OECD Education Webinars

Are students ready to take on environmental challenges? An international perspective based on PISA

Young people will experience the consequences of climate change more directly during their lifetime than any previous generation in recent history. But are they prepared enough to actively address climate change and other environmental challenges?

The PISA report “Are Students Ready to Take on Environmental Challenges?” finds varying levels of environmental knowledge and skills, attitudes and actions among 15-year-old students around the world. Students will need stronger scientific proficiency in environmental issues than they currently have, especially in countries and economies where student performance in science tends to be lower. Better performers in science have, on average, more pro-environmental attitudes than lower-performing students, and students with pro-environmental attitudes are more likely to take part in actions that benefit the environment.

We discuss the types of education policy and practices identified in the PISA report “Are Students Ready to Take on Environmental Challenges?” that can help prepare students to build an environmentally sustainable future.

Speakers include:
– Andreas Schleicher, Director for Education and Skills, OECD
– Daniel Salinas, OECD Analyst, Directorate for Education and Skills

Moderated by Clara Young, OECD Directorate for Education and Skills

Solving the value for money equation in education

In an uncertain and volatile international context characterised by competing priorities for public spending, pressure is mounting for policy makers to enhance the efficiency of public spending in all sectors, including education. There is no question that there is a strong economic and social case for continued public investments in education, so the dilemma is not on whether or not to invest in education, but rather on how to make the most of this investment and foster a “Value for money”.

Policy makers need to make smarter investment in education. They need to foster equal opportunities and quality outcomes, and the good news is that the pursuit of efficiency and equity in education can work together through smart investments in four areas. Policy makers also need to carefully design funding mechanisms, pay attention to budget planning, and build a culture of systematic evaluation in education to ensure alignment with education objectives, transparency, accountability and capacity building.

We discuss the many benefits that education brings to economies and societies, but also strategies that can help policy makers make smarter investment in education in order to reap its full benefits.

Speakers include:
– Luiz de Mello, Director of the Policy Studies Branch in the OECD Economics Department
– Andreas Schleicher, OECD Director for Education and Skills
– Andreea Minea–Pic, Analyst, OECD Directorate for Education and Skills
– Luka Boeskens, Analyst, OECD Directorate for Education and Skills

Moderated by Karine Tremblay, Senior Analyst, OECD Directorate for Education and Skills

Job shadowing: practical approaches to an effective career guidance intervention

November is the first ever Global Careers Month and we are launching a new paper exploring the role of job shadowing in the career preparation of teenagers. Job shadowing is a form of career exploration that along with workplace visits has been identified in OECD analysis of multiple longitudinal datasets as an career guidance intervention that can commonly be linked to better employment outcomes in adulthood. Job shadowing allows students to investigate potential futures in work, connecting with people working in fields of interest. However, while it is not difficult to organise, job shadowing is rarely offered by schools.

This practical webinar introduced job shadowing as a career development approach and set out the evidence for why schools should consider offering it. It includes presentations from Chicago Public Schools in the United States on how to organise job shadowing effectively and from Germany on how job shadowing in annual Girls’ Days and Boys’ Days helps students explore careers where their gender is underrepresented.

Speakers include:

– Aaron Levine, Chicago Public Schools, United States
– Wenka Wentzel, Kompetenzz, Germany

Introduced and moderated by Anthony Mann, Senior Policy Analyst (Career Readiness), OECD

Assessing creative thinking: What, why and how?

Creative thinking is a key skill for young people. For many years, future-oriented educational frameworks or skills rankings placed creative thinking near the top of their priorities. The question is, can we make creative thinking visible, comparable, and amenable to policy and classroom action, in a similar way that traditional assessments do with disciplinary knowledge and skills?

Some might argue that assessment directly opposes efforts to strengthen creativity in the classroom, while others argue that creativity is too hard to define and measure. But we cannot improve or call attention to what we cannot see. We need to do more to support educators and policymakers in recognising, building, and rewarding creative thinking in education systems.

We discuss the PISA 2022 creative thinking assessment, what is involved, why and how we are testing creative thinking as well as other approaches to measuring creative thinking both at scale and in the classroom.

