Innovative Learning | To become confident and competent adults, students must possess critical thinking and problem-solving skills as well as a solid grasp of technology. A variety of PiL grants and initiatives are helping educators achieve these outcomes by looking beyond traditional methods of teaching and learning.
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Innovative Learning Case Studies:
United KingdomTransforming Students into Lifelong Learners | The British education system has produced some of the greatest writers, scientists, and thinkers of the modern world. In recent years, however, educators and policymakers in the UK have begun to question whether the country’s highly structured national curriculum and focus on examinations are developing the knowledge and skills that students need for the 21st century. Enquiring Minds, an innovative new approach to learning designed by UK research organization Futurelab and supported by a US$2 million grant from Partners in Learning, looks beyond test results toward a different goal: enabling children to become effective researchers, innovators, and creators of knowledge. |
Key Impacts of PiL in the UK Enquiring Minds, a research project that takes a new approach to curriculum, emphasizes personalized learning that encourages children to be researchers, innovators, and creators of knowledge. The Education Evidence Portal (EEP) and E-librarian service are helping UK educators develop best practices based on research. A strong Innovative Teachers Network is being used by more than 3,500 teachers nationwide and features more than 200 Virtual Classroom Tours, Lesson Plans, and Quick Ideas. The Collaborative Technologies for Languages Initiative is helping students develop foreign language skills through a virtual environment shared with schools in Spain and France.
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SingaporeThe Classroom of the Future, in Schools Today | Singapore’s education system has a long history of quality and efficiency, backed by a track record of high student achievement in math and science. Yet this prosperous city-state is always looking for new ways to ensure that its students are even better prepared to participate in societal and economic advances. This spirit of continuous improvement has inspired the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) and Microsoft to initiate BackPack.NET, an ambitious five-year program that aims to encourage inquiry, creativity, and student-centered learning through advanced applications of ICT. This Partners in Learning initiative includes the use of Tablet PCs by hundreds of students throughout the city and the seeding of an ecosystem of innovative new education software companies. |
Key Impacts of PiL in Singapore Students and teachers throughout Singapore are leading the way in the use of Tablet PCs in schools, pioneering new approaches to personalized learning. In close collaboration with educators, a growing ecosystem of local software companies is developing innovative new educational software and exporting it to the world.
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7 pages, 359 KB, PDF File
AustraliaReady. Aim. Fire! Learning with Games in Australia | Educators in Australia’s eastern state of Queensland are at the vanguard of efforts to understand how computer games, spatial technologies, and other digital innovations can enrich teaching and learning, particularly with students who don’t respond well to traditional teaching methods. Through a partnership with Queensland’s Department of Education, Training and the Arts, Partners in Learning is funding programs that bridge the gap between education that is relevant and learning activities that are fun and engaging. |
Key Impacts of PiL in Australia Due to the distributed nature of education in Australia, Microsoft has supported a variety of initiatives tailored to the needs and interests of each state and territory. In Queensland, the state education department has partnered with Microsoft since 2004 on programs to explore the efficacy of games in learning, introduce students and teachers to the rapidly emerging field of spatial technologies, and help teachers create educationally rich and engaging digital content. Programs in other states and territories focus on innovative approaches to teacher professional learning, innovation in curriculum, and systemic issues in pedagogy.
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8 pages, 354 KB, PDF File
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