SoC

School on the Cloud:
connecting education to the Cloud for digital citizenship network

Project duration: 36 months.

Project Consolidated Budget: 600 000 euros

The Network consists of 57 Partners, most of whom are leaders in their educational sectors. They represent 18 European countries and include 10 Schools, 21 Universities, Companies, NGOs, National Authorities, Research Centres, Associations and Adult Education providers.

The steering group of the “School on the Cloud” is:

• Doukas School (Greece)
• Innovative Learning Network Ltd. (UK)
• EUROGEO European Association of Geographers (Belgium)
• GO! Education of the Flemish Community (Belgium)
• Ghent University (Belgium)

Project Aims and Objectives:

The School on Cloud: connecting education to the Cloud for digital citizenship network network seeks to explore how education should respond to new ICT developments that are rapidly transforming the world of business, work and society. The aim is to narrow the existing divide between education and Cloud computing. Tablets, mobile devices and Cloud-based services are tools spreading through schools, businesses and communities. School on Cloud explores this issue and develops guidelines for the education sector by encouraging collaboration and knowledge exchange.

SoC will create a learning network, a community through which participants share knowledge with one another and jointly develop new knowledge. It will promote innovation and best practice in the implementation of Cloud-based learning environments for learning and teaching. SoC plans to enable a fruitful exchange of experiences, best practices, and visions between representatives. Through School on Cloud, the state of the art will be examined, discussed and assessed covering a wide range of topics around Cloud education, tools, methodologies, pedagogical issues and visions.

In order to achieve this, SoC will:

• address the impact Cloud computing will likely have on ICT management process with education institutions (schools, universities, VETs, Adult Education Providers etc)
• identify methods and approaches to teaching and learning with the Cloud-based technologies
• promote Cloud-based tools and digital educational content, relating its use to key competences
• collect, validate and widely disseminate the use of digital content
• encourage teachers and educators to innovate, using digital technology and resources creatively

School on Cloud aims to: 

• form a Key Activity 3 network of organisations with Cloud-based expertise in education
• form four Working Groups (WGs) to examine issues and offer guidance
• establish means and methods for participants to share their experiences, products and expertise
• create a network through which multipliers can be sought
• produce a series of core publications on working with the Cloud in different contexts and disciplines
• run a network Web site for education stakeholders
• enhance value to existing best practice by widespread dissemination
• connect to national and European initiatives
• establish a forum for sustainable development and growth

To achieve these aims, SoC will:

1. undertake research and publish the “state of art”
2. examine pedagogical approaches
3. produce guidance resources for teachers and teacher educators
4. establish four working groups themed on management (transition), iTeacher, personalised learning and Cloud-based digital futures
5. create a School on Cloud Web site with services offering access to materials, an online community, training opportunities and SoC products, research reports, resources etc.
6. disseminate School on Cloud and widen the community via the extended networks of partners

Methodology

School on Cloud will focus on the impact of the Cloud and apps on education. A Steering Group of work package leaders will meet to organise the initiation and development of the network. Key tasks will be implemented, for instance organising the first meeting of partners, preparing the Web site and initiating dissemination and evaluation plans.

SoC is based on the work of four thematic working groups:

• Group 1: Transition from ground to Cloud
• Group 2: i-Teacher: innovative teacher
• Group 3: Integrating the Cloud and personalisation in formal and informal education
• Group 4: Future perspectives

The School on Cloud network will progress though a number of developmental phases (milestones):

1. discovery, involves undertaking a diagnostic inventory on the current alignment of education in an attempt to discover the state-of-the-art, successful practices and key challenges.
2. envisioning, that is, establishing collective ideals, what the network wants to achieve. This involves an exploration of the values that give meaning to the ideal and the sharing of understanding about current successful practices that reflect the vision and are captured in the schools, universities, VETs, adult and other education organisations involved.
3. formulating plans, aiming to advise and influence, implement what has been created, so it is consistent with the vision, appropriate with the mandate of the group and aligned with each other.
4. finally a sustaining phase will focus on enhancing, extending and enriching the impact of the work of the network within and beyond the organization into the future. Sustaining is about building on the knowledge that has been created now into the future. It is about continual refinement and the building of enhanced identity and capacity.

There are 7 work packages:

1. Work package 1: Management
2. Work package 2: Leading / managing Cloud-based developments
3. Work package 3: i-Teacher: innovative-Teacher
4. Work package 4: Integrating the Cloud: personalised learning
5. Work package 5: Future scenarios for Education on the Cloud
6. Work package 6: Dissemination
7. Work package 7: Evaluation.

SULSIT participates in the following work packages: Management, i-Teacher: innovative-Teacher and Dissemination.