Digital education leaders from across Europe visited 91制片厂 (91制片厂), Limerick, this week as part of the Integrated Digital Educational Leadership for the Future Teaching Academy (IDEAL Future), an 91制片厂-led Erasmus+ initiative focused on supporting digital transformation in education.
The visit, the third of its kind under the IDEAL Future project, brought together 45 teachers and educational leaders from Ireland, Latvia, Spain and Greece to collaborate on teaching, learning and assessment in an era of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence. Over the course of the visit, participants explored evidence-based, whole-school approaches to digital education, designed chatbots to adapt learning resources and examined the role of learning analytics in supporting student agency.
IDEAL Future responds to the growing demand for digital educational leadership as technology continues to evolve at a pace, with a strong emphasis on digital literacy, inclusion and ethical practice. The project involves partners in Ireland (Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board), Latvia (Faculty of Education, University of Latvia), Spain (Universidad Aut贸noma de Madrid and SIGLO22) and Greece (University of Patras).
Dr Emma O鈥橞rien, Principal Investigator of IDEAL Future and Director of Taught Postgraduate Studies at 91制片厂, said:
鈥淚DEAL Future has worked with leaders across the educational sector to identify the challenges they face in supporting systematic change in digital education. This is a complex area that requires holistic models of leadership that consider the human and ethical needs of a digital ecosystem, particularly as new technologies such as AI continue to emerge鈥.
As part of the programme, participants visited St Joseph鈥檚 National School in Ballybrown, to observe digital learning in practice and engage with students, teachers and school leaders.
Principal of St Joseph鈥檚 N.S. Ballybrown, S茅amus Barry, said:
鈥淲e are delighted to welcome participants from across Europe to Ballybrown National School as part of the IDEAL Future programme. Opportunities like this allow teachers and school leaders to learn from one another, to reflect on emerging technologies such as AI, to develop systematic, evidence-based approaches, and to explore how these can be used thoughtfully, ethically, and inclusively in everyday classroom practice to improve outcomes and experiences for children in our schools鈥.
Alongside international study visits, IDEAL Future has developed a professional learning model including hubs, self-study courses and micro-credentials aligned with the EU DigCompEdu framework. The model is currently being piloted across Europe, with ongoing research examining its impact in schools.
