innovative methods of learning essay 1000 words

Innovative Teaching Methods and Learning Programs Research Paper

Introduction, definition of the research problem, literature review, purpose of the research, ethical issues, significance of the research, reference list.

This paper will discuss the goals and benefits of innovative teaching methods in primary schools. This topic is an essential one in modern society because children have to develop along with the world’s newest technologies. Also, learning programs and psychological approaches must be considered in this discussion, as the use of multimedia without a proper understanding of it is pointless for young people who cannot appropriately analyze what they see. Moreover, this paper will analyze innovative schools as potential business projects, as this type of education still must be popularized in various countries. The final results of the research that will be presented in this proposal will show whether the model of Finnish education is beneficial only for local children or it can be successfully adopted by teachers from other parts of the world. Since the ideology of primary schools in Finland is different from that of many other countries, some strategies implemented in the Scandinavian country might be inefficient for representatives of other nations.

As in every other sphere, education is developing rapidly and opening new opportunities for schoolchildren. Nowadays, many European educational institutions (to be specific, the school of Lauttasaari in Helsinki, Finland will be discussed in the given proposal as its workers implement all of the innovations described below) are using unique methods and learning programs in their daily activities. With the help of various multimedia resources, there are more possibilities to make students interested in a certain subject or demonstrate aspects of it to them in more detail. Innovative teaching methods do not only refer to the technological part used in class. A psychological approach and an analysis of children’s behavior and perception of the information they receive are also important for discussing this work. It appears that some educational methodologies have a tremendous impact on the development of students. The following text is intended to present a research proposal with information about new methods, and learning programs that teachers use in Lauttasaari to understand whether the considered system can be implemented in schools all over the world or it is centered specifically on children in Finland.

In this paper, innovative teaching methods imply both digital devices used in Finnish schools to help children grasp all the information presented during their lessons better and various pedagogical or even psychological techniques that local educators use to make children interested in the process of studying. This paper will combine a discussion of these innovations to provide a better understanding of the environment that is necessary for the model of ideal education that is now practiced in Finland. The primary problem of this research project is the fact that teachers from the Lauttasaari School use innovative methods in their work with children, while other institutions all over the world cannot adopt the same educational models due to teachers’ unawareness of their efficiency in their regions. Indeed, there are many advantages to the new techniques and models (using interactive blackboards, setting computers for every learner, and creating digital presentations for every lesson) of work with children in the class. However, the drawbacks of these methodologies need to be identified and addressed in the future as well.

The use of multimedia remains one of the most popular innovative teaching methods and tools used in the Lauttasaari primary school at the moment. When children interact with computers, electronic gadgets, and other technologies, they can gain a better experience with subjects that are described in books (Aris, Putri, and Susanti, 2016). Such materials as video, audio, and text files become available for teachers who use them throughout the learning course, as well as for children who have a better perception of the provided information through all the visual aids mentioned above (Aris, Putri, and Susanti, 2016). Moreover, it is necessary to develop learning courses with the integration of such pedagogical approaches as phenomenon-based learning, co-teaching, portfolio creation, mind maps, Z-A approach, and others.

Unfortunately, there is a tremendous number of schools around the world that still use outdated educational techniques to teach their students. However, older methods (acquiring necessary information from books, using physical objects to create pieces of art, and listening to opinions of only one teacher) are known to be inefficient for young people in the twenty-first century. Therefore it is essential to understand what knowledge is given to children at the moment and what the industry needs (Clark and Mayer, 2016, p. 35). To analyze whether interactive work is more effective than regular communication between teachers and their students, it is necessary to list some advantages of the first method and compare it with older learning techniques.

The first advantage of using multimedia resources is their value for teaching children to think analytically and solve problems effectively. In comparison, older methods that were used in school programs could not develop these abilities in learners who only listened to their teachers’ ideas (Tay, 2017). Educators in the Lauttasaari School want children to assess various situations on their own. It not only makes them intellectually dexterous, but it also prepares them for their future lives where they will have to make wise decisions regularly (Tay, 2017).

Another important advantage of using computers and computer programs in schools is letting children gain experience working with a wide range of graphic and text editing software (Meeusen et al. 2018, p. 48). Not only do they train and improve their skills in activities that are common and necessary in the modern world, but they also work in pairs, which makes their collaboration even more interesting and productive (Niemi, Toom, and Kallioniemi, 2016, p. 93). Unfortunately, many teachers in some Asian countries and the United States of America do not let their students create material for upcoming classes. However, when learners work with information that they will study later, they also obtain the necessary background that prepares them for their classes.

It would be appropriate to mention that educators make children work in groups in the Lauttasaari school. (O’Hanlon, 2017, p. 136). When students collaborate on a project together, everyone has a chance to contribute to its planning and implementation. Young boys and girls communicate with one another and develop a mutual understanding of each team member’s opinion concerning the task. Credible research shows that projects are accomplished better and more professional when they are created by several people (Saloviita and Schaffus, 2016).

The main factor that differentiates, for example, a Finnish primary school Lauttasaari situated in Helsinki from other educational institutions in the rest of the world is the method of communication with teachers (Domingo and Garganté, 2016). Traditionally, teachers deliver certain pieces of important information to students. Children then have to write everything down to remember all the data that was presented during their lessons. In comparison, when people work with multimedia, the relationships between students, teachers, and additional materials are more equal (Saloviita and Schaffus, 2016). This model makes it possible for every person in the class to grasp and share information with others.

It should be stated that the multimedia methodology described in previous paragraphs is not popular all over the world. Moreover, people do not even know about all the advantages of learning by using digital materials in classes. Therefore this is a promising idea for a business project. The market is not crowded in the majority of developing countries and other nations that do not invest significantly in education (Aris, Putri, and Susanti, 2016). According to an initial analysis of the market, it is clear that parents are ready to pay additional money to allow their children to develop using the latest methods, which appear to be more efficient than the methodologies used in public schools (Aris, Putri, and Susanti, 2016). However, the establishment of an educational institution requires much more investment than other similar businesses because all the necessary electronic equipment is currently quite expensive.

The following section is intended to provide an overview of other innovative learning methods used in the Lauttasaari School that have had good results in engaging children and making them more interested in what they learn. To obtain a better understanding of the entire leaning process in the Finnish school, it would be proper to overview some learning tools that assist children during their lessons and world with digital devices. The first tool is called a mind map (Tay, 2017). The first iteration of this approach was developed by Tony Buzan in the previous century. According to it, students were required to take notes using only keywords from their lectures to recall the material they studied without having to extensively reread or analyze it again (Domingo and Garganté, 2016). Nowadays, this strategy has been changed, and teachers in Lauttasaari are required to build these mind maps for children who attend their classes. However, children are allowed to contribute to the creation of different mind maps that they will be using during their lessons (Tay, 2017). For instance, a teacher might ask them to prepare little pieces of material that will be integrated into the presentation later, which makes the learners develop a sense of responsibility and their labor’s importance for their classmates (Tay, 2017). This method seems to take less time than its previous form, while students can understand what knowledge is central, and what information is presented as background context.

Mind maps are effective because they are made in the form of pictures (or sometimes audio or video files) (Aris, Putri, and Susanti, 2016). However, each of the approaches mentioned above effectively influences a person’s brain so that information is retained almost permanently. The text is always the same and it does not differ in various sources. In contrast, multimedia materials are more colorful and unique, which makes students remember the particular presentation of the information that was taught (Stokhof et al. 2018). According to several research projects conducted to test the theory described in this paragraph, approximately ninety percent of all information acquired through reading was hard to recall for the sampled participants (Niemi, Toom, and Kallioniemi, 2016, p. 79). In comparison, they could remember seventy percent of the same material presented in the form of video.

As to the concept of video lessons, teachers who work for the Lauttasaari School collaborate with YouTube bloggers to conduct research and make popular presentations about literature, history, and other educational topics (O’Hanlon, 2017, p. 158). Therefore children are sometimes assigned to review these bloggers’ channels or other videos as homework. It appears that when children see a young person talking about a certain subject, they become more interested in it, as it gives them an ability to discuss the knowledge they have gained with their peers (Lahtero and Risku, 2014). From a business perspective, this model of education is difficult to implement, but it provides many more benefits than regular educational approaches. Moreover, if children do not have a device to explore the Internet, they are allowed to use school computers, which makes teachers more responsible for what their students learn online.

Another innovative technique that is implemented in the Lauttasaari educational institution is the requirement to teach people using humorous elements. Several surveys show that students are more attracted to the lectures of teachers who have both charisma and a sense of humor (Clark and Mayer, 2016, p. 89). It is a challenge for learners to spend hours studying the theoretical aspects of their subjects. Children have a lot of energy that they strive to expand during the day. Therefore it is more efficient to present lectures with jokes and entertaining stories, which students are more likely to recall in the future. The process of learning can be a tremendous challenge, and people sometimes want to relax.

It should be mentioned that this method of teaching was adopted by teachers from the school in Helsinki mentioned above from their colleagues in the United States of America (Lahtero and Risku, 2014). People in Western European countries are known to have some challenges with feeling free in front of an audience. In comparison, the American mentality was not as limited in the previous century. Humorous and friendly forms of communication between teachers and students make their collaboration less tense and much more productive. When each participant in a lesson feels free to ask questions, make remarks, and express their opinion, the process of education becomes reasonable for everyone in the school (Lahtero and Risku, 2014). In Finland, teachers do not hesitate to admit that they do not know everything about their professional subjects, which makes schools beneficial for their development as well (O’Hanlon, 2017, p. 158). The concept of educational institutions in Germany, France, and England is aimed at mutual development and the discussion of various topics between classmates and teachers. This model gives everyone a chance to be involved in interesting conversations and gain useful knowledge by grasping other people’s arguments.

The next learning method to be reviewed in this paper is called the Z to A approach. This model refers to the explanation of general concepts concerning any topic or professional sphere. When students are unfamiliar with terms or phenomena mentioned during the lecture, they ask their teachers to explain what one phrase or another means and how it is related to what they are studying (Clark and Mayer, 2016, p. 90). This approach helps students develop an interest in the material they learn, and children must be the initiators of descriptive explanations given by their educators. Hence the students always know details of their subjects that are somehow connected to the primary material planned for the lecture (Clark and Mayer, 2016, p. 89). Nevertheless, there are several drawbacks to this system. Once the audience is interested in something, it may take hours for a teacher to explain some topics tangentially related to it. Moreover, the main concept of the lecture might be lost if a professor begins to explain every minor point to his or her students.

The practice described above is common in the Lauttasaari School because politicians think that children have a right to understand everything that is being said during lectures (Tay, 2017). Moreover, local ethical norms and moral considerations do not allow other participants of the learning process to blame or laugh at their classmates for not knowing some general information. The main purpose of the Z-A approach is to make children interested in something by showing them the results of particular calculations or actions (Domingo and Garganté, 2016). When they understand that a method demonstrated by their teacher is efficient in particular instances, they strive to understand how they can repeat the same actions. Hence a teacher is obliged to explain to them what it takes to reach a certain point.

Another concept that is widely practiced in Lauttasaari School is the explanation of various concepts through the use of mnemonics and different words instead of descriptive sentences (Tay, 2017). Once students reach the point where they understand the topic presented during the lesson, their educator begins to conclude by summarizing everything that has been said in detail. However, the children are given a chance to develop a general understanding of the studied subject before the teacher’s explanation becomes too obvious.

The last learning method that is widely used in the Lauttasaari School in Helsinki, Finland is role-playing. Children are encouraged to analyze the scenarios they are given to work with ahead of time (Tay, 2017). When students are obliged to make wise choices based on their theoretical knowledge, they are more likely to understand what their future work may be like. Moreover, this approach is beneficial for learners who have problems understanding the materials presented during lectures. Unfortunately, some people cannot grasp information without having a chance to practice it under realistic conditions. As the system of Finnish education remains one of the most highly developed in the world, teachers pay attention to the abilities of every class member (Hyry-Beihammer and Hascher, 2015). Hence children are not limited in their ideas or desires to try something in real life. This methodology was intended to address the problem that people tend to give up doing something because of a lack of appropriate support and involvement.

It should be stated that the Lauttasaari School has the goal to help children identify what they like and what they want to do in life (Tay, 2017). All this psychological work is done beginning in childhood. It has been estimated that adults have more passion for activities that they were interested in as children (Clark and Mayer, 2016, p. 178). Therefore local educational institutions provide learners with a wide range of hobbies and give them opportunities to develop in something besides school. For instance, Finnish primary school students do not have any homework, as all the material is learned in class until the afternoon (Tay, 2017). With this system, children have enough time to relax and be engaged in their hobbies. Unfortunately, not all countries take into account their citizens’ preferences regarding their favorite activities that could help them earn a living and become much happier.

The Finnish education system has been claimed to be the best in the world for the last fifteen years. Although Finnish children are not obliged to read classic literature or write poems, they do these activities of their own will (Hyry-Beihammer and Hascher, 2015). Teachers do not tell their students that some author was great. Instead, they tell them facts about an admirable person so that they arrive at the appropriate conclusion about the individual at the end of their courses. The most significant difference between this methodology and other models used in other parts of the world is that knowledge is not imposed. However, if children are paying particular attention to a different topic, teachers are glad to help them to learn more about their interests at any moment. Such a free system makes children want to know more, while in other countries students want to be done with their homework as soon as possible.

The example of Finnish schools can serve as a business project in other developed countries as well. While many parents might consider such a system inappropriate for a child’s development, other citizens will be glad to know that their children are taught to do what they want, as this is the main component of their happiness in the future. Unfortunately, similar educational services might not be available for people of low social statuses. Nevertheless, the promotion of free education might be supported by the government, as politicians want younger generations to be educated in innovative sciences and other spheres because this would be beneficial for their countries’ statuses in the future.

The main element of the Lauttasaari School that makes the process of education more pleasant is its innovative equipment and approach towards children (Tay, 2017). Students have access to the newest technical inventions and computers so that they can accomplish any of their tasks with the help of these machines (Hyry-Beihammer and Hascher, 2015). Also, classrooms are equipped with elements that are necessary to educate children at a high level. For instance, rooms organized for chemistry classes have the materials that are encountered in books for demonstrating reactions and making observations (Hujala et al. 2016). In turn, classes for learning music have a wide range of modern and classical instruments for students to choose from.

In conclusion, it can be stated that another element that differentiates Lauttasaari from other educational institutions around the world is that teachers treat their students as if they were adults (Tay, 2017). They can discuss any topic with them and share their thoughts concerning various observations made during the learning process. Unfortunately, this behavior could be considered unacceptable among some societies or nations.

Gaps in the Existing Literature

Fortunately, there were not many gaps in the literature reviewed in the previous section. Nevertheless, several issues were noted during the review process. To begin with, it should be stated that many authors do not explain how such teaching methods as mind maps or the Z-A approach are used in real conditions. Some teachers from other regions do not have enough experience to identify which strategies must be used in different cases. Therefore, it would be beneficial for them to have a rating or a list of the best pedagogical models for working with children. (Hyry-Beihammer and Hascher, 2015). It is advantageous to make a specifically structured outline of a lesson that provides the use of engaging information and theoretical data in percentages. Everything depends on the time given to teachers to explain a particular topic.

Justification of the Research Interest

It is important to carry out this research project because understanding the best educational systems in the world and how they compare might have a positive impact on the development of national primary school systems and their employees’ approaches to their work. Borrowing the ideas of the Lauttasaari School might make students happier and let them have more passion for learning different disciplines. Modern children are not interested in completing school programs (Niemi, Toom, and Kallioniemi, 2016, p. 128). Instead, they strive to become the best in their outside hobbies. The integration of these activities into the process of education will show children that their interests are important to society. Hence they will be encouraged to study and pay more attention to what can give them more opportunities to advance professionally in various industries in the future.

This proposal contributes to this topic by considering certain business ideas that can help children from all over the world to gain more experience and knowledge that is interesting to them. By creating more liberal and free educational institutions, it is possible to promote equality among children from different states in their professional activities as they grow up (Saloviita and Schaffus, 2016). Moreover, the author is responsible for the appropriate evaluation of the theories and statements presented in the proposal. In turn, the empirical knowledge developed in this paper is the result of the author’s research and conclusions made after the evaluation of multiple research and materials in the discussed topic. Therefore, the information presented in this work can be considered reliable and evidence-based.

Operationalization of Variables

To identify and operationalize variables properly, it must be stated that the primary purpose of the research discussed in this proposal is to understand whether the model of education practiced by teachers in the Lauttasaari School is effective for students in other countries or not. The observation will be conducted with the help of teachers who are ready to make the students from their classes prove or refute the main question of the research.

As it is mentioned previously, all the variables will be measured with the help of interviews and observations. Every participant of the experiment will be asked to answer several questions as to their experience with innovative teaching methods borrowed from the Lauttasaari School and local teachers. Also, variables will be measured with the help of the children’s reactions analysis. It is necessary to understand whether all the changes in their educations programs will have a positive impact on their moods or not. In the end, every student’s impressions will be considered after the experiment. If they are not satisfied with various innovative learning methodologies used by educators from the Lauttasaari School in Helsinki, their courses are unlikely to change in the future. It is essential to remember that students must be interested and enjoy the process of learning (Niemi, Toom, and Kallioniemi, 2016, p. 129). Therefore, the adoption of the lesson structures practices in Lauttasaari might adversely impact children’s desire to study as they are not used. To acquire accurate results of the observation, it would be proper to implement the innovative teaching methodologies in classes with the first year inexperienced students. Perhaps, this observation will give results in the measurement of variables.

The variables measurement methods described above suggest that the test can be regarded as fair and that there is little chance for mistakes in the study’s final results. The most essential element of any research project is for all participants of its sampling to be subject to similar conditions. Otherwise, some methodologies discussed in the literature review section might not give the expected results.

As was mentioned above, the main purpose of the research is to identify whether or not the methodologies that are used by school teachers in the Finnish school called Lauttasaari can be effective for other educational institutions in separate parts of the world. Unfortunately, various models of primary education might have different impacts on learners from different societies. Although Finnish schools are often considered the best on the planet because they focus on students’ desires to advance professionally in particular spheres, this method might not work as well among children raised in other communities. There is always a chance that some things concerning education are effective only for a certain group of children. Therefore not every country in the world uses the same system of education that is common in the Lauttasaari primary school.

If the goal is reached and the study’s aim is accomplished, the model of the Lauttasaari Primary School might be considered a profitable business project for people who do not know much about all the benefits of this education system or do not have access to other institutions that already use these methods regularly to help their children become both wise and happy at the same time (Saloviita and Schaffus, 2016). Also, it is necessary to observe students’ reactions to the improved program, as they might not be used to such a learning methodology. This is also an essential factor in designing an educational process because the children must be interested in it. Otherwise learning might become a daily routine for them, which hurts a person’s motivation to reach new heights and be active in various activities related to school. The aim of this study is intended to define whether children of various national and cultural backgrounds can learn according to the educational model of the Lauttasaari School or not. Can the model development and used by educators in the Finnish school be effective for students in other parts of the world, or it is dependent on the cultural factor of the northern country’s population?

The development of this research is important for business-like purposes because the investments required to establish a professional educational institution that meets all the standards of the Finnish school mentioned above are tremendous. Therefore, it is necessary to assess children’s abilities in different countries to choose the most beneficial location to start the business project realization. If the factor of students’ abilities to learn according to the Finnish educational model with the use of various digital devices and pedagogical tools, the new school might not bring any profit. Moreover, parents have to be persuaded that the methodologies described above are efficient. Evidence-based research is one of the most credible sources that can be trusted in this instance.

Research Design

The type of research described in this proposal is qualitative as it implies both the assessment and comparison of the educational system in the school of Lauttasaari in Helsinki, Finland, and other institutions all over the world. Also, the behavior of students and their attitudes towards the improved system will be recorded and compared to that of their peers in Lauttasaari. In general, the research is qualitative because the majority of information used in it helps understand the major differences between educational institutions in the Lauttasaari School and some educational institutions in other parts of the world. It is necessary to state that the main problem of the given research is the tremendous gap between the studying processes common in different nations and the world’s most developed Finnish model of education.

Unit of Analysis

As was mentioned in the previous sections of the proposal, the objects of this research are children of different ethnic backgrounds who have to demonstrate their attitudes and readiness to follow a Lauttasaari educational program. Students are unlikely to give false information about their attitudes toward things relevant to this research. Therefore, the acquired data will likely be accurate. The age of participants will vary from nine to ten years old. However, every participant in the experiment also has to be a fourth-year student in a primary school. There are no considerations as to the gender of sampling, as both males and females have the same cognitive abilities. As the research question requires the initiators of this study to evaluate how students from different societies will react to the new rules in their educational institutions, it would be appropriate to have several experiments in various states (excluding Finland).

Sampling Method

The model of stratified sampling was chosen for this research. This strategy is beneficial for the types of studies mentioned above because scholars need to work with a certain group of people that have particular characteristics. In this case, the experiment is focused on children aged from nine to eight. Therefore, it is necessary to visit schools and have their principals’ permissions to work with the students. One group of sampling will consist of approximately twenty to thirty children (depending on the number of students in the class). In turn, there will be at least ten groups that will undergo the test in various regions of the world.

The participant of the research will be chosen with the help of the World Wide Web. It is necessary to collaborate with ten schools in different countries that would represent various cultures (China, Germany, the United States of America, the United Arab Emirates, the Republic of South Africa, Russia, Brazil, India, Israel, and Italy). The groups of children from the countries mentioned above will be found with the help of their teachers. The contacts of these educators will be found on the websites of schools situated in capitals of every listed region. I would choose participants from these states because their inhabitants will make a general impression of how the educational model would be perceived in many other countries with similar cultures and mentalities. The schools must be private as governmental institutions might not want to participate in the research due to their set schedules. To contact teachers who work in the most suitable schools for the study in the countries listed above, it is necessary to organize Skype conferences with interpreters and discuss all the aspects of the observation. If the representatives of the desired schools will not agree to contribute to this research, they will be asked to recommend schools that would gladly do this.

It would be enough to organize only one lesson with the use of innovative learning methodologies in each school that will participate in the study. The observation of the students’ reactions and attitudes towards the model of education developed by workers of the Lauttasaari School will be going on for only one academic hour. The interviews will be completed on the next day after the experimental lesson (it will take approximately twenty days to complete all the work with the children).

Data Collection Methods

There are only two data collection methods that will be used during this study – interview and observation. With the help of multiple interviews with each member of the research sampling, students’ expectations and attitudes towards the changes in their educational systems will be acquired. In turn, observations made by researchers during the learning process will show how young people react to the changed structure of their lessons. All the observations and interviews that will be made during the study will be helpful to answer the proposal’s main research question by providing the results of educational experiments with children from different countries. All the acquired information will show whether the discussed model of education is efficient in other countries (outside of Finland).

As was stated above, each student will be asked to answer several questions after the conclusion of the work with the study’s sampling. All the results of this data collection method will be relevant because each answer will be supported by the controllers who will record their observations during the lessons involving innovative techniques. Conclusions based on observation can also be considered relevant sources of information, as professional psychologists and teachers will be asked to evaluate the situation in classrooms full of children.

Data Analysis Techniques

As in other qualitative studies, the process of data analysis will be based on the evaluation of categorical variables (Stokhof et al. 2018). Also, data acquired from observations conducted in various parts of the world will be compared to understand how cultures and social environments influence students’ reactions to the learning methods described in the literature review. Moreover, the data gathered with the help of interviews will be important for determining children’s attitudes towards an improved system of primary education in their schools.

All participants in the study must remain anonymous. In professional practice, people who read or provide references to the academic writings they review also have a right to keep their data confidential. All children and their parents will be informed that the research results will be published without mentioning their names or other information they have a right to keep private. Moreover, the final report is recommended to be made available with limited online access. Therefore every individual who might want to make use of its results must either pay for the material or contact the authors of the project. It should be mentioned that there will be no conflicts of personal interests, as all the participants and observers will be independent of other people and their prejudices as to the main questions of the study.

Education is the most significant aspect of people’s lives because it gives individuals the knowledge that will help them become properly socialized and make wise decisions throughout their lives. It is necessary to make children think critically and objectively beginning in childhood, as it becomes more difficult to grasp some theoretical knowledge in adolescence and maturity (O’Hanlon, 2017, p. 164). Considering different models and innovative methods in primary education is crucial in today’s world. Technology is developing rapidly. Therefore modern children need to understand much more than people did in earlier times. To conclude, it is important to state that this project may provide the key to spreading high-quality methods of learning around the globe. People need to know about various techniques that have a positive impact on the progress of their children in different spheres of their interests and activities.

Aris, R.M., Putri, R.I. and Susanti, E. (2016) ‘Design study: integer subtraction operation teaching learning using multimedia in primary school’, Journal on Mathematics Education , 8(1), pp. 95–102. Web.

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Domingo, M.G. and Garganté, A.B. (2016) ‘Exploring the use of educational technology in primary education: teachers perception of mobile technology learning impacts and applications use in the classroom’, Computers in Human Behavior , 56(1), pp. 21–28.

Hujala, E. et al. (2016) ‘Leadership tasks in early childhood education in Finland, Japan, and Singapore’ Journal of Research in Childhood Education , 30(3), pp. 406–421. Web.

Hyry-Beihammer, E.K. and Hascher, T. (2015) ‘Multi-grade teaching practices in Austrian and Finnish primary schools’, International Journal of Educational Research , 74(1), pp. 104–113. Web.

Lahtero, T. J. and Risku, M. (2014) ‘Symbolic leadership culture and its subcultures in one unified comprehensive school in Finland’ International Journal of Educational Management , 28(5), pp. 560–577. Web.

Meeusen, R. et al. (2018). Physical activity and educational achievement: insights from exercise neuroscience. Abingdon: Routledge.

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O’Hanlon, C. (2017) Inclusive education in Europe . Saint Louis: Routledge.

Saloviita, T. and Schaffus, T. (2016) ‘Teacher attitudes towards inclusive education in Finland and Brandenburg, Germany and the issue of extra work’ European Journal of Special Needs Education , 31(4), pp. 458–471. Web.

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Innovative Teaching Methods for the Modern Classroom

innovative methods of learning essay 1000 words

In the ever-evolving landscape of education, innovative teaching methods have become a cornerstone for fostering student engagement and enhancing learning outcomes. As we navigate through the digital age, the traditional classroom setting is being transformed, incorporating a blend of technology, creativity, and student-centered learning approaches . This article delves into the cutting-edge strategies educators are adopting to cater to the modern learner, revealing the dynamic shifts in teaching methodologies.

Flipped Classroom

The flipped classroom model inverts traditional teaching methods by delivering instructional content, often online, outside of the classroom. This approach allows class time to be used for engaging, hands-on activities or discussions, facilitating a deeper understanding of the subject matter. Students are encouraged to take an active role in their learning, fostering a collaborative and interactive learning environment.

Understanding Types of Knowledge

Understanding the various types of knowledge is crucial in the application of innovative teaching methodologies. It enables educators to design courses that cater not only to the acquisition of factual knowledge but also to the development of practical skills, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities. Engaging students in activities that stimulate different types of knowledge can result in a more enriching learning experience, preparing them to tackle the challenges of the modern world.

Blended Learning

Blended learning is a hybrid approach that combines online educational materials and opportunities for interaction online with traditional place-based classroom methods. It requires the physical presence of both teacher and student, with some elements of student control over time, place, path, or pace. This flexible approach allows for personalized learning experiences, accommodating individual student needs and learning styles.

Personalized Learning

At its core, personalized learning tailors instruction to meet the unique needs, skills, and interests of each student. Technology plays a pivotal role in facilitating personalized learning paths, allowing students to progress at their own pace and making learning more engaging and effective. This approach acknowledges that every student learns differently, emphasizing the importance of adapting teaching methods to accommodate these differences.

Project-Based Learning

Project-based learning emphasizes learning by doing, where students are involved in real-world projects that are both meaningful and engaging. This method encourages critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaborative skills, allowing students to apply their knowledge in practical scenarios. Through this immersive learning experience, students gain a deeper appreciation of the subject matter and its relevance to their everyday lives.

Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality

Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) are transforming the way educational content is delivered, offering immersive experiences that enhance student comprehension and engagement. Through VR, students can explore historical sites, dive deep into the human body, or travel to outer space, all from the safety of their classroom. AR, on the other hand, layers digital information into the real world, enriching students’ learning experiences and making complex concepts easier to understand. These technologies offer exciting possibilities for experiential learning, making education more interactive and enjoyable.

Game-Based Learning

Incorporating game elements into the curriculum can significantly enhance student engagement and motivation. Game-based learning utilizes the innate human desire for social interaction, competition, and achievement to promote learning. Beyond just points and rewards, well-designed educational games also foster critical thinking, creativity, and teamwork among students.

Outdoor and Experiential Learning

Moving beyond the confines of the classroom walls, outdoor and experiential learning offers hands-on experiences in a real-world context. This method can enhance physical wellness, social skills, and environmental awareness, in addition to academic learning. Whether it’s a science field trip or a historical exploration, learning outside the classroom adds a valuable dimension to education, making lessons memorable and exciting.

Critical Pedagogy

Critical pedagogy challenges students to analyze and critique societal structures and to understand their role in transforming them. This approach encourages learners to question norms, develop their voices, and become active participants in their education and society. Through critical pedagogy, students learn to think independently, fostering a sense of empowerment and social responsibility.

Technology Integration in Education

Technology integration goes beyond the mere use of devices in the classroom; it involves leveraging technology to create a more engaging, inclusive, and differentiated learning environment. Educators are utilizing a variety of digital tools and platforms to facilitate interactive lessons, provide real-time feedback, and enable students to collaborate with peers globally. This not only enhances the learning experience but also prepares students with the digital literacy skills required in today’s workforce.

Competency-Based Education

Competency-based education (CBE) is an approach that allows students to advance based on their ability to master a skill or competency at their own pace regardless of the environment. This method ensures flexibility in the learning process and focuses on the outcomes, ensuring students acquire the knowledge and skills that are essential for their future careers. By emphasizing mastery of material over time spent in class, CBE supports personalized learning paths and acknowledges the diverse capabilities of each student.

The landscape of education is continuously expanding, embracing innovative methodologies that cater to the diverse needs of the modern student . These teaching methods not only enhance learning outcomes but also prepare students to navigate an increasingly complex world. By fostering an environment that values creativity, critical thinking, and personal growth, educators are shaping the future of learning in the digital age. The journey towards innovative education is ongoing, with each new approach providing a stepping stone towards an enlightened and engaged society.

March 1, 2024

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Pedagogy of the Twenty-First Century: Innovative Teaching Methods

Submitted: 20 November 2016 Reviewed: 09 November 2017 Published: 20 December 2017

DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.72341

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New Pedagogical Challenges in the 21st Century - Contributions of Research in Education

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In the twenty-first century, significant changes are occurring related to new scientific discoveries, informatization, globalization, the development of astronautics, robotics, and artificial intelligence. This century is called the age of digital technologies and knowledge. How is the school changing in the new century? How does learning theory change? Currently, you can hear a lot of criticism that the classroom has not changed significantly compared to the last century or even like two centuries ago. Do the teachers succeed in modern changes? The purpose of the chapter is to summarize the current changes in didactics for the use of innovative teaching methods and study the understanding of changes by teachers. In this chapter, we consider four areas: the expansion of the subject of pedagogy, environmental approach to teaching, the digital generation and the changes taking place, and innovation in teaching. The theory of education, figuratively speaking, has two levels. At the macro-level, in the “education-society” relationship, decentralization and diversification, internationalization of education, and the introduction of digital technologies occur. At the micro-level in the “teacher-learner” relationship, there is an active mix of traditional and innovative methods, combination of an activity approach with an energy-informational environment approach, cognition with constructivism and connectivism.

digital generation
innovative teaching methods
environmental approach to teaching

Author Information

Aigerim mynbayeva *.

Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Kazakhstan

Zukhra Sadvakassova

Bakhytkul akshalova.

International Education Corporation, Kazakh leading Academy of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Kazakhstan

*Address all correspondence to: [email protected]

1. Introduction

The new century introduced significant changes in didactics and teaching methods. Pedagogy of the twentieth century differs from the pedagogy of the twenty-first century. Since the beginning of the twenty-first century, there have been many changes in the development of national and world education. The most observable phenomenon is now the Internetization of society and the penetration of digital technologies into learning. The modern generation of schoolboys is known by the name digital, socially digital [ 1 ], and generation Z [ 2 ]. Knowledge is the transition from acquiring knowledge through reading, from the teacher’s monolog to visual perception, or discussion in the classroom.

Digital technologies change our way of life, ways of communication, way of thinking, feelings, channels of influence on other people, social skills, and social behavior. As Myamesheva states, “the high-tech environment - computers, smart phones, video games, Internet search engines - reshape the human brain” [ 3 ].

The theoretical changes in didactics and pedagogy lie behind the most obvious tendency. Pedagogy in the domestic science was redefined from the “science of upbringing, teaching and learning” to the “science of upbringing and education.” The subject of the twentieth century pedagogy was “upbringing” [ 4 ] (in Kazakh—tarbie, in Russian—vospitanie, in Deutsch—Bildung). Tagunova et al. writes: “Upbringing in the broad pedagogical sense is a purposeful influence of the society to prepare the younger generation for life. Upbringing in the narrow pedagogical sense is a purposeful influence on the development of specific personal qualities…” [ 5 ]. The subject of the twenty-first century pedagogy—the category “education”—has expanded the scope of meaning and understanding. Competence and personal-oriented approaches have been introduced.

Here is how the post-Soviet tendencies of reforming education in the studies of Silova, Yakavets are generalized. There are some commonalities between countries in terms of the “post-socialist education reform package” [ 6 , 7 , 8 ], “a set of policy reforms symbolizing the adoption of Western educational values and including such ‘travelling policies’ as student-centred learning, the introduction of curriculum standards, decentralization of educational finance and governance, privatisation of higher education, standardisation of student assessment, and liberalisation of textbook publishing” [ 7 - 8 ]. This interpretation coincides with the assessment of the Russian researcher Romanenchuk “in the 2004 concept of the development of education ‘westernization’ of education (the transfer of the Western model of education to Kazakhstan soil) is embodied in full” [ 9 ]. On the one hand, one can agree with such assessments, and on the other hand, it is necessary to take into account the powerful tendency of the revival of Kazakh schools and the ethno-pedagogical foundations of education. Kazakhstani scientist Akhmetova defines the six reasons for modernizing education somewhat different: the quality of education, globalization and internationalization, politicization and the creation of a knowledge society, new teaching technologies, marketing and financing [ 10 ]. Kazakhstan is a young independent state that turned 25 years old. Therefore, the reforms of Kazakhstani education in the early twenty-first century were aimed at building a national education system as an attribute of independence. At present, Kazakhstan occupies leading positions on the dynamics of educational reforms in the post-Soviet space.

