Key enablers of a transforming digital education ecosystem
Summary of TCA outcomes
The Training and Cooperation Activity (TCA) thematic seminar titled “Key Enablers of a Transforming Digital Education Ecosystem” focused on deepening participants' understanding of the Erasmus+ programme priority on “Digital Transformation” and aligning with the Digital Education Action Plan's priority of fostering a high-performing digital education ecosystem. The seminar aimed to raise awareness of the critical role and potential impact of digital transformation in education and training, advocate for its integration into Erasmus+ projects, and promote best practices for high-quality implementation to ensure successful and sustainable outcomes.
The TCA brought together over 110 participants from 19 countries, representing various digital sectors, including SALTO Digital, the European Commission (EC), and participants from across education and training sectors. Attendees ranged from current Erasmus+ project beneficiaries to newcomers and potential applicants.
The three-day seminar opened with a networking activity, followed by a presentation on the components of a digital ecosystem by SALTO Digital, concluding with a dinner.
On the second day, expert presentations provided deeper insights into the Erasmus+ 2021-2027 programme priority on digital transformation. Key topics covered included programme guidelines, the EU policy framework, the development of a high-performing digital education ecosystem, digital strategies, development of digital skills in schools and the continuous advancement of digital competencies. The presentations were followed by practical discussions in parallel work groups on digital pedagogy as a methodology and digital learning process.
In the afternoon participants engaged in practical discussions through four parallel workgroup sessions. The first was about mentoring program ‘from guidance and greatness’ that is mostly focusing on support, soft skills and networking and reminds us of the importance of mentoring for personal, academic and professional development. Second one was represented by EdTech company Datorium on their AI Tool for teachers - Latvia's first artificial assistant tool for teachers showcasing an AI assistant that helps teachers quickly create high-quality learning materials aligned with national curricula. The third session was about using digital tools or websites for learning and discussing how to choose the most suitable digital tools for different pedagogical contexts through real-life examples and hands-on activities. And the fourth session was about DigComp 2.2. highlighting updates to the digital competence framework and its application in assessing digital maturity and promoting new knowledge and skills. The session ended with an inspirational quote – “Don't learn or take action just because someone asks you to, but rather for your own growth and for the benefit of your students. Inspire others through your example, and most importantly, learn for the future—the next generation of children who will rely on the knowledge and skills you pass on to them.”
The final day started with a reminder that even in a digital society and among the many digital challenges that can cause serious stress in everyone's life, it is necessary to keep a balance with the human side and take care of one's digital and general well-being. Participants had an excellent opportunity also to explore the latest ethical considerations in AI's pedagogical use and guidelines for integrating AI in education. As a reminder of the importance of capturing and retaining learners' attention, making the process engaging, interesting, valuable and motivating, and adding communication and collaboration aspects to digital learning processes, participants were shown the Digital Tool for Learners Engagement and Feedback developed by Datorium.
At the end of the seminar participants also had the opportunity to learn about several Erasmus+ projects and good practice stories, highlighting aspects of digital transformation such as digital empathy and telepresence robot, development of pedagogical material, content and practical teaching and learning, augmented reality in learning processes, as well as a great opportunity to understand how two Erasmus+ programmes of digital transformation and civic engagement and media literacy can overlap and complement each other in the ScilMi project, implemented by the Erasmus+ Teacher Academy.
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The video presentations from our organized TCA “Key enablers of a transforming digital education ecosystem” are published on the Erasmus+ website where you can find both valuable presentations by the speakers and video recordings of the presentations - https://www.erasmusplus.lv/pasakums/erasmus-starptautisks-seminars-par-digitalas-izglitibas-ekosistemas-attistibu.
Also, here is the overview video we prepared about the TCA seminar - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0stpBPqp5Q.