Abstract:

Digitalisation, web-based learning, digital lessons – these are the buzzwords of education in German schools.

In 2019 36% of German schools have access to a fast internet and provide internal wireless LAN. In 34% of them sets of tablets or smartphones are available. 18% use the method “Bring your own device”. [1] 40,8 % of teachers in Germany agree with the thesis that using digital media has a high priority in school lessons. [2] 19% of the teachers use digital media in their lessons daily, 31% at least one time per week.
But the relation between students and digital devices in Germany is with 9,7:1 below the average in the International Computer and Information Literacy Study ICILS 2018. [3]

In May of 2019 the government of Germany concluded the “Digitalpakt” about funds in a height of 5 milliards of Euro with the German federal states. So the equipment of schools with digital media shall be expanded and push the transfer of classical lessons at schools into digitally learning scenarios. [4]

As a requirement for getting funds the schools of Saxony have to submit a concept of digitalisation. In this is not only to be explained, how these funding will use for buying interactive boards, tablets and so on. A plan for the digitizing of school lessons and for the related teacher training is to be submitted in a media development concept as well. [5]

But what does “digitally lesson” mean? When is a lesson really “digitized”? To give answers to these questions a measurement tool for categorizing digital teaching is needed. On the one hand, it provides tangible points of orientation for educational policy decisions at macro level. On the other hand, it serves as a guideline for teachers facing the requirements for digital teaching at micro level.

We created a catalogue of criteria for the observation and evaluation of lessons at schools in terms of the use of digital media including two classes of question items:

The first part examines the technological issues and determinants at schools. How are digital learning media, mobile devices, wireless LAN, interactive boards available? Do the students and the teachers use their own devices? How the administration of these devices works?

The second part focusses of didactical and methodical issues. What are the competencies of the teachers for using digital media didactically meaningful? Do they act methodical and practical safe? Which role the teachers play during their lessons? Is there a didactic added value compared to classical learning scenarios to be seen?

So a catalogue prototype of 15 question items with usually four gradations has been created. [6] In this first version lessons in computer sciences are focussed and tests in grammar schools took place.

The surveillance of school lessons gave valuable knowledges for the revision and extension of the catalogue before a new evaluation by teacher students and teachers at schools will start. In a later version of this catalogue a transfer to other types of schools and in other school subjects is planned.

Keywords:

Digitalisation, digital lesson, web-based learning, digital supported teaching.