Speakers include:

–  Natalia González Gómez, Director of Evaluation and Assessment, ICFES (Colombian Institute for Educational Assessment
– Bill Lucas, Professor of Learning and Director of the Centre for Real-World Learning (CRL)
– Bo Stjerne Thomsen, Chair of Learning through Play, LEGO Foundation 
– Mario Piacentini, Senior Analyst, OECD Directorate for Education and Skills
– Natalie Foster, Analyst, OECD Directorate for Education and Skills

Moderated by Alison Burke, OECD Directorate for Education and Skills

Early Equity: From Evidence to Action

What does it take to achieve a level playing field for disadvantaged children? New findings from the International Early Learning and Child Well-being Study (IELS) show that it is possible to close the equity divide between disadvantaged and advantaged children. While disadvantaged children face many risk factors that impede their early development, there are practical actions that policy makers, education leaders and practitioners can take to build resilience and educational success among disadvantaged children. Find out more about closing early equity gaps by watching the OECD’s webinar on Early Equity: From Evidence to Action.

Speakers include: 
– Andreas Schleicher, OECD Director for Education and Skills
– Rowena Phair, Senior Analyst, OECD Directorate for Education and Skills

Moderated by Rachel Linden, OECD Directorate for Education and Skills

Ask an expert: Why is media literacy so important for 21st century children?

The digital environment offers opportunities that can enrich children’s educational and well-being outcomes. However, children may also encounter a number of risks, such as misinformation, cyberbullying, commercial profiling and harmful content. Only around 50% of children in OECD countries are able to discern fact from opinion and many are unsure of which techniques and tools can help them determine which digital information is factual. It is also essential that children know how to stay safe and seek help in digital environments. Media literacy is one policy that countries can use to maximise the opportunities and minimise the risks posed to children in the digital environment.

These data beg a number of questions: What contextual factors can affect a child’s ability to optimise digital opportunities? Do children know how to recognise and respond to digital risks? Which policies and practices can effectively deliver media literacy? Where are the gaps in our knowledge and what further research is needed to close them?

Watch the tenth ‘Ask an Expert’ webinar, where we discuss these issues and more with a panel of experts.

Speakers include:

– Renee Hobbs – Professor of Communication Studies, University of Rhode Island, United States
– Pierre Fastrez – Senior Research Associate, Université catholique de Louvain, Belgium 
– Charlotte Carnehl – Operations Director, Lie Detectors, Germany

Moderators: Francesca Gottschalk and Jordan Hill, OECD Centre for Educational Research and Innovation

The state of world education: Discussion of data from Education at a Glance 2022

Join us to hear more about the state of education around the world. We are discussing the 2022 edition of Education at a Glance.

It provides data on the structure, finances and performance of education systems across OECD countries and partner economies, looking at everything from the organisation of schools and schooling to the financial resources invested in education institutions.

The 2022 edition of Education at a Glance has a focus on tertiary education. It offers an assessment of the financing, uptake and outcomes of tertiary education in OECD and partner countries.

Watch to find out more about education around the world and to ask your questions.

Speakers:
– Andreas Schleicher, OECD Director for Education and Skills
– Tia Loukkola, Head of Innovation and Measuring Progress Division, OECD Directorate for Education and Skills
– Abel Schumman, Senior Analyst, OECD Directorate for Education and Skills

Moderated by Clara Young, Senior Editor, OECD Directorate for Education and Skills

Recruiting vocational teachers and trainers: How can we balance quality and flexibility?

Teachers and in-company trainers are the foundation of vocational education and training (VET) systems, playing a key role in supporting the school-to-work transitions for learners from all backgrounds. VET teachers develop learners’ skills in school-based settings, while in-company trainers support learners during their time in work-based learning. But how can we ensure that these teachers and trainers have the right set of skills and are fully prepared for their role? What can countries do to make requirements and training flexible to attract good candidates?

Watch our webinar to learn new insights on the preparation of vocational teachers and trainers in different countries and contexts. We hear from country experts on how systems are balancing requirements and flexibility to attract and sustain VET teachers with the right sets of skills for the role they will play in their profession and in society.

Speakers include:
– Elsebeth Pedersen, Ministry of Children and Education, Denmark
– Philipp Grollmann, Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB), Germany
– Jenifer Burden, Gatsby Charitable Foundation

Using evidence to address hard questions in education: What initiatives can support schools and policy institutions to engage with research?

