Pedagogical method

The European Pedagogical ICT licence is realised through flexible learning. The course starts with an introductory day where teachers meet and get acquainted with each other, the course and its content, and have the opportunity to discuss the objectives of the course with each other and the facilitator.

The following part of the course relies on team-based competence development in which communication between participant and facilitator is crucial. The flexibility of the concept offers participants a wide opportunity to organise the work so that it meets the needs of their everyday work as much as possible.

In an EPICT course we try to practice what we preach. This is not a 'sit-down-and-listen-while-I-tell-you-about- problem-based-learning-and-active-involvement-of-the-students.-Then-go-home-and-do-exactly-what-you-have-always-done' kind of course.

Teachers are challenged and moderately pushed into describing and documenting learning activities that integrate ICT and to develop the ICT products needed to initiate that learning activity.

Teachers are challenged to use contemporary learning methods that are focal points in the current pedagogical debate. You can say that they are put in the role of their students, trying out the methods central to contemporary education.

In teams they discuss articles and examples of good practice and they describe a learning situation that they will use as their point of departure for their module assignment. An outline or draft of this learning activity is sent to the facilitator for response. The facilitator then comments, reflects and constructively criticizes the draft and challenges the team to rethink and further improve their work.

Upon receiving this response the team contemplates the facilitator's comments and finishes the assignment, which is then sent to the facilitator for final approval.

The level and sophistication of the assignments vary from team to team - there is no absolute level. Focus is on the process and the assumption that all teachers can learn more and have a right to be challenged and make progress.

Course structure

As mentioned above, EPICT courses are based a flexible learning model. The course is opened by an introductory day where teachers meet and get acquainted with each other, the course and its content and have the opportunity to discuss the objectives of the course with each other and the facilitator.

The introduction also deals with the necessary technical and basic ICT skill elements that make the teacher able to continue the course after the introduction. During this introduction the teachers are divided into teams of 2-4 participants. The course always covers 24 weeks or more; and during this period the teacher (participating in one or more teams) hands in eight assignments to the facilitator.