In this chapter, we consider four areas: (1) the expansion of the subject of pedagogy, (2) environmental approach to teaching, (3) the digital generation and the changes taking place, and (4) innovation in teaching. These changes lead to the renewal of teaching methods.

The purpose of the chapter is to summarize the current changes in didactics for the use of innovative teaching methods and study the understanding of changes by teachers.

2. Material and research methods

The sources of research were the works of Kazakhstani, Russian and foreign scholars on didactics, textbooks on Pedagogy of the twentieth century, UNESCO recommendations on the development of teaching strategies.

On the one hand, the section overviews, and on the other hand, the results of a practical study on the use of innovative teaching methods by teachers, and understanding of their strengths and weaknesses are presented.

the features of the expansion of the subject of pedagogy—“education” have been analyzed;

approaches in modern foreign didactics on teaching the digital generation of students have been analyzed and generalized, taking into account their specific features;

attention is focused on pedagogical innovation as a direction for the development of didactics;

a survey of teachers on the using of traditional and innovative teaching methods has been conducted.

Therefore, in the first part of the chapter, the analytical and system approaches were used, and the theoretical changes of modern pedagogy were generalized. Another question is, how much do teachers take a positive attitude to innovation, accept them, and improve their skills? To answer this question, a questionnaire was compiled, and a survey was conducted among teachers who had been trained in the Republican Institute for Advanced Training of Teachers and Educators. The selection of respondents was carried out by random sampling. The survey was conducted in May–June 2016. The survey was conducted jointly with Esenova. The following questions were asked in the questionnaire:

(R1) Do teachers use innovative teaching methods?

(R2) What, in the opinion of teachers, are the advantages of innovative teaching methods, what are their shortcomings?

(R3) Why, for what purpose do teachers use innovative teaching methods?

(R4) Did the teachers learn how to use ITM? How did they learn (options: through qualification improvement courses with state payment, independently or at their own expense)?

(R5) According to teachers what is the parity of applying traditional and innovative teaching methods? Has the teacher formed a meaningful structure for updating teaching methods-an innovative culture of the teacher?

The results of the survey help to understand: first, how dynamic is the improvement of teachers’ pedagogical skills and mastering of innovations in teaching. Second, is the upgrade process systemic? And are the conditions created for this by the state? Or do the teachers update the pedagogical skills of the ITM independently?

3. Literature review

3.1. traditional didactics.

Modern pedagogy from the “science of upbringing and training” has become a “science of upbringing and education.” The category “education” for the twentieth century has been transformed and expanded. Didactics since the days of Jan Amos Komensky has been understood as a theory of learning. In Soviet didactics, education was understood as a “learning outcome” [ 11 ], “the process and result of mastering the system of scientific knowledge and cognitive skills …” [ 4 ]. That is, obtaining an education had an expression in obtaining a certificate of education or a university diploma.

In modern textbooks on pedagogy, for example by Bordovskaya and Rean, education is understood broader [ 12 ]: (1) as a process and result of learning, (2) as a society value, because society spent more than 8 millennia to build a cumbersome educational system; (3) the value of the individual, since modern man spends more than 15 years of his life on education and profession; (4) a social institution with its own powerful infrastructure, economy, educational programs, management bodies, didactic systems, and so on.

Theories of education consider the interaction not only of the pupil and the teacher (the micro level of interaction) but also of the interaction of the state and the education system, the social groups of pupils and teachers, parents and pupils, parents and school, schools and public organizations, schools and religions, schools and economic, social development of society. This is the level of macro influence of education on society and society on education. That is why didactic theories and problems are considered not only from the point of view of the internal relations of the teacher and the student, but as a didactic and at the same time social environment, open to innovations and interference, dynamic changes. Therefore, forming subject competencies, we simultaneously design the formation of social, communicative competences, life competencies.

3.2. Environmental approach to teaching

In the 1970–1980s of the twentieth century in the USSR, the process of teaching began to be stated from the point of view of the activity approach in the domestic textbooks on pedagogy. The learning process as teaching and learning has components: purpose and objectives, content, methods, teaching tools, learning forms and results. When planning the lesson, we design these components. This theory is connected with the L. Vygotsky’s theory of educational activity, the theory of developmental learning of L. Zankov, V. Davydov, I. Lerner, M. Skatkin, Z. Kalmykova and others [ 13 , 14 ].

Since the twenty-first century, the environmental approach to learning has been actively used. According to Manuilov [ 15 ], we define the functional environment as something, among which the subject resides, whereby his way of life is formed, which mediates his development and averages the personality.

In the 1990s of the twentieth century, the Italian scientist Rizolatti discovered mirror neurons. Mirror neurons are neurons of the brain that are excited both when performing a certain action, and when observing the performance of this action by another person. Such neurons were reliably detected in primates, their presence in humans, and some birds, is confirmed. These neurons play a key role in the processes of imitation, empathy, imitation and language learning [ 16 ].

According to the Albert Bandura’s theory of social learning, human behavior is not so consistent. Prior to the theory of A. Bandura, according to the theories of J. Piaget and others, it was believed that abilities and attitudes were formed as they grew up [ 17 ]. Therefore, as we are accustomed to believe, some consistency is inherent in actions. A. Bandura believes that human behavior is not so consistent. Rather, it depends on the circumstances. Human behavior is more determined by the existing situation and its interpretation by a person than by the stage of his development, character traits or personality types. From A. Bandura’s theory of social learning, one can conclude that education is figurative, discrete, can be carried out eventually, situationally.

In the environmental approach, information and energy become important categories. During the lesson, there is a dynamic exchange of information, knowledge, and energy between the teacher and the student. In our opinion, the basis of the synergetic approach in pedagogy is manifested here. According to the theory of self-cognition, according to Mukazhanova, the value of “love” is understood as the energy exchanged between people [ 18 ], for example, mother and her child. Positive attitudes in study and occupation, the positive energy generated by the teacher, set a special positive spiritual atmosphere. It is interesting that here one can turn around to the Academy of Plato history. As you know, the word “platonic love” comes from “spiritual communication between teacher and student.” Therefore, in didactics, it is better to use more developing, positively motivating methods and technologies of education, which will create a development environment that is positive for development. The teacher becomes the facilitator of the child development. Therefore, art-pedagogical, creative methods of teaching are recommended.

Moreover, the environment must be saturated with both information and positive energy. The teacher himself plays a big role if he is a significant personality for the student.

This scientific direction in pedagogy connected with the social environment and the socialization of the individual has resulted in a new disciplinary science—social pedagogy. It deals with other mechanisms of socialization—imprinting, imitation, identification. Thanks to the development of psychology, the theory of upbringing develops coping strategies, coping behavior, and the concept of a lifestyle.

3.3. Digital generation

In the modern school, we observe serious changes related to informatics and the introduction of multimedia in the educational environment. Modern scientists—teachers, sociologists, futurists also reflecting—speak about a new generation of students, that is, schoolchildren of the twenty-first century. This generation is “Next”, generation Z (theory of generations developed by Neil Hove and William Strauss), the digital generation, the social-digital generation (developed by L. Hietajärvi, K. Lonka).

Let us consider the foreign studies of scientists who demonstrate modern changes and new approaches in the development of didactics. Scientists D. Tapscott, D. Oblinger, B. Brdička [ 19 ] note serious changes in perception and learning process ( Table 1 ).

Table 1.

Generation development [ 19 ].

Hietajärvi et al. [ 1 ] echoes it and so articulates changes in the new generation, called the “social-digital generation” ( Table 2 ).

Table 2.

Differences between the modern practice of teaching at school and the new “social-digital generation” [ 1 ].

Note the importance of all the changes. Let us dwell on the fact that “The educational space is expanding beyond the classroom” [ 20 ]. At present, having agreed in advance with the students, we can use the Internet video resources during the explanation and during the group work assignments, and we can allow students to use smart phones and phones when preparing a group solution.

Hietajärvi et al. call the modern generation as a generation with “social and digital participation” and write that “social and digital technologies are integrated systems of technology, social media and the Internet that provide a constant and intensive online interaction with information, people, and artifacts”; Social and digital participation is “a new concept of the practice of informal, socially-digital mediated participation” [ 1 ].

According to Soldatova’s and Zotova’s research, changes occur in the memory, attention and thinking of the digital generation. “The accessibility of almost any information at any time from an early age changes the structure of mnemonic processes. First of all, it is not the content of any information source in the network that is remembered, but the place where this information is located, and more precisely the ‘way’, method how to get to it. The average concentration duration of attention compared to that which was 10-15 years ago, decreased ten times. A new phenomenon is clip thinking. It is based on fragments processing of visual images, rather than “on logic and text associations” [ 20 ].

Teachers have diametrically opposed opinions on how to respond to changes: from conservative (leaving everything as it is, schoolchildren need to be taught as in the last century) until the need for a complete restructuring of the education system. Our position is based on the principle of ambivalence, the continuity of “tradition → innovation,” the need for active research of the phenomenon of electronic and visual culture, and the study of the influence of visual culture on the personality of a schoolboy. Digital technologies change our way of life, ways of communication, way of thinking, feelings, channels of influence on other people, social skills, and social behavior [ 21 ].

Schoolchildren and students have more short-term memory; therefore, new methods of fixing knowledge in long-term memory and development of competencies are needed. Educators are aware of the problem of forming school children’s cogency of thinking. It is interesting to understand the “superficial” and “deep”/“deep” approach in obtaining knowledge. “Learning the text by heart, ignoring the meaning, understanding - is known as a superficial approach, and an integral and critical assessment, the study of the material is known as a deep approach.” “Superficial learning is a superficial approach; it is the reproduction of knowledge, the teacher-regulated training, passive epistemology, dual vision, and the consumption of knowledge. Deep approach, knowledge transformation, self-regulatory learning, active epistemology, relativistic views, and knowledge building approach can lead to deeper levels of learning” [ 1 ].

These issues put forward new requirements for the teacher and his professional activities. Teachers need to learn new information and digital technologies more actively. In addition, new research is needed in the field of the psychology of perception and thinking with the active use of e-learning. Practical training of teachers for the use of ICT and digital resources, the formation of digital literacy, the inclusion of such courses in educational programs for teachers is necessary nowadays.

When formulating courses, it is possible to demonstrate the continuity of the development of didactics on the concepts “behaviorism → cognitivism → constructivism → connectivism.” Brdička systematized the development of didactic bases of the twentieth century in 2011 ( Table 3 ) [ 19 ].

Table 3.

Connectivism as a new didactic basis in the foreign theory of education [ 19 , 22 ].

As is known, the theory of behaviorism as a behavioral approach appeared in the 1920s. It has been used in education for a long time. Schools of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries relied on the foundations of a behavioral approach (although the theory of behaviorism has not existed yet). In the 30s of the twentieth century, the formation of the cognitivism process began in Soviet education. The Soviet didactic system was mainly built on the use of both theories. Further in the second half of the twentieth century, the theory of constructivism (social constructionism) was formulated. Social reality has a dual nature. On the one hand, it has objective meanings, while on the other hand, it has subjective meanings. Each person builds a social reality around himself. An important tool of social reality is language. Through language and communication, a person builds for himself a field of knowledge and understanding. The processes of socio-psychological construction of the society through personal activity and activity are considered.

In education, the course of social constructivism is associated with the socialization of the individual in society, the formation of socialization skills in each person, and the learning of self-structuring of knowledge by students. The approach is connected both with the construction of the learning environment, including communicative and construction of knowledge through it. Currently, the theory is actualized by the use of active and innovative teaching methods in education (brainstorming, case study, group teaching methods, etc.). We emphasize that the sequence of the appearance of theories, in principle, does not disprove the previous one, but complements, as it were, built on the previous ones, then penetrates into the previous ones and partially changes their use. This understanding is illustrated by the modern methodological principle of the science—the principle of addition and complementation. As in school, at the university, we use these trends when building the learning process. Note that the course of social constructivism echoes the environmental approach in pedagogy.

A new direction for the emerging theory was put forward by Siemens and Downes in connection with the development of communication network and new opportunities for their use in teaching [ 22 ]. Knowledge is obtained through interaction with the network community. Of course, such a process of obtaining knowledge, on the one hand, can be characteristic of an already prepared or adult person who is able to critically evaluate, analyze, choose, and construct knowledge [ 21 ]. That is, it has some foundation of knowledge. At the same time, the students of secondary schools themselves demonstrate active assimilation of knowledge and skills in this way—through networks. Therefore, in our opinion, we predict that there will be a penetration of this theory gradually into lower-level classes (even initial ones). For junior high school students and teenagers, networks have become commonplace, so their networking skills are much better developed than those of educators.

In Kazakhstan, which has Soviet traditions in didactics, the content of education was built on the basis of theories of encyclopedism, formalism, copyism (in Russian—ekzemplyarizm), and others. They are described in the textbook of didactics [ 23 ]. In the Western science of education, the transition from behaviorism to cognitivism and constructivism is considered. The transition to the dominance of theories of constructivism requires the active use of innovative teaching methods. It is clear that changes in reality dictate the need to move away from encyclopedism and cognitivism in learning.

In education, the understanding of learning outcomes has shifted from knowledge, or knowledge and skills, to the formation of competencies. If knowledge is formed consistently, then competencies develop in a complex manner. Competencies are difficult to form in one lesson, so we can talk about “learning strategies” implemented for a certain length of time. The learning strategy integrates both approaches and principles, the direction of development, and the methods and types of instruction. Training strategies are aimed at competence—the expected results of education. Strategies for active, innovative teaching, project-oriented, and playful learning can realize the concepts of constructivism and connectivism.

3.4. Innovation in training

According to Volov, “In the Middle Ages in educational institutions the ratio of the number of pupils to the holders of knowledge was about ten (I ≈ 10); With the introduction of the pedagogical system Ya.A. Comensky, the ratio of the number of pupils to the teacher reaches hundreds (I ≈ 100); modern innovative technologies increase the factor of educational technologies in tens of thousand times (I ≈100,000)” [ 24 ]. The development of innovations in education is served by the scientific discipline “Pedagogical innovation.” It helps in the development, implementation and dissemination of innovations in teaching practice. We give several of its provisions.

Innovation is a phenomenon that carries in itself the essence, methods, techniques, technologies, and content of the new. Innovations (from Latin in - in, nove - new) - the introduction of a new, the introduction of novelty. According to Taubaeva and Laktionova: “The innovative process is a complex activity in the formation and development of the content of education and the organization of a new” [ 25 ].

Innovative methods of teaching are methods of teaching that involve new ways of interaction between “teacher-student”, “teacher-student”, a certain innovation in practical activity in the process of mastering educational material.

an absolute innovation (absolutely new technology);

a modernized innovation (significantly improved technology);

a modified innovation (slightly improved technology);

an innovation, technology introduced to a new territory (e.g., trainings for the RK, credit technology of training for Kazakhstan);

an innovative technology of a new field of application [ 26 ].

Features of innovative training: (1) work on anticipation, anticipation of development; (2) openness to the future; (3) constant inconsistency, in other words, the non-equilibrium of the system, in particular the person himself; (4) focus on the personality, his development; (5) the obligatory presence of creativity elements; and (6) partnership type of relations: cooperation, co-creation, mutual assistance, and so on.

the belief that the human potential is unlimited;

the pedagogical approach is aimed at mastering reality in the system;

stimulation of nonlinear thinking;

they are based on the hedonistic principle that is, based on the enjoyment of learning, the joy of achievement, the pedagogy of success.

the mobile role-playing field of the teacher—the teacher simultaneously teaches and learns from the student [ 27 ].

Firstly, the very methodology of innovative learning is built on a personal-oriented approach. In the Western literature, it is called student-centered learning. Secondly, it synthesizes synergistic, systemic, competence, dialogical and activity-oriented, culturological, information and technological, environmental, and other approaches. Third, it is possible to determine the laws and principles of the innovation process in education and the basis of the innovative culture of the teacher. The methodology of innovative teaching is reflected in the training manual.

According to Podlasy “The teaching methods set the pace of development of the didactic system - the training progresses as quickly as the methods used allow it to move forward” [ 11 ]. In practice, there is a transition from reproductive methods of teaching to innovative ones.

We have collected more than 300 innovative teaching methods and technologies for more than 20 years of experience [ 26 , 28 ]. Traditionally, ITM (according to M. Novak) is divided into nonimitative (brainstorming, pedagogical exercises, and discussions) and imitative (nongame, e.g., case study, training, etc., and gaming—business role-playing, blitz games). The collection includes a didactic description of the algorithms for applying the methods and the most interesting examples of student fulfillment [ 29 ]. They include: brainstorming, training, role-playing and business games, blitz games, various methods such as “Puzzles”, then “Domino”, “Historical picture”, “Fish bone”, “Spider online”, “Car”,” Basalt Columns “, “University - 2050″, “School-2030 “,” School - 2050 “, lessons “Сreativity hour”,” Talk show “,” TV digest “, in the” Walt Disney Circle “, “Walt Disney’s Three Stools”; On “soap bubbles,” “Conceptual fan,” “Collective record”, “Palm,” “Train,” “My Constellation,” “I - it me,” critical thinking techniques, “Six pairs of action shoes” and “Six hats of thinking” by Edward de Bono, an educational project, a fairy tale creation, etc.

For example, the method “Historical picture” was born after a trip to Dresden and acquaintance with the famous wall tile panel “Procession of the Princes”, created in 1904–1907. It depicts 35 Margraves and Kings of Saxony, who lived from the twelfth century to the beginning of the twentieth century and in the procession they are presented consistently. Students are invited to study the historical information about this panel and to come up with their own version of the historical picture of the collection of the procession, for example, the scientific school of the theory of behaviorism with brief “reference signals” about the positions of scientists. The student does not need to possess special artistic skills; he is allowed to use any improvised material such as copies of biographical references with photos, glue, paper, markers, etc. The work can be performed in groups, as an independent work, or at a seminar (with a given homework to study the theory of behaviorism). In conclusion, presentations are made. Students not only learn the sources as much as possible but also learn to generalize, logically and artistically, visually, creatively represent solutions, present their decisions, work in a team.

In 2010, UNESCO recommended the following teaching strategies for the twenty-first century: experiential learning, storytelling, values education, enquiry learning, appropriate assessment, future problem solving, outside classroom learning, and community problem solving [ 30 ].

The active use of innovative teaching methods by teachers is a necessity nowadays. The greater the strategies and methods of teaching the teacher has, the more interesting, diverse it conducts classes, better motivates the student’s cognitive activity, shapes the experience of solving nonstandard problems, promotes in-depth training and the steady assimilation of technology of practical activity.

A good teacher constantly improves his didactic skills, selects, and develops new methods and technologies of teaching.

A change in the teaching of pedagogy can be observed in the gradual addition of subsections of textbooks on the pedagogy topics on innovative methods of teaching (comparative Table 4 ).

Table 4.

Comparative table of the section “didactics” of textbooks on “pedagogy” for pedagogical universities.

These textbooks were used in universities to train teachers on the territory of the USSR and post-Soviet countries, recommended by the Ministry of that time. The analysis of the content was carried out on the basis of comparing the names of topics in the section “Didactics” of textbooks on pedagogy of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries (textbooks representing the decade). It shows the relative stability of the subjects of the section “Didactics” by keywords: “the process of learning,” “the content of education,” “methods and means of teaching,” and “forms of education.” Textbooks include the topic “Innovative Learning Technologies” in the 21st century. Thus, modern students are studying innovative methods and technologies of teaching.

For teachers of the older generation who have graduated earlier from universities, advanced training is carried out (according to the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan “About Education” at least once in 5 years) [ 33 ].

Currently, most schools in Kazakhstan are actively pursuing reforms, including the active use of innovative teaching methods by teachers. Next, we turn to the consideration of the results of the questionnaire of teachers on the use of innovative teaching methods.

4. Results and discussion

4.1. survey of teachers on the use of innovative teaching methods.

Many scientists study the active implementation of innovations in training. According to Isayev, only 14% of teachers have an actively positive attitude to innovation, they initiate the introduction of new technologies in the educational process and promote them. Twenty-three percent are positively attuned and 9% have an emotionally positive attitude to pedagogical innovations [ 34 ]. While 18% of teachers have frustration-negative, 26%—passive-negative, and 10% actively negative attitude toward innovation. T.I. Shamova divides teachers in terms of the degree of motivation for innovation in the school into leaders from 1 to 3%, positivists from 50 to 60%, neutrals—30%, and negativists from 10 to 20% [ 35 ]. The introduction of innovative teaching methods is actively conducted in Kazakhstan. Let us conduct a survey among teachers—whether they use innovative teaching methods, which see the strengths and weaknesses of ITM application.

In the joint questionnaire held by K. Esenova, 66 teachers participated in the qualification improvement institute, and up to three priority answers were allowed.

(R1) Do teachers apply ITM? 92.42% of the teachers admit that they use innovative teaching methods. In our opinion, this is a high figure. At the same time, it can be assumed that since teachers came to improve their qualifications from different regions of Kazakhstan, they were a priori motivated to update the teaching methods, to apply ITM, and have some experience in applying them. In addition, the promotion of the ITM application is widely conducted in the Kazakhstani education system. Therefore, we can assume that this result is in part similar to Shamova’s data on the existence of teachers due to various reasons that are negatively related to innovations in training.

(R2) Advantages and disadvantages of ITM . Teachers recognize the strengths of teachers recognize the strengths of the application of innovative teaching methods (ITM): the activity of students in cognition and activity (51.52%), students’ interest and practical orientation (39.93%), meaningfulness and strength of the acquired knowledge and competences (36.36%), the feasibility of fulfilling the tasks of the students (33.33%), development of creativity (30.30%), support of interest and direction in depth for strong students (15.15%).

The risk zones indicated by teachers: a reduction in the amount of knowledge for a limited time of the lesson (54.55%), training and material support/equipment, markers, stickers …/(48, 48), class noise, reduced discipline (42.42%), and labor time of training (36.36%). Note that in urban schools, the usual class consists of 25–33 schoolchildren, and the teacher does not have an assistant.

These indicators are a good illustration of the teachers’ understanding of the sampling of existing difficulties in the application of ITM.

( R3) The purpose of ITM application. The main goal of the ITM application, according to the teachers’ evaluation, is to increase the interest of students—92.42%, active involvement of students in educational work—69.7%, development of the creativity of the student 60.61% ( Figure 1 ). As a result of ITM application, the students develop personality qualities—activity, communicativeness, competence, oratorical ability, democracy. The constant use of innovative teaching methods develop in pupils, according to teachers’ assessments, activity (78.79%), communicative (69.7%), competence (66.67%), oratory (30.3%), and democracy (15.15%).

Figure 1.

Why, for what purpose do teachers use innovative teaching methods?.

(R4) Training of IMT teachers . Most teachers were trained in innovative teaching methods (81.82%). Methodical updating took place through qualification improvement courses (78.79%) and special courses at universities (54.55%). Besides, teachers attend training at their own expense (45.4%) and are engaged in self-education (30.3%). Indirectly, these results show the systematic nature of the state’s work on updating the methods of teaching. At the same time, 30–45% of the selected teachers independently update innovative methodological competence, which also shows the active position of teachers in improving the skills in this sample. The results are in accordance with the data on the studies of Isaev and Shamova (46% positively related and 50–60% positivists enter the data area).

( R5) The parity of applying traditional and innovative teaching methods . On the question of determining the parity of accepting traditional (reproductive) and innovative methods of teaching, teachers responded as follows ( Figure 2 ).

Figure 2.

Determining the parity of applying traditional and innovative teaching methods.

It is gratifying to note that there has been a turn to the need for more innovative methods of teaching to be used by 90.91% of teachers. This is the result of reforming the system of Kazakhstani education as well as the work of courses for improving the qualifications of teachers.

To the last question: “Did you have a meaningful structure for updating the methods of teaching-an innovative teacher culture?” 45.5% of teachers answered “Yes”, 39.4% in part, and 15.1% answered “No” ( Figure 3 ). This system includes both participation in advanced training courses, participation in ITM training, self-education—reading books, attending classes of innovative teachers.

Figure 3.

Teachers answer.

In our opinion, it is the innovative culture with the motive and the ability to update the pedagogical tools, competences, knowledge, and values that should become the component of the skill of the modern teacher. Such a system can be multicomponent, as teachers themselves point out, associated with the reflexive methodological competence of teachers.

5. Conclusion

Changes in didactics and pedagogy of Kazakhstan and post-Soviet countries have two major directions. The first is associated with a change in ideology and the acquisition of independence by countries. The second is connected with the world trends in the development of education: the introduction of a competence approach, informatization, internetization, globalization, and diversification of education.

Teacher, on the one hand, subjectively decides on the design of the content, methods, strategies, and technologies of education, but the implementation of educational reforms depends on him. On the other hand, the state and society broadcast the pedagogical culture, the value aspects of teachers’ thoughts through professional, vocational training, and the system of raising teachers’ qualifications.

The subjectivity of consciousness and professional activity is one of the principles of modern pedagogical science. That is, the application or nonuse of innovative methods depends on the personality of the teacher, his methodological competence, pedagogical skills. The task of the teacher training system is to actualize such a need, to form methodological competence. The task of the school and universities is to encourage and stimulate the development of teachers’ and students’ creativity. An important task of the teacher is to constantly reflect and develop his pedagogical potential; then the student influenced by the example of the teacher will be an active and competent person.

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Review article, innovative pedagogies of the future: an evidence-based selection.

Institute of Educational Technology, The Open University, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom

There is a widespread notion that educational systems should empower learners with skills and competences to cope with a constantly changing landscape. Reference is often made to skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, collaborative skills, innovation, digital literacy, and adaptability. What is negotiable is how best to achieve the development of those skills, in particular which teaching and learning approaches are suitable for facilitating or enabling complex skills development. In this paper, we build on our previous work of exploring new forms of pedagogy for an interactive world, as documented in our Innovating Pedagogy report series. We present a set of innovative pedagogical approaches that have the potential to guide teaching and transform learning. An integrated framework has been developed to select pedagogies for inclusion in this paper, consisting of the following five dimensions: (a) relevance to effective educational theories, (b) research evidence about the effectiveness of the proposed pedagogies, (c) relation to the development of twenty-first century skills, (d) innovative aspects of pedagogy, and (e) level of adoption in educational practice. The selected pedagogies, namely formative analytics, teachback, place-based learning, learning with drones, learning with robots, and citizen inquiry are either attached to specific technological developments, or they have emerged due to an advanced understanding of the science of learning. Each one is presented in terms of the five dimensions of the framework.

Introduction

In its vision for the future of education in 2030, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development ( OECD, 2018 ) views essential learner qualities as the acquisition of skills to embrace complex challenges and the development of the person as a whole, valuing common prosperity, sustainability and wellbeing. Wellbeing is perceived as “inclusive growth” related to equitable access to “ quality of life, including health, civic engagement, social connections, education, security, life satisfaction and the environment” (p. 4). To achieve this vision, a varied set of skills and competences is needed, that would allow learners to act as “change agents” who can achieve positive impact on their surroundings by developing empathy and anticipating the consequences of their actions.

Several frameworks have been produced over the years detailing specific skills and competences for the citizens of the future (e.g., Trilling and Fadel, 2009 ; OECD, 2015 , 2018 ; Council of the European Union, 2018 ). These frameworks refer to skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, team work, communication and negotiation skills; and competences related to literacy, multilingualism, STEM, digital, personal, social, and “learning to learn” competences, citizenship, entrepreneurship, and cultural awareness ( Trilling and Fadel, 2009 ; Council of the European Union, 2018 ). In a similar line of thinking, in the OECD Learning Framework 2030 ( OECD, 2018 ) cognitive, health and socio-emotional foundations are stressed, including literacy, numeracy, digital literacy and data numeracy, physical and mental health, morals, and ethics.

The question we are asked to answer is whether the education vision of the future, or the development of the skills needed to cope with an ever-changing society, has been met, or can be met. The short answer is not yet. For example, the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) has been ranking educational systems based on 15-year-old students' performance on tests about reading, mathematics and science every 3 years in more than 90 countries. In the latest published report ( OECD, 2015 ), Japan, Estonia, Finland, and Canada are the four highest performing OECD countries in science. This means that students from these countries on average can “ creatively and autonomously apply their knowledge and skills to a wide variety of situations, including unfamiliar ones” ( OECD, 2016a , p.2). Yet about 20% of students across participating countries are shown to perform below the baseline in science and proficiency in reading ( OECD, 2016b ). Those most at risk are socio-economically disadvantaged students, who are almost three times more likely than their peers not to meet the given baselines. These outcomes are quite alarming; they stress the need for evidence-based, effective, and innovative teaching and learning approaches that can result in not only improved learning outcomes but also greater student wellbeing. Overall, an increasing focus on memorization and testing has been observed in education, including early years, that leaves no space for active exploration and playful learning ( Mitchell, 2018 ), and threatens the wellbeing and socioemotional growth of learners. There is an increased evidence-base that shows that although teachers would like to implement more active, innovative forms of education to meet the diverse learning needs of their students, due to a myriad of constraints teachers often resort to more traditional, conservative approaches to teaching and learning ( Ebert-May et al., 2011 ; Herodotou et al., 2019 ).

In this paper, we propose that the distance between educational vision and current teaching practice can be bridged through the adoption and use of appropriate pedagogy that has been tested and proven to contribute to the development of the person as a whole. Evidence of impact becomes a central component of the teaching practice; what works and for whom in terms of learning and development can provide guidelines to teaching practitioners as to how to modify or update their teaching in order to achieve desirable learning outcomes. Educational institutions may have already adopted innovations in educational technology equipment (such as mobile devices), yet this change has not necessarily been accompanied by respective changes in the practice of teaching and learning. Enduring transformations can be brought about through “pedagogy,” that is improvements in “the theory and practice of teaching, learning, and assessment” and not the mere introduction of technology in classrooms ( Sharples, 2019 ). PISA analysis of the impact of Information Communication Technology (ICT) on reading, mathematics, and science in countries heavily invested in educational technology showed mixed effects and “no appreciable improvements” ( OECD, 2015 , p.3).

The aim of this study is to review and present a set of innovative, evidence-based pedagogical approaches that have the potential to guide teaching practitioners and transform learning processes and outcomes. The selected pedagogies draw from the successful Innovating Pedagogy report series ( https://iet.open.ac.uk/innovating-pedagogy ), produced by The Open University UK (OU) in collaboration with other centers of research in teaching and learning, that explore innovative forms of teaching, learning and assessment. Since 2012, the OU has produced seven Innovating Pedagogy reports with SRI international (USA), National Institute of Education (Singapore), Learning In a NetworKed Society (Israel), and the Center for the Science of Learning & Technology (Norway). For each report, teams of researchers shared ideas, proposed innovations, read research papers and blogs, and commented on each other's draft contributions in an organic manner ( Sharples et al., 2012 , 2013 , 2014 , 2015 , 2016 ; Ferguson et al., 2017 , 2019 ). Starting from an initial list of potential promising educational innovations that may already be in currency but not yet reached a critical mass of influence on education, these lists were critically and collaboratively examined, and reduced to 9–11 main topics identified as having the potential to provoke major shifts in educational practice.

After seven years of gathering a total of 70 innovative pedagogies, in this paper seven academics from the OU, authors of the various Innovating Pedagogy reports, critically reflected on which of these approaches have the strongest evidence and/or potential to transform learning processes and outcomes to meet the future educational skills and competences described by OECD and others. Based upon five criteria and extensive discussions, we selected six approaches that we believe have the most evidence and/or potential for future education:

• Formative analytics,

• Teachback,

• Place-based learning,

• Learning with robots,

• Learning with drones,

• Citizen inquiry.

Formative analytics is defined as “supporting the learner to reflect on what is learned, what can be improved, which goals can be achieved, and how to move forward” ( Sharples et al., 2016 , p.32). Teachback is a means for two or more people to demonstrate that they are progressing toward a shared understanding of a complex topic. Place-based learning derives learning opportunities from local community settings, which help students connect abstract concepts from the classroom and textbooks with practical challenges encountered in their own localities. Learning with robots could help teachers to free up time on simple, repetitive tasks, and provide scaffolding to learners. Learning with drones is being used to support fieldwork by enhancing students' capability to explore outdoor physical environments. Finally, citizen inquiry describes ways that members of the public can learn by initiating or joining shared inquiry-led scientific investigations.

Devising a Framework for Selection: The Role of Evidence

Building on previous work ( Puttick and Ludlow, 2012 ; Ferguson and Clow, 2017 ; Herodotou et al., 2017a ; John and McNeal, 2017 ; Batty et al., 2019 ), we propose an integrated framework for how to select pedagogies. The framework resulted from ongoing discussions amongst the seven authors of this paper as to how educational practitioners should identify and use certain ways of teaching and learning, while avoiding others. The five components of the model are presented below:

• Relevance to effective educational theories: the first criterion refers to whether the proposed pedagogy relates to specific educational theories that have shown to be effective in terms of improving learning.

• Research evidence about the effectiveness of the proposed pedagogies: the second criterion refers to actual studies testing the proposed pedagogy and their outcomes.

• Relation to the development of twenty-first century skills: the third criterion refers to whether the pedagogy can contribute to the development of the twenty-first century skills or the education vision of 2030 (as described in the introduction section).

• Innovative aspects of pedagogy: the fourth criterion details what is innovative or new in relation to the proposed pedagogy.

• Level of adoption in educational practice: the last criterion brings in evidence about the current level of adoption in education, in an effort to identify gaps in our knowledge and propose future directions of research.

A major component of the proposed framework is effectiveness , or the generation of evidence of impact . The definition of what constitutes evidence varies ( Ferguson and Clow, 2017 ; Batty et al., 2019 ), and this often relates to the quality or strength of evidence presented. The Strength of Evidence pyramid by John and McNeal (2017) (see Figure 1 ) categorizes different types of evidence based on their strength, ranging from expert opinions as the least strong type of evidence to meta-analysis or synthesis as the strongest or most reliable form of evidence. While the bottom of the pyramid refers to “practitioners' wisdom about teaching and learning,” the next two levels refer to peer-reviewed and published primary sources of evidence, both qualitative and quantitative. They are mostly case-studies, based on either the example of a single institution, or a cross-institutional analysis involving multiple courses or institutions. The top two levels involve careful consideration of existing resources of evidence and inclusion in a synthesis or meta-analysis. For example, variations of this pyramid in medical studies present Randomized Control Trials (RCTs) at the second top level of the pyramid, indicating the value of this approach for gaining less biased quality evidence.