Thoughtfully engaging with research evidence in policy making and teaching practice is fundamental for improving the learning experience and outcomes of all students. Across OECD countries and economies, enormous effort and investment has been made to reinforce the quality, production and use of education research in policy and practice. Despite this, using research systematically and at scale remains a challenge for many countries and education systems.

How can we cultivate high-quality, systematic research use by teachers and policy makers? What structures, processes and tools support this? Which key education actors facilitate research use and what relationships do they need?

Watch to discuss these questions and more.

Speakers include:
– Lou Aisenberg, IDEE Strategic Development Manager, J-PAL Europe
– Rafael Carrasco, Deputy Director of SUMMA
– Jason McGrath, OECD Analyst, Former Teacher and School Leader

Teachers are crafting our future

The classrooms of today build our societies and communities of tomorrow. This is why it is vital to invest in teachers. With the future increasingly posing new, unpredictable challenges including climate change, technological advancement and labour market upheavals, teachers are becoming influential changemakers in helping to build a better future. How can the teaching profession innovatively solve this array of new challenges in their classrooms, schools and education system? What are the supports that can best allow the profession to collectively thrive? As the OECD’s Global Teaching InSights have seen firsthand, teachers hold the key to creatively building a stronger tomorrow.

You are invited to watch this webinar as we build up to the Transforming Education Summit 2022 to explore and celebrate the importance of the teaching profession in driving change at scale.

Speakers:
– Andreas Schleicher, Director for OECD Education and Skills
– Susan Hopgood, President of Education International
– Filipa Matos, Teacher, Portugal
– Michelle Codrington-Rogers, Teacher, United Kingdom
– Steven Kolber, Teacher, Australia
– Cheryl Vogler, Teacher, United States of America
– Zep Capo, Teacher, United States and President of Texas AFT

Moderated by Samantha Booth, Senior Reporter for Schools Week

Pack your school bag! Priorities for the new year

For the northern hemisphere, the start of September signals the start of the new school year. Young and old, students, teachers and families are packing their bags and getting ready for the year of learning ahead. What can we be expecting? How are teachers planning to deal with the inequitable effects that COVID-19 has had on learning? and what should the priorities for education systems be?

Watch this webinar where we talk to two teachers preparing to go back to school and discuss these questions and more.

Speakers include:

Andria Zafirakou, Teacher at Alperton Community School, London, UK, winner of the 2018 Global Teacher Prize
Kathleen Foley, Teacher, Glounthaune NS, Cork, Ireland, Facilitator with Teaching Council on Cosán- the Framework for Teachers’ Learning
Andreas Schleicher, OECD Director for Education and Skills.

Moderated by Alison Burke, OECD Directorate for Education and Skills

Does Higher Education Teach Students to Think Critically?

There is a discernible and growing gap between the qualifications that a university degree certifies and the actual generic, 21st-century skills students graduate from higher education with. Generic skills include literacy, numeracy and critical thinking skills like problem solving, analytic reasoning and communications competency. As automation takes over non- and lower-cognitive tasks in today’s workplace, these generic skills are especially valued.

The OECD’s Directorate for Education and Skills, along with the Council for Aid for Education and the ZEIT-Stiftung foundation, invite you to watch this webinar, which provides insights from the first assessment of generic skills called the CLA+ which was carried out in six countries between 2016 and 2021.

Introductions and panellists include:

Meinhard Weizmann, CEO, Bucerius Law School
Tatiana Matthiesen, Head of Education and Training, ZEIT-Stiftung Ebelin und Gerd Bucerius
Andreas Schleicher, OECD Director for Education and Skills
Bob Yayac, CEO & President, Council for Aid to Education
Barbara Ischinger, Former OECD Director for Education and Skills
Judith Eaton, Former President of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA)
Doris Zahner, Chief Academic Officer CAE
Dirk Van Damme, Former Head of the Centre for Educational Research and Innovation OECD

Moderated by Stephen Flynn, Communications and Publications Co-ordinator

Ask an expert: How can we support 21st Century Children’s physical health?

Good physical health can support children and adolescents to learn effectively in the classroom and participate in their communities and wider society. Unfortunately, many behaviours linked to poor physical health outcomes among children and young people have increased since the turn of the century – children tend to do less physical activity, there are increased rates of obesity, and a general decrease in sleep quantity and quality. On the other hand, children are consuming more fruits and vegetables than in the past, accidental child mortality rates are down, and there has been a reduction in smoking tobacco and alcohol use.

