Symposium description - Innovation in Education

In this seminar we have three speakers who all will direct ourattention to how we evaluate innovation in education and theunderlaying values of what drives innovation in education. Thayers‘s research aims to deepen our understanding of howinnovation interacts with educational practices. What motivates orhinders innovation in education? How do teachers' attitudesinfluence this? Additionally, how can entrepreneurs andpolicymakers enhance the effectiveness and quality of educationalinnovation? Following Thayers‘s talk we will be introduced to two differentframeworks which both seek to evaluate school practices andeducation in an unconventional way, seeking to address the futureschools and direct our attention to the underlying values whenworking as transfomrative agents within the educational sector. First, Penelope Jean Stiles PhD from the University of Albertawill share insights from a study by ResponseAbility Lab wherethey looked beyond neoliberal values to include trust, equity, safety and test the notion that schools can and should evaluate how they nurture students' abilities to learn, grow, create, and thrive in social, academic, and professional settings. Finally, Anna Åkerfeldt will introduce Swedish Edtest, a framework to foster collaboration between teachers andentrepreneurs, and allow them to collaborate in real teachingsituations. The framework furthermore helps teachers selectrelevant digital learning resources and assists innovators instaying on track with their design and development processes., with an emphasis on the relevance of Nordic educational research.