Figure 1 . The strength of evidence pyramid ( John and McNeal, 2017 ).

Another approach proposed by the innovation foundation Nesta presents evidence on a scale of 1 to 5, showcasing the level of confidence with the impact of an intervention ( Puttick and Ludlow, 2012 ). Level 1 studies describe logically, coherently and convincingly what has been done and why it matters, while level 5 studies produce manuals ensuring consistent replication of a study. The evidence becomes stronger when studies prove causality (e.g., through experimental approaches) and can be replicated successfully. While these frameworks are useful for assessing the quality or strength of evidence, they do not make any reference to how the purpose of a study can define which type of evidence to collect. Different types of evidence could effectively address different purposes; depending on the objective of a given study a different type of evidence could be used ( Batty et al., 2019 ). For example, the UK government-funded research work by the Educational Endowment Foundation (EEF) is using RCTs, instead of for example expert opinions, as the purpose of their studies is to capture the impact of certain interventions nationally across schools in the UK.

Education, as opposed to other disciplines such as medicine and agriculture, has been less concerned with evaluating different pedagogical approaches and determining their impact on learning outcomes. The argument often made is the difficulty in evaluating learning processes, especially through experimental methodologies, due to variability in teaching conditions across classrooms and between different practitioners, that may inhibit any comparisons and valid conclusions. In particular, RCTs have been sparse and often criticized as not explaining any impact (or absence of impact) on learning, a limitation that could be overcome by combining RCT outcomes with qualitative methodologies ( Herodotou et al., 2017a ). Mixed-methods evaluations could identify how faithfully an intervention is applied to different learning contexts or for example, the degree to which teachers have been engaged with it. An alternative approach is Design-Based Research (DBR); this is a form of action-based research where a problem in the educational process is identified, solutions informed by existing literature are proposed, and iterative cycles of testing and refinement take place in order to identify what works in practice in order to improve the solution. DBR often results in guidelines or theory development (e.g., Anderson and Shattuck, 2012 ).

An evidence-based mindset in education has been recently popularized through the EEF. Their development of the teaching and learning toolkit provides an overview of existing evidence about certain approaches to improving teaching and learning, summarized in terms of impact on attainment, cost and the supporting strength of evidence. Amongst the most effective teaching approaches are the provision of feedback, development of metacognition and self-regulation, homework for secondary students, and mastery learning ( https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk ). Similarly, the National Center for Education and Evaluation (NCEE) in the US conducts large-scale evaluations of education programs with funds from the government. Amongst the interventions with the highest effectiveness ratings are phonological awareness training, reading recovery, and dialogic reading ( https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/ ).

The importance of evidence generation is also evident in the explicit focus of Higher Education institutions in understanding and increasing educational effectiveness as a means to: tackle inequalities and promote educational justice (see Durham University Evidence Center for Education; DECE), provide high quality education for independent and lifelong learners (Learning and Teaching strategy, Imperial College London), develop criticality and deepen learning (London Center for Leadership in Learning, UCL Institute of Education), and improve student retention and performance in online and distance settings [Institute of Educational Technology (IET) OU].

The generation of evidence can help identify or debunk possible myths in education and distinguish between practitioners' beliefs about what works in their practice as opposed to research evidence emerging from systematically assessing a specific teaching approach. A characteristic example is the “Learning Styles” myth and the assumption that teachers should identify and accommodate each learner's special way of learning such as visual, auditory and kinesthetic. While there is no consistent evidence that considering learning styles can improve learning outcomes (e.g., Rohrer and Pashler, 2010 ; Kirschner and van Merriënboer, 2013 ; Newton and Miah, 2017 ), many teachers believe in learning styles and make efforts in organizing their teaching around them ( Newton and Miah, 2017 ). In the same study, one third of participants stated that they would continue to use learning styles in their practice despite being presented with negative evidence. This suggests that we are rather in the early days of transforming the practice of education and in particular, developing a shared evidence-based mindset across researchers and practitioners.

In order to critically review the 70 innovative pedagogies from the seven Innovating Pedagogy reports, over a period of 2 months the seven authors critically evaluated academic and gray literature that was published after the respective reports were launched. In line with the five criteria defined above, each author contributed in a dynamic Google sheet what evidence was available for promising approaches. Based upon the initial list of 70, a short-list of 10 approaches was pre-selected. These were further fine-tuned to the final six approaches identified for this study based upon the emerging evidence of impact available as well as potential opportunity for future educational innovation. The emerging evidence and impact of the six approaches were peer-reviewed by the authoring team after contributions had been anonymized, and the lead author assigned the final categorizations.

In the next section, we present each of the proposed pedagogies in relation to how they meet the framework criteria, in an effort to understand what we know about their effectiveness, what evidence exist showcasing impact on learning, how each pedagogy accommodates the vision of the twenty-first century skills development, innovation aspects and current levels of adoption in educational practice.

Selected Pedagogies

Formative analytics, relevance to effective educational theories.

As indicated by the Innovating Pedagogy 2016 report ( Sharples et al., 2016 , p.32), “formative analytics are focused on supporting the learner to reflect on what is learned, what can be improved, which goals can be achieved, and how to move forward.” In contrast to most analytics approaches that focus on analytics of learning, formative analytics aims to support analytics for learning, for a learner to reach his or her goals through “smart” analytics, such as visualizations of potential learning paths or personalized feedback. For example, these formative analytics might help learners to effectively self-regulate their learning. Zimmerman (2000) defined self-regulation as “self-generated thoughts, feelings and actions that are planned and cyclically adapted to the attainment of personal learning goals.” Students have a range of choices and options when they are learning in blended or online environments as to when, what, how, and with whom to study, with minimal guidance from teachers. Therefore, “appropriate” Self-Regulated Learning (SRL) strategies are needed for achieving individual learning goals ( Hadwin et al., 2011 ; Trevors et al., 2016 ).

With the arrival of fine-grained log-data and the emergence of learning analytics there are potentially more, and perhaps new, opportunities to map how to support students with different SRL ( Winne, 2017 ). With trace data on students' affect (e.g., emotional expression in text, self-reported dispositions), behavior (e.g., engagement, time on task, clicks), and cognition (e.g., how to work through a task, mastery of task, problem-solving techniques), researchers and teachers are able to potentially test and critically examine pedagogical theories like SRL theories on a micro as well as macro-level ( Panadero et al., 2016 ; D'Mello et al., 2017 ).

Research Evidence About the Effectiveness of the Proposed Pedagogies

There is an emergence of literature that uses formative analytics to support SRL and to understand how students are setting goals and solve computer-based tasks ( Azevedo et al., 2013 ; Winne, 2017 ). For example, using the software tool nStudy ( Winne, 2017 ) recently showed that trace data from students in forms of notes, bookmarks, or quotes can be used to understand the cycles of self-regulation. In a study of 285 students learning French in a business context, using log-file data ( Gelan et al., 2018 ) found that engaged and self-regulated students outperformed students who were “behind” in their study. In an introductory mathematics course amongst 922 students, Tempelaar et al. (2015) showed that a combination of self-reported learning dispositions from students in conjunction with log-data of actual engagement in mathematics tasks provide effective formative analytics feedback to students. Recently, Fincham et al. (2018) found that formative analytics could actively encourage 1,138 engineering learners to critically reflect upon one of their eight adopted learning strategies, and where needed adjust it.

Relation to the Development of Twenty-First Century Skills

Beyond providing markers for formative feedback on cognitive skills (e.g., mastery of mathematics, critical thinking), formative analytics tools have also been used for more twenty-first century affective (e.g., anxiety, self-efficacy) and behavioral (e.g., group working) skills. For example, a group widget developed by Scheffel et al. (2017) showed that group members were more aware of their online peers and their contributions. Similarly, providing automatic computer-based assessment feedback on mastery of mathematics exercises but also providing different options to work-out the next task allowed students with math anxiety to develop more self-efficacy over time when they actively engaged with formative analytics ( Tempelaar et al., 2018 ). Although implementing automated formative analytics is relatively easier with structured cognitive tasks (e.g., multiple choice questions, calculations), there is an emerging body of research that focuses on using more complex and unstructured data, such as text as well as emotion data ( Azevedo et al., 2013 ; Panadero et al., 2016 ; Trevors et al., 2016 ), that can effectively provide formative analytics beyond cognition.

Innovative Aspects of Pedagogy

By using fine-grained data and reporting this directly back to students in the form of feedback or dashboards, the educational practice is substantially influenced, and subsequently innovated. In particular, instead of waiting for feedback from a teacher at the end of an assessment task, students can receive formative analytics on demand (when they want to), or ask for the formative analytics that link to their own self-regulation strategies. This is a radical departure from more traditional pedagogies that either place the teacher at the center, or expect students to be fully responsible for their SRL.

Level of Adoption in Educational Practice

Beyond the widespread practice of formative analytics in computer-based assessment ( Scherer et al., 2017 ), there is an emerging field of practice whereby institutions are providing analytics dashboards directly to students. For example, in a recent review on the use of learning analytics dashboards, Bodily et al. (2018) conclude that many dashboards use principles and conceptualizations of SRL, which could be used to support teachers and students, assuming they have the capability to use these tools. However, substantial challenges remain as to how to effectively provide these formative analytics to teachers ( Herodotou et al., 2019 ) and students ( Scherer et al., 2017 ; Tempelaar et al., 2018 ), and how to make sure positive SRL strategies nested within students are encouraged and not hampered by overly prescriptive and simplistic formative analytics solutions.

The method of Teachback, and the name, were originally devised by the educational technologist Gordon Pask (1976) , as a means for two or more people to demonstrate that they are progressing toward a shared understanding of a complex topic. It starts with an expert, teacher, or more knowledgeable student explaining their knowledge of a topic to another person who has less understanding. Next, the less knowledgeable student attempts to teach back what they have learned to the more knowledgeable person. If that is successful, the one with more knowledge might then explain the topic in more detail. If the less knowledgeable person has difficulty in teaching back, the person with more expertise tries to explain in a clearer or different way. The less knowledgeable person teaches it again until they both agree.

A classroom teachback session could consist of pairs of students taking turns to teach back to each other a series of topics set by the teacher. For example, a science class might be learning the topic of “eclipses.” The teacher splits the class into pairs and asks one student in each pair to explain to the other what they know about “eclipse of the sun.” Next, the class receives instruction about eclipses from the teacher, or a video explanation. Then, the second student in the pair teaches back what they have just learned. The first student asks questions to clarify such as, “What do you mean by that?” If either student is unsure, or the two disagree, then they can ask the teacher. The students may also jointly write a short explanation, or draw a diagram of the eclipse, to explain what they have learned.

The method is based on the educational theory of “radical constructivism” (e.g., von Glaserfeld, 1987 ) which sees knowledge as an adaptive process, allowing people to cope in the world of experience by building consensus through mutually understood language. It is a cybernetic theory, not a cognitive one, in which structured conversation and feedback among individuals create a system that “comes to know” by creating areas of mutual understanding.

Some doctors and healthcare professionals have adopted teachback in their conversations with patients to make sure they understand instructions on how to take medication and manage their care. In a study by Negarandeh et al. (2013) with 43 diabetic patients, a nurse conducted one 20-min teachback session for each patient, each week over 3 weeks. A control group ( N = 40) spent similar times with the nurse, but received standard consultations. The nurse asked questions such as “When you get home, your partner will ask you what the nurse said. What will you tell them?” Six weeks after the last session, those patients who learned through teachback knew significantly more about how to care for their diabetes than the control group patients. Indeed, a systematic review study of 12 published articles covering teachback for patients showed positive outcomes on a variety of measures, though not all were statistically significant ( Ha Dinh et al., 2016 ).

Teachback has strong relevance in a world of social and conversational media, with “fake news” competing for attention alongside verified facts and robust knowledge. How can a student “come to know” a new topic, especially one that is controversial. Teachback can be a means to develop the skills of questioning knowledge, seeking understanding, and striving for agreement.

The conversational partner in Teachback could be an online tutor or fellow student, or an Artificial Intelligence (AI) system that provides a “teachable agent”. With a teachable agent, the student attempts to teach a recently-learned topic to the computer and can see a dynamic map of the concepts that the computer agent has “learned” ( www.teachableagents.org/ ). The computer could then attempt to teachback the knowledge. Alternatively, AI techniques can enhance human teachback by offering support and resources for a productive conversation, for example to search for information or clarify the meaning of a term.

Rudman (2002) demonstrated a computer-based variation on teachback. In this study, one person learned the topic of herbal remedies from a book and became the teacher. A second person then attempted to learn about the same topic by holding a phone conversation with the more-knowledgeable teacher. The phone conversation between the two people was continually monitored by an AI program that detected keywords in the spoken dialogue. Whenever the AI program recognized a keyword or phrase in the conversation (such as the name of a medicinal herb, or its properties), it displayed useful information on the screen of the learner, but not the teacher. Giving helpful feedback to the learner balanced the conversation, so that both could hold a more constructive discussion.

The method has seen some adoption into medical practice ( https://bit.ly/2Xr9qY5 ). It has also been tested at small scale for science education ( Gutierrez, 2003 ). Reciprocal teaching has been adopted in some schools for teaching of reading comprehension ( Oczuks, 2003 ).

Placed-Based Learning

Place-based learning derives learning opportunities from local community settings. These help students to connect abstract concepts from the classroom and textbooks with practical challenges encountered in their own localities. “Place” can refer to learning about physical localities, but also the social and cultural layers embedded within neighborhoods; and engaging with communities and environments as well as observing them. It can be applied as much to arts and humanities focused learning as science-based learning. Place-based learning can encompass service learning, where students, and teachers solve local community problems, and through place-based learning acquire and learn a range of skills ( Sobel, 2004 ). Mobile and networked technologies have opened up new possibilities for constructing and sharing knowledge, and reaching out to different stakeholders. Learning can take place while mobile, enabling communication across students and teachers, and beyond the field site. The physical and social aspects of the environment can be enhanced or augmented by digital layers to enable a richer experience, and greater access to resources and expertise.

Place-based learning draws upon experiential models of learning (e.g., Kolb, 1984 ), where active engagement with a situation and resulting experiences are reflected upon to help conceptualize learning, which in turn may trigger further explorations or experimentation. It may be structured as problem-based learning. Unplanned or unintentional learning outcomes may occur as a result of engagements, so place-based learning also draws on incidental learning (e.g., Kerka, 2000 ). Place-based learning declares that a more “authentic” and meaningful learning experience can happen in relevant environments, aligning with situated cognition, that states that knowledge is situated within physical, social and cultural contexts ( Brown et al., 1989 ). Learning episodes are often encountered with and through other people, a form of socio-cultural learning (e.g., Vygotsky, 1978 ). Networked technologies can enhance what experiences may be possible, and through the connections that might be made, recently articulated as connectivism (e.g., Siemens, 2005 ; Ito et al., 2013 ).

Place-based learning draws on a range of pedagogies, and in part derives its authority from research into their efficacy (e.g., experiential learning, situated learning, problem-based learning). For example, in a study of 400 US high school students Ernst and Monroe (2004) found that environment-based teaching both significantly improved students' critical thinking skills, and also their disposition toward critical thinking. Research has shown that learning is very effective if carried out in “contexts familiar to students' everyday lives” ( Bretz, 2001 , p.1112). In another study, Linnemanstons and Jordan (2017) found that educators perceived students to display greater engagement and understanding of concepts when learning through experiential approaches in a specific place. Semken and Freeman (2008) trialed a method to test whether “sense of place” could be measured as learning outcome when students are taught through place-based science activities. Using a set of psychometric surveys tested on a cohort of 31 students, they “observed significant gains in student place attachment and place meaning” (p.1042). In an analysis of 23 studies exploring indigenous education in Canada, Madden (2015) showed that place-based education can play an effective role in decolonizing curriculum, fostering understandings of shared histories between indigenous and non-indigenous learners in Canada. Context-aware systems that are triggered by place can provide location relevant learning resources ( Kukulska-Hulme et al., 2015 ), enhancing the ecology of tools available for place-based learning. However, prompts to action from digital devices might also be seen as culturally inappropriate in informal, community based learning where educational activities and their deployment needs to be considered with sensitivity ( Gaved and Peasgood, 2017 ).

Critical thinking and problem solving are central to this experiential-based approach to learning. Contextually based, place-based learning requires creativity and innovation by participants to manage and respond to often unexpected circumstances with unexpected learning opportunities and outcomes likely to arise. As an often social form of learning, communication and collaboration are key skills developed, with a need to show sensitivity to local circumstances. An ability to learn the skills to manage social and cross-cultural interactivity will be central for a range of subject areas taught through place-based learning, such as language learning or human geography. Increasingly, place-based learning is enhanced or augmented by mobile and networked technologies, so digital literacy skills need to be acquired to take full advantage of the tools now available.

Place-based learning re-associates learning with local contexts, at a time when educators are under pressure to fit into national curricula and a globalized world. It seeks to re-establish students with a sense of place, and recognize the opportunities of learning in and from local community settings, using neighborhoods as the specific context for experiential and problem-based learning. It can provide a mechanism for decolonializing curriculum, recognizing that specific spaces can be understood to have different meanings to different groups of people, and allowing diverse voices to be represented. Digital and networked technologies extend the potential for group and individual learning, reaching out and sharing knowledge with a wider range of stakeholders, enabling flexibility in learning, and a greater scale of interactions. Networked tools enable access to global resources, and learning beyond the internet, with smartphones and tablets (increasingly owned by the learners themselves) as well as other digital tools linked together for gathering, analyzing and reflection on data and interactions. Context and location aware technologies can trigger learning resources on personal devices, and augment physical spaces: augmented reality tools can dynamically overlay data layers and context sensitive virtual information ( Klopfer and Squire, 2008 ; Wu et al., 2013 ).

Place-based learning could be said to pre-date formal classroom based learning in the traditional sense of work based learning (e.g., apprenticeships), or informal learning (e.g., informal language learning). Aspects of place-based learning have a long heritage, such as environmental education and learning though overcoming neighborhood challenge, with the focus on taking account of learning opportunities “beyond the schoolhouse gate” ( Theobald and Curtiss, 2000 ). Place-based learning aligns with current pedagogical interests in education that is “multidisciplinary, experiential, and aligned with cultural and ecological sustainability” ( Webber and Miller, 2016 , p.1067).

Learning With Robots

Learning through interaction and then reflecting upon the outcomes of these interactions prompted Papert (1980) to develop the Logo Turtles. It can be argued that these turtles were one of the first robots to be used in schools whose theoretical premises were grounded within a Constructivist approach to learning. Constructivism translates into a pedagogy where students actively engage in experimental endeavors often based within real–world problem solving undertakings. This was how the first turtles were used to assist children to understand basic mathematical concepts. Logo turtles have morphed into wheeled robots in current Japanese classrooms where 11- and 12-year olds learn how to program them and then compete in teams to create the code needed to guide their robots safely through an obstacle course. This latter approach encourages children to “Think and Learn Together with Information and Communication Technology” as discussed by Dawes and Wegerif (2004) . Vygotsky's theoretical influence is then foregrounded in this particular pedagogical context, where his sociocultural theory recognizes and emphasizes the role of language within any social interaction to prompt cognitive development.

The early work of Papert has been well documented but more recently Benitti (2012) reviewed the literature about the use of robotics in schools. The conclusions reached from this meta-analysis, where the purpose of each study was taken into account, together with the type of robot used and the demographics of the children who took party in the studies suggested that the use of robots in classrooms can enhance learning. This was found particularly with the practical teaching in STEM subjects, although some studies did not reveal improvements in learning. Further work by Ospennikova et al. (2015) showed how this technology can be applied to teaching physics in Russian secondary schools and supports the use of learning with robots in STEM subjects. Social robots for early language learning have been explored by Kanero et al. (2018) ; this has proved to be positive for story telling skills ( Westlund and Breazeal, 2015 ). Kim et al. (2013) have illustrated that social robots can assist with the production of more speech utterances for young children with ASD. However, none of the above studies illustrate that robots are more effective than human teachers, but this pedagogy is ripe for more research findings.

Teaching a robot to undertake a task through specific instructions mimics the way human teachers behave with pupils when they impart a rule set or heuristics to the pupils using a variety of rhetoric techniques in reaction to the learner's latest attempt at completing a given task. This modus operandi has been well documented by Jerome Bruner and colleagues and has been termed as “scaffolding” ( Wood et al., 1979 ). This latter example illustrates a growing recognition of the expanding communicative and expressive potential found through working with robots and encouraging teamwork and collaboration.

The robot can undertake a number of roles, with different levels of involvement in the learning task. Some of the examples mentioned above demonstrate the robot taking on a more passive role ( Mubin et al., 2013 ). This is when it can be used to teach programming, such as moving the robot on a physical route with many obstacles. Robots can also act as peers and learn together with the student or act as a teacher itself. The “interactive cat” (iCat) developed by Philips Research is an example of a robotic teacher helping language learning. It has a mechanical rendered cat face and can express emotion. This was an important feature with respect to social supportiveness, an important attribute belonging to human tutors. Research showed that social supportive behavior exhibited by the robot tutor had a positive effect on students' learning. The supportive behaviors exhibited by iCat tutor were non-verbal behavior, such as smiling, attention building, empathy, and communicativeness.

Interest in learning with robots in the classroom and beyond is growing but purchasing expensive equipment which will require technical support can prevent adoption. There are also ethical issues that need to be addressed since “conversations” with embodied robots that can support both learning and new forms of assessment must all sustain equity within an ethical framework. As yet these have not been agreed within the AI community.

Learning With Drones

Outdoor fieldwork is a long-standing student-centered pedagogy across a range of disciplines, which is increasingly supported by information technology ( Thomas and Munge, 2015 , 2017 ). Within this tradition, drone-based learning, a recent innovation, is being used to support fieldwork by enhancing students' capability to explore outdoor physical environments. When students engage in outdoor learning experiences, reflect on those experiences, conceptualize their learning and experiment with new actions, they are engaging in experiential learning ( Kolb, 1984 ). The combination of human senses with the multimedia capabilities of a drone (image and video capture) means that the learning experience can be rich and multimodal. Another key aspect is that learning takes place through research, scientific data collection and analysis; drones are typically used to assist with data collection from different perspectives and in places that can be difficult to access. In the sphere of informal and leisure learning in places such as nature reserves and cultural heritage sites ( Staiff, 2016 ), drone-based exploration is based on discovery and is a way to make the visitor experience more attractive.

There is not yet much research evidence on drone-based learning, but there are some case studies, teachers' accounts based on observations of their students, and pedagogically-informed suggestions for how drones may be applied to educational problems and the development of students' knowledge and practical skills. For example, a case study conducted in Malaysia with postgraduate students taking a MOOC ( Zakaria et al., 2018 ) was concerned with students working on a video creation task using drones, in the context of problem-based learning about local issues. The data analysis showed how active the students had been during a task which involved video shooting and editing/production. In the US, it was reported that a teacher introduced drones to a class of elementary students with autism in order to enhance their engagement and according to the teacher the results were “encouraging” since the students stayed on task better and were more involved with learning ( Joch, 2018 ). In the context of education in Australia, Sattar et al. (2017) give suggestions for using drones to develop many kinds of skills, competences and understanding in various disciplines, also emphasizing the learners' active engagement.

Sattar et al. (2017) argue that using drone technology will prepare and equip students with the technical skills and expertise which will be in demand in future, enhance their problem-solving skills and help them cope with future technical and professional requirements; students can be challenged to develop skills in problem-solving, analysis, creativity and critical thinking. Other ideas put forward in the literature suggest that drone-based learning can stimulate curiosity to see things that are hidden from view, give experience in learning through research and analyzing data, and it can help with visual literacies including collecting visual data and interpreting visual clues. Another observation is that drone-based learning can raise issues of privacy and ethics, stimulating discussion of how such technologies should be used responsibly when learning outside the classroom.

Drones enable learners to undertake previously impossible actions on field trips, such as looking inside inaccessible places or inspecting a landscape from several different perspectives. There is opportunity for rich exploration of physical objects and spaces. Drone-based learning can be a way to integrate skills and literacies, particularly orientation and motor skills with digital literacy. It is also a new way to integrate studies with real world experiences, showing students how professionals including land surveyors, news reporters, police officers and many others use drones in their work. Furthermore, it has been proposed as an assistive technology, enabling learners who are not mobile to gain remote access to sites they would not be able to visit ( Mangina et al., 2016 ).

Accounts of adoption into educational practice suggest that early adopters with an interest in technology have been the first to experiment with drones. There are more accounts of adoption in community settings, professional practice settings and informal learning than in formal education at present. For example, Hodgson et al. (2018) describe how ecologists use drones to monitor wildlife populations and changes in vegetation. Drones can be used to capture images of an area from different angles, enabling communities to collect evidence of environmental problems such as pollution and deforestation. They are used after earthquakes and hurricanes, to assess the damage caused by these disasters, to locate victims, to help deliver aid, and to enhance understanding of assistance needs ( Sandvik and Lohne, 2014 ). They also enable remote monitoring of illegal trade without having to confront criminals.

Citizen Inquiry

Citizen science is an increasingly popular activity that has the potential to support growth and development in learning science. Active participation by the public in scientific research encourages this. This is due to its potential to educate the public—including young people—and to support the development of skills needed for the workplace, and contribute to findings of real science research. An experience that allows people to become familiar with the work of scientists and learn to make their own science has potential for learning. Citizen science activities can take place online on platforms such as Zooniverse, which hosts some of the largest internet-based citizen science projects or nQuire ( nQuire.org.uk ), which scaffolds a wide range of inquiries, or can be offline in a local area (e.g., a bioblitz). In addition, mobile and networked technologies have opened up new possibilities for these investigations (see e.g., Curtis, 2018 ).

Most current citizen science initiatives engage the general public in some way. For example, they may be in the role of volunteers, often non-expert individuals, in projects generated by scientists such as species recognition and counting. In these types of collaboration the public contributes to data collection and analysis tasks such as observation and measurement. The key theory which underpins this work is that of inquiry learning. “ Inquiry-based learning is a powerful generalized method for coming to understand the natural and social world through a process of guided investigation ” ( Sharples et al., 2013 , p.38). It has been described as a powerful way to encourage learning by encouraging learners to use higher-order thinking skills during the conduct of inquiries and to make connections with their world knowledge.

Inquiry learning is a pedagogy with a long pedigree. First proposed by Dewey as learning through experience it came to the fore in the discovery learning movement of the sixties. Indeed, the term citizen inquiry has been coined which “ fuses the creative knowledge building of inquiry learning with the mass collaborative participation exemplified by citizen science, changing the consumer relationship that most people have with research to one of active engagement ” ( Sharples et al., 2013 , p.38).

Researchers using this citizen inquiry paradigm have described how it “ shifts the emphasis of scientific inquiry from scientists to the general public, by having non-professionals (of any age and level of experience) determine their own research agenda and devise their own science investigations underpinned by a model of scientific inquiry. It makes extensive use of web 2.0 and mobile technologies to facilitate massive participation of the public of any age, including youngsters, in collective, online inquiry-based activities” ( Herodotou et al., 2017b ). This shift offers more opportunities for learning in these settings.

Research has shown that learning can be developed in citizen science projects. Herodotou et al. (2018) citing a review by Bonney et al. (2009) have found that systematic involvement in citizen science projects produces learning outcomes in a number of ways, including increasing accuracy and degree of self-correction of observations. A number of studies have examined the learning which takes place during the use of iSpot (see Scanlon et al., 2014 ; Silvertown et al., 2015 ). Preliminary results showed that novice users can reach a fairly sophisticated understanding of identification over time ( Scanlon et al., 2014 ). Also, Aristeidou et al. (2017 , p 252) examined citizen science activities on nQuire, and reported that some participants perceived learning as a reason for feeling satisfied with their engagement, with comments such as “insight into some topics” and “new information.”

Through an online survey, Edwards et al. (2017) reported that citizen science participants of the UK Wetland Bird Survey and the Nest Record Scheme had learned on various dimensions. This was found to be related in part to their prior levels of education. Overall, there is a growing number of studies investigating the relationship between citizen science and learning with some positive indications that projects can be designed to encourage learning (Further studies on learning from citizen science are also discussed by Ballard et al., 2017 , and Boakes et al., 2016 ).

The skills required by citizens in the twenty-first century are those derived from citizen science projects. They “ need the skills and knowledge to solve problems, evaluate evidence, and make sense of complex information from various sources .” ( Ferguson et al., 2017 , p.12). As noted by OECD (2015) a significant skill students need to develop is learn to “ think like a scientist .” This is perceived as an essential skill across professions and not only the science-related ones. In particular, STEM education and jobs are no longer viewed as options for the few or for the “gifted.” “ Engagement with STEM can develop critical thinking, teamwork skills, and civic engagement. It can also help people cope with the demands of daily life. Enabling learners to experience how science is made can enhance their content knowledge in science, develop scientific skills and contribute to their personal growth. It can also increase their understanding of what it means to be a scientist ” ( Ferguson et al., 2017 , p.12).

One of the innovations of this approach is that it enables potentially any citizen to engage and understand scientific activities that are often locked behind the walls of experimental laboratories. Thinking scientifically should not be restricted to scientists; it should be a competency that citizens develop in order to engage critically and reflect on their surroundings. Such skills will enable critical understanding of public debates such as fake news and more active citizenship. Technologically, the development of these skills can be supported by platforms such as nQuire, the vision of which is to scaffold the process of scientific research and facilitate development of relevant skills amongst citizens.

Citizen science activities are mainly found in informal learning settings, with rather limited adoption to formal education. “ For example, the Natural History Museum in London offers citizen science projects that anyone can join as an enjoyable way to interact with nature. Earthworm Watch is one such project that runs every spring and autumn in the UK. It is an outdoor activity that asks people to measure soil properties and record earthworms in their garden or in a local green space. Access to museums such as the Natural History Museum is free of charge allowing all people, no matter what their background, to interact with such activities and meet others with similar interests .” ( Ferguson et al., 2017 , p.13) At the moment, adoption is dependent on individual educators rather than a policy. Two Open University examples are the incorporation of the iSpot platform into a range of courses from short courses such as Neighborhood Nature to MOOCs such as An introduction to Ecology on the FutureLearn platform. In recent years there are more accounts of citizen science projects within school settings (see e.g., Doyle et al., 2018 ; Saunders et al., 2018 ; Schuttler et al., 2018 ).

In this paper, we discussed six innovative approaches to teaching and learning that originated from seven Innovating Pedagogy reports ( Sharples et al., 2012 , 2013 , 2014 , 2015 , 2016 ; Ferguson et al., 2017 , 2019 ), drafted between 2012 and 2019 by leading academics in Educational Technology at the OU and institutions in the US, Singapore, Israel, and Norway. Based upon an extensive peer-review by seven OU authors, evidence and impact of six promising innovative approaches were gathered, namely formative analytics, teachback, place-based learning, learning with robots, learning with drones, and citizen inquiry. For these six approaches there is strong or emerging evidence that they can effectively contribute to the development of skills and competences such as critical thinking, problem-solving, digital literacy, thinking like a scientist, group work, and affective development.

The maturity of each pedagogy in terms of evidence generation varies with some pedagogies such as learning with drones being less mature and others such as formative analytics being more advanced. In Table 1 , we used the evidence classifications in Figures 1 , 2 to provide our own assessment of the overall quality of evidence (strength of evidence and level of confidence (scale 1–5) based on NESTA's standards of evidence shown in Figure 2 ) for each pedagogy, as a means to identify gaps in current knowledge and direct future research efforts.

Table 1 . Future directions of selected pedagogies.

Figure 2 . Standards of evidence by Nesta.

The proposed pedagogies have great potential in terms of reducing the distance between aspirations or vision for the future of education and current educational practice. This is evident in their relevance to effective educational theories including experiential learning, inquiry learning, discovery learning, and self-regulated learning, all of which are interactive and engaging ways of learning. Also, the review of existing evidence showcases their potential to support learning processes and desirable learning outcomes in both the cognitive and emotional domain. Yet, this list of pedagogies is not exhaustive; additional pedagogies that could potentially meet the selection criteria—and which can be found in the Innovating Pedagogy report series—are for example, playful learning emphasizing the need for play, exploration and learning through failure, virtual studios stressing learning flexibility through arts and design, and dynamic assessment during which assessors support learners in identifying and overcoming learning difficulties.

Conclusions

In this paper we presented six approaches to teaching and learning and stressed the importance of evidence in transforming the educational practice. We devised and applied an integrated framework for selection that could be used by both researchers and educators (teachers, pre-service teachers, educational policy makers etc.) as an assessment tool for reflecting on and assessing specific pedagogical approaches, either currently in practice or intended to be used in education in the future. Our framework goes beyond existing frameworks that focus primarily on the development of skills and competences for the future, by situating such development within the context of effective educational theories, evidence from research studies, innovative aspects of the pedagogy, and its adoption in educational practice. We made the case that learning is a science and that the testing of learning interventions and teaching approaches before applying these to practice should be a requirement for improving learning outcomes and meeting the expectations of an ever-changing society. We wish this work to spark further dialogue between researchers and practitioners and signal the necessity for evidence-based professional development that will inform and enhance the teaching practice.

Author Contributions

CH: introduction, discussion, confusion sections, revision of manuscript. MS: teachback. MG: place-based learning. BR: formative analytics. ES: citizen inquiry. AK-H: learning with drones. DW: learning with robots.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

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Keywords: evidence-based practice, educational innovation, pedagogy, teaching and learning, educational effectiveness, educational theories, 21st century skills

Citation: Herodotou C, Sharples M, Gaved M, Kukulska-Hulme A, Rienties B, Scanlon E and Whitelock D (2019) Innovative Pedagogies of the Future: An Evidence-Based Selection. Front. Educ. 4:113. doi: 10.3389/feduc.2019.00113

Received: 01 June 2019; Accepted: 30 September 2019; Published: 11 October 2019.

Reviewed by:

Copyright © 2019 Herodotou, Sharples, Gaved, Kukulska-Hulme, Rienties, Scanlon and Whitelock. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) . The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

*Correspondence: Christothea Herodotou, christothea.herodotou@open.ac.uk

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7 Essential Principles of Innovative Learning

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Every educator wants to create an environment that will foster students' love of learning. Because the criteria are intangible, it's difficult to define or pinpoint exactly what they are. But one group is giving it a try.

Researchers at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) launched the Innovative Learning Environments project to turn an academic lens on the project of identifying concrete traits that mark innovative learning environments. They sifted through and categorized the research on learning science, documented case studies, and compiled policy recommendations they hope will transform the current system.

