E-Maturity and School Development: When the Tail Wants to Wag the Dog

Abstract

Abstract. E-maturity as synonym for successful integration of digital technologies in schools can be seen as the golden thread of this paper. It deals with an Austrian case study about recently conducted ICT-certifications within a ministerial e-Learning project. The process of awarding successful Austrian schools with ICT-certificates is founded on an evaluation framework which has been developed independently from other similar European approaches. Finally, it will be argued that understanding the interdependency of successful ICT integration and school development is a key issue to achieve the status of ematurity.

A Holistic Approach for Managing School ICT Competence Profiles towards Supporting School ICT Uptake

“…On the other hand, Durando et al (2007) propose that eMaturity is the "strategic and effective use of ICT to improve educational outcomes". Both definitions argue for a systematic exploitation of the potential of ICT, intertwined with the school processes and needs (Micheuz, 2009). Previous work (Sergis & Sampson, 2014a;2014b) has revealed a set of five existing frameworks for the measurement of the level of eMaturity of schools.…”

Εκπαιδευτικά Συστήματα Υποστήριξης Αποφάσεων Βασισμένα Σε Ψηφιακές Ικανότητες Σχολικών Μονάδων Και Εκπαιδευτικών

“…Οι Τεχνολογίες Πληροφορικής και Επικοινωνίας (ΤΠΕ) έχουν θεωρηθεί πυλωροί για τη βελτίωση της διδασκαλίας και της μάθησης στο σχολικό περιβάλλον (OECD, 2013a), συνεισφέροντας σε διάφορα επίπεδα, από το να επαυξάνουν τις εμπειρίες των μαθητών / τριών έως το να υποβοηθούν την οργανωσιακή διαχείριση των σχολικών μονάδων (OECD, 2010;European Commission, 2011). Όμως, για να λειτουργήσουν καταλυτικά και να αποδώσουν αυτά τα οφέλη, οι ΤΠΕ πρέπει να ενσωματώνονται μέσα στη δομή των σχολικών μονάδων και να μην χρησιμοποιούνται μόνον ως εργαλείο για περιστασιακές (ad hoc) λύσεις (Micheuz, 2009;European Commission, 2013a). Σε μεγάλο βαθμό, οι σχολικές μονάδες κάνουν ακόμη περιορισμένη χρήση της ευρείας κλίμακας δυνατοτήτων των ΤΠΕ για τη βελτίωση των διδακτικών και μαθησιακών πρακτικών, καθώς και για την υποστήριξη λήψης αποφάσεων εκ μέρους της (σχολικής) ηγεσίας (European Commission, 2010;OECD, 2015a).…”

“…Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have been repeatedly celebrated as a harbinger of teaching and learning enhancement in the context of schools (OECD, 2013a), spanning from enhancing students' learning experiences to facilitating organizational management (OECD, 2010;European Commission, 2011). In order to reap these benefits and provide a driver for change, however, ICT needs to be incorporated into the fabric of schools, and not just be used as a tool for ad-hoc solutions (Micheuz, 2009;European Commission, 2013a). Evidence shows that schools have shown limited exploitation of the full range of ICT potential as an enabler of improved learning and teaching practices as well as leadership decision making (European Commission, 2010;OECD, 2015a).…”

“…The second states that eMaturity is the "organizational readiness to deal with e-learning and the degree to which this is embedded in the curriculum" (Underwood et al, 2010). Both definitions share a common standpoint towards ICT integration, which views technology as being embedded in the educational institutions' processes, rather than just being used in an ad-hoc basis from groups of capable individuals (Micheuz, 2009). The former definition has a formative approach, linking ICT use, and its strategic planning, to educational outcome improvements.…”

“…The diverse range of tools and services currently available has been reported to be beneficial in many aspects of teaching and learning processes (European Commission, 2013a). In order to reap these benefits and provide a driver for change, however, ICT needs to be incorporated into the fabric of schools, and not just be used as a tool for ad-hoc solutions (Micheuz, 2009). Evidence shows that this is not the case, since schools have shown limited exploitation of the full range of ICT potential as an enabler of improved learning and teaching practices (European Commission, 2010;Peña-López, 2015).…”