The Future of Education

Nowadays, the growing number of Web 2.0 and Web 3.0 innovative technologies have changed the way that we communicate, we share information, we learn and we work. This new reality has led educators and researchers to continuously search for the right pedagogy or combination of teaching/training methodologies that could better support the new learning needs of learners. However, it is not easy to find or develop the adequate methodology in order to make the best use of emerging technologies in educational settings including training and work place learning. It needs a great effort, organisation, time and cost. Successful practices could inspire educators and researchers to implement innovative pedagogic approaches in different educational contexts in order to check their efficiency and finally adopt them or not.

This paper presents a powerful pedagogic approach that has been implemented first in the field of Language education and later in the field of Continuing Professional Training (CPT) in SMEs. This educational approach is called Webquests 2.0 and is the base of the Collaborative Blended Learning Model (CBLM).  Webquest 2.0 are activities that aim to take advantage of the educational possibilities that emerging technologies offer. CBLM refers to "innovative Webquest 2.0 collaborative projects that take place less as face-to-face meetings but mostly online, supported by (a)synchronous Web 2.0 technologies combining at the same time collaborative learning with self paced learning" (1). More specifically, this pedagogic approach was first implemented in a training course of future Italian language teachers as well as in an Italian language course. Both courses took place in Greece. Later, through a European Commission funded Transfer of Innovation project, “Webquest for HRM”, both CBLM and Webquests 2.0 projects were successfully piloted with SMEs in Poland, the UK and Sweden.

This paper first aims to briefly explain the potentials of CBLM as training and teaching model. Secondly, it will shed light on its transfer from one context to the other, analysing at the same time the implications and difficulties that were emerged during this process. Then, it will compare the basic findings of both practices. Finally, it will conclude with a set of useful guidelines for the educators/trainers who would like to implement the CBLM model in the same or other educational contexts in future.

References:
1. M. Perifanou, G. Attwell, (2012). Continuing Professional Training (CPT) Opportunities in SMES: Introducing Webquests 2.0 and  Collaborative Blended Learning Model (CBLM), In Proceedings EDULEARN12, Barcelona, 2-4 July, 2012, pp. 2521-2529.