These data beg a number of questions: What do such trends mean for education and later life outcomes? How can we support children in developing health-promoting behaviours? And what is the role of education systems in all of this? Watch our ninth Ask an Expert webinar where we discuss these issues and more with a panel of experts.

Speakers include:

–Dr Jon Quach, Senior Research Fellow, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne, Australia
–Dr Salomé Aubert, Research Fellow, Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance
–Dr Ruth Aston, Lecturer, Melbourne Graduate School of Education, University of Melbourne, Australia

Moderators: Francesca Gottschalk and Jordan Hill, OECD Centre for Educational Research and Innovation

Two years into the pandemic: How education systems have coped with the second year of COVID

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused massive disruptions to the learning of students at all levels of education. Although the availability of vaccines has improved the situation in most OECD countries, the school year 2021/22 was still marked by – sometimes severe – restriction to regular teaching and learning activities.

The OECD – in collaboration with UNESCO, UNICEF and The World Bank – has been monitoring the situation across countries and is collecting data on how each education system is responding to the crisis, from school closures and remote learning to remedial measures. The latest round of data collection covers the impact of COVID-19 during the school year 2021/22 and the recovery policies implemented by countries during this period.

This webinar presents the findings from a survey of more than 30 OECD education systems. We discuss how OECD countries responded to the pandemic, how they assess its consequences and how they plan to move forward.

Speakers include:

– Andreas Schleicher, Director, OECD Directorate for Education and Skills
– Abel Schumann, Senior Analyst, OECD Directorate for Education and Skills
– Corinne Heckmann, Analyst, OECD Directorate for Education and Skills

Moderated by Henri Pearson, OECD Directorate for Education and Skills

How are education systems in host OECD countries supporting refugee students from Ukraine

Millions of Ukrainians have been uprooted by Russia’s largescale aggression against their country, and many of them, including large numbers of children and young adults, were forced to flee to other countries. Within weeks, their host countries had to take measures to make it possible for young Ukrainian refugees to continue their education. The challenge lies in helping refugee students to integrate into their new host environments, while also maintaining the links to the Ukrainian education system in order to continue their education in Ukraine in the future. Moreover, host education systems must work to help students deal with the trauma that many of them experienced during the invasion. The OECD has been conducting a survey to understand how host countries have responded to the Ukrainian refugee crisis. This webinar discusses the results of that survey and the needs of refugee students. We look at the measures implemented by the education systems of more than 30 OECD countries and present examples of different national policy approaches that aim to support young Ukrainian refugees.

Speakers:
– Andreas Schleicher, OECD Director for Education and Skills
– Viivian Jõemets, Chief Expert at the Ministry of Education and Research of the Republic of Estonia (Language learning and migration)
– Abel Schumann, Senior Analyst, OECD Directorate for Education and Skills
– Lucie Cerna, Analyst, OECD Directorate for Education and Skills

How vocational education and training systems can support Ukraine

The large-scale aggression by Russia against Ukraine has devastated the country. Rebuilding the country will not just take enormous financial resources, but most importantly human ingenuity and skills. One of the most promising ways to build those skills is to offer those young people who had to leave Ukraine because of the war a high-quality vocational education in their host countries.

Integrating refugees into vocational education is never easy, because learners have to adjust to new educational programmes, different equipment and ways of working, and foreign languages. But OECD’s analyses show that there are many promising ways of doing this effectively. The time for doing this is now, and if we get it right, those young people will not just bring back the right technical skills, but also innovative ways of working and new experiences and friendships into their country.

Watch this webinar where we discuss how host countries can best support Ukrainian refugees through their VET systems, while also benefitting their domestic labour markets. We also look at the larger role that VET can play in developing a workforce ready to rebuild Ukraine after the war.

