FICTION: Functional ICT Instruction On the Net Erasmus Project

Project Title

FICTION: Functional ICT Instruction On the Net

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for school education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Key Competences (incl. mathematics and literacy) – basic skills; ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Pedagogy and didactics

Project Summary

CONTEXT
Digital tools in teaching have both positive and negative effects on learning. Among the positive effects, the most obvious is students’ increased commitment and motivation for their studies that increase learning results. Among the negative effects, the most important are the ones resulting when digital tools are not used by the teacher in the context of a well-reasoned pedagogy.

OBJECTIVES
The Fiction project has the aim to provide science teachers with the skills to use digital tools and strategies for teaching at the secondary school level. This general aim was achieved by:
– Enhancing teachers’ knowledge to teach students to use digital tools for their understanding of Science.
– Identifying weaknesses and strengths in teaching using digital tools in schools.

TARGET GROUPS
The main target groups of the project were:
– School directors and Policy Makers in the Field of Education: A total number 14 school directors was mainly involved in the testing of the guideline specifically addressed to them
– School Teachers: A total number 14 schools and 45 teachers was mainly involved in the testing of the guideline specifically addressed to them, in making use of the competence assessment tool, in using and creating ICT learning objects with their students. 15 schools more were involved as associated partners having the possibility to be informed about the project’s activities and access the related results
– Students: A total number of 1012 students worked with their teachers benefitting from the use of ICT tools to learn scientific subjects

RESULTS
To guarantee the long-term impact on the target groups, the Fiction project developed two Intellectual Outputs that students, teachers and end-users can access and use for free from the project portal.

The main project deliverables include:
– A literature review of methodologies and strategies related to the introduction of ICT support in schools for teaching sciences: https://fiction.pixel-online.org/GL_Literature.php
– The guidelines for School teachers aim at providing methodological and operative insights to make them able to effectively design ICT based science teaching learning objects for their lessons:https://fiction.pixel-online.org/GL_Teachers.php
– The Guidelines for School Directors and Policymakers have the aim to outline a suggested strategy for the mainstreaming of the implementation of innovative ICT based approaches to teaching Sciences at the Secondary school level:https://fiction.pixel-online.org/GL_Directors.php
– A database of reviews of existing competence assessment tools to provide science teachers with tools to identify the gaps of knowledge as far as digital competencies are concerned that prevent them from effectively use ICT based methods and teaching tools with their students:https://fiction.pixel-online.org/TK_CAT.php
– 5 specifically created self-assessment tools for teachers to help teachers in testing their knowledge on the 5 Digital Competencies (i.e. Information processing, Communication, Content Creation, Safety, Problem-solving):https://fiction.pixel-online.org/TK_ICTLO.php
– A database of reviews of ICT Learning Objects for Science Teaching The result is available at https://fiction.pixel-online.org/TK_DR.php
– A database ICT Tools for Science Teaching for which the teachers involved in the project have identified new learning objects:https://fiction.pixel-online.org/TK_ILO.php

IMPACT
The Fiction project had a direct impact on secondary school Science Teachers who through participation as project full partners of 3 Secondary schools together with 26 schools more, were directly involved in the creation and testing of the intellectual outputs. Moreover
The project impacted their needs providing them with:
– Innovative approaches to teaching and with practical oriented guidance materials to make them able to plan and implement innovative, ICT based and student-centred teaching methods and tools for overcoming the persisting under-achievement of students in Sciences
– A set of validated operative didactical tools allowing science teachers to not only use pre-existing learning objects but identify new learning objects on their own, and be able to reflect on new ways of using ICT support and Learning Objects in their teaching practice.
– Tools and suggestions to increase their motivation to overcome their difficulties in applying ICT based solutions in their teaching methods, through the constant sharing of knowledge, experiences and materials with their colleagues according to a teacher-teacher peer to peer knowledge exchanges.

The project impacted secondary school students by:
– Supporting their pro-active attitude towards their learning process in Science using their means of communication, i.e. ICT and multimedia
– Reinforce their problem-solving capacities as a strategic approach to learn Science issues
– Stimulate their willingness to learn through enquiry based and student-centred approaches

Project Website

https://fiction.pixel-online.org

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 149280,4 Eur

Project Coordinator

SODERTORNS HOGSKOLA & Country: SE

Project Partners

• Coláiste Mhuire Co-ed
• Ronnaskolan
• ISIS MACHIAVELLI
• PIXEL – ASSOCIAZIONE CULTURALE
• LIMERICK INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
• UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI GENOVA