Their book, The Nature of Learning: Using Research to Inspire Practice and the accompanying practitioner’s guide, lay out the key principles for designing learning environments that will help students build skills useful in a world where jobs are increasingly information and knowledge-based. The principles are not job-specific – no one knows what the future economy will demand. Instead, the main goal is to develop self-directed learners, students with “adaptive expertise.”

“Adaptive expertise tries to push beyond the idea of mastery,” said Jennifer Groff, an educational engineer and co-founder of the Center for Curriculum Redesign . “You may be proficient, but without adaptive expertise you can get stuck very quickly as the world shifts.”

[RELATED READING: How Can Teachers Prepare Kids for a Connected World ]

Groff doesn’t dispute that mastery is important and that students need to learn age-appropriate content, but she also argues it’s equally important to develop students’ ability to go beyond that, to question and apply learning in new situations.

To that end, these are their identified principles for innovative learning.

Learners have to be at the center of what happens in the classroom with activities focused on their cognition and growth. They have to actively engage in learning in order to become self-regulated learners who are able to control their emotions and motivations during the study process, set goals, and monitor their own learning process.
Learning is a social practice and can’t happen alone . “By our nature we are social beings and we learn by interacting,” Groff said. “We learn by pushing and pulling on concepts with one another.” Structured, collaborative group work can be good for all learners; it pushes people in different ways.
Emotions are an integral part of learning . Students understand ideas better when there’s interplay between emotions, motivation and cognition, so positive beliefs about oneself are a core part of reaching a more profound understanding. The power of emotions and motivation in the classroom are well documented, but often overlooked because they are “soft.” Still most teachers know that if a student is upset about something that happened at home or in school, he won’t learn well. Similarly, keeping students motivated should be the starting point of learning. If students understand why it matters, learning becomes more important to them.
Learners are different and innovative learning environments reflect the various experiences and prior knowledge that each student brings to class. “You really want practices and processes that help teachers engage each student where they are,” said Groff. This principle is understood by every frustrated educator teaching to a “middle” that doesn’t exist.
Students need to be stretched, but not too much. “It’s really critical to find that student’s sweet spot,” Groff Said. Educators should try to prevent both coasting and overloading. Students need to experience both academic success and the challenge of discovery. In a diverse classroom group work can help achieve this as students at different levels help one another.
Assessment should be for learning, not of learning . Assessments are important, but only to gauge how to structure the next lesson for maximum effectiveness. It should be meaningful, substantial, and shape the learning environment itself. “Good teachers do this informally most of the time,” Groff said. “But when it’s done well and more formally it’s a whole structure and methodology where you collect feedback on the learning pathway and it drives the next step that you take.”
Learning needs to be connected across disciplines and reach out into the real world. Learning can’t be meaningful if students don’t understand why the knowledge will be useful to them, how it can be applied in life. Understanding the connections between subjects and ideas is essential for the ability to transfer skills and adapt. “We can’t just have things remain in silos that never interact,” Groff said.

IMPLEMENTING THE PRINCIPLES

Many of the seven principles Groff outlines are second nature to good teachers, but they can feel hard to achieve within education systems that are slow-moving, bureaucratic and resistant to change. Still Groff says there are ways for teachers who want to create an innovative learning environment to begin down the path, even without the full support of their colleagues and administration. Groff also hopes shifting to the Common Core could offer openings for building in these practices. “It’s designed in a way that condones a lot of the principles that we’ve been talking about,” she said.

Everyone knows the common barriers educators face: the school culture, the students and themselves. Groff says with some reflection and problem solving, teachers can often begin to work around these barriers. An educator might think she’s open to innovation without realizing that there are preconceived notions about how one should teach that are deeply ingrained.

What's more, if the school culture does not encourage experimentation, educators can mitigate negative reaction by framing the ideas in a way that will be accepted, or by bringing in outside resources to try and convince naysayers. Even finding one colleague in or outside of the school to bounce ideas with can make the process much smoother.

Educators can also test ideas with students before implementing them. Students have been indoctrinated into the same educational mindset about what makes a “useful” education as everyone else, and some might be resistant to new teaching methodologies. Without their enthusiasm it can be hard to persevere through other obstacles.

The darling of the Innovative Learning Environment case studies is the Jenaplan School in Germany. It’s one of the few schools embodying all the principles fluidly. The school has about 450 students that range three to 20 years old. Students aren’t broken up into grade levels, instead they learn in mixed-age groups as well as in groups of roughly the same age. Learning is directed by students, often project-based, evaluated primarily through writing and projects, self-assessments and peer-assessment. The schedule is periodic, focusing on a topic like geography or history for three to four weeks and crossing into multiple disciplines. The teacher is seen as an active mentor and coordinator and the school has active parental involvement.

The Jenaplan School has won awards for its model and in the eyes of the Innovative Learning Environment researchers is doing an excellent job at preparing students to be adaptive and nimble thinkers in a knowledge-based world.

REALIZING THE PROMISE:

Leading up to the 75th anniversary of the UN General Assembly, this “Realizing the promise: How can education technology improve learning for all?” publication kicks off the Center for Universal Education’s first playbook in a series to help improve education around the world.

It is intended as an evidence-based tool for ministries of education, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, to adopt and more successfully invest in education technology.

While there is no single education initiative that will achieve the same results everywhere—as school systems differ in learners and educators, as well as in the availability and quality of materials and technologies—an important first step is understanding how technology is used given specific local contexts and needs.

The surveys in this playbook are designed to be adapted to collect this information from educators, learners, and school leaders and guide decisionmakers in expanding the use of technology.

Introduction

While technology has disrupted most sectors of the economy and changed how we communicate, access information, work, and even play, its impact on schools, teaching, and learning has been much more limited. We believe that this limited impact is primarily due to technology being been used to replace analog tools, without much consideration given to playing to technology’s comparative advantages. These comparative advantages, relative to traditional “chalk-and-talk” classroom instruction, include helping to scale up standardized instruction, facilitate differentiated instruction, expand opportunities for practice, and increase student engagement. When schools use technology to enhance the work of educators and to improve the quality and quantity of educational content, learners will thrive.

Further, COVID-19 has laid bare that, in today’s environment where pandemics and the effects of climate change are likely to occur, schools cannot always provide in-person education—making the case for investing in education technology.

Here we argue for a simple yet surprisingly rare approach to education technology that seeks to:

Understand the needs, infrastructure, and capacity of a school system—the diagnosis;
Survey the best available evidence on interventions that match those conditions—the evidence; and
Closely monitor the results of innovations before they are scaled up—the prognosis.

Podcast: How education technology can improve learning for all students

To make ed tech work, set clear goals, review the evidence, and pilot before you scale

The framework.

Our approach builds on a simple yet intuitive theoretical framework created two decades ago by two of the most prominent education researchers in the United States, David K. Cohen and Deborah Loewenberg Ball. They argue that what matters most to improve learning is the interactions among educators and learners around educational materials. We believe that the failed school-improvement efforts in the U.S. that motivated Cohen and Ball’s framework resemble the ed-tech reforms in much of the developing world to date in the lack of clarity improving the interactions between educators, learners, and the educational material. We build on their framework by adding parents as key agents that mediate the relationships between learners and educators and the material (Figure 1).

Figure 1: The instructional core

Adapted from Cohen and Ball (1999)

As the figure above suggests, ed-tech interventions can affect the instructional core in a myriad of ways. Yet, just because technology can do something, it does not mean it should. School systems in developing countries differ along many dimensions and each system is likely to have different needs for ed-tech interventions, as well as different infrastructure and capacity to enact such interventions.

The diagnosis:

How can school systems assess their needs and preparedness.

A useful first step for any school system to determine whether it should invest in education technology is to diagnose its:

Specific needs to improve student learning (e.g., raising the average level of achievement, remediating gaps among low performers, and challenging high performers to develop higher-order skills);
Infrastructure to adopt technology-enabled solutions (e.g., electricity connection, availability of space and outlets, stock of computers, and Internet connectivity at school and at learners’ homes); and
Capacity to integrate technology in the instructional process (e.g., learners’ and educators’ level of familiarity and comfort with hardware and software, their beliefs about the level of usefulness of technology for learning purposes, and their current uses of such technology).

Before engaging in any new data collection exercise, school systems should take full advantage of existing administrative data that could shed light on these three main questions. This could be in the form of internal evaluations but also international learner assessments, such as the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), and/or the Progress in International Literacy Study (PIRLS), and the Teaching and Learning International Study (TALIS). But if school systems lack information on their preparedness for ed-tech reforms or if they seek to complement existing data with a richer set of indicators, we developed a set of surveys for learners, educators, and school leaders. Download the full report to see how we map out the main aspects covered by these surveys, in hopes of highlighting how they could be used to inform decisions around the adoption of ed-tech interventions.

The evidence:

How can school systems identify promising ed-tech interventions.

There is no single “ed-tech” initiative that will achieve the same results everywhere, simply because school systems differ in learners and educators, as well as in the availability and quality of materials and technologies. Instead, to realize the potential of education technology to accelerate student learning, decisionmakers should focus on four potential uses of technology that play to its comparative advantages and complement the work of educators to accelerate student learning (Figure 2). These comparative advantages include:

Scaling up quality instruction, such as through prerecorded quality lessons.
Facilitating differentiated instruction, through, for example, computer-adaptive learning and live one-on-one tutoring.
Expanding opportunities to practice.
Increasing learner engagement through videos and games.

Figure 2: Comparative advantages of technology

Here we review the evidence on ed-tech interventions from 37 studies in 20 countries*, organizing them by comparative advantage. It’s important to note that ours is not the only way to classify these interventions (e.g., video tutorials could be considered as a strategy to scale up instruction or increase learner engagement), but we believe it may be useful to highlight the needs that they could address and why technology is well positioned to do so.

When discussing specific studies, we report the magnitude of the effects of interventions using standard deviations (SDs). SDs are a widely used metric in research to express the effect of a program or policy with respect to a business-as-usual condition (e.g., test scores). There are several ways to make sense of them. One is to categorize the magnitude of the effects based on the results of impact evaluations. In developing countries, effects below 0.1 SDs are considered to be small, effects between 0.1 and 0.2 SDs are medium, and those above 0.2 SDs are large (for reviews that estimate the average effect of groups of interventions, called “meta analyses,” see e.g., Conn, 2017; Kremer, Brannen, & Glennerster, 2013; McEwan, 2014; Snilstveit et al., 2015; Evans & Yuan, 2020.)

*In surveying the evidence, we began by compiling studies from prior general and ed-tech specific evidence reviews that some of us have written and from ed-tech reviews conducted by others. Then, we tracked the studies cited by the ones we had previously read and reviewed those, as well. In identifying studies for inclusion, we focused on experimental and quasi-experimental evaluations of education technology interventions from pre-school to secondary school in low- and middle-income countries that were released between 2000 and 2020. We only included interventions that sought to improve student learning directly (i.e., students’ interaction with the material), as opposed to interventions that have impacted achievement indirectly, by reducing teacher absence or increasing parental engagement. This process yielded 37 studies in 20 countries (see the full list of studies in Appendix B).

Scaling up standardized instruction

One of the ways in which technology may improve the quality of education is through its capacity to deliver standardized quality content at scale. This feature of technology may be particularly useful in three types of settings: (a) those in “hard-to-staff” schools (i.e., schools that struggle to recruit educators with the requisite training and experience—typically, in rural and/or remote areas) (see, e.g., Urquiola & Vegas, 2005); (b) those in which many educators are frequently absent from school (e.g., Chaudhury, Hammer, Kremer, Muralidharan, & Rogers, 2006; Muralidharan, Das, Holla, & Mohpal, 2017); and/or (c) those in which educators have low levels of pedagogical and subject matter expertise (e.g., Bietenbeck, Piopiunik, & Wiederhold, 2018; Bold et al., 2017; Metzler & Woessmann, 2012; Santibañez, 2006) and do not have opportunities to observe and receive feedback (e.g., Bruns, Costa, & Cunha, 2018; Cilliers, Fleisch, Prinsloo, & Taylor, 2018). Technology could address this problem by: (a) disseminating lessons delivered by qualified educators to a large number of learners (e.g., through prerecorded or live lessons); (b) enabling distance education (e.g., for learners in remote areas and/or during periods of school closures); and (c) distributing hardware preloaded with educational materials.

Prerecorded lessons

Technology seems to be well placed to amplify the impact of effective educators by disseminating their lessons. Evidence on the impact of prerecorded lessons is encouraging, but not conclusive. Some initiatives that have used short instructional videos to complement regular instruction, in conjunction with other learning materials, have raised student learning on independent assessments. For example, Beg et al. (2020) evaluated an initiative in Punjab, Pakistan in which grade 8 classrooms received an intervention that included short videos to substitute live instruction, quizzes for learners to practice the material from every lesson, tablets for educators to learn the material and follow the lesson, and LED screens to project the videos onto a classroom screen. After six months, the intervention improved the performance of learners on independent tests of math and science by 0.19 and 0.24 SDs, respectively but had no discernible effect on the math and science section of Punjab’s high-stakes exams.

One study suggests that approaches that are far less technologically sophisticated can also improve learning outcomes—especially, if the business-as-usual instruction is of low quality. For example, Naslund-Hadley, Parker, and Hernandez-Agramonte (2014) evaluated a preschool math program in Cordillera, Paraguay that used audio segments and written materials four days per week for an hour per day during the school day. After five months, the intervention improved math scores by 0.16 SDs, narrowing gaps between low- and high-achieving learners, and between those with and without educators with formal training in early childhood education.

Yet, the integration of prerecorded material into regular instruction has not always been successful. For example, de Barros (2020) evaluated an intervention that combined instructional videos for math and science with infrastructure upgrades (e.g., two “smart” classrooms, two TVs, and two tablets), printed workbooks for students, and in-service training for educators of learners in grades 9 and 10 in Haryana, India (all materials were mapped onto the official curriculum). After 11 months, the intervention negatively impacted math achievement (by 0.08 SDs) and had no effect on science (with respect to business as usual classes). It reduced the share of lesson time that educators devoted to instruction and negatively impacted an index of instructional quality. Likewise, Seo (2017) evaluated several combinations of infrastructure (solar lights and TVs) and prerecorded videos (in English and/or bilingual) for grade 11 students in northern Tanzania and found that none of the variants improved student learning, even when the videos were used. The study reports effects from the infrastructure component across variants, but as others have noted (Muralidharan, Romero, & Wüthrich, 2019), this approach to estimating impact is problematic.

A very similar intervention delivered after school hours, however, had sizeable effects on learners’ basic skills. Chiplunkar, Dhar, and Nagesh (2020) evaluated an initiative in Chennai (the capital city of the state of Tamil Nadu, India) delivered by the same organization as above that combined short videos that explained key concepts in math and science with worksheets, facilitator-led instruction, small groups for peer-to-peer learning, and occasional career counseling and guidance for grade 9 students. These lessons took place after school for one hour, five times a week. After 10 months, it had large effects on learners’ achievement as measured by tests of basic skills in math and reading, but no effect on a standardized high-stakes test in grade 10 or socio-emotional skills (e.g., teamwork, decisionmaking, and communication).

Drawing general lessons from this body of research is challenging for at least two reasons. First, all of the studies above have evaluated the impact of prerecorded lessons combined with several other components (e.g., hardware, print materials, or other activities). Therefore, it is possible that the effects found are due to these additional components, rather than to the recordings themselves, or to the interaction between the two (see Muralidharan, 2017 for a discussion of the challenges of interpreting “bundled” interventions). Second, while these studies evaluate some type of prerecorded lessons, none examines the content of such lessons. Thus, it seems entirely plausible that the direction and magnitude of the effects depends largely on the quality of the recordings (e.g., the expertise of the educator recording it, the amount of preparation that went into planning the recording, and its alignment with best teaching practices).

These studies also raise three important questions worth exploring in future research. One of them is why none of the interventions discussed above had effects on high-stakes exams, even if their materials are typically mapped onto the official curriculum. It is possible that the official curricula are simply too challenging for learners in these settings, who are several grade levels behind expectations and who often need to reinforce basic skills (see Pritchett & Beatty, 2015). Another question is whether these interventions have long-term effects on teaching practices. It seems plausible that, if these interventions are deployed in contexts with low teaching quality, educators may learn something from watching the videos or listening to the recordings with learners. Yet another question is whether these interventions make it easier for schools to deliver instruction to learners whose native language is other than the official medium of instruction.

Distance education

Technology can also allow learners living in remote areas to access education. The evidence on these initiatives is encouraging. For example, Johnston and Ksoll (2017) evaluated a program that broadcasted live instruction via satellite to rural primary school students in the Volta and Greater Accra regions of Ghana. For this purpose, the program also equipped classrooms with the technology needed to connect to a studio in Accra, including solar panels, a satellite modem, a projector, a webcam, microphones, and a computer with interactive software. After two years, the intervention improved the numeracy scores of students in grades 2 through 4, and some foundational literacy tasks, but it had no effect on attendance or classroom time devoted to instruction, as captured by school visits. The authors interpreted these results as suggesting that the gains in achievement may be due to improving the quality of instruction that children received (as opposed to increased instructional time). Naik, Chitre, Bhalla, and Rajan (2019) evaluated a similar program in the Indian state of Karnataka and also found positive effects on learning outcomes, but it is not clear whether those effects are due to the program or due to differences in the groups of students they compared to estimate the impact of the initiative.

In one context (Mexico), this type of distance education had positive long-term effects. Navarro-Sola (2019) took advantage of the staggered rollout of the telesecundarias (i.e., middle schools with lessons broadcasted through satellite TV) in 1968 to estimate its impact. The policy had short-term effects on students’ enrollment in school: For every telesecundaria per 50 children, 10 students enrolled in middle school and two pursued further education. It also had a long-term influence on the educational and employment trajectory of its graduates. Each additional year of education induced by the policy increased average income by nearly 18 percent. This effect was attributable to more graduates entering the labor force and shifting from agriculture and the informal sector. Similarly, Fabregas (2019) leveraged a later expansion of this policy in 1993 and found that each additional telesecundaria per 1,000 adolescents led to an average increase of 0.2 years of education, and a decline in fertility for women, but no conclusive evidence of long-term effects on labor market outcomes.

It is crucial to interpret these results keeping in mind the settings where the interventions were implemented. As we mention above, part of the reason why they have proven effective is that the “counterfactual” conditions for learning (i.e., what would have happened to learners in the absence of such programs) was either to not have access to schooling or to be exposed to low-quality instruction. School systems interested in taking up similar interventions should assess the extent to which their learners (or parts of their learner population) find themselves in similar conditions to the subjects of the studies above. This illustrates the importance of assessing the needs of a system before reviewing the evidence.

Preloaded hardware

Technology also seems well positioned to disseminate educational materials. Specifically, hardware (e.g., desktop computers, laptops, or tablets) could also help deliver educational software (e.g., word processing, reference texts, and/or games). In theory, these materials could not only undergo a quality assurance review (e.g., by curriculum specialists and educators), but also draw on the interactions with learners for adjustments (e.g., identifying areas needing reinforcement) and enable interactions between learners and educators.

In practice, however, most initiatives that have provided learners with free computers, laptops, and netbooks do not leverage any of the opportunities mentioned above. Instead, they install a standard set of educational materials and hope that learners find them helpful enough to take them up on their own. Students rarely do so, and instead use the laptops for recreational purposes—often, to the detriment of their learning (see, e.g., Malamud & Pop-Eleches, 2011). In fact, free netbook initiatives have not only consistently failed to improve academic achievement in math or language (e.g., Cristia et al., 2017), but they have had no impact on learners’ general computer skills (e.g., Beuermann et al., 2015). Some of these initiatives have had small impacts on cognitive skills, but the mechanisms through which those effects occurred remains unclear.

To our knowledge, the only successful deployment of a free laptop initiative was one in which a team of researchers equipped the computers with remedial software. Mo et al. (2013) evaluated a version of the One Laptop per Child (OLPC) program for grade 3 students in migrant schools in Beijing, China in which the laptops were loaded with a remedial software mapped onto the national curriculum for math (similar to the software products that we discuss under “practice exercises” below). After nine months, the program improved math achievement by 0.17 SDs and computer skills by 0.33 SDs. If a school system decides to invest in free laptops, this study suggests that the quality of the software on the laptops is crucial.

To date, however, the evidence suggests that children do not learn more from interacting with laptops than they do from textbooks. For example, Bando, Gallego, Gertler, and Romero (2016) compared the effect of free laptop and textbook provision in 271 elementary schools in disadvantaged areas of Honduras. After seven months, students in grades 3 and 6 who had received the laptops performed on par with those who had received the textbooks in math and language. Further, even if textbooks essentially become obsolete at the end of each school year, whereas laptops can be reloaded with new materials for each year, the costs of laptop provision (not just the hardware, but also the technical assistance, Internet, and training associated with it) are not yet low enough to make them a more cost-effective way of delivering content to learners.

Evidence on the provision of tablets equipped with software is encouraging but limited. For example, de Hoop et al. (2020) evaluated a composite intervention for first grade students in Zambia’s Eastern Province that combined infrastructure (electricity via solar power), hardware (projectors and tablets), and educational materials (lesson plans for educators and interactive lessons for learners, both loaded onto the tablets and mapped onto the official Zambian curriculum). After 14 months, the intervention had improved student early-grade reading by 0.4 SDs, oral vocabulary scores by 0.25 SDs, and early-grade math by 0.22 SDs. It also improved students’ achievement by 0.16 on a locally developed assessment. The multifaceted nature of the program, however, makes it challenging to identify the components that are driving the positive effects. Pitchford (2015) evaluated an intervention that provided tablets equipped with educational “apps,” to be used for 30 minutes per day for two months to develop early math skills among students in grades 1 through 3 in Lilongwe, Malawi. The evaluation found positive impacts in math achievement, but the main study limitation is that it was conducted in a single school.

Facilitating differentiated instruction

Another way in which technology may improve educational outcomes is by facilitating the delivery of differentiated or individualized instruction. Most developing countries massively expanded access to schooling in recent decades by building new schools and making education more affordable, both by defraying direct costs, as well as compensating for opportunity costs (Duflo, 2001; World Bank, 2018). These initiatives have not only rapidly increased the number of learners enrolled in school, but have also increased the variability in learner’ preparation for schooling. Consequently, a large number of learners perform well below grade-based curricular expectations (see, e.g., Duflo, Dupas, & Kremer, 2011; Pritchett & Beatty, 2015). These learners are unlikely to get much from “one-size-fits-all” instruction, in which a single educator delivers instruction deemed appropriate for the middle (or top) of the achievement distribution (Banerjee & Duflo, 2011). Technology could potentially help these learners by providing them with: (a) instruction and opportunities for practice that adjust to the level and pace of preparation of each individual (known as “computer-adaptive learning” (CAL)); or (b) live, one-on-one tutoring.

Computer-adaptive learning

One of the main comparative advantages of technology is its ability to diagnose students’ initial learning levels and assign students to instruction and exercises of appropriate difficulty. No individual educator—no matter how talented—can be expected to provide individualized instruction to all learners in his/her class simultaneously . In this respect, technology is uniquely positioned to complement traditional teaching. This use of technology could help learners master basic skills and help them get more out of schooling.

Although many software products evaluated in recent years have been categorized as CAL, many rely on a relatively coarse level of differentiation at an initial stage (e.g., a diagnostic test) without further differentiation. We discuss these initiatives under the category of “increasing opportunities for practice” below. CAL initiatives complement an initial diagnostic with dynamic adaptation (i.e., at each response or set of responses from learners) to adjust both the initial level of difficulty and rate at which it increases or decreases, depending on whether learners’ responses are correct or incorrect.

Existing evidence on this specific type of programs is highly promising. Most famously, Banerjee et al. (2007) evaluated CAL software in Vadodara, in the Indian state of Gujarat, in which grade 4 students were offered two hours of shared computer time per week before and after school, during which they played games that involved solving math problems. The level of difficulty of such problems adjusted based on students’ answers. This program improved math achievement by 0.35 and 0.47 SDs after one and two years of implementation, respectively. Consistent with the promise of personalized learning, the software improved achievement for all students. In fact, one year after the end of the program, students assigned to the program still performed 0.1 SDs better than those assigned to a business as usual condition. More recently, Muralidharan, et al. (2019) evaluated a “blended learning” initiative in which students in grades 4 through 9 in Delhi, India received 45 minutes of interaction with CAL software for math and language, and 45 minutes of small group instruction before or after going to school. After only 4.5 months, the program improved achievement by 0.37 SDs in math and 0.23 SDs in Hindi. While all learners benefited from the program in absolute terms, the lowest performing learners benefited the most in relative terms, since they were learning very little in school.

We see two important limitations from this body of research. First, to our knowledge, none of these initiatives has been evaluated when implemented during the school day. Therefore, it is not possible to distinguish the effect of the adaptive software from that of additional instructional time. Second, given that most of these programs were facilitated by local instructors, attempts to distinguish the effect of the software from that of the instructors has been mostly based on noncausal evidence. A frontier challenge in this body of research is to understand whether CAL software can increase the effectiveness of school-based instruction by substituting part of the regularly scheduled time for math and language instruction.

Live one-on-one tutoring

Recent improvements in the speed and quality of videoconferencing, as well as in the connectivity of remote areas, have enabled yet another way in which technology can help personalization: live (i.e., real-time) one-on-one tutoring. While the evidence on in-person tutoring is scarce in developing countries, existing studies suggest that this approach works best when it is used to personalize instruction (see, e.g., Banerjee et al., 2007; Banerji, Berry, & Shotland, 2015; Cabezas, Cuesta, & Gallego, 2011).

There are almost no studies on the impact of online tutoring—possibly, due to the lack of hardware and Internet connectivity in low- and middle-income countries. One exception is Chemin and Oledan (2020)’s recent evaluation of an online tutoring program for grade 6 students in Kianyaga, Kenya to learn English from volunteers from a Canadian university via Skype ( videoconferencing software) for one hour per week after school. After 10 months, program beneficiaries performed 0.22 SDs better in a test of oral comprehension, improved their comfort using technology for learning, and became more willing to engage in cross-cultural communication. Importantly, while the tutoring sessions used the official English textbooks and sought in part to help learners with their homework, tutors were trained on several strategies to teach to each learner’s individual level of preparation, focusing on basic skills if necessary. To our knowledge, similar initiatives within a country have not yet been rigorously evaluated.

Expanding opportunities for practice

A third way in which technology may improve the quality of education is by providing learners with additional opportunities for practice. In many developing countries, lesson time is primarily devoted to lectures, in which the educator explains the topic and the learners passively copy explanations from the blackboard. This setup leaves little time for in-class practice. Consequently, learners who did not understand the explanation of the material during lecture struggle when they have to solve homework assignments on their own. Technology could potentially address this problem by allowing learners to review topics at their own pace.

Practice exercises

Technology can help learners get more out of traditional instruction by providing them with opportunities to implement what they learn in class. This approach could, in theory, allow some learners to anchor their understanding of the material through trial and error (i.e., by realizing what they may not have understood correctly during lecture and by getting better acquainted with special cases not covered in-depth in class).

Existing evidence on practice exercises reflects both the promise and the limitations of this use of technology in developing countries. For example, Lai et al. (2013) evaluated a program in Shaanxi, China where students in grades 3 and 5 were required to attend two 40-minute remedial sessions per week in which they first watched videos that reviewed the material that had been introduced in their math lessons that week and then played games to practice the skills introduced in the video. After four months, the intervention improved math achievement by 0.12 SDs. Many other evaluations of comparable interventions have found similar small-to-moderate results (see, e.g., Lai, Luo, Zhang, Huang, & Rozelle, 2015; Lai et al., 2012; Mo et al., 2015; Pitchford, 2015). These effects, however, have been consistently smaller than those of initiatives that adjust the difficulty of the material based on students’ performance (e.g., Banerjee et al., 2007; Muralidharan, et al., 2019). We hypothesize that these programs do little for learners who perform several grade levels behind curricular expectations, and who would benefit more from a review of foundational concepts from earlier grades.

We see two important limitations from this research. First, most initiatives that have been evaluated thus far combine instructional videos with practice exercises, so it is hard to know whether their effects are driven by the former or the latter. In fact, the program in China described above allowed learners to ask their peers whenever they did not understand a difficult concept, so it potentially also captured the effect of peer-to-peer collaboration. To our knowledge, no studies have addressed this gap in the evidence.

Second, most of these programs are implemented before or after school, so we cannot distinguish the effect of additional instructional time from that of the actual opportunity for practice. The importance of this question was first highlighted by Linden (2008), who compared two delivery mechanisms for game-based remedial math software for students in grades 2 and 3 in a network of schools run by a nonprofit organization in Gujarat, India: one in which students interacted with the software during the school day and another one in which students interacted with the software before or after school (in both cases, for three hours per day). After a year, the first version of the program had negatively impacted students’ math achievement by 0.57 SDs and the second one had a null effect. This study suggested that computer-assisted learning is a poor substitute for regular instruction when it is of high quality, as was the case in this well-functioning private network of schools.

In recent years, several studies have sought to remedy this shortcoming. Mo et al. (2014) were among the first to evaluate practice exercises delivered during the school day. They evaluated an initiative in Shaanxi, China in which students in grades 3 and 5 were required to interact with the software similar to the one in Lai et al. (2013) for two 40-minute sessions per week. The main limitation of this study, however, is that the program was delivered during regularly scheduled computer lessons, so it could not determine the impact of substituting regular math instruction. Similarly, Mo et al. (2020) evaluated a self-paced and a teacher-directed version of a similar program for English for grade 5 students in Qinghai, China. Yet, the key shortcoming of this study is that the teacher-directed version added several components that may also influence achievement, such as increased opportunities for teachers to provide students with personalized assistance when they struggled with the material. Ma, Fairlie, Loyalka, and Rozelle (2020) compared the effectiveness of additional time-delivered remedial instruction for students in grades 4 to 6 in Shaanxi, China through either computer-assisted software or using workbooks. This study indicates whether additional instructional time is more effective when using technology, but it does not address the question of whether school systems may improve the productivity of instructional time during the school day by substituting educator-led with computer-assisted instruction.

Increasing learner engagement

Another way in which technology may improve education is by increasing learners’ engagement with the material. In many school systems, regular “chalk and talk” instruction prioritizes time for educators’ exposition over opportunities for learners to ask clarifying questions and/or contribute to class discussions. This, combined with the fact that many developing-country classrooms include a very large number of learners (see, e.g., Angrist & Lavy, 1999; Duflo, Dupas, & Kremer, 2015), may partially explain why the majority of those students are several grade levels behind curricular expectations (e.g., Muralidharan, et al., 2019; Muralidharan & Zieleniak, 2014; Pritchett & Beatty, 2015). Technology could potentially address these challenges by: (a) using video tutorials for self-paced learning and (b) presenting exercises as games and/or gamifying practice.

Video tutorials

Technology can potentially increase learner effort and understanding of the material by finding new and more engaging ways to deliver it. Video tutorials designed for self-paced learning—as opposed to videos for whole class instruction, which we discuss under the category of “prerecorded lessons” above—can increase learner effort in multiple ways, including: allowing learners to focus on topics with which they need more help, letting them correct errors and misconceptions on their own, and making the material appealing through visual aids. They can increase understanding by breaking the material into smaller units and tackling common misconceptions.

In spite of the popularity of instructional videos, there is relatively little evidence on their effectiveness. Yet, two recent evaluations of different versions of the Khan Academy portal, which mainly relies on instructional videos, offer some insight into their impact. First, Ferman, Finamor, and Lima (2019) evaluated an initiative in 157 public primary and middle schools in five cities in Brazil in which the teachers of students in grades 5 and 9 were taken to the computer lab to learn math from the platform for 50 minutes per week. The authors found that, while the intervention slightly improved learners’ attitudes toward math, these changes did not translate into better performance in this subject. The authors hypothesized that this could be due to the reduction of teacher-led math instruction.

More recently, Büchel, Jakob, Kühnhanss, Steffen, and Brunetti (2020) evaluated an after-school, offline delivery of the Khan Academy portal in grades 3 through 6 in 302 primary schools in Morazán, El Salvador. Students in this study received 90 minutes per week of additional math instruction (effectively nearly doubling total math instruction per week) through teacher-led regular lessons, teacher-assisted Khan Academy lessons, or similar lessons assisted by technical supervisors with no content expertise. (Importantly, the first group provided differentiated instruction, which is not the norm in Salvadorian schools). All three groups outperformed both schools without any additional lessons and classrooms without additional lessons in the same schools as the program. The teacher-assisted Khan Academy lessons performed 0.24 SDs better, the supervisor-led lessons 0.22 SDs better, and the teacher-led regular lessons 0.15 SDs better, but the authors could not determine whether the effects across versions were different.

Together, these studies suggest that instructional videos work best when provided as a complement to, rather than as a substitute for, regular instruction. Yet, the main limitation of these studies is the multifaceted nature of the Khan Academy portal, which also includes other components found to positively improve learner achievement, such as differentiated instruction by students’ learning levels. While the software does not provide the type of personalization discussed above, learners are asked to take a placement test and, based on their score, educators assign them different work. Therefore, it is not clear from these studies whether the effects from Khan Academy are driven by its instructional videos or to the software’s ability to provide differentiated activities when combined with placement tests.

Games and gamification

Technology can also increase learner engagement by presenting exercises as games and/or by encouraging learner to play and compete with others (e.g., using leaderboards and rewards)—an approach known as “gamification.” Both approaches can increase learner motivation and effort by presenting learners with entertaining opportunities for practice and by leveraging peers as commitment devices.

There are very few studies on the effects of games and gamification in low- and middle-income countries. Recently, Araya, Arias Ortiz, Bottan, and Cristia (2019) evaluated an initiative in which grade 4 students in Santiago, Chile were required to participate in two 90-minute sessions per week during the school day with instructional math software featuring individual and group competitions (e.g., tracking each learner’s standing in his/her class and tournaments between sections). After nine months, the program led to improvements of 0.27 SDs in the national student assessment in math (it had no spillover effects on reading). However, it had mixed effects on non-academic outcomes. Specifically, the program increased learners’ willingness to use computers to learn math, but, at the same time, increased their anxiety toward math and negatively impacted learners’ willingness to collaborate with peers. Finally, given that one of the weekly sessions replaced regular math instruction and the other one represented additional math instructional time, it is not clear whether the academic effects of the program are driven by the software or the additional time devoted to learning math.

The prognosis:

How can school systems adopt interventions that match their needs.

Here are five specific and sequential guidelines for decisionmakers to realize the potential of education technology to accelerate student learning.