Introductions from:

–Iryna Shumik, Director General of the Directorate of Vocational Education, Ministry of Education and Science, Ukraine
–Mathias Cormann, Secretary-General, OECD

Speakers:
–Jürgen Ersing, Headmaster, Bad Aibling Vocational School, Germany
–Hansjörg Brunhuber, Integration consultant at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) for Munich and Upper Bavaria, Germany
–Regard Ayidu, Electronics technician and VET graduate
–Julius Jakučinskas, Director of the department for lifelong learning, Lithuania
–Vytautas Petkūnas, Director, VET school, Lithuania
–Jennifer Hasler, Professional Education & Training Leader, IKEA
–El Iza Mohamedou, Head of OECD Centre for Skills
–Andreas Schleicher, Director, OECD Directorate for Education and Skills

Creating an inclusive school climate for refugee students

Across the globe, large-scale conflicts and the fear of persecution force people to flee their homes and take refuge in another country. The recent war in Ukraine, for example, has resulted in the arrival of millions of refugees in neighbouring countries. In all cases, school-age children are among the new arrivals, meaning that host countries need to find ways to integrate them into the local school system.

But how can this be done effectively? This webinar on World Refugee Day 2022 looks at what is needed to help arriving students feel safe, included and able to participate in the schools of their host countries. We address the specific challenges refugee students face, as well as the support teachers need to help these students, and discuss which types of programmes work best.

Speakers include:

–Rory McDaid, Director of Research, Marino Institute of Education, Ireland
–Frederik Smets, Education Officer, Regional Bureau for Europe, UNHCR
–Lucie Cerna, Project Leader, Strength through Diversity, OECD
–Jody McBrien, Secondee, OECD, and Professor, University of South Florida

Moderated by Francesca Gottschalk, Analyst, OECD Directorate for Education and Skills

Re-thinking education from the classroom up: What teachers think about the future of schooling

Despite the impact of better technology and a constantly shifting socio-political landscape, the way we educate our younger generation has remained largely unchanged in most countries for a number of decades. And yet, these same technological developments and societal upheavals – including but not limited to the pandemic – are fundamentally altering the way we live our lives on a global scale, meaning that traditional education models are looking more and more outdated and no longer fit for purpose. If education wants to keep up with the times, we may have to completely re-think the role of schools. But what does that actually mean for teaching and learning? We hear from teachers what they believe are the fundamental issues that need addressing to help school systems adapt to a changing world.

Speakers include:
– Pirjo Suhonen, Teacher, Finland. Founder of ALO Finland.
– Elisa Guerra, Teacher, Mexico. Member of UNESCO’s International Commission on the Futures of Education.
– Doug Lemov, Teacher, United States. Author of Teach like a Champion 3.0.
– Andreas Schleicher, OECD Director for Education and Skills.

Moderated by Henri Pearson OECD Directorate for Education and Skills

Empowering students to innovate: India’s journey towards a competency-based curriculum

India is implementing a New Education Policy (NEP), which aims to better serve the next generation of students by moving towards a competency-based curriculum that builds both knowledge and skills. As part of this plan, creativity and critical thinking will be explicitly taught as learnable skills.

Watch this webinar to explore India’s experience so far and what lessons can be learned regarding the integration of skills into teaching and learning at scale. The webinar is part of an OECD project on how creativity and critical thinking can be fostered and assessed in schools and implemented across education systems internationally.

Speakers and panellists include:
– Prof. Amarendra P. Behera, Joint Director, Central Institute of Educational Technology (CIET), National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), India.
– Dr. Chintan Vaishnav, Mission Director, Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog, India
– Dr. Biswajit Saha, Director of Skill Education and Training, Central Board of Secretary Education (CBSE), India
– Dr. Anjlee Prakash, Chair, Learning Links Foundation, India
– Dr. Sudhansu Sekhar Patra, Assistant Director of Secondary Education, Odisha, India

Moderated by Stéphan Vincent-Lancrin, Senior Analyst and Deputy Head of Division at the OECD Directorate for Education and Skills

Lessons from the Pandemic: Why digitalisation and inclusivity should be top priority for education

Nothing has hit education systems across the globe harder and more thoroughly than school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic. The disruption has yielded many observations, but two are particularly important. The first is that digitalisation is changing education globally, spurred on by the pandemic. The second is that many students, schools and education systems could not keep up with the change due to an unequal distribution of the right equipment, digital skills and infrastructure.

These issues underpinned the discussions of the 2022 edition of the International Summit of the Teaching Profession, hosted by Spain in Valencia, and organised in collaboration with the OECD and Education International. In this webinar, Andreas Schleicher, OECD Director for Education and Skills, presents the key insights from the Summit and discuss how the teaching profession and governments can work together to take the lessons of the pandemic forward and build better, digital-ready education systems for all.

