A Digital Learning Ecosystem to Scaffold Teachers’ Learning

Abstract

Technology-enhanced learning solutions carry the potential for transforming teacher learning and the delivery of professional development activities. This article proposes that the tools that professionals use in their practice can be considered an important mediator for professional learning. We carried out three design experiments, the results of which were used to formulate the conceptual design of a digital learning ecosystem for fostering teachers' professional learning, which is operationalized through different phases, namely competency-based planning of professional development, designing pedagogical practices, enactment of student-centered learning enriched with technology, and reflection upon own practice to plan comprehensively for competency-based professional development.

Integrating AI tools in teacher professional learning: a conceptual model and illustrative case

“…Second, the model was elaborated into a training intervention called Teacher Innovation Laboratory which should foster important practices of Knowledge Appropriation (Leoste et al, 2019 ). Third, the principles of teacher professional learning in the Digital Learning Ecosystem (Tammets et al, 2022 ) were integrated into the model to highlight the importance of holistic professional learning experiences supported by learning technologies. Finally, we integrated elements of the work of van Leeuwen et al ( 2023 ) highlighting the importance of a participatory approach and integration of teachers into the design of theory-grounded dashboard to support the development of professional vision.…”

Teachers’ occupational stress and perceived support in Finland and Estonia during the COVID-19 lockdown

“…In Estonia, the lockdown lasted until the end of the school year in June 2020 (Estonian Government, 2020). Similarly to Finland, remote learning was conducted through a combination of real-time online teaching and both individual and group work (Tammets et al, 2021). According to the OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS), teachers in Finland seem to have experienced somewhat less stress than their Estonian colleagues (OECD, 2020c) before the COVID-19 pandemic.…”

“…The participants of the present study were 1,319 teachers (396 from Finland and 923 from Estonia) teaching grades 1-6. The Finnish sample were collected as part of Teacher and Student Stress and Interaction in Classroom study (TESSI; Lerkkanen and Pakarinen, 2021), and the Estonian sample was part of a survey commissioned by the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research "Experiences of distance learning due to an emergency situation and its impact on the Estonian education system" (Tammets et al, 2021). In both countries, ethical approval for the studies were provided by the universities' ethical committees (University of Jyväskylä and Tallinn University), and the research was conducted following the national guidelines for the ethical principles of research with human participants (Centre for Ethics, University of Tartu, 2017; Finnish National Board on Research Integrity TENK, 2019).…”

Students’ digital addiction and learning difficulties: shortcomings of surveys in inclusion

“…There are students to whom the distance learning is easy, and students for whom it suits with help from caregivers and teachers, and there are other students for whom it does not suit at all. Due to learning difficulties that resulted from new learning patterns, children differed even more than before in terms of individual characteristics and the need for help in learning (Tammets et al, 2021).…”

“…Especially for students with special educational needs, along with school support, additional support at home is also very important. Unfortunately, some students did not get sufficient help from home in studying (Tammets et al, 2021).…”