1. Take stock of how your current schools, educators, and learners are engaging with technology .

Carry out a short in-school survey to understand the current practices and potential barriers to adoption of technology (we have included suggested survey instruments in the Appendices); use this information in your decisionmaking process. For example, we learned from conversations with current and former ministers of education from various developing regions that a common limitation to technology use is regulations that hold school leaders accountable for damages to or losses of devices. Another common barrier is lack of access to electricity and Internet, or even the availability of sufficient outlets for charging devices in classrooms. Understanding basic infrastructure and regulatory limitations to the use of education technology is a first necessary step. But addressing these limitations will not guarantee that introducing or expanding technology use will accelerate learning. The next steps are thus necessary.

“In Africa, the biggest limit is connectivity. Fiber is expensive, and we don’t have it everywhere. The continent is creating a digital divide between cities, where there is fiber, and the rural areas. The [Ghanaian] administration put in schools offline/online technologies with books, assessment tools, and open source materials. In deploying this, we are finding that again, teachers are unfamiliar with it. And existing policies prohibit students to bring their own tablets or cell phones. The easiest way to do it would have been to let everyone bring their own device. But policies are against it.” H.E. Matthew Prempeh, Minister of Education of Ghana, on the need to understand the local context.

2. Consider how the introduction of technology may affect the interactions among learners, educators, and content .

Our review of the evidence indicates that technology may accelerate student learning when it is used to scale up access to quality content, facilitate differentiated instruction, increase opportunities for practice, or when it increases learner engagement. For example, will adding electronic whiteboards to classrooms facilitate access to more quality content or differentiated instruction? Or will these expensive boards be used in the same way as the old chalkboards? Will providing one device (laptop or tablet) to each learner facilitate access to more and better content, or offer students more opportunities to practice and learn? Solely introducing technology in classrooms without additional changes is unlikely to lead to improved learning and may be quite costly. If you cannot clearly identify how the interactions among the three key components of the instructional core (educators, learners, and content) may change after the introduction of technology, then it is probably not a good idea to make the investment. See Appendix A for guidance on the types of questions to ask.

3. Once decisionmakers have a clear idea of how education technology can help accelerate student learning in a specific context, it is important to define clear objectives and goals and establish ways to regularly assess progress and make course corrections in a timely manner .

For instance, is the education technology expected to ensure that learners in early grades excel in foundational skills—basic literacy and numeracy—by age 10? If so, will the technology provide quality reading and math materials, ample opportunities to practice, and engaging materials such as videos or games? Will educators be empowered to use these materials in new ways? And how will progress be measured and adjusted?

4. How this kind of reform is approached can matter immensely for its success.

It is easy to nod to issues of “implementation,” but that needs to be more than rhetorical. Keep in mind that good use of education technology requires thinking about how it will affect learners, educators, and parents. After all, giving learners digital devices will make no difference if they get broken, are stolen, or go unused. Classroom technologies only matter if educators feel comfortable putting them to work. Since good technology is generally about complementing or amplifying what educators and learners already do, it is almost always a mistake to mandate programs from on high. It is vital that technology be adopted with the input of educators and families and with attention to how it will be used. If technology goes unused or if educators use it ineffectually, the results will disappoint—no matter the virtuosity of the technology. Indeed, unused education technology can be an unnecessary expenditure for cash-strapped education systems. This is why surveying context, listening to voices in the field, examining how technology is used, and planning for course correction is essential.

5. It is essential to communicate with a range of stakeholders, including educators, school leaders, parents, and learners .

Technology can feel alien in schools, confuse parents and (especially) older educators, or become an alluring distraction. Good communication can help address all of these risks. Taking care to listen to educators and families can help ensure that programs are informed by their needs and concerns. At the same time, deliberately and consistently explaining what technology is and is not supposed to do, how it can be most effectively used, and the ways in which it can make it more likely that programs work as intended. For instance, if teachers fear that technology is intended to reduce the need for educators, they will tend to be hostile; if they believe that it is intended to assist them in their work, they will be more receptive. Absent effective communication, it is easy for programs to “fail” not because of the technology but because of how it was used. In short, past experience in rolling out education programs indicates that it is as important to have a strong intervention design as it is to have a solid plan to socialize it among stakeholders.

Beyond reopening: A leapfrog moment to transform education?

On September 14, the Center for Universal Education (CUE) will host a webinar to discuss strategies, including around the effective use of education technology, for ensuring resilient schools in the long term and to launch a new education technology playbook “Realizing the promise: How can education technology improve learning for all?”

file-pdf Full Playbook – Realizing the promise: How can education technology improve learning for all? file-pdf References file-pdf Appendix A – Instruments to assess availability and use of technology file-pdf Appendix B – List of reviewed studies file-pdf Appendix C – How may technology affect interactions among students, teachers, and content?

About the Authors

Alejandro j. ganimian, emiliana vegas, frederick m. hess.

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Innovative Teaching Strategies: How to Engage Students and Boost Learning Outcomes

Posted on march 10th, 2023.

As educators, our primary goal is to help our students succeed. We want them to achieve their full potential, to develop a love of learning, and to be prepared for the challenges that lie ahead. However, achieving these goals can be challenging, especially when faced with the realities of the modern classroom. With students' attention spans becoming shorter and technology creating new distractions, it can be challenging to keep them engaged and motivated to learn. That's where innovative teaching strategies come in.

In this blog post, we'll explore some of the most effective teaching strategies that can help you engage your students and boost their learning outcomes. From incorporating technology to encouraging student participation, these strategies will help you create a classroom that is both engaging and effective.

Use Technology to Enhance Learning

Technology has transformed the way we live, work, and learn, and the classroom is no exception. By incorporating technology into your teaching, you can create a more engaging and interactive learning experience for your students. Whether it's using interactive whiteboards, educational apps, or online resources, technology can help you engage your students and make learning more fun and accessible.

Encourage Student Participation

One of the most effective ways to engage your students is to encourage their participation. Rather than lecturing them, try to create a more interactive learning environment that allows them to ask questions, share their thoughts and ideas, and collaborate with their peers. By giving your students a voice, you can help them feel more invested in their learning and encourage them to take an active role in their education.

Create a Positive Learning Environment

Creating a positive learning environment is essential for engaging your students and boosting their learning outcomes. By fostering a sense of community and mutual respect, you can create a classroom that is both supportive and welcoming. Encourage your students to support one another, celebrate their successes, and learn from their mistakes.

Incorporate Games and Activities

Learning doesn't have to be boring! Incorporating games and activities into your lessons can help you engage your students and make learning more fun and memorable. Whether it's a classroom scavenger hunt or a math game, these activities can help your students retain information and build critical thinking skills.

Personalize Learning

Every student is unique, with their own strengths, weaknesses, and learning styles. By personalizing your teaching to meet each student's needs, you can help them achieve their full potential. Try to understand each student's learning style, interests, and goals, and tailor your teaching accordingly. This will help your students feel valued and engaged in their learning.

Use Real-World Examples

Connecting learning to real-world situations can help your students understand the relevance of what they're learning and make it more engaging. Try to incorporate real-world examples into your lessons, showing your students how the concepts they're learning can be applied in the real world. This will help them see the value in what they're learning and motivate them to learn more.

Emphasize Creativity and Innovation

In today's fast-paced world, creativity and innovation are more important than ever. By emphasizing these skills in your teaching, you can help your students develop the critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills they need to succeed in the future. Encourage your students to think outside the box, experiment with new ideas, and take risks.

In conclusion, innovative teaching strategies are essential for engaging students and boosting their learning outcomes. By incorporating technology, encouraging participation, creating a positive learning environment, and personalizing learning, you can create a classroom that is both effective and engaging. By emphasizing creativity, innovation, and real-world examples, you can help your students develop the skills they need to succeed in the future. So why contact me and learn how to improve your teaching skills and boost you students' learning?

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Innovative teaching methods: thinking outside the box for student success.

Educators today recognize the evolving needs of students and the importance of preparing them for the future. While traditional teaching methods have served as a foundation, there is a growing understanding that innovative approaches are necessary to meet the diverse needs of students effectively. By embracing new teaching methods, teachers can tap into the power of creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills, offering engaging learning experiences that inspire students to reach their full potential.

As a trusted partner for public school districts nationwide, we're passionate about designing customized support systems that fit each school or district's local context and providing valuable insights and resources to help you continually streamline support systems, enhance instructional practices, and improve the learner experience.

Innovative Teaching Methods for Revolutionizing the Classroom and Enhancing Student Success

Innovation in teaching can capture students' attention and foster a genuine love for learning. By incorporating interactive elements such as technology, multimedia resources, and real-world examples, teachers can create a dynamic and engaging classroom environment. Some of the teaching methods that have been proven effective include:

Collaborative Learning

Collaborative learning emphasizes teamwork and cooperation among students. This approach encourages active participation, social interaction, and peer-to-peer learning. Through group projects, team-based learning discussions, and problem-solving activities, students develop vital skills such as communication, collaboration, and negotiation, while also building a supportive community with their classmates to inspire each other.

Project-Based Learning

Project-based learning is an effective teaching method that encourages students to actively engage in real-world problem-solving. Through hands-on projects, students can apply their knowledge, collaborate with peers, and develop essential skills like teamwork, communication, and critical thinking. This approach not only enhances student motivation but also promotes a deeper understanding of the subject matter as students connect theoretical concepts with practical applications.

Technology Integration

In today's digital age, technology is an indispensable tool in education. Integrating technology into teaching methods can enhance student engagement, facilitate personalized learning, and provide access to a wealth of educational resources. From interactive whiteboards and educational apps to online platforms and virtual reality, technology offers countless opportunities for innovative teaching. Teachers can leverage multimedia resources, simulations, and interactive exercises to create immersive learning experiences that cater to different learning styles and interests.

RELATED: Why Even the Best Teachers Need Coaches

Coach Teachers to Effectively Utilize Innovative Teaching Methods

Public school districts often partner with a talent development or education strategic planning vendor like engage2learn (e2L) to provide their teachers and school leaders – such as principals and assistant principals – with relevant professional development and personalized coaching that increases their effectiveness without adding more to their plate. This is done through:

01: Fostering a culture of innovation within the public school system.

Begin with cultivating a growth mindset among teachers. Encourage educators to question conventional teaching practices and seek new approaches. Provide opportunities for collaborative learning, where teachers can share their experiences, ideas, and innovative strategies.

02: Employing professional development programs.

Equip teachers with the knowledge and skills required to embrace innovative teaching methods. These programs should focus on such topics as design thinking, project-based learning, technology integration, and small group instruction. Encourage educators to utilize a job-embedded platform such as GroweLab for professional development for teachers to stay up to date with instructional best practices and pedagogical trends.

03: Promoting collaboration and networking among teachers.

Encourage them to form professional learning communities where they can exchange ideas, share resources, and engage in collaborative lesson planning, both within and across educational institutions. Online platforms and social media can serve as powerful tools for fostering connections and accessing a global community of educators.

04: Encouraging innovation.

Innovation often involves stepping out of one's comfort zone. Teachers should be encouraged to innovate with new teaching methods, which could involve gamified learning, flipped classrooms, or incorporating digital tools and resources. Create a supportive environment that values experimentation, embraces failures as opportunities for growth, and celebrates successes with badges and microcredentials.

05: Providing teachers with easy access to innovative teaching resources.

Get to Know GroweLab, the All-In-One Talent Development and Instructional Coaching Platform

Intended specifically for instructional coaches, teachers, and district and school leaders, GroweLab helps users maximize their time, work autonomously and collaboratively, increase capacity, and provide individualized, differentiated support relative to each coachee’s needs. Paired with e2L’s evidence-based, research-backed coaching methodology that aligns to the science of coaching , GroweLab is designed to:

Enable instructional coaches to manage, document, and monitor all coaching activity with ease, no matter how large their roster.
Connect educator growth and student achievement data to show the ROI and impact of coaching through an advanced, user-friendly education analytics dashboard.
Incentivize educator and staff growth through a microcredentialing and recognition system.
Grow school and district staff in differentiated, research-based, role-specific professional learning competencies.
Support 100% of instructional and non-instructional staff at a fraction of the cost.
Provide 24/7 access to asynchronous learning on competencies, a robust library of resources and courses, and real-time coaching interactions and feedback.

Instructional Coaching in GroweLab

Coaching is the most effective tool for improving the daily practice of teachers. With GroweLab, leaders can streamline and scale their instructional coaching efforts by providing targeted support to more teachers and staff, while ensuring the visibility and effectiveness of their coaching program. By leveraging GroweLab , leaders are able to extend more coaching support to more educators, track progress, and make data-informed decisions to drive continuous improvement – ultimately enhancing the overall effectiveness of instructional coaching, increasing teacher retention, and improving student outcomes. Integrating a collaborative tool that allows coaches to easily communicate with, monitor, analyze, and celebrate the progress of every educator on their roster enables them to keep things organized, focused on relevant topics, and efficient – especially one that’s designed with the needs of educators in mind. As instructional coaches observe and monitor the progress of educators, they need a single, user-friendly tool for ongoing documentation and real-time coaching – one that allows for open communication between coach and coachee, maximizes everyone’s time, and provides educators with clear, actionable next steps.

RELATED: Instructional Coaches Need These 4 Things

Having a tool that transforms all evidence of educator growth from instructional coaching into data is important for quantifying the efficacy of coaching, identifying areas that require more attention and improvement, and connecting educator growth to improved student achievement. GroweLab is built on a model of support that is proven to provide teachers and any coachee with relevant professional development and individualized instructional coaching focused on high-impact competencies proven to:

Accelerate student learning and achievement
Improve job satisfaction
Reduce teacher burnout
Decrease attrition

By leveraging personalized learning strategies, adaptive technology, and differentiated instruction, teachers develop the skills and acquire the necessary tools to provide targeted support that ensures every student gets what they need. Empowering teachers to think innovatively and leverage cutting-edge teaching methods is pivotal for improving student success. With GroweLab, your teachers will have the resources, training, and support they need to grow in their skills, effectively support their students, and make a lasting impact. When you're ready to grow your talent, we're ready to support you! Learn more about GroweLab and get a demo here .

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Innovative pedagogical principles and technological tools capabilities for immersive blended learning: a systematic literature review

Najwa amanina bizami.

1 Department of Science, Mathematics & Creative Multimedia Education, School of Education, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor Bahru, 81310 Johor, Malaysia

Zaidatun Tasir

2 Language Academy, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor Bahru, 81310 Johor, Malaysia

Associated Data

Data sharing not applicable to this article as no datasets were generated or analysed during the current study.

Blended learning is widely known for its ability to improve learning, nevertheless little is still known about the best ways of designing effective blended learning environment which can support immersive learning such as greater learning experience and accessibility to education. In this respect, this study investigates the mapping of the principles of three Education 4.0 innovative pedagogies, namely, heutagogy, peeragogy, and cybergogy, with the capabilities of three technological learning tools, that is, Facebook (FB), Learning Management System (LMS), and Blog, via a systematic literature review technique. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were used as the methodology, and the literature was further selected using Gough’s Weight of Evidence criteria, resulting in 59 studies. The results show that cognitive factor is the most linked pedagogical principle to the four main capabilities of technological learning tools, that is, time, self-related, learning task, and learning community-related. This mapping is useful for instructors to plan learning and teaching by choosing the technological learning tools that match with appropriate Education 4.0 pedagogies for optimising the immersive blended learning practices.

Introduction

Blended learning is widely recognised as an integration of classroom face-to-face learning experiences with online learning experiences. An increased use of blended learning environments in higher education has been an emerging trend in the twenty-first century (Mozelius & Rydell, 2017 ) due to the ever-changing world of technology and the need to guide twenty-first century learners to approach learning. Many studies have shown that blended learning can improve academic achievement (Kassab et al., 2015 ; Kazu & Demirkol, 2014 ). Through blended learning, technology is used to cater to multiple learning styles or needs, engage students, and support learning goals and values.

However, despite the continuous development of research on blended learning, they have not yet provided sufficient guidance on supporting the creation of an immersive blended learning environment, which is seen as an essential aspect to improve and contextualise learning experiences for twenty-first century learners. Since delivering sound immersive learning experience is hard due to time consuming, expensive and difficult to assess (Beckem and Watkins ( 2012 ), many professional educators have criticised the impersonal, sequential and disconnected elements of the current types of blended learning models (i.e., rotational model, flex model, self-blend model, and enhanced-virtual model), as they cover less of the immersive element of learning and teaching (Bidarra & Rusman, 2017 ; Lucke, 2011 ; Sobchenko, 2021 ; Whyte, 2018 ). Though blended learning has emerged as one of the most dominant delivery modes for various teaching contexts (Chen, 2022 ), a modern blended learning on the other hand should force for the integration of immersive learning since it appears useful and needed in today’s dynamic learning environment to shake up learning for more excitement and innovation, and most importantly be applicable and relevant to contemporary life and transferable to ‘real-world’ situations (Bidarra & Rusman, 2017 ).

Before planning on what improvements can be made to construct a new immersive blended learning environment, there must be a deep understanding of pedagogic practice itself. Perhaps what is of utmost importance is a pedagogical approach that is flexible enough and can be changed according to learners’ personal needs and learning context (Bidarra & Rusman, 2017 ). This pedagogical aspect is however often fraught with problems due to its complex series of relationships to produce actionable information (Colreavy-Donnelly et al., 2022 ). Additionally, several important aspects of the innovative learning pedagogy that involve new methods of interaction between ‘instructor-student-resource’ in the learning and teaching practice are often ignored in the discussion related to the immersive blended learning environment (Crawford & Jenkins, 2017 ). Hence, by reaching an understanding of the complex interaction relationship in the innovative learning pedagogy would be key to create an effective immersive blended learning experience.

Another problem that makes the adoption of immersive blended learning difficult is perhaps due to perception that immersive learning relies mainly on the advances in technology and involve only sophisticated and expensive technological tools, such as virtual, augmented, and mixed reality. Recent research by Chytas et al. ( 2021 ), Parong and Mayer ( 2018 ), and Checa and Bustillo ( 2020 ) however disagree that such technologies can provide immersive experiences to learners. Note that the use of digital technology per se may not able to enhance learning outcomes and should not be used for the sake of course repository. Considering that, there is a need to take into account the different types of technological learning tools and extract the capabilities to create a flexible immersive blended learning approach that will contribute to the greater learning experience and facilitate accessibility to education. To date, such technological capabilities were not spelled out clearly in the existing blended learning models to support the immersive learning experience.

From the above discussion, we can see that these two aspects, namely, innovative pedagogical principles and technological capabilities should be considered together in order to produce stimulating immersive learning environments through which robust learning can occur (Blaschke, 2018 ). This also fits with Kaufman’s ( 2019 ) suggestion that, in redesigning transformative instructional blended learning, it is essential to have the involvement of both pedagogical elements and technological tools in order to promote active learning experiences and student-centred pedagogies. Without proper framework and limited knowledge on both technological capabilities and innovative pedagogical principles, it is difficult for educators to bridge the gap between technology and pedagogy, and successfully implement it in the learning and teaching practice despite realising its potential.

Thus, the focal point of this systematic literature is three-fold: (1) to ascertain about the principles of heutagogy, peeragogy, and cybergogy that are relevant for an immersive blended learning environment, (2) to identify the capabilities of the technological learning tools that appropriate to use in an immersive blended learning environment, and (3) to inform about how the principles of heutagogy, peeragogy, and cybergogy can be mapped with the capabilities of technological learning tools for the proper implementation of an immersive blended learning environment. FB, blogs, and LMS are the three types of technological learning tools that have been selected to be reviewed to ascertain their capabilities in supporting an immersive blended learning environment. FB is chosen because it is relevant for twenty-first century learning and is also a popular platform among millennials and Gen Z (Oomen-Early & Early, 2015 ). Similarly, blogs are often used to support active collaboration among students (Blaschke, 2018 ), whilst LMS is a common discussion platform for students (Twelves & Arasaratnam, 2012 ). These three technological tools also have the capability of supporting the learning community to complete a task, solve a problem, create a product, and share their thoughts (Craigg, 2020 ).

In brief, the techno-pedagogy mapping can provide a starting point for significant parties in education, such as curriculum designers, and faculty administrators, to have a good understanding of how to design preferred immersive blended learning experiences with much more confidence and competence. In terms of definition, the techno-pedagogy mapping is a mapping that intertwines the pedagogical and technological elements to address explicit relationship of how technological tools are able to assist and support pedagogical aspects. This mapping is suitable for classroom teaching and learning if the following criteria/standards are met: (1) any teaching and learning environment that involve the use of online/virtual/remote/distance learning that requires the assistance of technological learning tools. The technological tools are within the use of Web 2.0 tools. Hence, this mapping might not be appropriate for classroom with application of augmented and virtual reality because of the uncovered capabilities, (2) any teaching and learning setting that involves both independent and/or collaborative learning methods as it takes into accountability of students’ autonomy and collaboration aspects, (3) any teaching and learning pedagogy setting that align with the core principles of innovative pedagogies, that is Heutagogy, Peeragogy and Cybergogy, and (4) any teaching and learning components which consider the immersive learning features. In this case, immersive learning characteristics are (1) real-life like environment, (2) learning process focuses more on learning experience, and (3) supported by appropriate Web 2.0 technological tools.

Higher education educators may also utilise the techno-pedagogy mapping framework as a discourse opportunity to innovate their mainstream online curricular delivery by integrating innovative pedagogies with technological capabilities to prepare learners with twenty-first century skills/values in novel situations, such as creativity, independence, communication, self-determination, ability to work with others, critical thinking, capacity to learn and so on, since greater reliance has been placed on information technology as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, as the three innovative pedagogies in the mapping support the shift from instructor-led teaching to student-centred learning, this can, in turn, prepare the students to take ownership of their learning, to survive, and to be competitive with regard to their knowledge and life-skills, which is in line with the 4th industrial revolution and digital transformation agenda. Plus, the mapping can also further inform the theorisation of the concept of innovative pedagogies and technologies in relation to an immersive blended learning environment in higher education, which remains insufficiently studied and substantiated.

Literature review

Blended and immersive learning environment.

Blended learning is the mode of instruction most widely used by educational institutions owing to its apparent effectiveness in offering flexible, timely, and continuous learning (Rasheed et al., 2020 ). According to the Sloan Consortium, blended learning covers from 30 to 79% of online content delivery. To date, several individual and combination models of online learning with traditional face-to-face instruction, which are usually referred to as flex, self-blend, flipped, and rotation, among others, have been utilised in numerous studies. Some of these models are better than others and it is almost impossible in contrary, to design a perfect model (Azizan, 2010 ). For instance, Kudryashova et al. ( 2016 ) stated that the rotation model can be considered as efficient for learning English since it makes it possible to improve the process of learning the subject under the conditions of class time deficiency and the differences in students’ levels of training, motivation to study foreign language, and levels of information and communication technology competence. The implementation is further exemplified by Crawford and Jenkins ( 2017 ), who purposely combined the station rotation and flipped models to respond to the transitioning digital tertiary environment and the complexities linked to necessary pedagogical change.

As the implementations of blended learning are diverse, there appears to be a degree of unease among students and instructors regarding the inclusion of technology into learning and instruction. For example, blended learning requires students to equip themselves with self-regulation skills and technological competence in order to manage their learning at their own pace with less instructor facilitation. Instructors, meanwhile, are also required to be competent in utilising and merging both online resources and various pedagogies effectively into course design, and thereby can increase student engagement and performance (Rasheed et al., 2020 ). It is also observed that when learning technologies are introduced, the attention of blended learning is often paid to the technology implementation (Chen & Yao, 2016 ) rather than stressing the innovative pedagogies and learning objectives (Shand et al., 2016 ). Bidarra and Rusman ( 2017 ) also highlighted in their study that technology and pedagogy are the two main components in building a suitable blended learning environment.

While the values of technological tools and pedagogies are apparent in optimising blended learning (see Ayob et al., 2020 ; Mahalli et al., 2019 ; Mujacic et al., 2013 ), there has been little, if any, research into linking blended learning with the underlying principles of twenty-first century pedagogy and the capabilities of technology in learning and instruction. The existing blended learning models also put little emphasis on what constitutes immersion, thus present challenges for instructors to design instructions to improve and contextualise deep learning experiences for twenty-first century students through blended learning approach. Cheney and Terry ( 2018 ) describe immersive learning environment as the ideas of presence (being there) and co-presence (being there with others). Students in the twenty-first century desire immersive learning because it can give them the opportunity to immerse and interact actively in teams with fellow students by building a sense of identity and belonging in a low-risk environment (Bautista, 2013 ), and shift from content acquisition act to knowledge expression and creation act (Abdelaziz, 2014 ). It also equips them with an interactive learning environment and give them a sense of the realities of through the dynamics of learning. Nevertheless, the current focus of immersive learning is mainly relying on the technological driven and involve only advance and expensive technological tools such as virtual, augmented, and mixed reality. Hence, in this study, the researchers believe that a solid understanding of the mapping of innovative principles of different pedagogies, namely, heutagogy, peeragogy and cybergogy, with the capabilities of technological tools, even through the use of simple and accessible technologies such as Facebook (FB), Blog, and Learning Management System (LMS) can provide rich opportunity to model effective immersive blended learning environment.

Education 4.0 innovative pedagogies

As outlined in the Framing Malaysian Higher Education 4.0: Future-Proof Talents, innovative pedagogies include heutagogy, peeragogy, and cybergogy (Ministry of Higher Education, 2018 ). Heutagogy is a student-centric learning and teaching strategy where students determine their learning independently (Blaschke & Hase, 2019 ; Kapasi & Grekova, 2018 ). This pedagogy was introduced as a response to the criticism that learning is dependent mostly on the instructors whereas, in reality, learning may occur independently in dynamic and complex form (Sumarsono, 2019 ). Until now, heutagogical practices have been applied in varied disciplines, such as social science (Snowden & Halsall, 2017 ), nursing (Bhoyrub et al., 2010 ), medicine (Abraham & Komattil, 2017 ), and engineering (Mohammad et al., 2019 ), because it is adaptable to the lifelong learning and workplace setting which is full of unpredictability and uncertain situations. The success of the heutagogical approach depends on reflective practice because it helps students to reflect on what they have learned and thus to control their learning and apply it to a practical situation (Canning & Callan, 2010 ). While heutagogy suggests that the ability to learn is a natural human condition, there is still a need to complement it with technological skill since technology can support learning outside the classroom where students can be creative and proactive in gaining knowledge and understanding independently (Blaschke, 2012 ). Therefore, the synergy of heutagogical principles and online technological tools is necessary in order to equip instructors and students with the technological competency of heutagogy learning and teaching approach.

Another form of collaborative learning, which is known as peeragogy or paragogy, has gained attention in higher education because of its unique concept. This peer-learning pedagogy focuses on co-creating and co-learning with peers, who share their learning situations and experiences in a social, active, and continuous process (Mulholland, 2019 ). It uses a co-creating learning environment where students are actively involved in a knowledge-building process (Jamaludin et al., 2020 ). The commitment of co-creating as suggested by Howard (2012), which includes “sharing power (empowering students), sharing interactivity & collaboration, sharing responsibility, sharing meanings and sharing knowledge”, has led to significant flexibility and reflection in the peer-centred learning, and increased motivation for both students and instructor. However, when it comes to designing learning and teaching tasks that are techno-socially feasible, there might be a challenge “between a practical, action-oriented approach to learning and adaptation, and the whimsical, non-linear, non-coercive modality of peer production” (Corneli, 2012 ). In this regard, consideration of the principles underlying peeragogy is important to confront the problem of peer-producing in blended learning environments, as the pedagogy of the twenty-first century differs from that of previous centuries (Mynbayeva et al., 2016 ). For peeragogical learning and teaching endeavours to be established, some serious questions need to be answered, such as (1) What technologies are suitable in peer learning?, and (2) How do the tools’ features suit the role of co-learners in co-teaching and co-coaching work in the blended learning premise?

Cybergogy, meanwhile, is a pedagogy that focuses on engaging students in an online environment to advance their cognitive, emotional, and social learning (Wang, 2008 ). Engaging students on all three levels of presence simultaneously would result in the best learning outcomes. The cybergogy approach can be executed anywhere and anytime based on the availability of computers and the internet. Learning through communities is also supported by the cybergogical approach by activating students to engage in discussions, negotiate ideas, and devise solutions with the community (Bilfaqih & Qomarudin, 2015 ). This pedagogy is uniquely applicable to online instruction and has been intensively adopted by instructors who are educated about the usage of online computer systems (Yusuf & Yusuf, 2018 ). However, it has also been used in research on blended learning (Wang et al., 2009 ). As suggested by the previous research (see Ata, 2016 ; Salmon, 2009 ), the limited adoption of this pedagogy is caused by many factors including (1) digitally illiterate instructors, (2) limited time for exploring, tweaking, and creating heutagogical application, (3) a willingness to implement only if receiving a lot of help and support, and (4) the pedagogy being treated the same way as physical classes. Hence, there is a need to have detailed guidance on the ways to implement the cybergogy approach in the learning and teaching process which, in turn, enables the widespread adoption of this pedagogy. Besides, the framework of a future-ready curriculum for Malaysian public universities also did not provide any guidelines on how to use this pedagogy effectively.

In summary, the above-mentioned innovative pedagogies involve new methods of interaction between ‘instructor-student-resource’ in the learning and teaching practice. To be precise, this aspect is what is still lacking, and its innovative principles were not spelled out clearly in the existing blended learning models. If we can really understand how people learn best, then we can design educational experiences with much more confidence. Hence, we saw the possibility to contribute to the body of knowledge of the immersive blended learning environment, if all three fundamental aspects of innovative pedagogies are conducted integratedly, by taking into account the capabilities of several technological tools that are relevant to learning experiences from both theoretical and practical perspectives. The active use of innovative pedagogies (the three ‘gogies’) is also necessary in the Education 4.0 era to reshape and optimise immersive blended learning and teaching and prepare the students to survive and be competitive with regard to their knowledge and life-skills.

Theoretical framework

Based on Fig. 1 , social learning theory, humanism, and collaborative learning are the appropriate underpinning theories for the three Education 4.0 pedagogies, i.e., heutagogy, peeragogy, and cybergogy, and three types of technological learning tools, i.e., FB, blogs, and LMS.

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Theoretical framework of immersive blended learning pedagogical framework

In social learning theory, Bandura ( 1977 ) explained that the learning process involves the process of observation and imitation of model figures. This theory also mentions that the cognitive factor mediates the learning process of students. In heutagogical learning, it is highlighted that students are responsible for exploring knowledge using their own approach, which involves their cognitive ability in planning their learning journey (Hase, 2016 ). It is similar to peeragogical learning, where students are actively producing knowledge, among themselves in an interactive community that would shift their perspective behaviourally or cognitively during the learning (Alexander et al., 2014 ). In contrast, in cybergogical learning, it is outlined that students’ learning will be affected by cognitive, social, and emotional factors which are interrelated with each other (Wang & Kang, 2006 ).

Next, the notion of humanism, which claims that students are positioning themselves at the centre of the learning process (Rogers, 1951 ; Sanmugarevathi & Lenin, 2020 ), is what connects this theory with heutagogy, peeragogy, and cybergogy. The self-determined strategy of the heutagogical approach focuses on students taking proactive action to decide what and how they will learn. Peeragogy, meanwhile, puts students at the heart of learning by giving them the autonomy to co-create knowledge and skills with peers in their own way, whilst, for cybergogy, the evolution of technological tools that can cater to students’ cognitive, emotional and social aspects of learning has favoured educational offerings by creating huge opportunities for students to learn easily through the online environment.

Also, underpinning the Education 4.0 innovative pedagogies is the theory of collaborative learning. This is derived from Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), which argues that students are unable to learn everything on their own, and hence, guidance or facilitation must take place. In higher education, students are encouraged to collaborate in learning despite having full autonomy of the process. This would develop their personal and social skills as demanded by Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) (Collins et al., 2010 ; Ricaurte, 2016 ). Heutagogy is explained by Stoten ( 2020 ) to be collaborative in order to develop engagement skills to be applied in their future workplace. Peeragogy and cybergogy, on the other hand, are known as integrating collaboration in the learning process although their collaborative concepts are different, where peeragogical collaborative learning is able to happen in an offline environment (Mulholland, 2019 ) and happens through an online environment for cybergogy (Wang & Kang, 2006 ).

The three learning theories are also found to be underpinning the FB, blog, and LMS technological tools. According to Deaton ( 2015 ), social learning would happen only in an interactive knowledge exchange environment, which is apparently supported by the tools. For instance, a discussion forum on LMS enables students to review the opinions of others, which would later alter the students’ prior belief on the subject. This type of interaction and engagement occurs on the social networking site and could reinforce or change students’ behaviours as well as their beliefs, which is a fundamental view in social learning theory (Kilburn, 2013 ).

For humanism, this learning theory underpins the FB, blog, and LMS technological tools because of the centralisation on the elements of the students and cooperation. It is also highly affiliated with the experiential learning element (Wu et al., 2012 ). FB supports this, as it enables students to experience a real learning process in an online world (Harris, 2012 ). In another view of humanistic educational theory, it focuses on the autonomy of students in determining the process of learning and, simultaneously, accentuating students’ feelings (Sanmugarevathi & Lenin, 2020 ). This is aligned by all the technological tools in this study, as they support self-explorative learning (Schindler et al., 2017 ; Yukawa, 2006 ). Based on inferences, collaborative learning theory is conspicuous in the three tools because of their collaborative capability in supporting the learning community to complete a task, solve a problem, create a product, and share their thoughts (Craigg, 2020 ). Empirical studies on FB (Duncan & Barczyk, 2016 ), blogs (Kilic & Gokdas, 2014 ), and LMS (Vuopala et al., 2015 ) have contributed to this statement, which implies that collaborative learning theory underpins the technological tools. The theory promotes connectedness in a learning process that takes place in an online environment (Cavus et al., 2006 ; Irwin et al., 2012 ; McLoughlin, 2013 ). Ultimately, this will build students’ readiness and capability to learn and work in an online environment, as demanded by 4IR.

Other than that, the immersive learning concept has been incorporated into this study as it deals with the real-life like engagement through technological tools. Three principles of immersive learning have been established through the literature review for achieving immersive learning, namely, (1) real-life like environment (Beckem & Watkins, 2012 ), (2) a learning process that focuses more on learning experiences, presence, and co-presence (Mynbayeva et al., 2018 ), and (3) support by the appropriate technological learning tools (Gregory & Bannister-Tyrrell, 2017 ). These principles are assimilated in the blended learning environment, as doing so helps to establish an engaging learning process to enable students to incorporate into the real-world knowledge they have acquired via online because of the focus on ‘learning through experience’. In summary, looking at the theoretical framework, it could be inferred that a connection exists between the principles of innovative pedagogy and the capabilities of technological learning tools that are appropriate to be implemented in the immersive blended learning environment.