Speakers include:

– Andreas Schleicher, OECD Director for Education and Skills
– John Bangs, Special Consultant, Education International

How does higher vocational and professional tertiary education differ across countries

There are now more pathways into the world of work than ever before. Among them are a range of higher vocational and professional tertiary programmes, which play a key role in helping many students transition into the labour market. Such programmes include things like associate degrees, higher technical programmes, professional bachelor qualifications and professional examinations.

But how do these programmes differ across countries? Watch this webinar where we discuss the findings of the new OECD report Pathways to professions: Understanding higher vocational and professional tertiary education systems, which compares the higher vocational and professional tertiary education sector across OECD countries. We look at different types of professional programmes on offer, the pathways leading into them and transitions into further learning or the labour market, as well as the profile of learners served by these programmes. We also discuss how social partners are engaged in professional programmes, in particular through the delivery of work-based learning opportunities.

Speakers include:

– El Iza Mohamedou, Head of the OECD Centre for Skills
– Chiara Riondino, Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, European Commission 
– Hans Daale, President, Chain5
– Viktoria Kis, Policy Analyst, OECD Centre for Skills
– Carlos Diaz, President, Vertebral Chile
– Eva Lample Marcos, Ministry of Education and Vocational Training, Spain 
– Mette Nielsen, Senior Advisor, Confederation of Danish Industry

What do we know about cyberbullying; and how can education help?

The omnipresent nature of the digital environment brings seemingly limitless opportunities for children, but it also brings risks such as cyberbullying that follow children from the school yard into their homes. Cyberbullying has emerged as a high priority policy concern in education systems around the world. A rapidly expanding body of literature sheds insights into what cyberbullying is, who is likely to be bullied, who is likely to do the bullying, and what this means for children’s education and well-being. 

In this webinar we discuss these issues, underscoring the important roles education systems can take in responding to the challenge of cyberbullying.

Speakers include:

– Andreas Schleicher, OECD Director for Education and Skills
– Sameer Hinduja, Co-Director of the Cyberbullying Research Center, United States
– Lucy Bowes, Professor of Developmental Psychopathology, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
– Francesca Gottschalk, Policy Analyst, Centre for Educational Research and Innovation, OECD

Needle in the haystack: Finding real-world applications in mathematics textbooks

In a global society as complex as ours, a robust knowledge of mathematics is increasingly becoming an essential skill for all citizens. It provides better understanding of the ubiquitous amount of data to which citizens are exposed in both their personal lives and in society as a whole. The global data surrounding the present COVID-19 pandemic, for example, provides a compelling case for why all people need mathematical literacy.

Beyond COVID-19, citizens are also increasingly challenged to understand and to be informed about major national issues such as the national debt, climate change, and the economics of national healthcare policy. In this webinar, we examine the ways in which 19 countries have formally defined their mathematics curriculum standards to address topics related to quantitative reasoning, real-world applications, and 21st century competencies. We look at both at the policy and the classroom level by exploring the extent to which these goals are reflected in the mathematics textbooks of each country.

Speakers include:

–Andreas Schleicher, OECD Director for Education and Skills
–Dr William Schmidt, University Distinguished Professor, Michigan State University, US
–Rachael Whitney-Smith, Curriculum Specialist, Mathematics Curriculum, Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority
–Dr William McCallum, University Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Mathematics and Co-Author of the US Common Core State Standards for Mathematics, The University of Arizona

Why and how schools should nurture students’ creativity

Educators are increasingly recognising the role creativity plays in student success, both at school and in the job market. It is also becoming more widely accepted that creativity isn’t just something you are born with – it can be actively developed over time. But how can education systems actually foster creativity while teaching knowledge in different subjects? Ireland offers some inspiration: they recently launched an ambitious whole-of-government initiative to drive economic growth and well-being in the country, including the development of creativity among students. Elsewhere, international efforts stirred by the OECD have also focused on nurturing students’ creativity.

Watch this webinar as we celebrate World Creativity and Innovation Day (21 April) and discuss Ireland’s experience and look at why creativity and innovation are such highly demanded skills in the labour market, as well as how education can empower students to be creative.

