Abstract:

The incorporation of innovative technology-driven educational tools, including mobile devices, smartboards, MOOCs, tablets, laptops, simulations, dynamic visualizations as well as virtual laboratories, has transformed the landscape in the process of teaching and learning, at all educational levels. Digital educational technologies facilitate more personalized and tailored approaches to teaching, accommodating variations in students' prior knowledge, abilities, and learning preferences. Identifying appropriate uses of technology is an increasingly important requirement of educators and trainers in the digital age. A very complex challenge is choosing the most appropriate or efficient technologies from a constantly expanding array of suppliers.

While numerous studies recognized the essential role of technology in education, the pandemic revealed deficiencies in facilities and knowledge concerning the appropriate utilization of technology within educational systems. The pandemic compelled educational systems to integrate technology into pedagogy, facilitating the transfer of information and communication.

The challenge of improving the quality of information is still prevalent. While the potential of technology in educational systems is widely recognized, the practical application of learning theories and alignment to pedagogical principles remains an ongoing mission. Educators are required to make strategic decisions regarding the purposeful use of digital tools and resources. Every educator and increasingly, learners themselves, must regularly make decisions in this realm. Therefore, a comprehensive approach possesses the following characteristics: adaptable to a diverse range of learning environments; enabling decision-making at both a strategic, institution-wide level, and at a tactical, instructional level; enabling equal consideration to educational and operational considerations; facilitating the selection of an appropriate mix for any given context; be comprehensible, pragmatic, and cost-effective; adapts to emerging technological advancements.

This paper presents a novel model developed by the DAISSy research group of Hellenic Open University, within the UpDATE project. The aim is to empower educators in choosing appropriate new technologies for their learners. The model serves to not only provide practical instructions for selecting the technology based on pedagogical integration but also establish criteria for evaluating the educational process. The new model, consisting of three sub-integrations (pedagogy, technology, technological pedagogy), allows educators and trainers to assess the suitability of digital solutions for their target group, considering their knowledge and skills. Additionally, it facilitates the identification of supplementary measures for implementation.

Project UpDATE aims to structure a digital eco-system in the VET field, as a combination of technical infrastructures, organisation abilities, trainers’ skills, and learning quality contents. The assumption is that change is feasible only if one acts on three dimensions: pedagogical, technological, and organisational. The implementation and strengthening of the digital VET ecosystem will be carried out through the collection, development, implementation, and validation of methodologies, tools, and innovative practices for digital didactic, and the reinforcement/ updating of the digital competences (pedagogical and technological) of tutors and trainers.

Keywords:

Technology-driven education, educational tools, assessment model, UpDATE project, technology, pedagogy.