Research questions

What are the principles of heutagogy, peeragogy, and cybergogy that are relevant for an immersive blended learning environment?
What are the capabilities of technological learning tools that are appropriate to use in an immersive blended learning environment?
How can the principles of heutagogy, peeragogy, and cybergogy be mapped with the capabilities of technological learning tools for implementing an immersive blended learning environment?

Research methodology

This study followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guideline in conducting a comprehensive systematic literature review by (1) establishing inclusion/exclusion criteria for determining relevant studies, (2) carrying out a search strategy, (3) distinguishing potential studies through searching and screening for data collection, (4) describing and evaluating included studies for review purposes, and (5) analysing and synthesising the findings. Inclusion criteria were based on (i) the keywords used, and (ii) studies from the beginning of 2004, when the integration of Web 2.0 began, until the present. For exclusion criteria, we excluded studies that contained non-empirical data, were not peer-reviewed and studies related to K-12 educational settings because the scope of this study is higher education. Electronic databases such as Emerald, SpringerLink Journal, ScienceDirect Journal, SAGE, Taylor & Francis Online, and Wiley Online Library were searched based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria to locate relevant studies. The specific keywords used include the following:

heutagogy*; heutagogy* AND higher education; heutagogy; heutagogy AND higher education; heutagogical; heutagogic; heutagogy AND technological learning tools; heutagogy* AND principles AND higher education
peeragogy*; peeragogy* AND higher education; peeragogy; peeragogy AND higher education; peeragogical; peeragogic; peeragogy AND technological learning tool; peeragog* AND principles AND higher education
cybergogy*; cybergogy* AND higher education; cybergogy; cybergogy AND higher education; cybergogical; cybergogic; cybergogy AND technological learning tool; cybergogy* AND principles AND higher education
capabilities of technological learning tools; technological learning tool AND higher education; Facebook AND capability; blog AND capability; Moodle AND capability

This resulted in 1,337 studies being identified (heutagogy n = 425; peeragogy n = 246; cybergogy n = 45; technological tools n = 621). Potential studies were then screened by removing duplicate studies, titles, and abstracts, non-empirical studies, and non-peer reviewed studies, which affected 1,233 studies. This left only 104 studies which fit with this study purpose (see Figs. 2 , ,3, 3 , ,4, 4 , ,5), 5 ), and these were further assessed using Gough’s ( 2007 ) Weight of Evidence (see Tables Tables1 1 and and2 2 ).

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Principles of heutagogy

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Principles of peeragogy

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Principles of cybergogy

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Capabilities of technological learning tools

Weight of evidence (Gough, 2007 )

Total included studies based on PRISMA guideline according to themes

This method of scoring is adopted in this study, as it offers meticulous judgement that can be applied in evaluating past literature to ensure that only compatible and relevant papers are chosen in the present study (Gough, 2007 ). Only papers that offer overall judgement with ‘excellent’ and ‘good’ criteria are included (see Table Table6 6 in Appendix). Finally, only 59 studies, as tabulated in Table Table2, 2 , were chosen for further analysis in order to answer this study’s research questions.

The weight of evidence of the included and excluded studies according to themes

For data analysis, the specific process was performed as follows:

Description of themes of principles of heutagogy, peeragogy and cybergogy

The second stage (i.e. identify the sub-aspects of the main principles) involves a constant comparative method (Maykut & Morehouse, 1994 ) by comparing and breaking down the raw data from the 20 studies through a process of inductive reasoning into specific sub-aspects themes that align with the main principles of innovative pedagogies (see Table Table4 4 for the sub-aspects themes and its description).

Description of main and sub-aspect themes of principles of heutagogy, peeragogy and cybergogy

Description of sub-capabilities themes for technological capabilities of FB, LMS, and blog

(3) Formulation of the mapping structure of innovative pedagogical principles, and technological learning tools capabilities by analysing and matching the similarity in characteristics from the findings in processes 1 and 2 above.

Results and discussion

Principles of heutagogy, peeragogy and cybergogy that are relevant for an immersive blended learning environment.

Figure 6 presents the main principles and sub-aspects of Education 4.0 innovative pedagogies. The main principles are identified based on the typology proposed from the seminal works by Blaschke ( 2012 ), Hase ( 2016 ), Corneli and Danoff ( 2011 ), and Wang and Kang ( 2006 ). The sub-aspects of the main principles meanwhile have been systematically reviewed and derived inductively through a constant comparative method. The details descriptions of the themes and articles classification can be seen in Table Table4 4 and at Table Table7 7 in Appendix, respectively.

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Principles and sub-aspects of Education 4.0 innovative pedagogies

Systematic literature review table of education 4.0 innovative pedagogies

Four principles underlying heutagogy are involved in this study. The first is human agency , which deals with the student’s intention to learn something voluntarily using their own preferred learning technique (Bandura, 2001 ; Blaschke, 2021 ; Blaschke & Hase, 2019 ). As an agent of their own learning journey, the student decides regarding their own method of how to learn and what to learn. Similar to the concept outlined by Christensen et al.’s ( 2013 ) models, Stoten ( 2020 ) and Patel ( 2018 ) reported that higher education students have full autonomy of their learning journey; this contradicts the traditional form of the knowledge-seeking process. This shift develops a substantial sense of responsibility and personal identity because of the personal competency awareness (Blaschke & Hase, 2019 ; Canning & Callan, 2010 ).

The second is capability , where students are able to integrate the knowledge and skills that they have learned in an unfamiliar context or situation (Blaschke & Hase, 2016 ). This could be achieved by implementing a curriculum that helps students engage with the real world (Stoten, 2020 ), which could assist in equipping them with essential twenty-first century skills. Moreover, as students of higher education are required to possess digital skills, Yusuf and Yusuf ( 2018 ) urged instructors to implement innovative pedagogies; these include integrating heutagogy in the process of teaching and learning, as it is aligned with the twenty-first century digital learning environment. This would consequently produce twenty-first century graduates known as digitalists, who can adapt to the future workplace and community because of their digital skills.

The third principle comprises self-reflection and double-loop learning . These two capabilities are closely linked to each other. Students should be reflective in their learning process to develop metacognitive and self-regulative skills (Gregory et al., 2018 ), and this is achievable whenever students are engaged in a thinking process during learning (Canning & Callan, 2010 ). The ability to reflect on their learning journey will lead to the second element of this principle, which is double-loop learning. This extension of andragogical single-loop learning obliges students to alter their personal beliefs and values by self-correcting their problem-solving skills and modifying their style of learning to be more efficient (Blaschke & Hase, 2016 ). This is possible because heutagogy offers a high-quality reflective environment (Stoten, 2020 ).

Fourth is non-linear learning . In the traditional teaching and learning approach, instructors have full authorisation/top down direction of knowledge delivery. However, for twenty-first century learning, the ultimate decision of a learning process is taken by the students by exploring the variety of learning paths in pursuit of dynamic and flexible learning (Gregory et al., 2018 ; Hase, 2016 ). This non-linear learning might also include collaboration, communication, and connection with others because that is how students attain knowledge from both inside and outside the classroom (Facer & Selwyn, 2010 ).

The systematic literature review on peeragogy studies in higher education settings also comprised the five peeragogy principles outlined by Corneli and Danoff ( 2011 ). The first principle is changing context as a decentred centre. This principle is heavily influenced by the concept of ‘basho’, which means a shared context in motion: while interacting, every student is responsible for contributing based on their own axis, which changes the space or context (Corneli & Danoff, 2011 ). This concept is introduced to emphasise that there is no specific centre in this learning mode.

The second principle is meta-learning as a font of knowledge . Meta-learning is a substantial concept in peeragogy, which relates to students’ metacognition. It could be defined as the peeragogues’ (students in peeragogical classroom) practice of awareness of their process of learning (Corneli & Danoff, 2011 ). In other words, paragogues need to be conscious of what and how they are learning to be able to grasp knowledge. According to Raw ( 2014 ), students are more conscious of their learning process when they are deciding their course syllabus. In addition, to improve peeragogues’ meta-learning, analysis could be conducted of knowledge in a peeragogical classroom discussion (Ouhrir et al., 2019 ). This, in turn, will lead to the formation of critical students who are aware about the learning content as well as how they acquire the content.

Third, the principle of peers provide feedback that would not be there otherwise points out that a community that shares similar interests online could alter each other’s understanding of knowledge through interaction (Corneli & Danoff, 2011 ). This alteration could happen if paragogues provide regular and constructive feedback to each other (Raw, 2014 ). Also, the involvement of experts or prominent figures will be valuable, as their feedback will be constructive and contributive for beginners (Yusuf & Yusuf, 2018 ). Although peeragogy emphasises learning in an informal environment, this supportive and collaborative environment is appropriate and could be implemented in formal and physical settings as done by Mulholland ( 2019 ).

The fourth principle is learning is distributed and nonlinear . The distributed and non-linear learning aspect in peeragogy refers to the ability of peeragogues to co-create content in an open learning platform as part of an online community (Corneli & Danoff, 2011 ). Usually, peeragogical technique is used to build, share, and primarily, learn from others in a similar field (Ricaurte, 2016 ). This principle is suggested to relate directly to the first principle of peeragogy because the peeragogues should realise they are individuals who work independently in an asynchronous and distributed environment, although they collaborate in one knowledge community (Mulholland, 2019 ). In this learning environment, they are allowed to contribute flexibly based on their capability and knowledge (Raw, 2014 ) because of the distributive nature of peeragogy.

The fifth principle is realize the dream if you can and then wake up! . This last peeragogical principle suggests that every knowledge community should be able to complete their learning objective at one point and move on to join the next knowledge community (Corneli & Danoff, 2011 ). The term ‘knowledge community’ or ‘learning community’ refers to a network of peeragogues that contributes to co-producing knowledge (Mulholland, 2019 ). When adapting peeragogy in learning, a knowledge community should establish a set of objectives to be achieved by the end of the co-producing process. This differs from the concept of Wikipedia despite it having a similar essence of peer production. This is due to the free-access editing concept where the articles could be modified/re-edited publicly by individuals that do not belong to any learning community.

The principles of cybergogy are reviewed based on Wang and Kang’s ( 2006 ) suggestions. The first principle is the cognitive factor . ‘Cognitive factor’ refers to the elements that could trigger the students’ ability to make sense of knowledge, such as students’ prior knowledge, achievement goals, learning activity, and cognitive/learning style in a cybergogical classroom (Muresan, 2014 ; Thanh Tran & Van Nguyen, 2020 ; Wang & Kang, 2006 ). In addition, critical thinking and problem-solving ability are listed as additional cognitive factors because they are the generic skills required in today’s 4IR (Chaka, 2020 ; Yusuf & Yusuf, 2018 ). By emphasising these factors in a cybergogical classroom, students’ level of cognition can be improved.

The second principle is emotive factor . This principle emphasises students’ psychological conditions and the relationship among their learning community members; therefore, the self-efficacy, self-confidence, and self-competence of students are incorporated throughout the learning process (Wang & Kang, 2006 ). Students who are able to navigate their own learning process in an informal and less restricted learning environment are thought to be more satisfied with their learning process (Muresan, 2014 ). Wang et al. ( 2009 ) also revealed that students’ cultural background may affect their emotional state of participating in class. For example, students with an Asian background tend to feel less confident in taking part in classroom activities or expressing themselves, as they view themselves as inferior to the instructors. This indicates that the emotional state of students could greatly affect their learning process; thus, instructors could be more attentive in dealing with students from different backgrounds.

The third principle is social factors . This relates to the social background of the students’ identity and sense of community, which could be built through collaborative activities (Wang & Kang, 2006 ). These activities usually take place in online that are guided by instructors to support engagement among students (Yusuf & Yusuf, 2018 ). Collins et al. ( 2010 ) supported this by mentioning that collaboration and engagement can be achieved among students after completing a task together in a cybergogical classroom. Hence, as social factors are triggered by collaboration and engagement within the learning community, teaching and learning should instill a strong sense of community (Wang & Kang, 2006 ). From this, it is summarised that these cybergogical principles are highly related in creating an immersive blended learning environment, as it considers comprehensively the cognitive, emotive, and social aspects of the student.

Relating these innovative pedagogical principles to blended learning, Christensen et al. ( 2013 ) mentioned that their models focus on altering and redesigning the learning process by shifting to a student-centred concept in a combination of face-to-face and online learning. As heutagogy, peeragogy, and cybergogy are listed as student-centred pedagogies, this implies they are applicable in a blended learning environment. It could also be noted that certain principles of these Education 4.0 pedagogies correspond to the immersive learning principles. Mynbayeva et al. ( 2018 ) outlined that the learning process should focus more on learning experiences, meta reflection, and group tasks to achieve immersive learning. This fits into human agency, self-reflection and double-loop learning, context as decentred centre, peers provide feedback that would not be there otherwise, and emotive and social factors where it prepares learners to be completely engaged with and immersed in the given scenario or situation as well as contextualised learning activities that encourage students to approach a meaningful student-centred learning experience from both the theoretical and practical perspectives, which can prepare them for the skills they will need in the workplace (Beckem & Watkins, 2012 ). Another claim is made by Gregory et al. ( 2018 ) where a deeper connection with peers will result in an immersive learning environment; thus, considering the two reflection-related principles of heutagogy, peeragogy, and emotive cybergogical factors that could occur in both face-to-face and online learning sessions, students could achieve an immersive session with their learning community members.

Capabilities of technological learning tools that are appropriate to use in an immersive blended learning environment

Figure 7 depicts the capabilities of FB, blogs, and LMS, which are classified inductively into six main categories through a constant comparative method. The capabilities found through the systematic review include (1) management, (2) communication time, (3) self-related, (4) learning task, (5) learning-community-related and (6) experiential learning. The descriptions of sub-capabilities can be seen in Table Table5. 5 . See Table Table8 8 in Appendix for details articles classification of the capabilities.

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Systematic literature review table of capabilities of technological learning tools

The first capability is management . Technological learning tools that possess this capability are able to manage learning for a more organised learning process (Ghilay, 2019 ). The sub-capabilities listed under management are resources, personalisation, flexibility and convenience , and efficiency . Resource management is shown when students are able to access learning materials directly from their learning tools. For instance, FB has been used to compile and share learning resources (Bateman & Willems, 2012 ). Meanwhile, Kassab et al. ( 2015 ) and Poncela ( 2013 ) mentioned that LMS assists instructors in managing materials such as lectures, course note documentation, examination timetables, and assessment details. Next, for the sub-capability personalisation, Haworth ( 2016 ) stated that Web 2.0 tools and social media are customisable during the design phase of instructional design and can be personalised based on students’ needs in order to support the self-learning direction for attaining specific learning outcomes. The sub-capability flexible and convenient meanwhile works by easing the process of learning management. For example, by using LMS, time and effort are greatly reduced because the platform is able to provide quick access to the texts, audio files, and other materials uploaded by the instructors. A similar sub-capability is also noted in FB where it could assist in providing quizzes and presentations, and in sharing links among the learning community although it is known as a social media platform (Pimmer et al., 2012 ).

The second capability is communication time . Technological learning tools should be flexible in supporting students in their communication process in which they can exchange information/knowledge/discussion and so on, instantly ( synchronous ) or with transmission delays / lags ( asynchronous ). Based on the systematic review conducted on the previous literature, FB and LMS are found to support the synchronous interaction feature. For instance, Bateman and Willems ( 2012 ) study addressed how FB is equipped with a synchronous chat function with a notification alert that enables students to engage simultaneously and receive rapid replies from their learning community. They added that students are able to share their knowledge simultaneously by using this synchronous function. Likewise, LMS has this sub-capability to help the instructor to present and manage the course assignment in a synchronous manner (Kasim & Khalid, 2016 ). Additionally, de Jong et al. ( 2014 ) mentioned that the addition of an asynchronous environment is important, as it complements the blended learning process, which is found in FB, blogs, and LMS. Asynchronous learning usually takes place in an online environment where learners have the responsibility to learn in their own time and at their own pace according to guidelines provided by instructors (Azmi et al., 2012 ; von der Heidt & Quazi, 2013 ), and this helps to reinforce more in-depth learning when students are reflecting on their knowledge-learning process. To conclude, the tools are appropriate for a blended learning environment where synchronous and asynchronous sessions are supported.

The third capability is self-related , which relates to technological learning tools that can assist students in developing their behaviours, skills, or emotions. As twenty-first century learning is student-driven, tools that can provide an opportunity to promote students’ autonomy and self-determination should be adopted. The systematic literature review reveals that FB (Blaschke & Hase, 2019 ; Gregory et al., 2018 ; Kayri and Cakır, 2010 ), blogs (Fattah, 2016 ), and LMS (Ntshwarang et al., 2021 ) are capable of cultivating autonomy among students. Autonomy allows students to decide and determine ‘what and how to learn’ (Hase, 2016 ). For instance, students can independently search for a learning community that will provide assistance regarding additional resources on FB without depending on their instructors (Gregory et al., 2018 ). This is compared to blogs, where students develop autonomy when managing their blogging documents, transferring knowledge learned in face-to-face or synchronous lectures, and reflecting their learning experience when posting in their blog (Fattah, 2016 ). Also, students are found to benefit from LMS (Yukawa, 2006 ) in exploring knowledge on their own without restrictions. Meanwhile, students’ critical thinking can be improved by adopting LMS and blog in their learning process. This issue is addressed by Kassab et al. ( 2015 ) where the use of interactive online sessions of a blended classroom using LMS has achieved deep insight among students. Moreover, Lujan-Mora and de Juana-Espinosa ( 2014 ) mentioned how a blog serves as a critical thinking platform where exchanges of opinions and experiences can occur among students. Lastly, the sub-capability self-expression and self-confidence is discovered when the selected tools provide a platform for students to self-reflect, which boosts their self-confidence. Research by Kabilan et al. ( 2010 ) reported that students’ self-confidence improved after they were given the opportunity to communicate with a genuine audience by writing and reading more on FB. Other than that, instructors can utilise FB as a pre-learning platform for blended learning by uploading videos, as this helps students to build prior knowledge because they are seen to be more prepared and confident to participate in the discussion during the face-to-face session (Thanh Tran & Van Nguyen, 2020 ). In summary, it can be agreed that the technological learning tools help in developing self-related aspects, such as behaviour, skills, and psychological state.

The fourth capability is learning task . Other than assisting students’ personal development and their management of learning materials, technological learning tools are also proven to help students in their learning tasks (Blaschke & Hase, 2019 ; Tasir et al., 2005 ). By having this capability, students can create , build, and share the knowledge in their learning community. In Blaschke and Hase’s ( 2019 ) heutagogical study, FB was described as assisting in creating individual showcase projects, ideas, and information. This is supported by studies such as Bateman and Willems ( 2012 ) and Irwin et al. ( 2012 ) where in the higher education context, FB is used to share ideas and information via online participation in their learning community. On the other hand, LMS has been utilised by students to brainstorm and deliver the resulting ideas during asynchronous learning (Tasir et al., 2005 ). Through these tools, students are able to participate in or complete their task without time restriction issues compared to face-to-face sessions.

The fifth capability is learning community-related , in which technological learning tools are said to support learning that involves a group of students with similar learning concerns/objectives or who are enrolled in a similar course (Gregory et al., 2018 ). The communicative and interactive sub-capability is confirmed in the systematic literature review because the tools are capable of assisting two-way interactions (between learner-peer and learner-instructor) (de Mattos, 2014 ; Prescott et al., 2013 ). Studies by de Jong et al. ( 2014 ) and Kayri and Cakır ( 2010 ) demonstrate that Web 2.0 tools, such as social media and blogs, train students to communicate and interact in a community-based environment. This interaction happens via the feedback-giving process. In addition, while giving feedback, instructors are able to monitor the students indirectly. This implies that a learning community consists not only of students and peers but also of their instructors, who are considered experts in their field of study (Alexander et al., 2014 ). Interestingly, FB has an added value where students can communicate with individuals outside their learning community in private or public settings (Irwin et al., 2012 ), which could expand their social circle. Nonetheless, the instructor is still necessary in online learning to steer the learning process (Kayri and Cakır 2010 ).

The next sub-capability is connective and collaborative , where it focusses on connecting students for collaborating regarding their knowledge through learning activities (Blaschke & Hase, 2019 ; McLoughlin, 2013 ). It is different to the sub-capability communicative and interactive where students are only communicating to receive feedback and notifications and to interact during peer mentoring (Duncan & Barczyk, 2016 ). By answering forum discussions on FB and LMS, students are cognitively connected and might collaborate to solve a problem within an online learning community (Bateman & Willems, 2012 ; McLoughlin, 2013 ). This is similar to when Alexander et al. ( 2014 ) mentioned making use of the collaborative infrastructure of FB for activities such as posing questions.

Lastly, engaging is acknowledged as part of the learning community-related capability, as the tools have the ability to engage the students of a learning community emotionally, behaviourally, and cognitively (Collins et al., 2010 ; Schindler et al., 2017 ). Kilic and Gokdas’s ( 2014 ) finding shows the students are not only engaged with their learning community to share their knowledge content but also to share their experience as well, which will encourage a deeper involvement in learning about using a blog. Additionally, Schindler et al. ( 2017 ) highlighted that students’ behaviour engagement could be enriched by using blogs when they are completing the tasks that are assigned to them. Callaghan and Fribbance ( 2018 ) further argued that engagement in the higher education context can build networking with a wider audience in an authentic online environment on FB that is not restricted to one learning community. Consequently, it helps students to have an immersive engagement in their process of learning in a real-life like environment, which is assisted by appropriate technological learning tools (Beckem & Watkins, 2012 ; Gregory & Bannister-Tyrrell, 2017 ).

The sixth capability is experiential . This capability is defined as immersive online learning that could be experienced by students when adopting the appropriate technological learning tools in the learning process (Harris, 2012 ). Harris ( 2012 ) further explained that students who are able to experience a online learning environment that feels similar to the traditional classroom setting tend to acquire knowledge better, as the vivid experience helps them to focus. Nonetheless, a deep learning issue has been addressed in Callaghan and Fribbance ( 2018 ) when implementing FB, as overabundant distraction and simulation in the open learning space might halt students’ capacity for in-depth processing of the knowledge. Nevertheless, social media can provide authentic engagement because of the tool’s ability to situate students in authentic and genuine real-life like contexts, such as collaborating with instructors and learning communities (Narayan et al., 2019 ). Kabilan et al. ( 2010 ) also stated that authentic learning could happen not only through real-time communication but also via online discussion, comment, or reading activity.

To summarise, these identified main and sub-capabilities of technological learning tools inform how specific tools possess capabilities similar to those held by others and how they differ from one another. According to Beckem and Watkins ( 2012 ) and Gregory and Bannister-Tyrrell ( 2017 ), immersive learning could take place by engaging in real-life like environments as well as with the assistance of the appropriate technological learning tools; if deep engagement happens, the application of FB and LMS can support online synchronous sessions, or blogs can function as a deep reflective platform. Hence, it is possible to achieve an immersive blended learning environment in the learning and teaching process by utilising and considering the capabilities of the selected familiar twenty-first century technological learning tools discussed in this study.

Mapping of the principles of heutagogy, peeragogy, and cybergogy with the capabilities of technological learning tools for immersive blended learning implementation

Figure 8 shows the basis for mapping elements to indicate the suitable implementation of an immersive blended learning approach. The capabilities of the technological learning tools are mapped with the selected ten innovative pedagogical principles to find the relevance of the two elements in creating an immersive blended learning environment.

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Framework of mapping Education 4.0 innovative pedagogical principles and the capabilities of technological learning tools

Initially, there are 12 innovative pedagogical principles discussed in this study; however, the second and fifth principles of peeragogy are not included in the mapping because of their unimportance to being adopted in a blended learning environment. This is because (1) the two principles require no technological learning assistance when learners need to halt/take a step back in order to observe their learning process. Note that technological usage is necessary for the scope of this study, and (2) the independent learning concept that can be found in both second and fifth principles has been covered in the first and fourth principles; therefore, it is appropriate to omit the second and fifth peeragogy principles to avoid duplicated results in the mapping.

Based on Figs. 9 , ,10, 10 , and and11, 11 , the obvious pattern that can be seen from the mapping is that each capability of all types of technological tools, i.e., FB, blogs, and LMS, is associated with at least one aspect of the principles of Education 4.0 innovative pedagogies. This could mean that establishing an immersive blended learning environment is possible, as the learning process could be optimised by integrating comprehensive pedagogical elements and technological tools that are directly linked to each other. This is also congruent with Kaufman’s ( 2019 ) suggestion that in redesigning a transformative instructional model of blended learning, it has to involve both technology and pedagogy and thus can promote active learning experiences and student-centred pedagogies.

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Mapping of principles of Education 4.0 pedagogies with Facebook

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Mapping of principles of Education 4.0 pedagogies with blogs

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Mapping of principles of Education 4.0 pedagogies with Learning Management System

Analysing the technological learning tools individually, FB has the most connections (n = 30 links) between the capabilities and pedagogical principles compared to blogs (n = 24), and LMS (n = 23). This proves that although FB starts off as a social media tool, it is relevant to be categorised as one of the most influential technological learning tools (Gregory & Bannister-Tyrrell, 2017 ). This also implies that FB is able to support different kinds of aspects in a learning process, as it holds all six capabilities of technological learning tools and supports all the sub-categories except two sub-capabilities, namely, synchronous (communication time) and critical thinking (self-related) although the latter is still debatable, as Blaschke and Hase ( 2019 ) mentioned briefly how social media could help learners to think critically.

Additionally, FB is found to be the only tool to possess the experiential learning capability, in contrast to LMS and blogs, to support the blended learning environment. Kabilan et al. ( 2010 ) reported that FB can successfully assist a group of English language students to engage in an authentic situation by interacting with native speakers via the learning tool. This type of interaction would position students in a real situation of knowledge application. In Bateman and Willems’s ( 2012 ) study, they found that the implementation of FB is an alternative to LMS after students demanded a learning space with open access beyond their course enrolment semester, which is also a success in one of the case studies presented. An open FB group was created and linked with their LMS, and the admin students exclusively invited teaching staff within similar educational fields into their learning space to contribute with additional learning resources. Harris’s ( 2012 ) study meanwhile suggests that FB could support immersive learning since students are found to be reflective while using the learning tool, and this leads to knowledge building.

Closer inspection of the pattern of the mapping reveals that the most linked principle of innovative pedagogy is cognitive factor (n = 15) across all the technological learning tools. The cognitive factor has been linked with communication time, self-related, learning task, and learning community-related, and it mostly influences students’ explorative, reflective, and critical thinking. In other words, students’ cognitive skill development can be supported in all three technological learning tools. Nevertheless, LMS is a more suitable platform for that purpose since, as this mapping shows, the cognitive factor somehow demands the use of synchronous discussions/meetings in order to be developed in an immersive blended learning environment. According to Blaschke ( 2021 ), synchronous learning is important if students are not able to engage well in self-directed learning; hence, they might insist on quick and real-time intensive support from the instructors to avoid any learning frustrations. In regard to functions, LMS can support synchronous exchanges of communication from three aspects, namely, content-related, planning of tasks, and social support (Hrastinski, 2008 ) compared to blogs and FB. Furthermore, synchronous sessions will help ease the feeling of isolation during the learning process, which is a crucial factor to be taken into consideration when it comes to blended learning (Hrastinski, 2008 ). Besides, as Education 4.0 requires students to be responsive to technological learning tools, instructors need to bear in mind that synchronous communication works effectively in larger classes (Zydney et al., 2019 ).

Another significant finding from the mapping is the self-related capability. It has been reported to be the only capability to be successfully linked to the three innovative pedagogies (i.e., heutagogy, cybergogy, and peeragogy). Apart from that, reflective is the sole sub-capability of the self-related capability which has a connection to heutagogy, cybergogy, and peeragogy across all three technological learning tools, compared to the other sub-capabilities, such as autonomy, explorative, critical thinking skills, and self-expression and self-confidence levels. Through reflection, students are able to practise analytical and critical thinking and to engage in complex reasoning, problem-solving, and emotions (Blaschke, 2021 ). To make it practical, instructors can provide instructional support for students to have the opportunity to self-assess their learning process using a single or double loop reflection in order to implement self-determination and peer production effectively. As blended learning allows students to take more time to reflect or allows them to do it instantaneously via online tools, the choice of the tools depends on students’ access to computers and the internet. In this case, students can simply choose whether to utilise FB, blogs, or LMS for that purpose since these technological learning tools are found to support the reflection process.

Notable differences could also be seen in the learning task capability. It is revealed that LMS aids the creating idea capability whereas a blog links to the sharing idea capability. FB, on the other hand, has been noted to support both the creating ideas and sharing ideas capabilities. In Blaschke and Hase’s ( 2019 ) heutagogical study, FB has been listed as being able to assist in creating individual showcase projects, ideas, and information. This is supported by Bateman and Willems ( 2012 ) and Irwin et al. ( 2012 ) where in the higher education context, students share ideas and information via online participation within their FB learning community. In contrast, LMS is mentioned only as being utilised in brainstorming and delivering ideas during asynchronous learning sessions (Tasir et al., 2005 ). It is interesting to examine how the LMS capability of creating ideas is also linked to the same principles in the mapping, which indicates the students are independent but simultaneously connected and engaged in a community in their learning process. Blogs meanwhile allow for idea sharing and dissemination when participating in posts or in the forms of essay writing, drawing, or videos (Alexander et al., 2014 ; Kilic & Gokdas, 2014 ). In addition, a blog’s sharing function deeply engages peers in their learning session, such as their reflective post, which will help immerse students by allowing them to express their thoughts and experiences (Sulcic, 2008 ). Based on the notable differences between the technological learning tools, instructors should consider utilising FB more in order to have a higher rate of achieving immersive blended learning because of its comprehensive learning task capability to support learning creation and sharing.

The descriptions in Table Table9 9 in Appendix provide a clear example of how to translate the mapping framework into teaching and learning practice in an immersive blended learning environment. From the descriptions, we can see that for FB, only two sub-principles of heutagogy, one sub-principle of peeragogy, and four sub-capabilities tools are suitable to be used for this specific example. Meanwhile, for a blog, only one sub-principle of heutagogy, and two sub-capabilities tools are appropriate to be utilised. It should be noted that it is not compulsory to include in the teaching and learning all the elements in the techno-pedagogy mapping. This is (1) to make the learning less difficult and allow students ample time to adapt to a new innovative pedagogical activity, and (2) to ensure students have sufficient time to complete the activity and grasp the basic learning objective. More useful practical scenarios need to be constructed to inform further theorisation of the concepts of heutagogy, peeragogy, and cybergogy, and the capabilities of technological learning tools.

Description on the practical aspect of the mapping

Conclusions

The Education 4.0 era requires both instructors and students to change the learning and teaching paradigm by implementing and experiencing innovative pedagogies, such as heutagogy, peeragogy, and cybergogy. The techno-pedagogy mapping developed through this systematic review could offer helpful guidance for providing an immersive blended learning environment to fit the mission of twenty-first century learning. As emphasised by Bidarra and Rusman ( 2017 ), the focus on both technology and pedagogy, as done in this present systematic review, is crucial in building suitable immersive blended learning environment. This is because, it is observed that when learning technologies are introduced, the attention of blended learning is usually concentrated on the technology implementation per se (Chen & Yao, 2016 ) rather than stressing the innovative pedagogies and learning objectives (Shand et al., 2016 ). As there has been little, if any, research into linking blended learning with the underlying principles of twenty-first century pedagogy and the capabilities of technology in learning and instruction, despites it values (see Ayob et al., 2020 ; Mahalli et al., 2019 ; Mujacic et al., 2013 ), this techno-pedagogy mapping could be useful in reducing the pressure in adopting right merging of technology and pedagogy for immersive blended learning. According to Ata ( 2016 ) and Rasheed et al. ( 2020 ), the challenges for instructors to adopt immersive blended learning is due to digitally illiterate, and limited time for exploring, tweaking, and creating immersive blended learning application. Furthermore, the techno-pedagogy mapping which have been identified and aligned in detail including some suggestions in order to make it more practical could provide an input to other significant parties in education, such as curriculum designers and faculty administrators and complement the transformation of learning and teaching course design, curriculum and delivery as the framework of a future-ready curriculum for Malaysian public universities is yet to provide any guidelines on how to use this pedagogy and technology effectively.

The techno-pedagogy mapping presented in this study is limited in its scope and involves only three types of innovative pedagogical approaches and three forms of technological learning tools. Hence, the mapping can be further expanded using other important online technological learning tools, such as WhatsApp, Webex, Zoom, Google Meet, Padlet, Google Drive, and YouTube, among others, in order to help make immersive blended learning and teaching effective in the real sense and to vary the ways of learning and teaching transactions. Moreover, the mapping output is still in the conceptual form; hence, it needs to be validated empirically so that a proper framework of innovative pedagogies and technological learning tools can serve as a feasible source of reference for instructors to design an immersive blended learning environment and visualise its practical aspect.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) and Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) for their support in making this project possible.

This work was supported by the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme provided by the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) Malaysia [FRGS/1/2020/SSI0/UTM/01/1].

Data availability

Declarations.

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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15 Innovative Teaching Methods with Guide and Examples | Best in 2024

Ellie Tran • 04 Mar 2024 • 14 min read

Imagine staying in a boring class with the voice of the teach’ echoing in your ears, trying to lift your eyelids to pay attention to what they are saying. Not the best scenario for any class, right? Top 15 best Innovative Teaching Methods !

Simply put, these are different methods of teaching! Nowadays, many teachers are trying to keep their classes as far as possible from that scenario and let their students get more involved in learning by finding different approaches to teaching them.

The education field is changing so fast that you need to keep up and adapt to the more modern strategies. Otherwise, it may be hard for you to fit in.

What are they?
Why Innovative Teaching Methods?

7 Benefits of Innovative Teaching Methods

#1: Interactive lessons
#2: Using virtual reality technology
#3: Using AI in education
#4: Blended learning
#5: 3D printing
#6: Use the design-thinking process
#7: Project-based learning
#8: Inquiry-based learning
#10: Cloud computing teaching
#11: Flipped Classroom
#12: Peer teaching
#13: Peer feedback
#14: Crossover teaching
#15: Personalised teaching

Frequently Asked Questions

More innovative teaching tips.

Classroom Management Strategies
Student Classroom Engagement Strategies
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What are Innovative Teaching Methods?

Innovative teaching methods aren’t just about using the most cutting-edge technology in class or constantly catching up with the latest education trends, these are the teaching-learning methods!