Speakers include:

– Andreas Schleicher, OECD Director for Education and Skills
– Alison James, Executive Director of the BIC Corporate Foundation
– Mags Walsh, Programme Director, Creative Schools, Ireland

Moderated by Paul Collard, former CEO, Creativity, Culture and Education

Intégrer la révolution numérique au service de l’éducation – Le plan d’action du Québec

Dans le cadre du projet « Données Intelligentes et Nouvelles Technologies en Éducation », l’OCDE a entamé en 2020 un dialogue avec ses pays membres au sujet de leurs priorités politiques en ce qui concerne la transformation technologique et la numérisation de l’éducation. Ces rencontrent offrent aux pays une plateforme d’échange et de comparaison qui leur permet d’identifier et de discuter des principales questions liées à l’accès et à l’utilisation de nouvelles technologies en éducation, de partager leurs expériences locales ou nationales et d’apprendre de celles des autres pays.

L’objectif de ce webinaire public est de présenter le plan d’action numérique mis en place par la province du Québec, au Canada. Il s’agit de comprendre le contexte québécois et d’étudier le panel de mesures que contient le plan, mais surtout de décrire sa mise en œuvre et d’en faire ressortir son originalité.

Intervenants :
– Yvan Fortier, Directeur par intérim, Bureau de la mise en œuvre du plan d’action numérique, Ministère de l’Éducation et de l’Enseignement supérieur du Québec, Canada
– Patrick Hould, Coordinateur de la mise en œuvre du plan d’action numérique, Ministère de l’Éducation et de l’Enseignement supérieur du Québec, Canada
– France Gravelle, Professeure-chercheure, Département d’éducation et de pédagogie de l’Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Canada
– Lionel Tordeux, Chargé de mission France – Canada, Ministère de l’Éducation nationale et de la Jeunesse, France
– Amélie Girard, Spécialiste en développement pédagonumérique, Ministère de l’Éducation et de l’Enseignement supérieur du Québec, Canada

Modérateur : Stéphan Vincent-Lancrin, analyste principal à l’OCDE

Ask an expert: What role does emotional well-being play in 21st-century childhood?

Emotional well-being is crucial for our daily lives and overall well-being. Research shows that developing positive mental health and social and emotional skills during the early years are important predictors of emotional well-being later in life.

In recent years, however, there have been some worrying trends relating to children’s emotional well-being, including rising rates of childhood depression and anxiety, with a clear link between school-related anxiety and lower life satisfaction. To counter this, a number of education systems have turned to more holistic models for promoting the emotional well-being of 21st-century children. This has been particularly important since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, where significant disruption has affected children’s sense of security and stability.

But to properly address these issues, we must first ask ourselves what the nature of children’s emotional well-being actually is in the digital age. Which factors are protective or detrimental? Why exactly are social and emotional skills so important for child well-being? And finally, how can education help? Join us for our eighth Ask an Expert webinar where we will discuss these issues and more with a panel of experts.

Speakers include:
–Gonneke Stevens, Associate Professor at the Department of Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, Utrecht University, Netherlands
–Valeria Cavioni, Research fellow at the Department of Human Sciences for Education, University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy
–Andrew Przybylski, Director of Research at the Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford, United Kingdom

Moderators: Francesca Gottschalk and Jordan Hill, OECD Centre for Educational Research and Innovation

Engaging boys and girls in learning: Creative approaches to closing gender gaps

An ongoing OECD project about creativity and critical thinking shows that girls and boys reported different feelings when it came to their learning: the boys were more likely to be bored than the girls, whilst the girls felt less confident than the boys. Similar results have been found in other studies around the world, which suggests that education systems need to take these differences into account in order to ensure the best possible learning outcomes for all.

As part of the OECD’s March on Gender, Watch this webinar to hear more about research on gender differences in engagement, how this has the potential to affect a broad range of educational interventions and outcomes, and how awareness of those gender differences can help educators support students’ development.

A discussion with:
–Barbara Schneider, John A. Hannah Chair and University Distinguished Professor, College of Education and Department of Sociology, Michigan State University
–Katariina Salmela-Aro, Professor, Department of Education, University of Helsinki
–Aibhín Bray, Assistant Professor in Mathematics Education, Trinity College Dublin

Moderated by: Cassie Hague and Quentin Vidal, Analysts at the OECD’s Centre for Educational Research and Innovation (CERI), OECD Directorate for Education and Skills.

