Technologies for Learning and Skills

a. Innovation Action

Develop and test open, interoperable components for a flexible, scalable and cost-effective cloud-based digital learning infrastructure to deliver user-driven innovation in technological solutions and educational services for primary and secondary education for personalised, collaborative or experimental learning and skills validation. The infrastructure shall enable stakeholders to create, manage and deliver more efficient processes, content, services, applications and contextual data across a wide variety of education and training systems. It should enable stakeholders to discover, mix and re-use different components and to create new learning solutions. It should be scalable to meet rapidly changing and expanding needs and software requirements while maintaining high levels of security and privacy for teachers and students

The proposed solutions should cover one or several of the following areas:

• easy creation, mix and re-use of content, services, applications and contextual data for interactive learning processes (e.g. authoring and modelling tools; syndication tools; networked objects; electronic publishing platforms; social and collaborative networks);
• environments for new learning experiences and experimentation (e.g. 3D simulation and modelling technologies, visualisation technologies, augmented and virtual reality, location intelligence, intelligent tutors and other adaptive and multimodal technologies);
• educational support services (e.g. learning analytics for creating, collecting, storing, sharing learner/educational data in a systematic, secure way).

Proposed solutions should have a clearly defined learning context, integrate dynamic real-time assessment of learner's progress and be tested through very large pilots in typical learning circumstances in several European countries to identify strategies for scaling and achieve bigger impacts.

The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU of about 5 million would allow this area to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts.

b. Research and Innovation Action

Technologies for deeper learning of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, combined with Arts (STEAM), improving the innovation and creative capacities of learners and supporting the new role of teacher as a coach of the learner. Activities may cover both foundational research (tapping into a mix of disciplines, including SSH disciplines) and/or component and system level design with pilot testing, to support (user-driven) real-life intervention strategies with new enabling technologies (e.g. new interfaces, affective computing, mixed reality learning environments, 3D technologies, wearable technology).

The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU of about 2.5 million would allow this area to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts. The maximum duration is expected to be 2 years.

Learning today takes place in a context of new interactions between formal and informal learning, the changing role of teachers, the impact of social media, and the students' active participation in the design of learning activities. While there is strong demand for (user-driven) innovation in digital learning, the current environment limits development to silo products, creates barriers to technological and market innovation and cross border adoption of new learning technologies. The challenge is to create an innovation ecosystem that will facilitate open, more effective and efficient co-design, co-creation, and use of digital content, tools and services for personalised learning and teaching. It requires co-creation and co-evolution of knowledge and partnerships between business actors and research players, communities of users, educational and training organisations to develop the appropriate components and services and leading edge learning technologies, which in turn will empower teachers and learners and facilitate (social) innovation in education and training.

Projects should address the following impact criteria and provide appropriate metrics:

a. Innovation Action

• Availability of new, open cloud-based components, tools and services for use in digital learning scenarios;
• Increased cross-border availability and wider adoption of education technology products/services generating new business opportunities for, European providers;
• More efficient and effective learning, through mainstreaming new ways of learning with digital technologies and more efficient ways of assessing learning outcomes;
• Scalable solutions, capable of reaching very large numbers of schools and students, and deliver social innovation in education.

b. Research and Innovation Action

• Break-through technologies for learning, through novel research-industry collaborations in emerging areas;
• Improved ability to innovate in key economic growth areas by fostering intertwined development of creative and scientific/technological skills.