Helsinki shares its plan to close the post-Covid learning gap with the rest of the world
Post-pandemic education will be highlighted at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, this summer. Some advocate a return to the face-to-face interaction that has been so much needed over the past two years. Others are looking for positive examples of technology-driven hybrid learning that have helped fill the gap during this time.
Between the two, Helsinki’s representatives play a key role – taking advantage of the city’s commitment to social equality and its well-known digital intelligence – and call for a more agile system in which both methods should be introduced on the basis of innovation-driven research.
Leading this call to action will be Hundreda Finnish company that has helped organizations such as the World Bank and the Lego Foundation find effective and scalable training solutions and practices.
Lasse Leponiemi, the company’s other founder and CEOsaid: “Training secTor is undergoing a huge transformation, combining multidisciplinary competencies with traditional subjects. This change is often approached by highlighting problems, but we at HundrED want to change it by focusing on what works. “
Much of the research and innovation promoted by HundrED is teacher-driven, recognizing the propensity of professionals to adopt different principles, methods, and practices as needed.
“It must be remembered that education is always context-specific,” Leponiemi said. “The gaps that have emerged during Covid are different in different places, and therefore improving education needs to be addressed holistically.
“One common factor in all the countries we come up with in Davos is that the world has taken a huge leap towards online and platform economies that require new skills – and many countries’ curricula are struggling to achieve that.”
Best best practice
In essence, Helsinki, as a technology ecosystem and HundrED facilitator, is defending in Davos the idea that technology is not the silver bullet in the final stage of teacher-student education, because every environment requires a different approach. But it can be a driver of research and understanding on the way to a more agile system that enhances both sides of the hybrid learning line.
For example, a company Teachers in a changing world in the spotlightTraining with the World Bank facilitated the sharing of solutions from different global institutions to make teachers more exposed to new ideas. So is it Innovations in social emotional learningProduced in partnership with the Lego Foundation, the guidance helps children set goals, express feelings and build relationships in stressful times.
The use of digital innovation to disseminate best practice is new and differs slightly from the stereotypical tendency of schooling to focus on grades and outcomes.
Perhaps more importantly, however, this style of digital interference dispels the myth that equality in education means teaching people in exactly the same way.
“When the pandemic started, we did Covid tool kit in cooperation with the OECD [Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development]“Leponiemi said. “The goal was to find practical actions and solutions that schools can implement without additional resources. Our understanding was that people are eager to explore different digital interventions during a pandemic.
– However, it was also clear that even if trainers who were active in such tools got ahead, the effective use of technology is something we need to learn together. Above all, it is a matter of building a new culture of cooperation between different countries and environments.
A message from Helsinki to the world
Helsinki will lead the rally call in Davos in May for a more connected and cooperative global ecosystem. This comes in part from the country’s praised ingenuity in the use of technology, but more broadly it takes into account Finland’s – and Helsinki’s – determination to use technology for social upliftment.
Basically, Helsinki’s keynote speakers preach what is already being done in the country.
“Equality and competence are key values in the Finnish education system,” Leponiemi said. “We see education as a key investment in the future well-being of individuals and we always consider the development of education to be a matter of constant urgency.
“We have taken this ethos forward by defending a highly research-based approach to education.”
This has led to a number of globally significant partnerships, as evidenced by the big names already involved and the ongoing philosophy of experimenting with new solutions.
The most visible and successful innovations from there will be revealed above all to the Finnish public education system. By using innovation as a tool for inclusion and as a complement to existing teaching methods, we hope that learning will become a lifelong way, not just a school requirement.
Leponiemi added: “We often say that we should ensure that future generations are lifelong learners. We should not accept anything less about ourselves and our education systems. The only way to achieve this is to stay curious and be willing to try new things. “
The greatest equalization of society
Helsinki strives to show the world that the continuous application of multidisciplinary knowledge and skills to primary and secondary education can create a more general tolerance for life’s events. At the same time, the next generation of creative thinkers will be inspired.
It believes that other education systems in the world need to reach this same insight and use technology as a catalyst for this more holistic view, not just as a rapid catalyst towards hybrid learning after Covid.
Leponiemi stated: “New technologies have provided us with opportunities to equip teachers with the latest pedagogical knowledge and expertise to address learning gaps around the world.
“However, the challenge now is to find the best way to capitalize on innovation in this way, and it starts with remembering that education is always contextual and improvement needs to be holistic. If we can do this, education could be the greatest equality in global society in the coming decades.
Helsinki will share the 22nd-26th. May its plans to build a more sustainable, innovative city around the world, with a particular focus on education, leadership and inclusion. It does so by presenting the best of its technical ingenuity, but at the forefront of society.