Exploring Finnish Digital Education
Illustration of two women, a teacher and a student, discussing in front of a whiteboard

Capacity

"There are really good teachers everywhere from whom we can learn a lot. We want to build reciprocity, helping them professionally to bring good practices to their daily work." -Taina Mikkola, TinyApp

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Building capacity based on Finnish best practise.

Building capacity in Finland

 

Woman and man in front of a computer.
Photo: X/Unsplash

Digital education requires capacity, both human and technological.

Learners: learning objectives 

In Finland, it is important to ensure that every  individual can function productively in an increasingly digital world. Finland's Framework for Digital Competence, published by the Finnish National Agency for Education and the National Audiovisual Institute in 2022, outlines benchmarks for students at every level of K12 education. These areas of digital competence and ICT require that learners demonstrate creativity and responsibility in their use of digital skills. Learners are given freedom of choice, which allows them to explore the digital landscape within the framework.

Teachers: work & support 

Similarly, teachers need to grow their own digital competencies in order to set the groundwork for learners' success.  Thorough subject area and pedagogical training as well ongoing in-service professional development are preparation for continued learning.  Additionally, teachers engage in community-based exchange of ideas online, sharing their own work with others. Finnish edtech is used, not only to provide teachers with opportunities to grow their community, but also to curate best-practices instructional solutions.  Teachers are encouraged to continuously experiment, innovate and develop new pedagogical approaches, as well as share their experiences in peer-networks. 

Pedagogical solutions

Teachers engage in community-based exchange of ideas online, sharing their own work with others. Finnish edtech is used, not only to provide teachers with opportunities to grow their community, but also to curate best-practices instructional solutions.

Digital infrastructure

It is not only a question of human capacity:  In digital education the infrastructure for digital solution use (for example, internet connectivity and digital devices) has to be in place as well.  The allocation of materials, such as devices, can vary:  Some schools in Finland provide students with loaned iPads or laptops, but in others, students share equipment.  Protection of users’ data is also a very important piece of the digital infrastructure.

Digital Education Ecosystem

The digital education ecosystem needs all of the above to grow.  Still, there are other components that can help it to thrive:

Learner-led events, co-creation with schools programs, quality certifications for digital education innovations, hackathons, regional collaboration events, awards, study programs, academia, public business advisories, marketplaces, education export programs, funding for innovative teacher professional development, professional associations for peer-learning, and hubs or meeting places.

 

Capacity building in your country?

To ensure the sustainability of education innovations, it is essential to invest in the capacity building of educators and pedagogical leaders. This may involve in-and pre-service training programs, mentoring, and knowledge-sharing initiatives to enable them to effectively implement and sustain the innovations. Reflect on these questions:

What is your current investment in capacity building?
How many years of training do your teachers have?
What are some ways you can supplement teacher knowledge?
Do schools or networks of teachers encourage career-long learning and professional development?

Below there are some resources related to Finnish education. Are you familiar with them?
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Resources

Finnish education in a nutshell
This brochure gives an overview of Finnish education. One of the basic principles of Finnish education is that all people must have equal access to high-quality education and training. 

  • Finnish education in a nutshell
  • Teacher education in Finland
  • Finland’s high level of education and competence is based on high-quality teacher education. The teaching profession is regulated, and the qualifications required from teachers are defined in legislation.
  • Teacher education in Finland
  • Primary and lower secondary education in Finland
  • School education begins in the year a child turns 7 and lasts 9 years. Before that, all 6-year olds have one-year of pre-primary education. Pupils usually go to the school nearest to home. Schools and teachers have a lot of autonomy in deciding how to organise schooling in practice.
  • Primary and lower secondary education in Finland
  • The Finnish Framework for Digital Competence
  • The national framework for digital competence supports the local implementation of the guidelines of the National Core Curriculum for Early Childhood Education and Care 2022, the National Core Curriculum for Pre-primary Education 2016, and the National Core Curriculum for Basic Education 2014.
  • The Finnish Framework for Digital Competence
  • The Library of Open Educational Resources
  • In the Library of Open Educational Resources, you can search for and share open educational resources (OER) from all levels of education. The service and its OERs are available for use by teachers, learners of all ages and everyone interested in learning. 
  • Finna
  •  LUMA Centre Finland
  • A collaborative science education ecosystem that has been promoting science and technology competencies for teachers and learners since 2013.
  • Luma Centre Finland
  • “Scientific knowledge changes the world. Recommendations for science education” (In Finnish)
  •  This is a document published in 2021 by The Committee for Public Information (TJNK) , an expert body attached to the Ministry of Education and Culture.