They’re all about using new teaching strategies that focus more on students. These innovative ones encourage students to join proactively and interact with their classmates and you – the teacher – during lessons. Students will have to work more, but in a way that meets their needs better and can help them grow faster.

Unlike traditional teaching, which mainly focuses on how much knowledge you can pass on to your students, innovative ways of teaching dig deep into what students truly take away from what you’re teaching during lectures.

Why Innovative Teaching Methods ?

The world has seen a shift from brick-and-mortar classrooms to online ones and hybrid learning. However, staring at laptop screens means it’s easier for students to be lost and do something else (maybe chasing sweet dreams in their beds) while honing nothing but their skills in pretending to concentrate.

We can’t blame it all on those students for not studying hard; it’s also the teacher’s responsibility not to give dull and dry lessons that make students fed up.

Many schools, teachers and trainers have been trying innovative teaching strategies in the new normal to keep students interested and engaged more. And digital programs have helped them reach out to students’ minds and give students better access to classes.

Still sceptical?… Well, check these stats out…

57% of all US students had their digital tools.
75% of US schools had the plan to go virtual entirely.
Education platforms took up 40% of student device usage.
The use of remote management apps for educational purposes increased by 87% .
There is an increase of 141% in the use of collaboration apps.
80% of schools and universities in the US had bought or tended to buy additional technology tools for students.

By the end of 2020:

98% of universities had their classes taught online.

Source: Think Impact

These stats show a massive change in the way people teach and learn. Best heed them – you don’t want to be an old hat and fall behind with your teaching methods, right?

So, it’s time to re-evaluate learning methods in education!

Here are 7 of what these innovations can do good for students and why they’re worth a try.

Encourage research – Innovative approaches to learning encourage students to explore and discover new things and tools to broaden their minds.
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Avoid receiving a lot of knowledge at once – Teachers using new approaches still give students information, but they tend to split it into smaller parts. Digesting info can now be more accessible, and keeping things short helps students get the basics faster.
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Check students’ understanding – Grades and exams can say something, but not everything about a student’s learning capacity and knowledge (especially if there are sneaky peeks during tests!). Innovative teaching ideas let teachers monitor classes and better know what their students struggle with to find the most suitable solutions.
Improve self-evaluation – With great methods from teachers, students can understand what they’ve learned and what they’re missing. By discovering what they still need to know, they can understand why to learn particular things and become more eager to do it.
Enliven classrooms – Don’t let your classrooms be full of your voice or awkward silence. Innovative teaching methods give students something different to get excited about, encouraging them to speak up and interact more.

15 Innovative Teaching Methods

1. interactive lessons.

Students are your innovative learners! One-way lessons are very traditional and sometimes exhausting for you and your students, so create an environment where students feel encouraged to speak up and express their ideas.

Students can join in-class activities in many ways, not just by raising their hands or being called out to answer. These days, you can find online platforms that help you make interactive classroom activities to save heaps of time and get all students to join instead of just two or three.

🌟 Interactive lesson example – Innovative Teaching Method s

Get all your class pumped up by playing live quizzes and games with spinner wheels or even through word clouds, polls or brainstorming together. You can have all your students participate in those exciting activities with the help of some online platforms.

Not only that, but students can type or choose answers anonymously instead of raising their hands. This makes them more confident to get involved, express their opinions and no longer worry about being ‘wrong’ or judged.

Looking to try interaction? AhaSlides has all these features in store for you and your students!

2. Using virtual reality technology

Enter a whole new world right inside your classroom with virtual reality technology. Like sitting in a 3D cinema or playing VR games, your students can immerse themselves in different spaces and interact with ‘real’ objects instead of seeing things on flat screens.

Now your class can travel to another country in seconds, go outer space to explore our Milky Way, or learn about the Jurassic era with dinosaurs standing just meters away.

VR technology may be costly, but the way it can turn any of your lessons into a blast and wow all students makes it worth the price.

🌟 Teaching with Virtual Reality Technology – Innovative Teaching Method s Example

It looks fun, but how do teachers teach with VR technology for real? Watch this video of a VR session by Tablet Academy.

3. Using AI in education

AI assists us in doing so much of our work, so who says we can’t use it in education? This method is surprisingly widespread these days.

Using AI doesn’t mean it does everything and replaces you. It’s not like in the sci-fi movies where computers and robots move around and teach our students (or brainwash them).

It helps lecturers like you reduce their workload, personalise courses and instruct students more efficiently. You probably probably use many familiar things, such as LMS, plagiarism detection, automatic scoring and assessment, all AI products.

So far, AI has proved it brings about many benefits for teachers , and the scenarios of it invading the education field or Earth are the stuff of movies only.

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🌟 Using AI in education example – Innovative Teaching Method s

Course management
Adaptive learning
Parent-Teacher communication
Audio/visual aids

Read over 40 more examples here .

4. Blended learning

Blended learning is a method that combines both traditional in-class training and high-tech online teaching. It gives you and your students more flexibility to create effective studying environments and customise learning experiences.

In the technology-driven world we live in, it’s hard to neglect powerful tools like the internet or e-learning software. Things like video meetings for teachers and students, LMS to manage courses, online sites to interact and play, and many apps serving studying purposes have taken the world.

🌟 Blended learning example – Innovative Teaching Method

When schools reopened and students got to join offline classes, it was still great to have some help from digital tools to make the lessons more engaging.

AhaSlides is a great tool for blended learning that engages students in face-to-face and virtual classrooms. Your students can join quizzes, games, brainstorming and many class activities on this platform.

Check out: Examples of Blended Learning – Innovative Way to Absorb Knowledge in 2024

5. 3D Printing

3D printing makes your lessons more fun and gives students hands-on experience to learn new things better. This method takes classroom engagement to a new level that textbooks can’t ever compare.

3D printing gives your students real-world understanding and ignites their imaginations. Studying is much easier when students can hold organ models in their hands to learn about the human body or see models of famous buildings and explore their structures.

🌟 3D printing example

Below are many more ideas for using 3D printing in many subjects to excite your curious students.

Picture of 3D printing ideas used as innovative teaching methods

6. Use the design-thinking process

This one is a solution-based strategy to solve problems, collaborate and spark students’ creativity. There are five stages, but it’s different from other methods because you don’t have to follow a step-by-step guide or any order. It’s a non-linear process, so you can customise it based on your lectures and activities.

Check out: Top 5 Idea Generation Processes in 2024
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illustration of 5 stages in design thinking process for schools

The five stages are:

Empathise – Develop empathy, and find out the needs for the solutions.
Define – Define issues and the potential of addressing them.
Ideate – Think and generate new, creative ideas.
Prototype – Make a draft or sample of the solutions to explore the ideas further.
Test – Test the solutions, evaluate and gather feedback.

🌟 Design-thinking process – Innovative Teaching Method s Example

Want to see how it goes in a real class? Here’s how K-8 students at Design 39 Campus work with this framework.

7. Project-based learning

All students work on projects at the end of a unit. Project-based learning also revolves around projects, but it allows students to solve real-world issues and come up with new solutions over a more extended period.

PBL makes classes more fun and engaging while students learn new content and develop skills like researching, working independently and with others, critical thinking, etc.

In this active learning method, you work as a guide, and your students take charge of their learning journey. Studying this way can lead to better engagement and understanding, spark their creativity and promote lifelong learning.

Check out: Project-Based Learning – Examples And Ideas Revealed in 2024

🌟 Project-based learning examples – Innovative Teaching Method s

Check out the list of ideas below for more inspiration!

Film a documentary on a social issue in your community.
Plan/organise a school party or activity.
Create and manage a social media account for a specific purpose.
Artfully illustrate and analyse the cause-effect-solution of a social problem (i.e. overpopulation and the housing shortage in big cities).
Help local fashion brands go carbon neutral.

Find more ideas here .

8. Inquiry-based learning

Inquiry-based learning is also a kind of active learning. Instead of giving a lecture, you start the lesson by providing questions, problems or scenarios. It also includes problem-based learning and doesn’t rely much on you; in this case, you’re more likely to be a facilitator rather than a lecturer.

Students need to research the topic independently or with a group (it’s up to you) to find an answer. This method helps them develop problem-solving and research skills a lot.

🌟 Inquiry-based learning examples

Try challenging students to…

Find solutions to air/water/noise/light pollution in a particular area.
Grow a plant (mung beans are the easiest) and find the best-growing conditions.
Investigate/confirm a provided answer to a question (for example, a policy/rule already applied in your school to prevent bullying).
From their questions, find methods to solve and work on addressing those issues.

The jigsaw puzzle is an ordinary game that we bet each of us has played at least once in our lifetime. Similar things happen in class if you try the jigsaw technique.

Here’s how:

Divide your students into small groups.
Give each group a subtopic or subcategory of the main topic.
Instruct them to explore the given ones and develop their ideas.
Each group shares their findings to form a big picture, which is all knowledge on the topic that they need to know.
(Optional) Host a feedback session for your students to evaluate and comment on other groups’ work.

If your class has experienced enough teamwork, break down the topic into smaller pieces of information. This way, you can assign each piece to a student and let them work individually before teaching their classmates what they’ve found.

🌟 Jigsaw examples

ESL jigsaw activity – Give your class a concept like ‘weather’. The groups need to find a set of adjectives to talk about seasons, collocation to describe nice/bad weather or how the weather improves, and sentences written about the weather in some books.
Biography jigsaw activity – Choose a public figure or a fictional character in a particular field and ask your students to find more info about that one. For example, they can research Isaac Newton to unearth his basic information, notable events in his childhood and middle years (including the famous apple incident) and his legacy.
History jigsaw activity – Students read texts about a historical event, i.e. World War II and gather information to understand more about it. Subtopics can be prominent political figures, main combatants, causes, timelines, pre-war events or declaration of war, the course of the war, etc.

10. Cloud computing teaching

The term can be strange, but the method itself is familiar to most teachers. It’s a way to connect teachers and students and allow them to access classes and materials from thousands of miles away.

It has a lot of potential for all institutions and educators. This method is easy to use and cost-saving, secures your data, allows students to learn distance, and more.

It’s a little different from online learning in that it requires no interaction between lecturers and learners, which means that your students can learn anytime and anywhere they want to finish the courses.

🌟 Cloud computing example

Here’s the Cloud Computing Fundamentals Training Library from Cloud Academy to let you know what a cloud-based platform looks like and how it can facilitate your teaching.

11. F lipped classroom

Flip the process a little bit for a more exciting and effective learning experience. Before classes, students need to watch videos, read materials or research to have some basic understanding and knowledge. Class time is devoted to doing the so-called ‘homework’ typically done after class, as well as group discussions, debates or other student-led activities.

This strategy centres around students and can help teachers better plan personalised learning and evaluate students’ performance.

🌟 Flipped classroom example

Check out these 7 unique flipped classroom examples .

Wanna know how a flipped classroom looks and takes place in real life ? Check out this video by McGraw Hill about their flipped class.

12. Peer Teaching

This one’s similar to what we’ve discussed in the jigsaw technique. Students understand and master knowledge better when they can explain it clearly. When presenting, they might learn by heart beforehand and speak aloud what they remember, but to teach their peers, they must understand the problem thoroughly.

Students can take the lead in this activity by choosing their area of interest within the subject. Giving students this kind of autonomy helps them to develop a feeling of ownership of the subject and the responsibility to teach it right.

You’ll also find that giving students the chance to teach their classmates boosts their confidence, encourages independent study, and improves presentation skills.

🧑‍💻 Check out:

A Simple Guide With 5+ Peer Instruction To Engaging Education
8 Best Peer Assessment Examples, updated in 2024

🌟 Peer Teaching Examples – Innovative Teaching Method s

Watch this video of a natural, dynamic maths lesson taught by a young student at Dulwich High School of Visual Arts and Design!

13. Peer Feedback

Innovative teaching approaches are much more than teaching or learning within the class. You can apply them in many other areas, such as peer feedback time after a lesson.

Providing and receiving constructive feedback with an open mind and appropriate manners are essential skills students need to learn. Help your class by teaching them how to give their classmates more meaningful comments (like using a feedback rubric ) and make it a routine.

Interactive polling tools, especially those with live word cloud , make it easy to do a quick peer feedback session. After that, you can also ask students to explain their comments or respond to the feedback they receive.

🌟 Peer feedback example

Use short, simple questions and let your students freely say what’s on their minds in sentences, a few words or even emojis.

image of using AhaSlides word cloud for a peer feedback session after a lesson

14. Crossover teaching

Do you remember how excited you were when your class went to a museum, exhibition, or field trip? It’s always a blast to go outside and do something different from looking at the board in a classroom.

Crossover teaching combines the experience of learning in both the classroom and a place outside. Explore concepts in school together, then arrange a visit to a particular place where you can demonstrate how that concept works in a real setting.

It would be even more effective to further develop the lesson by hosting discussions or assigning group work in class after the trip.

🌟 Virtual crossover teaching example

Sometimes, going outside isn’t always possible, but there are ways around that. Check out the virtual Museum of Modern Art tour with Mrs Gauthier from Southfield School Art.

15. Personalised learning

While a strategy works for some students, it may not be that effective for another group. For example, group activities are great for extroverted ones but can be nightmares for super introverted students.

This method tailors the learning process of every student. However taking more time to plan and prepare helps students learn based on their interests, needs, strengths and weaknesses to achieve better results.

Each student’s learning journey can be different, but the ultimate goal remains the same; to acquire knowledge that equips that student for their future life.

🌟 Personalised learning example

Some digital tools help you plan faster and more conveniently; try BookWidgets to facilitate your teaching for your innovative classroom ideas!

Image of 2 personalised learning plans for students on BookWidgets

It’s time to get innovative! These 15 innovative teaching methods will make your lessons more enjoyable and appealing for everyone. Check those and let’s create interactive slides based on those, to make your classroom performance even better!

What are innovative teaching pedagogies?

Innovative teaching pedagogies refer to modern and creative approaches to teaching and learning that go beyond traditional methods. Some examples include: – Project-based learning: Students gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to an engaging and complex question, problem, or challenge. – Problem-based learning: Similar to project-based learning but focuses on a complex problem that allows for some student choice and ownership of the learning process. – Inquiry-based learning: Students learn through the process of questioning assumptions and posing questions to investigate. The teacher facilitates rather than teaches directly.

What is an example of innovation in teaching and learning?

A high school science teacher was trying to help students better understand complex cell biology concepts so she designed an immersive simulation using virtual reality technology. Students were able to “shrink down” using VR headsets to explore a 3D interactive model of a cell. They could float around various organelles like mitochondria, chloroplasts and the nucleus to observe their structures and functions up close. Pop-up information windows provided details on demand. Students could also conduct virtual experiments, for example observing how molecules move across membranes through diffusion or active transport. They recorded scientific drawings and notes of their explorations.

What are top innovative project ideas for school students?

Here are some top innovation examples for students, categorized by different areas of interest: – Build a weather station – Design and build a sustainable energy solution – Develop a mobile app to address a specific problem – Program a robot to perform a task – Conduct an experiment to test a hypothesis – Create a virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR) experience – Compose a piece of music that reflects a social issue – Write and perform a play or short film that explores a complex theme – Design a piece of public art that interacts with its environment – Research and present on a historical figure or event from a new perspective – Develop a business plan for a socially responsible enterprise – Conduct a study on the impact of social media on a particular group – Organize a community service project to address a local need – Research and present on the ethical implications of new technologies – Conduct a mock trial or debate on a controversial issue These are just a few education innovation ideas to spark your creativity. Remember, the best project is one that you are passionate about and that allows you to learn, grow, and contribute positively to your community or the world.

A lifelong learner, a traveller and content creator eager to explore the best of both worlds: the real and virtual one full of interactive activities with AhaSlides.

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How Would You Create an Innovative Learning Environment? Explained

Creating an innovative learning environment is a multi-faceted endeavor, incorporating a diverse range of strategies, technologies, and pedagogical approaches to foster a dynamic and engaging educational setting. This comprehensive guide, drawing from various expert sources, will explore key elements and strategies for cultivating such an environment.

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Understanding innovative learning environments.

An innovative learning environment transcends traditional educational models, integrating 21st-century skills such as global awareness, creativity, collaborative problem-solving, and self-directed learning. It’s not just about changing the physical space but also updating the curriculum, teaching methods, and overall approach to learning to prepare students for future challenges.

Key Strategies to Foster Innovation

Learner-Centered Approach : Place learners at the center of the educational process, focusing on their cognitive and emotional growth. This involves active engagement in learning activities, allowing for self-regulation and goal setting.
Social Learning : Recognize that learning is a social process, encouraging collaboration and interaction among students. Group work and peer-to-peer learning can be highly effective in this context.
Emotional Intelligence : Acknowledge the importance of emotions in learning. A positive mindset and emotional awareness can significantly enhance understanding and retention of information.
Diversity and Inclusion : Cater to the diverse needs and backgrounds of students by employing teaching practices that recognize individual differences and learning styles.
Balanced Challenges : Strike a balance between stretching students’ abilities and avoiding overload. This involves finding the right level of difficulty to keep students engaged and motivated.
Assessment as a Learning Tool : Use assessments to inform and shape the learning process rather than just evaluating student performance. Feedback should be constructive and guide future learning strategies.
Real-World Connections : Ensure that learning is relevant and connected to real-life situations. Integrating subjects and applying knowledge in practical contexts are crucial for meaningful learning experiences.

Innovative Teaching Methods

Innovative teaching methods have emerged as crucial tools in modern education, enhancing learning experiences and outcomes. These methods, backed by research and data, incorporate various strategies and technologies to engage students actively and foster a deeper understanding of the subject matter. Here’s a detailed exploration of several innovative teaching methods:

1. Project-Based Learning (PBL)

Concept : PBL involves students in real-world projects, allowing them to apply their knowledge and skills to solve complex problems.
Effectiveness : Research has shown that PBL improves student engagement and retention of knowledge. For example, a study published in the “Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning” found that students involved in PBL exhibited enhanced critical thinking skills.
Example : In a science class, students could work on a project to design a sustainable ecosystem, integrating biology, chemistry, and environmental science principles.

2. Flipped Classroom

Concept : This method involves students first exploring new content at home, typically through videos or readings, and then applying the knowledge in class through activities and discussions.
Data : A report by the Flipped Learning Network and SOPHIA Learning showed that 71% of teachers noticed improved grades after flipping their classroom .
Example : A mathematics teacher might assign video lectures for homework and then use class time for solving problems collaboratively.

3. Gamification

Concept : Gamification incorporates game elements in learning activities to motivate and engage students.
Statistics : According to a study by the University of Colorado, gamification led to a 9% increase in retention rates and a 14% increase in skill-based assessments .
Example : Using a language learning app that rewards points for completing vocabulary challenges.

4. Technology-Enhanced Learning

Concept : Integrates digital tools, such as tablets, interactive whiteboards, and educational software, to support and enhance learning.
Impact : A survey by PBS LearningMedia reveals that 74% of teachers found technology to be effective in expanding content and motivating students .
Example : Utilizing virtual reality (VR) to conduct virtual field trips.

5. Inquiry-Based Learning

Concept : Encourages students to ask questions, conduct investigations, and build knowledge based on their discoveries.
Research Findings : A study in the “Journal of Science Education and Technology” showed that inquiry-based learning improved understanding and interest in science subjects.
Example : Students conducting experiments to understand chemical reactions rather than learning them through textbooks.

6. Collaborative Learning

Concept : Students work in groups to explore and solve problems together, enhancing their understanding through interaction.
Benefits : According to cooperative learning research, this method can lead to higher achievement, better relationships, and greater psychological health.
Example : Group projects in a history class where students research and present on different eras.

7. Blended Learning

Concept : Combines online digital media with traditional classroom methods, offering a more personalized learning experience.
Statistics : Research indicates that blended learning can reduce failure rates and improve student scores.
Example : Students use online platforms for coursework and then participate in in-person discussions and activities.

8. Experiential Learning

Concept : Learning through experience and reflection on doing, often involving real-world challenges and hands-on tasks.
Evidence : Studies have shown that experiential learning can lead to deeper understanding and improved application of knowledge.
Example : Internships or fieldwork in a particular subject area, like environmental science.

Implementing Innovative Learning Environments

While these principles provide a foundation, the implementation of an innovative learning environment requires adaptability, creativity, and a willingness to embrace new methods and technologies. It’s essential to foster a culture of continuous learning and innovation within educational institutions. This involves not only the educators and students but also the broader community, including parents and educational policymakers

Read: How to motivate yourself for study

The Bottom Line

These innovative teaching methods are reshaping education, making it more interactive, engaging, and effective. By incorporating these methods, educators can cater to different learning styles, foster critical thinking, and better prepare students for the challenges of the 21st century. Each method offers unique benefits and can be tailored to suit specific educational contexts and objectives.

Essay on Online Education

Here we have shared the Essay on Online Education in detail so you can use it in your exam or assignment of 150, 250, 400, 500, or 1000 words.

You can use this Essay on Online Education in any assignment or project whether you are in school (class 10th or 12th), college, or preparing for answer writing in competitive exams.

Topics covered in this article.

Essay on Online Education in 150-250 words

Essay on online education in 300-450 words, essay on online education in 500-1000 words.

Online education has emerged as a transformative force in the field of education, especially in recent times. With advancements in technology and internet accessibility, online education offers a flexible and accessible platform for learning. It allows students to access educational resources, participate in virtual classrooms, and interact with teachers and peers from anywhere in the world.

One of the significant advantages of online education is its flexibility. Students can access learning materials and lectures at their convenience, allowing them to balance their studies with other commitments. Online education also provides opportunities for self-paced learning, allowing students to progress at their own speed.

Additionally, online education expands access to quality education, particularly for those in remote areas or with physical limitations. It breaks down geographical barriers, enabling students to learn from renowned institutions and experts worldwide.

Moreover, online education encourages interactive and collaborative learning. Virtual classrooms and discussion forums promote engagement and exchange of ideas, fostering a dynamic learning environment.

However, it is important to acknowledge that online education also poses challenges. Lack of reliable internet connectivity, the need for self-discipline and motivation, and limited opportunities for hands-on learning are some of the potential drawbacks.

In conclusion, online education has revolutionized the education landscape, offering flexibility, accessibility, and collaborative learning opportunities. While it comes with challenges, online education has the potential to transform the way we learn and broaden access to quality education.

Title: Online Education: Revolutionizing the Learning Landscape

Introduction :

Online education has emerged as a transformative force in the field of education. With advancements in technology and internet accessibility, online learning platforms have revolutionized the way people acquire knowledge and skills. This essay discusses the advantages, challenges, and impact of online education on the learning landscape.

Advantages of Online Education

Online education offers numerous advantages. Firstly, it provides flexibility and convenience. Students can access learning materials and participate in virtual classes at their own pace and schedule. This flexibility allows learners to balance their studies with other commitments, such as work or personal responsibilities. Secondly, online education breaks down geographical barriers, enabling students to access quality education regardless of their location. It offers a wide range of courses and programs from reputed institutions and experts worldwide. Lastly, online education fosters interactive and collaborative learning through discussion forums, virtual classrooms, and online group projects, promoting engagement and knowledge exchange.

Challenges of Online Education

Online education also presents certain challenges. Limited access to reliable internet connectivity can hinder the learning experience, particularly in remote areas or developing regions. Additionally, online learning requires self-discipline, time management skills, and intrinsic motivation to stay focused and complete courses. The absence of face-to-face interactions and physical classrooms may reduce the opportunity for hands-on practical experiences, which are essential in certain fields of study. Furthermore, online education may not suit all learning styles, as some students may prefer traditional classroom settings or require personalized attention.

Impact of Online Education

Online education has had a significant impact on the learning landscape. It has expanded access to education, enabling individuals who may have faced barriers, such as geographical limitations or physical disabilities, to pursue their educational goals. Online learning has democratized education, providing opportunities for lifelong learning and professional development. It has also fostered a culture of continuous learning, allowing individuals to acquire new skills and adapt to the changing demands of the job market. Moreover, online education has prompted traditional educational institutions to incorporate technology and online platforms into their teaching methods, enhancing the overall quality of education.

Conclusion:

Online education has revolutionized the way we learn, making education more accessible, flexible, and interactive. Despite challenges, it offers numerous advantages, such as flexibility, global access, and collaborative learning. As technology continues to advance, online education will play an increasingly pivotal role in shaping the future of learning and meeting the diverse educational needs of individuals worldwide.

Title: Online Education – Transforming the Learning Landscape

Online education has emerged as a transformative force in the field of education, revolutionizing the way people learn and acquire knowledge. With advancements in technology and internet connectivity, online learning platforms have gained popularity and have become an integral part of the educational landscape. This essay explores the advantages, challenges, and impact of online education on the learning experience, as well as its potential for the future of education.

Online education offers numerous advantages that contribute to its growing popularity. Firstly, it provides flexibility and convenience. Students can access learning materials and participate in virtual classes at their own pace and schedule. This flexibility allows learners to balance their studies with other commitments, such as work or personal responsibilities. Online education breaks down geographical barriers, enabling students to access quality education regardless of their location. It offers a wide range of courses and programs from reputed institutions and experts worldwide, expanding educational opportunities for students in remote areas or those who are unable to attend traditional classrooms. Secondly, online education promotes self-paced learning. Students can progress through the material at their own speed, reviewing concepts as needed and spending additional time on challenging topics. This individualized approach allows for personalized learning experiences, catering to the unique needs and abilities of each student.

Moreover, online education fosters interactive and collaborative learning. Virtual classrooms, discussion forums, and online group projects provide opportunities for engagement, knowledge exchange, and networking. Students can interact with peers and instructors from diverse backgrounds and cultures, enhancing their global perspective and communication skills.

While online education offers numerous advantages, it also presents certain challenges that need to be addressed. Firstly, access to reliable internet connectivity is crucial for effective online learning. However, in many regions, particularly in developing countries or rural areas, access to high-speed internet may be limited, hindering the learning experience for some students.

Secondly, online learning requires self-discipline, time management skills, and intrinsic motivation. Without the structure of a traditional classroom setting, students must take responsibility for their own learning, set goals, and stay organized to succeed in an online learning environment. The lack of face-to-face interactions and physical presence of instructors and classmates may also reduce social interaction and the sense of community that is often experienced in traditional classrooms.

Additionally, practical subjects that require hands-on experiences, such as laboratory work, performing arts, or certain vocational skills, may be challenging to replicate in an online setting. The absence of physical resources and equipment may limit the practical learning experiences necessary for some fields of study.

Moreover, online education may not suit all learning styles. Some students may thrive in traditional classroom settings with direct instructor guidance, while others may struggle with self-paced learning or the absence of real-time interaction.

Online education has had a significant impact on the learning landscape. It has expanded access to education, enabling individuals who may have faced barriers, such as geographical limitations, financial constraints, or physical disabilities, to pursue their educational goals. Online learning has democratized education, providing opportunities for lifelong learning, professional development, and skills enhancement. Learners from different backgrounds, ages, and locations can access quality education without the need for physical relocation or disruption to their personal and professional lives.

Moreover, online education has prompted traditional educational institutions to incorporate technology and online platforms into their teaching methods. This integration has led to the development of blended learning approaches, combining online and in-person instruction. The use of multimedia resources, interactive tools, and virtual simulations enhances the overall quality of education, making it more engaging and effective.

Online education has also fostered a culture of continuous learning. With rapidly evolving industries and advancements in knowledge, lifelong learning has become essential for personal and professional growth. Online courses, webinars, and educational platforms provide opportunities for individuals to acquire new skills, stay updated with industry trends, and adapt to the changing demands of the job market.

Furthermore, online education has the potential to address the issue of educational equity. It offers a level playing field for students, irrespective of their socioeconomic background or geographical location. Students from disadvantaged communities can access the same quality education as their counterparts from more privileged backgrounds, narrowing the educational gap and promoting social mobility.

Online education also promotes student-centered learning approaches. It empowers learners to take ownership of their education, encouraging critical thinking, problem-solving, and independent learning. The vast resources available online enable students to explore diverse perspectives, conduct research, and engage in self-directed learning experiences.

Conclusion :

Online education has transformed the learning landscape, offering numerous advantages and opportunities for learners around the world. It provides flexibility, accessibility, and personalized learning experiences. However, challenges such as internet connectivity, self-discipline, and limited hands-on experiences need to be addressed to ensure the effectiveness of online education. As technology continues to advance and educational institutions adapt to the changing needs of learners, online education will play an increasingly vital role in the future of education, making learning more accessible, inclusive, and impactful.

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14 Ways to Learn Vocabulary and Explore Language With The New York Times

Eight practical ideas for understanding new words in context — plus six ideas for thinking more deeply about the relationships between language and culture.

By Katherine Schulten and Callie Holtermann

Our vocabulary offerings aim to convince students that learning a word’s definition opens the door to the real fun: spotting patterns in a word’s usage, interrogating its shades of meaning and incorporating it into one’s own vocabulary.

These 14 ideas will show you how to do it, with The New York Times as a resource both for understanding new words in context and for thinking about how language shapes — and is shaped by — our world.

We’re taking an energetic approach to vocabulary this school year, and kicking it off with a full week of posts. You can find them all here, in our updated vocabulary spotlight . Let us know what you think!

Eight Practical Ways to Learn Words in Context

If you want a better vocabulary, you’ve come to the right place. Below are eight easy ways to start learning new words in engaging contexts, understanding their nuances and trying them out for yourself.

1. Read just one Times article of your choice.

Before you read any further, take a moment to look at the photo above. What words come to mind to describe it? Make a list. For fun, you might even do the exercise alongside someone else, then compare lists to see how many words you have in common.

Why are we doing this? We want to show you that reading just one article of your choice in The New York Times can introduce you to all kinds of new words in an engaging context.

For instance, if you chose the piece about the abandoned houses of Instagram from which we took the image above, you could find words like creepy , decrepit, musty, agape, forlornly, rickety, faux, dilapidated, patina, limbo, succumb and askew . Were any of those words on your list? Are any of them new to you?

To find your own articles, think about what sections of the paper are most likely to publish stories you care about: Sports , Style , Food , Politics , Music ? Click around: Nearly any Times piece will introduce you to at least a few new words — or show you interesting ways to use words you may be familiar with but haven’t yet incorporated into your own vocabulary.

Once you find a word you’d like to explore, consider participating in our September 2021 challenge by learning more about it and telling us what you’ve discovered.

2. Focus on a single Word of the Day.

Visit The Learning Network’s free Word of the Day feature to find a new word each weekday, plus a definition from Vocabulary.com and an example sentence from The Times. Then, test your understanding by writing a sentence of your own.

If you have time to write several sentences, try out “because, but, so” — sentence stems from “ The Writing Revolution ,” by Judith Hochman and Natalie Wexler. These will help you examine a word from different angles. Here’s an example of these stems for the word elated :

The hot air balloon pilot was elated because …

The hot air balloon pilot was elated, but …

The hot air balloon pilot was elated, so …

To keep track of the new words you’re learning, you might use our vocabulary log . To go even further, create a “language field guide” like the ones these middle school students have made .

3. Take an interactive vocabulary quiz.

Here is how a recent quiz about young TikTok food stars begins. What word might you put in the blank? Visit the quiz to find four choices and see if you can pick the best one.

Eitan Bernath, a 19-year-old TikTok star with more than 1.6 million followers, began posting cooking content to the platform in 2019. Like many Generation Z TikTok chefs, he taught himself to cook by watching YouTube and the Food Network. He would share the things he made to Instagram, but never gained much ___.

We hope to create new quizzes all school year long. Let us know if there is a Times article you’d especially like to see us use!

4. Turn to TikTok to learn commonly confused words.

@iamthatenglishteacher #grammarlesson #Farther #Further #punctuation #Essay #Writing #teachingontiktok #Teachers #ESL #ACT #SAT #englishtutorial #English #Teaching ♬ original sound - MsJames

Differentiate between similar-sounding words with the help of Claudine James, an English teacher and member of our first Teaching Project cohort , and her popular TikTok account. This piece pairs five of her videos explaining commonly confused words, like farther and further or affect and effect , with usage examples from The New York Times.

5. Get familiar with “high utility” words in multiple contexts.

Whether preparing for a standardized test like the SAT or just reading for fun, you have no doubt come across words like assume, consist, potential, component and ultimate — words that appear in many contexts and with shifting meanings. Sometimes words in this category are called “ high utility ” or “tier two” words.

To practice these words, you can start with Vocabulary.com’s lists of vocabulary for standardized tests and essential vocabulary for middle school and high school students.

Then, turn to The Times to find those words in the wild. Type any word you’re learning into the Times search field to explore the nuances of its meaning in different contexts.

Take the word “ cordial .” As an adjective meaning “friendly but not overly close,” it is used in this article to describe a meeting between President Biden and congressional leaders. In its noun form, however, it means a sweet syrup used in cocktails: “An uncooked cordial requires a lot of time,” this recipe warns.

For teachers, we have even more advice. Check out this Reader Idea from Larry Ferlazzo on ways to work with “tier two” words in the English Language Learner classroom. Or, play the List/Group/Label game with your students before you read an article together. Here, for example, is how we once used the activity in a lesson plan on Edgar Allan Poe .

6. Direct your own 15-second vocabulary video.

Armed with our library of Words of the Day , you can explain what thousands of vocabulary words mean. But can you pick one to define in video format, in 15 seconds or less? This is the charge of our annual Vocabulary Video Contest . This year, the contest will run from Dec. 1, 2021 to Jan. 12, 2022 — but you can make your own vocabulary video anytime.

You may draw inspiration from this roundup of 60 winning videos .

7. Revel in the language of a favorite Times columnist or critic.

Reading the work of critics and Opinion columnists at The Times can give you a good example of how writers with distinctive voices use language to express their particular points of view.

For example, in his review of Leon Bridges’ recent album, The Times’s chief pop music critic, Jon Pareles , uses words like grooves, languid, coiling, ache, plinking, undulating and brooding to communicate how the album sounds to a reader who may not have listened to it.

Choose a favorite Times columnist from the Opinion section or critic from Arts , Books , Style or Food . Read three different pieces by one writer and make a list of the words that jump out at you. Are there certain words, types of words or phrases that this writer chooses often? Why do you think that is? How does the writer’s word choice help advance his or her argument? You might even try writing your own piece in the style of the writer you chose.

If you’re not sure where to start, look into columnists like Jamelle Bouie , Elizabeth Bruenig , Charles M. Blow , Michelle Goldberg , David Leonhardt , Gail Collins and Paul Krugman , and critics like Maya Phillips , Wesley Morris , Jon Caramanica , Pete Wells , Jennifer Szalai , Roberta Smith , Jason Farago , and A.O. Scott .

And don’t forget that we run both an annual Student Review Contest and an annual Student Editorial Contest , which invite you to experiment with finding your own distinctive voice and point of view.

