by: Courtney Allison, European Science Foundation
OTTER is celebrating the release of The Open Schooling Network’s Policy Brief, “Innovating European Education: Open Schooling as a Boost for Europe’s Skills”. This policy briefing is based on insights and recommendations from 12 EU funded-projects – including OTTER!
At OTTER we have working towards a change in approach education, specifically an increase in utilising our regional science centres, heritage sites, farms and more in order to embrace the benefits of education outside the classroom. The policy brief on Open Schooling approaches education as a lifelong endeavour that extends beyond the school building and regular school hours. It integrates homes, museums, digital media to create an all-round learning ecosystem, aiming at facilitating a seamless flow of knowledge and experiences between traditionally unconnected spaces. Open Schooling provides an opportunity to make every space a learning space, making learning more engaging, relevant, and in-depth.
The report, compiled by Open Schooling Together, Make It Open and Schools as Living Labs, acknowledges that while Open Schooling is still a relatively new concept in education, it holds immense promise. It has the potential to make the “learning day” extend beyond the confines of the traditional school system. Some of the key achievements highlighted in the Report include community well-being, teacher engagement, and learning gains.
The Report outlines a roadmap for the future, recognising the challenges and opportunities ahead. It sketches the need for coordinated, multi-year, and multi-country efforts to establish this new educational ecosystem.
These recommendations include supporting research for evidence-based policies, integrating Open Schooling into the curriculum, providing legitimacy and resources, fostering a broader community of practice, encouraging collaboration among all stakeholders, and redefining the role of teachers to embrace innovative teaching methods.
You can read the full Policy Brief here!
