Education in Estonia: PISA & digital turn

1. Education in Estonia:PISA & digital turn Mart Laanpere, PhD Senior research fellow Centre for Educational Technology Tallinn University

2. Call me Mart • I am third-generation mathematics teacher • Principal of a rural K-12 school 1992 – 1996 • Researcher in the Centre for Educational Technology, Tallinn University since 2003 • Research interests: digital competences, pedagogy-driven design of online learning environments, digital textbooks, online assessment, smart schoolhouse, learning analytics, didactics of informatics

3. Estonia: facts & figures • Population: 1,3 million • Tallinn: 450 000 • Area: larger thanthe Netherlans • Estonian is the mother tongue: 65% • In NATO: since 2003 • In EU: since 2004 • In Schengen: since 2007 • EURO currency: since 2011 • 520 K-12 schools, 14 000 teachers, 148 000 pupils

5. Teacher’s salary

6. PISA results

7. PISA results 2012 • Results in Russian-speaking schools have improved, but still lagging behind • Gender differences: boys are much worse in reading, but slightly better in maths • Equal opportunities: socio-economic status does not affect the results, school compensates • The share of low-performing students is the smallest in Europe

8. In addition • Estonian pupils are the most active users of e-school and school web site • Only 66% of Estonian pupils feel happy at school • Only 14% on the level 5-6 in maths (55% in Shanghai) • Students have generally positive attitude towards school • Qualified, but ageing teachers (avg 47 y), radical gender imbalance among teachers

9. Explaining our success in PISA • High autonomy of schools • Highly qualified teachers • Schools provide equal opportunities, no difference between urban and rural schools • More books at home • Metacognitive learning strategies • Increase in educational expenditures • Very few new immigrants

10. Teacher education in Estonia • Initial teacher education: on the Masters’ level, 120 ECTS (incl. thesis) • Tallinn University and University of Tartu are the largest providers, others are teacher colleges in Narva, Rakvere, Haapsalu, also music and arts academies as well as Tallinn University of Technology • Successful “Teach First” programme • In-service teacher education: teachers are expected to attend 160 hrs within 5 years, funded by MoER • A dedicated 80 hrs programme “Teacher of the Future” based on ISTE NETS-T digital competences

11. Teacher education: innovation • Centres of educational innovation in Tallinn & Tartu • Curricula renewed to meet the new teachers’ professional qualification standard, more and earlier practice in schools • Experimental curriculum for science teachers • New portal eDidaktikum.ee, created by the consortium of teacher education institutions • Educational technology: DigiTurn programme for school teams in TLU, sponsored by Samsung • Digital textbooks, eSchoolbag platform

12. MA Programme: Ed. Technology • Intake: 15 experienced teachers enroll every year, based on competence-based e-portfolio • Envisaged jobs: educational technologist, technology integration specialist, instructional designer, HRD • Blended learning: blog-based Personal Learning Environment + contact hours: every second weekend • Duration: 2 years, 120 ECTS • Structure: general courses 8 ECTS, specialisation courses 66 ECTS, free electives 16, thesis 30 ECTS • Instructional design; Learning environments; Digital learning resources; Knowledge management; Innovation management; Learning analytics …

13. Your impressions • Based on your impressions today, how would you explain the success of Estonian schools in PISA? • In case you are interested in comparing your national curriculum with the Estonian one: https://www.hm.ee/en/national-curricula

14. Digital turn in Estonian schools Towards 1:1 computing and new learning paradigm

15. IEA SITES 2006-2008

16. Technology generation shifts In shop ? In school

17. National ICT strategies for education in Estonia • 1986: Juku computers, programming is the second literacy for a citizen of the Soviet Union! • 1997: Tiger Leap: school computerisation • 2001: Tiger Leap+, ICT integration • 2006: DigiTiger, e-learning • 2012: learning and teaching in the digital age • 2014: National strategy for lifelong learning, digital turn towards 1:1 computing & BYOD

18. Action plan for Digital Turn • Digital turn in formal education system: digital culture into curricula, bottom-up innovation, sharing good practice, educational technologists in schools • Digital learning resources: digital textbooks, OER, quality management, recommender systems • Digital infrastructure for learning : 1:1 computing, BYOD, interoperable ecosystem of services, mobile clients, school-wide digital turn (first in 20 pilot schools, then in others) • Digital competences of teachers and students: competence models, self-assessment tools, mapping with course offerings and accreditation procedures, updating initial teacher education curricula

19. Old and new pedagogies Teacher Pupil Tech use Pedagogical capacity Outcome: Content mastery Old Content knowledge Master required content Ubiquitous technology Outcome: Deep learning Discover and master content together New Pedagogical capacity Create and use new knowledge in the world (Fullan 2013)

20. Configurations of digital textbook 2.0 Planetary system model Linux model Lego model Stabile core Dynamic core No core at all

21. Experiences from Samsung Digital Turn project • Whole-school digital turn: focus on change management and pedagogical innovation (Fullan) • Every school found their own focus (20 schools) • Learners as creators: Kahoot, Geocaching, Digital storytelling, learner-created textbooks • Systemic and sustainable change: formative assessment with e-portfolios • Leadership: digital language immersion, regional lead • Digital maturity self-assessment tool, peer-assessment between schools

22. Helsinki University: future classroom

24. Thank you! • Questions?