8. Make vocabulary practice routine with our monthly challenges.

We received such an enthusiastic response to our Vocabulary Challenges last year that we created a yearlong schedule of monthly activities to help students get creative with vocabulary — and have the opportunity for their work to be published on The Learning Network.

These challenges use our Words of the Day as prompts for writing, art and even the invention of new words. New challenges open on the first of each month all year long, but you can use these activities in your classroom anytime. The January challenge is a special opportunity open only to English language learners.

Six Ways to Think More Deeply About Language

Learning words and exploring language isn’t something you do just to pass tests, of course. As the poet and playwright N. Scott Momaday writes in this essay , words are powerful and personal. Words are “what separates our species from all others.” They can “wound as well as elate, promote war as well as peace, express hate as well as love.” And it may be children who understand this best:

Words are sacred. I believe they are more sacred to children than they are to most of us. When I was first able to make my way in language, my Native American father, a member of the Kiowa tribe, told me stories from the Kiowa oral tradition. They transported me. They fascinated and thrilled me. They nourished my imagination. They nourished my soul. Indeed, nothing has meant more to me in fashioning my view of the world. I came to understand that story is the engine of language, and that words are the marrow of language.

Here are some ways to explore the power of words, and look at how and why language changes over time and in different cultural, personal and political contexts.

9. Track the culture through “Words of the Year.”

Quick Quiz: When did The Times publish an article with the headline “‘Selfie’ Trumps ‘Twerk’ as Oxford Dictionaries’ Word of the Year”

a. 2020 b. 2017 c. 2013 d. 2002

To answer, you have to think about when it might have been necessary to explain to the world that “selfie” means “a photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a smartphone or webcam and uploaded to a social media website.” By 2017 the word was already ubiquitous , so that eliminates the first two choices; 2002 was too early for the broad use of either smartphones or social media, so that leaves choice c., 2013. Take a look at the article to see what other words were in the running that year. How many of them do we still use?

If you search The Times for the phrase “word of the year,” you can see we report annually on what is chosen — and on The Learning Network we often ask students to weigh in. Have a look at how teenagers answered the question, “What is your choice for Word of the Year?” in 2017 , 2018 and 2019 .

Then came 2020, a year that gave us scores of new words, phrases, expressions and metaphors. Here is how Tim Herrera begins an article headlined “ The 20 Phrases That Defined 2020 ”:

Happy Blursday ! Now quit doomscrolling , grab a quarantini and please keep social distancing . Imagine explaining that sentence to yourself in December 2019.

Before you read further, brainstorm a list of all the new words and phrases you can think of from the pandemic that have become part of our everyday language. Then read Mr. Herrera’s article , or two related pieces — one from May 2020 and one from December 2020 — to add to your list. What conclusions can you draw about how the pandemic has affected everyday language? Which of the words on your list do you think will stay in our vocabularies after this global crisis is finally over? Why? Finally, what word or phrase would you choose to define 2020? You can see a related lesson plan, and other students’ votes, here .

10. Watch language evolve via @NYT_first_said.

On Aug. 12, 2021, the word “memeifying” appeared in The New York Times for the very first time. How do we know? Because the Twitter bot @NYT_first_said logs new words as they appear on The Times’s website.

To learn more, start with this Times Insider article about how the account was created. Then scroll through the account yourself. What words jump out at you? What can they tell you about the ways language is evolving? For example, you may notice words like neopronouns , detransitioning and misgenderings that expand the way we talk about gender. You may see tech-related words like cyberhack , cryptouniverse and bookstagrammers that show language hustling to catch up with technological advances.

Finally, try it yourself. What word does not currently exist in the English language, but should? What would it mean? Why do we need it? Save your invention to submit to our February 2022 Vocabulary Challenge . The winning word will be published as our Word of the Day on April Fools’ Day.

11. Celebrate teenagers as innovators.

Are you and your friends “lexical innovators?” According to a 2015 analysis of almost one billion tweets, those in the vanguard of word usage are “overwhelmingly young.”

That conclusion isn’t surprising to us. The Times has been reporting on the word-wizardry of teenagers since at least 1943 , when young people were introducing the world to “hep” and “jam session.” Over 75 years later, our reporters are still regularly documenting the origins and meanings of youth-driven expressions, only now it’s “ cheugy ,” “ OK boomer ,” and “ that’s so cringe .”

Take this 2015 language quiz, “ Are You on Fleek? ” to observe just how quickly slang comes — and sometimes goes. Then create your own version of the quiz by mining your daily spoken and written language and analyzing your social media feeds. How many of your questions can your friends get right? What about your parents or grandparents? Of the words or expressions that are viral right now, which do you predict will stand the test of time ? Why?

For teachers who want to help students look at how slang can both shape and reflect culture — and how new words move from the Urban Dictionary to the Oxford Dictionaries — check out our classic lesson plan, OMG!!! Exploring Slang . Though created on our old blog back in the days when “OMG” was a new phrase, the activities and questions are evergreen.

12. Explore the relationship between language and identity.

What does the way you express yourself say about who you are? How does it connect you to specific communities, cultures and histories? The Times can help you go deeper into how you think about the many intersections between language and identity. Here are just a few ways to start:

If you were raised in the United States, you might begin with a fun Times quiz, “ How Y’all, Youse and You Guys Talk .” How accurately does it capture your background?

Read “ What We Believe About Identity ,” by the novelist Julia Alvarez. As she writes about first coming to the United States from the Dominican Republic, “There was no vocabulary to light up the margins where my outlier selves were camped.” Who are your “outlier selves” and how does your language include them — or leave them out?

What is your gender identity? What are your pronouns? How do you, or others you know, express gender identity through language? “ A Guide to Neopronouns ,” published in 2021, is just one starting point for thinking through these questions. “ P.C. Language Saved My Life ,” from 2018, is another.

If you are a fan of hip-hop or comics (or both!), read a personal essay by a young man who discovered that “ Hip-Hop and Comics Speak the Same Language .” How have words — in the form of stories, comics, lyrics, poems or anything else — helped you “inhabit a new skin”?

What labels do others put on the communities you belong to? How do you feel about them? Read an essay by a 16-year-old winner of our 2021 Student Editorial Contest, “ For Most Latinos, Latinx Does Not Mark the Spot ,” to consider the nuances of naming.

How do young people “find a language suitable for our current state of disaster, which is almost biblical in its force and Shakespearean in its unfolding?” asks the Times critic Maya Phillips in her introduction to this multimedia feature about 10 teenage Black poets . Their work, and our related lesson plan , can help you think about the deep connection between personal voice and word choice.

Whether or not you are a native English speaker, reading “ We All Speak a Language That Will Go Extinct ” can show you that “no two people really speak the same” language. What misunderstandings around words — humorous or otherwise — have you experienced?

Language isn’t conveyed just in speech and writing. This article describes how today’s Deaf creatives are celebrating, sharing and protecting American Sign Language, and this piece — “ Black, Deaf and Extremely Online ” — explores how young Black signers are celebrating the language on social media. Our related lesson plan invites you to learn more.

The list above, of course, is incomplete. What else can you discover in The Times about language that is connected to a community or culture you are a part of?

13. Use data to uncover word patterns.

Another lens through which to look at language? The Times’s Upshot team used data analysis to create the interactive “ The Words Men and Women Use When They Write About Love ,” pictured above. It mines the language of four years of Modern Love essays . What questions does it raise for you?

You can see graphs the team has done on topics as varied as “ The Rise of ‘Middle Class’ as an Ordinary American Term ,” “ The Word Choices That Explain Why Jane Austen Endures , and the language The Times has used since 1860 to describe newcomers to America . You can also read data analysis of topics related to language and culture, including the words used in job listings and how we described our mental health on social media in 2020.

As you explore these analyses, you might borrow the protocol we use in our weekly What’s Going On in This Graph? feature . Ask yourself:

What do I notice?

What do I wonder?

What impact does this information have on me and my community?

When you’re done, ask yourself, Is there something interesting I’ve observed about language and language patterns that could be useful to explore using data analysis, perhaps via tools like Google Trends or the Google Books Ngram Viewer ? What and why? How could you present your findings visually?

14. Understand the relationship between language and culture — and have your say.

Language changes all the time, and, in turn, changes us. Word choice matters. It could be as relatively small as scientists calling for less sensational ways of describing human encounters with sharks . It could be as big as a deep rethinking of the language we use to talk about gender, sexuality or race. From the various examples we’ve given above, you can see that significant social, cultural and political changes in our society can’t help but affect the language we use. And thanks to the internet, those changes are happening faster than ever before.

If you are a regular reader of The Times, you can track these conversations in real time. For example, in 2020 the paper announced that, after conversations that began in earnest after the death of George Floyd and subsequent protests, The Times would begin capitalizing “Black” when describing people and cultures of African origin. Nearly 800 readers commented on the change, some supporting it, others rejecting it and many offering nuanced reasons for their opinions.

You can find pieces that touch on language and its relationship to culture in sections across the paper, including Politics, Sports, Style and Food. If you want just one recent example, however, we recommend the Aug., 2021 piece by the linguist John McWhorter exploring “ How ‘Woke’ Became an Insult .” After tracing how and why its meaning has morphed, he writes:

A mature societal take on language will understand that words are not simply what they mean in something called the dictionary and that words referring to issues societal or controversial — i.e., the interesting ones — will often need replacement about once a generation.

Finally, and most important, we invite you to become a part of the conversation, too. The Learning Network’s daily Student Opinion question often focuses on issues of language, culture and politics, and gives young people a dedicated place to have their say.

Here are just a few of the questions we’ve asked recently. Post your thoughts in the comments section for each — and read and respond to what other teenagers have contributed:

Should There Be More Gender Options on Identification Documents?

What Is the Best Way to Stop Abusive Language Online?

How Should Racial Slurs in Literature Be Handled in the Classroom?

How Important Is Knowing a Foreign Language?

Should White Writers Translate a Black Author’s Work?

Do Laws That Ban Offensive Words Make the World a Better Place?

Is It Offensive for Sports Teams and Their Fans to Use Native American Names, Imagery and Gestures?

What’s Your Favorite Word?

What Does Your Accent Say About Who You Are?

Callie Holtermann joined The Learning Network as a senior news assistant in 2020. More about Callie Holtermann

Essay Writing Guide

1000 Word Essay

1000 Word Essay - A Simple Guide With Examples

11 min read

What is a 1000 Word Essay?

A 1000 word essay is an essay that covers any topic or theme within a 1000-word limit. It typically covers about 3-4 pages.

The main purpose of this essay is to:

Present a concise and coherent argument in response to a stimulus or question.
Express the opinion of the writer.
Improve the writer’s writing, thinking, and critical skills

Moreover, a 1000 word essay is not an essay type. It is a format that can be used for writing any type of essay, including:

Descriptive essay
Narrative essay
Persuasive Essay
Argumentative Essay
Problem and Solution Essay

1000 Word Essay Structure

A 1000 word essay consists of an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion, just like all other essays. However, the only difference is the word count distribution across the essay.

When writing a 1000-word essay, the introduction should be about 100-150 words, the main body should be about 700 words, and the conclusion should be about 100-150 words.

Here is the essay structure to help you divide your word count appropriately across the 1000 words.

How to Write a 1000 Word Essay?

Now that you know how this essay is structured, let’s move on to how to write it. Here are some steps that you can follow to compose an excellent essay.

Choose an Engaging Topic

Choosing an interesting essay topic is necessary to keep the readers engaged. For t essay, make sure you choose a topic that you can cover within your word count.

Start the Research

Doing research is one of the most important parts of writing an essay. It ensures that you have all the information to create a strong composition. You should always make sure your sources are credible so no misleading info gets into your work.

Develop the Outline

An outline is the main element of essay writing that can save time, make things easier, and earn a better grade. It will also help your essays be logically structured and easy for others to read. Without a proper essay outline , you might forget the main points you should add to your essay.

Create a Compelling Introduction

An essay introduction is one of the most important components of a paper or essay. This part should be 100-150 words.

Start an essay with a catchy hook and then provide background information about your topic. Finally, end the introduction with a strong thesis statement , indicating its main argument.

Write Effective Body Paragraphs

The body section should be 600-800 words long, and each section must be 200-300.

Begin each paragraph with a topic sentence that indicates the main point. Afterward, present your arguments and support them with evidence. Also, conclude each paragraph with a transition to maintain a logical flow.

Write a Strong Conclusion

The conclusion is the final part of your essay, where you offer some final thoughts and tie together the key points. An essay conclusion recaps all the main points and restates the thesis statement in an authoritative way.

Proofread and Revise the Draft

Once you finish writing your first draft, proofread it for any mistakes and potential improvements. Edit, revise, and polish your essay until it becomes the best version of itself.

How to Format a 1000 Word Essay

Formatting an essay involves setting the layout of the essay to make it easy to read and understand. Different formatting styles, such as the APA, MLA, Chicago, and others, prescribe different rules.

However, some aspects of formatting are common across different styles. Here is how you can format your 1000-word essay properly:

Font Style: Times New Roman, Arial or Calibri
Font Size: 12-points
Margins: 1 inch (2.54 cm) on all sides
Line-Spacing: Double-spaced
Headings: Headings and subheadings should be distinguished from the normal font

Other specifics, such as the page number, title page, references, etc., depend on the instructions of your professor. So always make sure to ask your instructor for complete formatting guidelines.

Learn more about writing formats with our comprehensive essay format guide.

1000 Word Essay Examples

Reading some 1000 word essay samples is an effective way to understand how these essays work. Here are some 1000 word essay example PDFs to give you a taste of what a 1000 words essay looks like.

1000 Word Essay on Human Rights

1000 Word Essay on Discipline

1000 Word Essay on Time Management

1000 Word Essay on Punctuality

1000 Word Essay on Leadership

1000 Word Essay On Why I Want To Be A Nurse

1000 Word Essay on Respect

1000 Word Essay on Global Warming

1000 Word Essay on Accountability

1000 Word Essay Topic Examples

Finding an interesting topic for your reader can be difficult, but it's worth the time. Here are some essay topic ideas that you can use for your essay.

Americans should have more holidays and longer vacations.
Should Students get limited access to the Internet?
Why is learning history important?
Cell phones should not be allowed in schools.
What is the best role for news reporters in the digital era?
What are the causes and effects of terrorism?
Does climate change occur due to human activity?
What is the effect of family vacations on family relationships?
How is social media changing parent and child relationships?
Is summer school designed to help children?

What Topics Are Suitable For 1000-Word Essays?

If you haven't been assigned a topic, you will have to choose one yourself. To come up with a good topic, follow these tips:

Ask yourself: what is the type of your essay? Is it informative, argumentative, persuasive, or exploratory? It will help you think of relevant topics.
Brainstorm. Come up with a list of potential essay topics that you can cover in 1000 words.
Narrow down this list down to a topic that you can easily discuss. Make sure you have enough information to write about that topic.

How Long is a 1000 Word Essay?

The number of pages in a 1000 word essay differs based on formatting, such as line spacing and font size.

A 1000-word essay can take up to anywhere between 3-4 pages when using standard academic formatting (12-pt font size & Double-spaced).

How Many Paragraphs Will a 1000-Word Essay Be?

A 1000 word essay usually contains 5 paragraphs. It includes one paragraph introduction, three body paragraphs, and one conclusion paragraph.

However, there could be 4 to 6 paragraphs based on your essay’s topic and structure.

How Many References for a 1000 Word Essay?

The number of references for a 1000 word essay depends on how many sources you use in your essay. However, 12 references are enough for a 1000 word essay.

You can also consult your professor and add references to your essay because all professors have different requirements.

How Long Does It Take to Write 1000 Words?

On average, a 1000 word essay can take up to 3 hours to write. However, the time it takes to write this essay depends on your knowledge of the topic and your writing speed.

Watch this video to see a step-by-step live example of how to write a 1000 word essay in minutes.

How Long Will It Take Me to Write 150 Words?

To write 150 words, it will take you approximately 30 minutes.

How Long Will It Take Me to Write 300 Words?

Writing 300 words will take approximately 1 hour.

How Long Will It Take Me to Write 400 Words?

To write 400 words, it will take you approximately 1 hour 20 minutes.

How Long Will It Take Me to Write 500 Words?

To write 500 words, it will take you approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes.

How Long Will It Take Me to Write 600 Words?

To write 600 words, it will take you approximately 2 hours.

How Long Will It Take Me to Write 800 Words?

To write 800 words, it will take you approximately 2 hours and 40 minutes.

How Long Will It Take Me to Write 1000 Words?

To write 1000 words, it will take you approximately 3 hours and 20 minutes.

Go through this teacher’s rubric to gather relevant essay content for a 1000 word essay.

How to Write Different Types of 1000 Word Essays?

There are many different types of essays that you can write in 1000 words. Some of them are briefly discussed below;

Descriptive Essay: This essay is about giving a clear and vivid description. You might use an essay to describe a place, person, object, or memory that is special to you.

Narrative Essay: In a narrative essay, you write about a personal experience in the form of a narrative. That is, you need to tell a story in 100 words.

Persuasive Essay: This paper presents facts and arguments to convince the reader to agree with the writer. Use logic and evidence to support your argument.

Expository Essay: These essays offer an informative and balanced analysis of a topic. This means that you need to define or explain the topic in detail.

Tips for Writing a 1000-Word Essay

Below given are some tips that our professional writers recommend.

Select the right essay topic.
Follow the correct essay format.
Use Times New Roman font, Calibri font, and Arial font.
Use 250 words in each body paragraph.
Write a brief conclusion and never extend it to 500 words.
Keep the page count and number of words in mind.
Follow the specific pattern so you don’t spend hours writing.

To sum up, that was everything you needed to know to get started on your 1000-word essay. Read some examples, choose an interesting topic, and follow the writing steps provided above, and you’ll be able to craft an excellent essay in no time.

Still require more help? No worries! If you need writing assistance from professional experts, you’re in luck! MyPerfectWords.com offers top-notch writing services online with quick turnaround and affordable prices!

So contact us today to get expert essay help.

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How to Write a 1000 Word Essay: Length, Tips & Free Samples

This article will discuss the format, length, and types of a 1000-word essay . You will also learn how to structure your paper and find free essay samples on various topics.

🤔 What Is a 1000-Word Essay?
✍️ How to Write
📋 Writing Prompts
✔️ Bonus Tips

📚 1000 Word Essay Topics

🔗 references, 🤔 what is a 1000 word essay.

While a 1000-word essay has the same structure as shorter papers, it can be more challenging to write because of the large number of words.

Is 1000 words a lot for an essay? We’d say it’s somewhere in the middle: students can be assigned much longer papers. However, if you’ve written only shorter assignments so far, you may get confused and add too much unnecessary information or miss critical details. To help you avoid these issues, we’ve prepared a detailed 1000-word essay outline , so you can understand what to include in each section.

1000 Word Essay Outline

You should structure your 1000-word essay properly to ensure your thought flow is logical and you don’t miss important details. Also, your writing should adhere to the standard college requirements , such as accuracy, conciseness, and honesty.

Look at the outline below to avoid serious mistakes and make your essay logical and well-written.

This image shows a 1000-word essay outline.

Introduction

An introduction should grab the reader’s attention and describe what the essay will be about. The introductory paragraph can be around 100-150 words.

There are 3 main components of an effective introduction:

Hook to evoke the reader’s interest in the topic.
Background information to provide the context.
Thesis statement to sum up the core point.

The main body of a 1000-word essay consists of approximately 800 words, divided between at least 3 paragraphs. Each paragraph has 100-200 words (5-10 sentences) and 4 core elements.

Look at a 1000-word paragraph example taken from an essay on aging :

This image shows a 1000-word essay paragraph example.

A conclusion is the final section of your essay, and it should be 100-150 words long, just like the introduction.

Here are the 3 elements of a well-written conclusion :

Rephrased thesis statement.
Summary of important points.
Concluding statement.

1000 Word Essay Format

Here are some valuable tips on formatting your 1000-word essay:

Pick a font and its size. Use a readable and clear font type, such as Times New Roman or Arial. Avoid complex or decorative fonts that could be challenging to read. As for the font size, 12 pt is a standard for academic papers.
Double-space your writing. All essay text should be double-spaced, including the headings, paragraphs, and references. Such spacing makes reading simpler and provides enough room for comments and amendments.
Set one-inch margins. Set the document margins to one inch on all page sides to ensure appropriate white space and a clean design.
Add headings and subheadings. They make the essay structure clear. Use brief and straightforward headings that reflect the core message of each section.
Include citations. Make sure to cite any outside sources you use in your essay properly. Format in-text citations and references according to your required citation style.

If you wonder which citation style to choose for formatting your 1000-words article, consider the two common ones — APA and MLA . Here are some key differences between them.

1000 Word Essay Types

There are many types of 1000-word essays, each with a specific aim and features. Check the list of the most common essay types below:

✍️ How to Write a 1000 Word Essay – Guide

A 1000-word essay may require much effort, but we have provided some recommendations to make creating an A-grade paper easier. Look at the steps below to learn how to write an essay in 1000 words!

#1. Choose a Topic

First, you should make a list of issues that are interesting and intriguing for you and your readers. Avoid too general topics as they will be challenging to cover in a 1000-word essay. Aim for more specific ones instead.

After you have compiled a list of 12 to 15 essay topics , narrow it down and select the best one!

#2. Do the Research

Effective research creates the basis for a remarkable piece of writing and is just as significant as the writing itself. While conducting research, use only reliable sources , such as scholarly articles or reputable organizations’ websites. Also, check the publication date: unless you’re writing an essay in history or literature, aim at sources published within the last 5 years.

#3. Create an Outline

Next, create a brief outline. In your plan, indicate all the sections of your 1000-word essay and the core points you want to include. If you have to incorporate many sources in your paper, you can note where each source will go in your report. An outline helps you structure your essay logically and avoid getting misled while writing.

#4. Draft an Essay

Drafting means creating a preliminary version of an essay. During this step, you turn your ideas into words while leaving yourself room for improvement. Just follow your outline from the introduction to the conclusion. After the draft is ready, you can review it and refine your thoughts using more explicit and direct language or clarifying the links between your points.

#5. Proofread & Polish

The last but not least step is to proofread and polish your essay. Here are some helpful tips that may come in handy during revision:

Between writing and revising, give yourself some time (hours or even days).
Verify your writing assignment again to ensure you have not strayed from the topic.
Read the text aloud slowly.
Keep an eye out for any details that seem unclear.
Ask someone else to read your article and share their opinion.

This image shows how to write a 1000-Word essay.

📋 1000 Word College Essay: Writing Prompts

Have you ever lacked inspiration when creating a 750 to 1000-word essay for a college? Do not panic! We have prepared writing prompts on various topics to aid you in coming up with unique ideas!

1000 Word Essay on Respect

Respect is an important quality that significantly impacts your and other people’s lives. In your 1000-word essay, you can explain why self-respect is vital. Or you can discuss the actions you take to show respect for something or someone.

📝 Check out our 1000-word essay on respect for more ideas: Animal Welfare: Why Animals Should Be Treated with Kindness and Respect .

1000 Word Essay on Ethics

You can start your 1000-word essay on ethics by explaining the term and its main features. Then, highlight why teaching ethics at a young age is vital for society and provide some information on the ethics types (school ethics, business ethics, research ethics , etc.).

📝 Or you can find inspiration from the 1000-word essay example we have prepared for you: Election Ethics: Voting vs. Maintaining Neutrality .

1000 Word Essay on Army Values

A 1000-word essay on army values may answer the following question:

What army values do you know?
What is the most important army value? Why?
How do army values impact soldiers?
Why were the army values created?

📝 Look at a 1000-word essay sample on this topic: Importance of Respect in the Army: Code of Ethics .

1000 Word Essay on Responsibility

Responsibility is one of the primary factors that give life purpose. In your 1000-word essay on responsibility, you can consider the following aspects:

the definition and importance of responsibility;
areas and types of responsibility;
vision and values of responsible people;
the benefits of being responsible.

📝 The 1000-words example on this topic is already waiting for you: Importance of Corporate Responsibility and Ethics .

1000 Word Essay on Leadership

In your essay, you can estimate the concept of leadership in various social fields, such as work, school, or business. Compare the qualities characterizing leaders in each area, and think of the actions that should be taken to become a leader.

📝 Check this 1000-words essay example to gain new insights into this topic: Leadership in Health Care: Situational Leadership Theory .

1000 Word Essay on Nursing

If you’ve been required to write a personal essay , consider creating a 1000-word essay on “Why I Want to Be a Nurse.” However, if you aim at a more formal academic paper, it is your chance to highlight the main issues of the nursing industry . You can focus on the following problems:

long hours;
workplace violence;
health problems;
nursing shortage.

📝 Look at a 1000-word essay on nursing that we have prepared for you: Implementing Artificial Intelligence and Managing Change in Nursing .

✔️ 1000 Word Research Paper: Bonus Tips

Here are some bonus tips that will be useful for you while writing a 1000-word essay! Check them out:

Be creative. When writing your essay, express ideas in your own words and share your perspective.
Make your story flow. Create a smooth flow between your paragraphs with the help of linking words and phrases.
Ask a friend to proofread. Never feel ashamed to ask a friend or parent to read your article and tell you if it makes sense.
Write an introduction last. Most writers know how excruciatingly difficult it may be to begin an essay. To make this task easier, write the bulk of your paper first. This way, you will know what primary ideas to include in the introduction and what writing tone to use.
Write with the thesis statement in mind. Thinking about your thesis will prevent you from straying from your subject.
Keep notes. Take notes while researching the material to create a strong foundation for your future work.
The impact of gun control on crime rates.
The role of online games in adolescents’ socializing.
How did technological advancements affect American culture?
Festivals as tourist destinations.
Tree-free paper as a solution to deforestation.
The influence of floods on human health.
Non-auditory health effects of noise pollution.
The role of education in women empowerment.
Should e-sports be considered sports?
The impact of time management on students’ stress.
Functionalism: Crime and deviance in society.
Luxury products and normal goods.
McDonald’s company: Business ethics case.
United States economy following September 11 th .
The Spanish explorers in the New World.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest : Book and film compared.
History of Aztec music.
What is the philosophy of nursing?
Community health: Disaster recovery plan.
The Mayflower voyage analysis.
The concept of natural legal crime.
The justice system: Due process of law.
The Global Business Standards Codex.
Common law: Freedom of expression.
A comparison of Hamlet by Shakespeare and Wuthering Heights by Bronte.
Application of statistics in healthcare.
An analysis of Updike’s “A&P” from a feminist perspective.
Physical exercise as an obesity treatment.
Discussion of hostage negotiations.
Uniform crime reporting: Indicator of crime in the US.
Minority health issues in South Africa.
High and low context culture in business.
Sounds of life: The role of music.
Managerial decision making: Focus on risk and rationality.
DNR orders and ethics in medical decision-making.
The history of enterprise architecture and its specifics.
Public policy meeting: Prescription drug supply and cost.
Principal librarian’s job interview questions.
The theory of self-expression.
The five good emperors of the Roman Empire.
African American studies: Political socialization.
Homo floresiensis: Distinctive features and ancestry.
Angela Bourke and Irish oral tradition.
Increasing tuition fees in UK higher education.
West Virginia politics in 1999-2009.
The Metro West Refined Project in Sydney.
Natural gas substitution in the United States.
Isolation precautions and personal protective equipment.
The aspect of educational blogs.
The concept of worldwide health.

❓ 1000 Word Essay: FAQ

How many pages is 1000 words.

How long is 1000 words? When converting 1000 words to pages, consider the parameters you apply. In Times New Roman or Arial font, 1000 words equal 2 single-spaced or 4 double-spaced pages. If you are writing the essay by hand, it will take 4-6 pages, depending on your handwriting.

How Many Paragraphs Is 1000 Words?

The minimum number of paragraphs in a 1000-word essay is 5: an introduction, 3 body paragraphs, and a conclusion. For easy reading, you can break up sections that are too long (more than 5-6 sentences long) and write 8-10 paragraphs.

How Long Does It Take to Read 1000 Words?

The time of reading a 1000-word essay is directly related to your reading speed. When reading at a rate of 300 words per minute, an average reader can finish 1,000 words in 3-4 minutes.

How Long Does It Take to Write 1000 Words?

The time of writing an essay will depend on several aspects, such as the time you spend researching, your understanding abilities, your capacity for planning, and your typing speed. On average, it takes about 200 minutes or 3.5 hours to write an essay in 1000 words with a typing speed of 40 words per minute.

Essay Structure | Harvard College Writing Center
Paragraphs | The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Paragraphs & Topic Sentences | Indiana University Bloomington
How to Build an Essay | Monash University
Essay Planning: Outlining with a Purpose | San José State University Writing Center
Introductions & Conclusions | Princeton Writing Program
How Much Detail to Provide | Central European University
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Methods of Distance Learning

Methods of Distance Learning - Essay Example

Subject: English
Type: Essay
Level: College
Pages: 4 (1000 words)
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Extract of sample "Methods of Distance Learning"

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Importance of Education: Essential for Everyone

Essay on Importance of Education in 1000 Words

In this article, we have published an Essay on Importance of Education in 1000 Words for Students. Also, we have explained Why and How It is essential in Life and Society.

So, Let’s start the Essay on Importance of Education.

Table of Contents

Introduction (Essay on Importance of Education)

Because food, clothes, home, and traditions are necessary for us, just like education plays an essential role in everyone’s life. Education gives us the concept of status, professionalism, speaking, communication skills, behavior, and the most important is knowledge. Training provides about the importance of life, and as we all know, education is a source through which everyone can earn money and lead a prosperous and peaceful life.

Education is learning skills, values, beliefs, and habits. Learning often takes place under the guidance of teachers and professors or educators, and it includes the methods of describing, discussing, teaching, training, and targeted research.

It can take place in formal or informal settings, and it experience that affects the way you think, feel, or act with considered knowledge.

Education is usually classifying into stages such as kindergarten, primary school, high school, followed by a college, university, or (tertiary) practice. In many territories, education is compulsory up to a certain age.

What is Formal education?

Formal education participates in a school environment where many students learn with a trained, certified subject teacher. Most school systems are based on a set of values or ideals that regulate all educational choices in this system.

Such decisions include the curriculum, organizational models, design of physical learning spaces (e.g., classrooms), student-teacher interactions and assessment methods, class size, educational activities, and more.

How does Education help to be a better Citizen?

Educated people know the socio-economic scenario of the country and can help in its development. Whether it is a simple thing, like saving water resources, fuel resources, natural resources, etc., well-educated persons somehow know well to contribute to the well-being of the country. One reason for their awareness is that they train these values at school, in colleges, or at the workplace.

People not educated have no idea about these facts because they were not in an educational environment. Education shows the importance of the right decision for voting or any other works:

Education helps decide whom to vote to impact the country’s economy positively. It enables you to determine why to vote for one party over another.

Uneducated persons are ignorant of the significance of selecting the right people to vote. That is why education shows us the importance of the right decision for voting.

How does Education help to find a job?

Without education, a person cannot find a good job. Unemployment is a severe obstacle to the development and progress of the individuals and as well as the country’s economic status. The financial condition of many countries in the world is pathetic because of the lack of educated people and the right skills and are therefore unemployed.

Nowadays, education is a basic need for everyone, because, without knowledge, no one will survive in a competitive society. Besides this education, it is also a leading source of work. Companies offer a high salary and are looking for work for the only deserved candidate well educated and knowledge of technology.

Nowadays, many technologies available on the market, such as Python, Java, Android, website development, application development, SEO and digital marketing, by learning these new technologies they get their dream job and set life standards.

Education plays a vital role in inequality because it gives everyone the same opportunities and status. Whether you are poor or rich, it does not matter, because if you are a professional individual, get an excellent pay scale without knowing your background.

Major reasons which tell us the Importance of Education for Life and Society

1. happiness comes from education.

For a person to be happy, he must feel good. It is possible to keep a stable mind and a balanced life. It gains while a person is well educated, earning well, independent, and has a reputation in society. The independency comes from a good education and an excellent earning source.

Thanks to education, it helps to be well-known from events all over the world. Education may not be the key to joyfulness, but it is the key to numerous things that combine to make you happy.

2. For living a Standard life Education is Important

With the change in lifestyle and the price of every good, it is almost impossible for the whole family to rely on one breadwinner. Education makes a person confident enough to be financially independent.

3. Education is important For the growth of a nation

The economic growth of a country depends on the quality of education it provides to its citizens. This automatically results in better jobs, which would cause higher wages, which increases the country’s economic growth. All this results from a high-quality education.

4. Educated people live healthy lifestyle

Education helps the individual lead a better and healthier lifestyle in society. An educated person always knows the diseases penetrating him, his symptoms, and methods of prevention. He still stays in touch with the public via electronic and social media , newspapers, and radio. This ensures a healthier and longer life.

5. Applying the enlightened mind

An educated person always knows what is happening in society. He knows what is right and wrong for him. No one can make him a fool. This is due to education that brings awareness about the community and the world because knowledge opens the mind.

6. Education Turns dreams into reality

What is your goal, your purpose in life? Do you want to get rich? Do you want to be famous? Do you want to be a person very successful and respected by people? Well, the key to all these achievements is education.

There are exceptions, such as athletes and artists who do not owe their education success. However, usually, your degree helps you realize all your dreams.

We believe that by now, why education has the highest importance in life because every person must want a worthy place in society.

Education It gives confidence because if you have knowledge and skills, the level of trust increases automatically. So it plays a crucial role in overall development.

The economy of the nation also depends on education. For example, foreign countries such as the USA, Great Britain, Japan have developed countries, and their literacy rate is too high compared to India. So developing each country and its economical conditions mostly depend on the level of skilled citizens.

Nobody cheats on you if you are educated and know the script well because you can learn and understand different things. This increases your awareness, so you have less chance of cheating.

7. Education increases Work opportunities

Education gives us many areas as career options, such as management, account, sales, marketing, development, and technology. All areas have many employment opportunities, and the IT sector is one of the best industries in which maximum employment opportunities are available to professionals and fresher.

There are several job offers on the market, such as web designer, programmer, application programmer, website programmer, graphic designer, data analyst, programmer, SEO contractor, content author, service program and many more. It depends on your education in which technology your knowledge and skill fit.

Education provides us a high living status and standards. It trains us how to behave in society, and for a happy and stable life, so training is a must. I hope you like this Essay on Importance of Education.

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innovative methods of learning essay 1000 words

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Pedagogy of the Twenty-First Century: Innovative Teaching Methods

New Pedagogical Challenges in the 21st Century - Contributions of Research in Education

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1. Introduction

2. Material and research methods

3. Literature review

3.2. Environmental approach to teaching

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