms of the future.

So far, Futurelab has consulted with over 1300 teachers throughout Europe to get a clear picture of their attitudes to teaching and learning with ICT and the types of technologies that have proved effective. This will inform those project partners who are engaged in creating new forms of educational technology.

With funding of 9.5 million euros, this four-year project brings together 27 partners, including 14 Ministries of Education, policy makers, teachers and other educationalists and key technology suppliers including Smart Technologies and Promethean.

The strand Futurelab is leading has been researching learner and teacher attitudes and running workshops where partners build scenarios. These are narrative descriptions which will show what lessons and learning might look like with different tools and technology. Unlike blue sky research, they will be grounded in current practice and particularly teachers' realities.

Futurelab is working closely with six partners including European Schoolnet, Promethean, Smart, the Ministries of Education in Portugal and Italy, and the University of Aalto in Finland. They have developed nine detailed scenarios so far which are being tested out with teachers. Futurelab has just hosted a two-day workshop in Bristol and another 8 to 10 scenarios are being developed within the current cycle.

The project will engage in a rigorous cycle of research, development, testing and refinement.  The scenarios for learning in the future classroom which prove popular with teachers will be taken forward by other work packages and will be piloted in 1000 classrooms in 12 countries.

There is an increasing body of knowledge which shows that educators need to pay heed to the ways that young people are using technology at home to access information, to collaborate and to publish their own resources online. iTEC will also build on how schools are using learning management systems (LMS) and virtual learning environments (VLEs). These could link to web 2.0 tools to support collaboration and communication to enhance learning.

Futurelab has an international reputation for its research and has long been recognised as the voice of personalised learning.  It has promoted the use of technology in both traditional and non-traditional learning spaces. Sue Cranmer, Principal Researcher at Futurelab, said, "The project builds on Futurelab's previous work researching and demonstrating innovative uses of technology for education; and supporting educators to adopt new practices."

Stephen Breslin, Chief Executive of Futurelab said, "There are a whole range of new technologies available which teachers can use to bring excitement into the classroom via YouTube, video or Skype. This has implications for social change and the way learners view education. Futurelab is helping to develop technology prototypes to be tested in classrooms throughout Europe.  These will form a bank of evidence which will modify teaching practice. The challenge for Futurelab is to identify what teachers and learners need and to make sure that their voices are represented in all future developments."