Elżbieta Gajek
Abstract
The aim of the chapter is to present and analyse eTwinning as a programme and community of educators from the perspective of a blended approach, with in-class and online work interwoven, that supports blended learning underpinned by various pedagogical approaches, such as problem-based learning, inquiry-based learning, situational learning, and collaborative learning. The analysis will show how eTwinning responds to the challenges of online teaching in the Polish context due to the Covid pandemic. The eTwinners proved to be better prepared for online teaching. They were also flexible enough to extend their previous experiences and use them immediately during the lockdown. Finally, the pedagogical approaches implemented in eTwinning projects will be illustrated by the examples of projects aimed at various educational levels and age groups.
Keywords: eTwinning, Blended Language Learning, Erasmus+ programme, pedagogical approaches; COVID
Introduction
eTwinning is a part of Erasmus+ programme. It supports collaborative learning and teaching among over 215 thousand schools in Europe and associate countries. eTwinning is also an online community of over 900 thousand teachers and educators in Europe and beyond. Since 2005 it has provided a means for teachers from two or more different European countries to collaborate in a safe online space on curriculum-based projects. The initial broad idea has been developed over time by and for teachers and has grown organically in response to their needs within the context of changing educational and social environments, such as increasingly diverse classrooms, and major technological innovations. It responds to the call for change in education for empowering learners and giving more agency (Vincent-Lancrin, 2019).
Overview of the eTwinning program
The top-down perspective emphasises the following qualities of eTwinning. To shorten the description, it will be presented in the form of lists, which highlight the essentials of the programme. The summary below is based on the recent eTwinning Report 2019 (Gilleran, 2020a).
eTwinning provides digital infrastructure for:
- Collaborative educational purposes at primary and secondary level and for teacher training institutions;
- A safe, password-protected, digital collaborative space for teachers and learners – Twinspace, where educational content and resources can be stored and shared. Links to other tools can also be included, depending on the needs;
- Communication via online fora and video conferencing facilities;
- Building an authentic context for the development of technological skills in schools;
- An inclusive and accessible platform for all learners, regardless of needs, abilities, or socio-economic background.
eTwinning provides organisational support to its participants through:
- National Support Services (NSS) and Partner Support Agencies (PSA) – in 44 member countries and with the supervision of the Central Support Service, coordinat