Conditions for well-functioning ICT culture in schoolsHannele Niemi,Sanna Vahtivuori-Hänninen &Anna AarnioUniversity of Helsinki,CICERO Learning Networkwww.cicero.fi

Contents• Background of the

presentation

• Data collection

• Theoretical

background:– Organizational

cultureof schools

– School culture and ICT

• Results and

Conclusions

How to maintain progress?• In 1990s Finland was one of

the leading countries in using ICT in schools

• National policy making encouraged the use of ICTs in schools

• At start of the new millennium the first wave of ICT usage was over

• International comparisons show that educational use of ICT in Finland is only on average level in Europe (e.g. SITES 2006; ICT Report 2008, OECD Nordic; European Schoolnet – 2009; OEDC Ceri 2010).

•

Powerful efforts to create new openings:

ICTs at School's Everyday Life Project (2008-2010)

Educational Technology at School's Everyday Life (OPTEK) (2009-2011).

Use of ICTs at home vs. at school (OECD, 2009)

ICTs at School's Everyday Life (2008—2010)http://www.cicero.fi/sivut2/projects_ICT_at_school.html

• 20 schools and 12 school projects from all around Finland

Educational Technology at School's Everyday Life (OPTEK) (2009—2011).

http://www.cicero.fi/sivut2/projects_OPTEK_en.html

• 12 Research units, 28 enterprises, 20 schools

• 2.7 million euros of which 1.9 million comes from Tekes [Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation]

•Vision •2011 Finnish schools will have innovative and creative ICT models and practices for wide dissemination to all schools in the country

•Goals•To produce new knowledge and know-how for schools and educational administration about the latest developments in educational use of ICTs

•To develop the educational use of ICT in a multidimensional and equal way

Infrastuctureand

ICT innovations

Team workCommunity

Pedagogicalstructures

and practices

Future School

Developing Educational Use of ICTs in Finland –Towards National Educational Technology Roadmap

This case studyThe aim• What are the main factors that promote educational use

of ICTs in schools’ every day life?• Focus on schools’ perspective (teachers and students)

Data• 20 schools and 12 school projects from all around Finland • Interviews of principals• Discussions with teachers• Seminars and workshops with teachers• Visiting schools and participatory observations

Gareth Morgan (2002) Ulf Daniel Ehlers (2009) Understanding quality culture

• Culture is a social and collective phenomenon

• Culture refers to the ideas and values of a social group and is influencing their action without them noticing it explicitly

• Values• Knowledge• Beliefs• Legislation• Rituals

Edgar Schein (1992)Ulf Daniel Ehlers (2009) Understanding

quality culture

• Culture is a pattern of shared basic assumptions that the group learned as it solved its problems of external adaptation and internal integration that has worked well enough to be considered valid

• Values• Artefacts• Assumptio

ns

Organisational culture is the learnt result of groupexperiences, which is to a large extent, unconscious (Schein, 1992)

The role of ICT in schools

• Separated • Integrated• Rejected

ICT as an integrated part of school culture

• ICT as an integrated part of the schools’ main stream culture and subcultures

• ICT promotes achievement of organisational aims (e.g. outcomes, communication, sharing)

• ICT gives additional value to achievements in organisation if it is integrated to all levels and functions of the organisation and is supported by leadership

Photo:Marja-Riitta Kotilainen, Rovaniemi

Well-functioning ICT culture in schools

ICT is included in all levels from strategic planning to empowering teaching and learning methods and practices

Flexible curriculum

Special emphasis in

communication

Leadership and management skills Teaching staff’s capacity and

commitment

ICT is included in strategic planning

• The school’s strategy is based on school values and its curriculum

• Strategy should be sensitive to the needs of society and local community

• ICT can be used as a tool to create and support the basic values of the school

• Shared vision, values and a strong view towards culture of collaboration

• Support for teachers’ team work and culture of sharing

• Strategic planning a strong vision and mission Easier to convince decision makers to give resources to schools for development of ICT infrastructure and services

Empowering and Engaging Teaching and Learning Methods

• Learner-centered and activating working methods

(e.g. PBL, Group Investigation)

• Supporting children’s own innovations

• Providing facilities to pupils for their own projects

• Supportive tools and facilities to students with special

needs

• Taking care of immigrants’ needs• Using ICT to keep doors open both locally and

globally and face-to-face

Flexible curriculum

• The curriculum is co-created and modified according teachers’ new ideas

• Possibilities for new content creation and working methods

• ICT as a tool and a working and learning environment

• Strong emphasis on students’ future needs and working life skills

Focusing on Communication

• In school community

• With parents • With local and global community,

e.g. enterprises

• ICT opens up new possibilities for communication and collaboration

• Supports schools to make their visions real

Leadership and management

• Leaders’ and school principals’ support for the use and development of ICT is crucial

• Pedagogical leadership• Providing

– resources, facilities and ICT infrastructure

– encouragement and support services– working and communication

structures

Teachers’ capacity and commitment

• Innovative schools attract teachers who are ready to commit themselves in schools’ ideology and are anxious to develop new ways to teach and learn

• Culture of sharing and collaboration and team work

• Opportunity to take risks—trying and failing are accepted 

Infrastructure and ICT

innovations

Teachers’ pedagogical knowledge,

team work andcollectivism

Structures and

pedagogical practices andcommunicati

on

Organisational culture in schools

Pedagogicalleadership

Key elements of the future school

Steps Towards the Future School

1 Reliable infrastructure and support services for teachers and students (community-oriented approach)

2 Structural changes to support collaborative school culture (trust and bravery)

3 Strategic school leadership

4 Pedagogical models and collaborative working methods

5 Teaching—studying—learning process

6 Creative, innovative learners, customised modular PLEs

• Advisory Board• 23 members from the public sector and from industry and

commerce.• Director General Timo Lankinen of the Finnish National Board of

Education acts as the Chair of the Advisory Board

• Helsinki University Advisory Board Professor Hannele Niemi, Cicero Learning Professor Kirsti Lonka, Helsinki UniversityProfessor Seppo Tella, Helsinki University

• Adjunct professor Heikki Kynäslahti, Dept. of Teacher Education

• For more information• Project Manager Ms Sanna Vahtivuori-Hänninen

tel. + 358 50 568 8467 or + 358 40 571 2442, sanna.vahtivuori()helsinki.fi

• Ms Aleksandra Partanen, Ministry of Transport and Communications

• tel. + 358 9 160 28671, aleksandra.partanen()mintc.fi• www.arjentietoyhteiskunta.fi/inenglish• blogs.helsinki.fi/oppiailoakouluun/in-english

•

Thank you!

Kiitos!