Connectivity in support of student co-design of innovative mathematics curriculum trajectories

The argument of this theoretical paper is that the existence and availability of suitable digital curriculum resources, accelerated by the recent pandemic, have required a revision of the pedagogical landscape in terms of ways in which students can be empowered to (co-)design their own curriculum trajectories. For this purpose, I argue, students need to be supported in considering many connections, to arrive at coherent trajectories. Based on complexity thinking and curriculum design with digital resources, I propose the concept of connectivity as a crucial principle for creating coherent curriculum trajectories. If students are to become the co-designers of their own curriculum, they need a frame that raises their awareness about the many connections to be made and that supports their capability for actually realizing them. Drawing strongly on my own work and related work by others, I analyse and illustrate the connections made by students, teachers and curriculum designers in their design of mathematics tasks, lessons and learning trajectories with digital resources. Results show that connections can be made at several levels, namely, at a social level, at a material level, at programme level, and at a didactical level. Leaning on systems thinking, connections can be systematically considered, which is likely to help students to enhance the coherence of their designs. I contend that a student-designed ‘connected curriculum trajectory’ is likely to become the focus of future research activities in innovative learning environments: this endeavor would connect aspects of curriculum, mathematical content, learning strategies of students, and the use of new technologies.

Educators’ ICT Literacy: A Prerequisite for the Future of Education Post-COVID-19

The education ecosystem was highly disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic last March 2020, which forced school leaders and stakeholders to adopt an online learning platform to cope with learning continuity. However, educators encountered challenges in using technology to manage digital curriculum and technology-driven instruction due to the lack of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) skills and knowledge. This concept paper aims to highlight the need for educators' ICT literacy, which requires the support of new policies for educators to upgrade skills in managing the digital curriculum and effective online lessons delivery. Possessing ICT literacy skills will help educators be ready to transition to the new normal in education. ICT will be an integral component of the future of school education system after the pandemic,

Why flipping the classroom is not enough: Digital curriculum making after the pandemic

To slow down the proliferation of Covid-19, governments virtually shut down public life, temporarily closed schools, and forced teaching to be done exclusively on a remote basis. These measures offer an opportunity to reexamine conventional teaching and learning arrangements, test new digital and analogue concepts, and provide essential inspiration for curriculum making in the twenty-first century. This article addresses the historical development of schooling in the classroom as differentiated from “homeschooling”. On one hand, the question of how school closures and digitally supported teaching settings may affect an increase in educational inequalities is investigated using an international comparison. On the other hand, the pedagogical and didactical implications of distance learning and a digital teaching culture, which constitute the foundation for digital curriculum making, are examined.

Enabling design: a case of maker workshops as a method for including special educators in creating digital interactions for learners with profound disabilities

Purpose This purpose of this paper is to present findings from three workshops that aimed to enable learners with profound and multiple learning disabilities to have a richer, more meaningful experience of a digital curriculum and to bolster a more meaningful creative exchange than currently offered by off the shelf products. Design/methodology/approach Informed by the maker culture and participatory action research, this workshop method focussed on making prototypes and creating concepts that encourage a dialogic approach for envisioning future technologies. As a process of enabling design, this approach placed participants at the heart of iterative methods that support imaginative ideation and improvisation, rather than the production of marketable products. Findings A thematic analysis of post-workshop discussions revealed that participants felt inspired and supported to envision learner responses to stimuli as novel interactions, without prior knowledge of designing and coding. The collaborative approach provoked the articulation of narratives on learner ability and a reconsideration of “digital” with a contemporary curriculum for learners with profound disabilities. Practical implications Running a maker workshop requires a time and resource commitment from all parties. The emphasis is on easy-to-follow, direct teaching together with low cost electronics and non-digital materials, ensured that these demands were kept to a minimum. However, the gains of participation can only be maintained when support exists both in and out of the workshop environment through the provision of resources and communication channels. Originality/value The originality of the workshops lies in the focus on basic electronics, coding and prototyping as a means to think about digital futures. As a method of enabling technologies to tap into learner ability, this process fostered design dialogues through the social act of making, sharing and learning without the need for prerequisite skills.

Exploring the Components of Digital literacy Curriculum: EFL and IT Instructors’ Voice

Every day we are moving toward digitalization and computerization. In education and especially online learning, we are observing fast developments. The need of a digital curriculum and digital literacy for better teaching and learning is sensible. Thus, a digital literacy curriculum is a necessary tool for teachers and students. This qualitative study explored some components of the digital literacy curriculum based on EFL and IT instructors’ voice. Also, the researchers found digital tools that they used a lot and their purposes behind applying these digital tools. The results show that EFL and IT instructors had focused on production, communication, evaluation of digital skills in cyberspace. Most of them were aware of digital literacy definition and suggested some components of the digital literacy definition components and suggested designing a digital literacy curriculum. Among all digital tools, they used WhatsApp and Bigbluebutton more. Based on all retrieved data, the researchers proposed a digital literacy curriculum framework and identified the need for further study about applying this framework in real life. Doing need analysis before designing a digital literacy curriculum to know students' and teachers' digital talent and awareness is another area that further research should have done.

Rethinking Innovative Learning Opportunities for Teachers in Educational Organizations toward Education 4.0

Teacher behaviors play a key role in forming and shaping organizational culture in schools. The current innovative and leadership-based learning objectives introduced by Education 4.0 have made the transformation obligatory from traditional classrooms of the industrial society to creation of digital classrooms. This transformation will embrace digital curriculum that might impact learning outcomes and reduce in-class management. How is it different from traditional classrooms? The spaces in a digital classroom are both digital and physical. This environment asks for future creative convergence talents, thus giving teachers new tasks to take greater ownership of change processes of their school culture. This shift also requires creation of reflective learning communities together with a redefinition of the meaning and scope of teacher supervision. This study introduces, a “Teacher Competency Development Model,” in which innovative learning opportunities for teachers in educational organizations toward Education 4.0 are offered through innovative models in teacher supervision based on cognitive, reflective, and peer coaching and their utilization within the educational contexts. Within this framework, the contents and strategies of three supervision models, namely, reflective, cognitive, and peer coaching to be able to help teachers survive and cope with their adaptation to Education 4.0 will be discussed.