Promoting a stronger professional identity in teaching: How to develop and support teachers in times of change

In times of rapid change, a strong sense of professional identity among teachers can help schools keep pace with big societal shifts. But developing that identity requires policy makers and researchers – as well as teachers themselves – to place more focus on this as an actionable area for improvement.

We discuss how to nurture individual Teacher Professional Identity (TPI), how to strengthen our understanding of collective TPI, and how to enhance the effectiveness of policy implementation by aligning TPI with other reform areas.

Speakers include:

-Dr Nicole Mockler, Associate Professor of Education, Sydney School of Education and Social Work at the University of Sydney
–Dr Fadie Hanna, Researcher, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences
–Dr Filomena Rodrigues, Assistant Professor, Instituto Superior de Lisboa e Vale do Tejo, and also a secondary science school teacher

Moderated by Claire Shewbridge, Jason McGrath and Anita Mezza OECD Directorate for Education and Skills.

Connecting the dots: Interoperability in the field of educational technology

Education has seen a remarkable increase in the use of digital technologies and data. Investments in software can prove rewarding for schools, but educators still face the challenge of dealing with too many different systems. How can we create coherent digital ecosystems for education? How can policy makers, educators and EdTech companies work together to make this happen? Watch this webinar to learn more about existing collaborations worldwide, and to understand what education can look like when countries adopt standards and policies for interoperability.

Speakers include:

– Beth Havinga, Managing Director, European Edtech Alliance, and Founder, Connect Edtech
– Hideto Harashima, Professor, Maebashi Institute of Technology, and Founder, Moodle Association of Japan
– Jan Renz, Digital Education Space project, Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Germany

Moderated by Reyer van der Vlies, Analyst, OECD Directorate for Education and Skills

How learning continued during the COVID-19 pandemic: Global lessons from initiatives to support learners and teachers

School closures became common around the world during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Faced with the task of keeping learning going without school facilities, educators and governments quickly adapted and many innovations emerged.

The OECD, the World Bank, Harvard’s Global Education Innovation Initiative and HundrED have documented a range of examples of these efforts from the first wave of school closures, looking at low-, middle- and high-income countries on all continents and drawing some lessons from these fast-paced responses to reimagine a post-pandemic version of education.

Watch as we launch a new report that outlines 45 of these education continuity stories and discuss how such initiatives can contribute to the current pandemic situation and the overall development of education worldwide.

Speakers include:

– Andreas Schleicher, OECD Director for Education and Skills
– Jaime Saavedra, Global Director for Education, World Bank
– Fernando Reimers, Professor of Practice in International Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education
– Saku Tuominen, Education innovation specialist and Founder, HundrED
– Ryoko Tsuneyoshi, Vice President, Bunkyo Gakuin University
– Joan Osa Oviawe, Commissioner for Education in Edo State, Nigeria
– Maria Florencia Ripani, Director of Ceibal Foundation, Uruguay
– María del Ángel Muñoz, Deputy Director-General Schools, Inspection and Programs, Ministry of Education and Vocational Training, Spain

Moderated by Suzanne Grant Lewis, Chair of Education Science and Policy, Education.org

COVID, technology and climate change: How are societal trends shaping the future of education?

Our world is witnessing a growing disconnect between the economic growth imperative and our planet’s finite resources; between what is technologically possible and existing social needs.

As the world continues to change, education must adapt to support all individuals in becoming competent, caring and responsible citizens.

Analysing education in the context of major economic, political, social and technological trends is a way to bring the future into the present and examine the different possible scenarios, giving us a better chance to be ready for whatever scenario might arrive.

It is a way to ask ourselves: What do global trends mean for the future of my education system? And what can education do to influence these global trends?

Andreas Schleicher, OECD Director for Education and Skills, discusses these and other questions as we launch the 2022 edition of the OECD “Trends Shaping Education” report.

Speakers include:
– Saul Perlmutter, Nobel laureate and Professor of Physics, UC Berkeley
– Alexandra Seybal, Student representative, Organsing Bureau of European School Student Unions
– Saku Tuominen, Education innovation specialist and Founder of HundrED

​​​​​​​Moderated by Tia Loukkola, Head of the Innovation and Measuring Progress Division, OECD Directorate for Education and Skills