i-Learn introduces personalised digital learning with assessmentQ
In September 2019, the Flemish government launched i-Learn: a pathway for introducing personalised digital learning into Flemish primary and secondary schools. i-Learn has brought together a wide range of digital educational tools, with assessmentQ specifically chosen to meet its ‘online assessment’ needs.
Personalised digital education: welcome to the future
Our classrooms are becoming increasingly diverse. While a one-size-fits-all approach to education used to be the norm, today there is an ever increasing focus on pupils’ individual strengths and weaknesses.
‘Personalised learning makes education more inclusive, providing pupils with ever more opportunities’, explains Inke De Leeuw, i-Learn Stakeholder Manager, KU Leuven Kulak Kortrijk Campus.
But how do you approach personalised learning? In traditional, paper-based learning, it is not always easy to differentiate. Digital education, however, gives teachers considerably more opportunities to adapt their teaching material to each pupil. This is where i-Learn comes in.
‘One-size-fits-all education is a thing of the past. Tailored digital learning is the future.’
Inke De Leeuw, Stakeholder Manager i-Learn, KU Leuven Kulak Kortrijk Campus
i-Learn Flanders
i-Learn is the outcome of a research project into personalised digital learning in Flemish primary and secondary education. The research was initiated by the Department of the Economy, Science and Innovation, and received immediate support from the Department of Education and Training.
Three partners – all linked to KU Leuven – are the driving force behind i-Learn:
- imec, the research centre for nano- and digital technology,
- itec, who research smart technology in healthcare and education,
- and a team of teaching experts from the Education Policy Unit (DOWB)
For pupils and teachers
‘i-Learn helps us offer teachers two forms of support’, explains Sarah Doumen, i-Learn Communication Manager. ‘First, we have i-Learn My Way, a learning platform through which we provide around 50 educational tools. Teachers can use this platform to develop learning pathways from scratch. These are customised learning pathways that guide pupils towards the same learning goal by means of key moments. Pupils can navigate the material provided themselves and become acquainted with the different tools.’
‘Customised learning pathways enable pupils to work towards the same learning goal at their own pace.’
Sarah Doumen, i-Learn Communication Manager
‘To support teachers in the transition towards digital learning, we have the i-Learn Academy’, Sarah continues. ‘Schools can choose to get to grips with i-Learn independently. However, if that doesn’t work for them, they can consult the many videos, e-learning modules and tool guides available via the platform. They can then take things a step further and attend digital courses and training sessions. Alternatively, they can invite a coach to their school. We hope that this will make i-Learn more accessible for schools.’
‘The i-Learn Academy is there to give teachers a boost, making it easier for them to make the digital switch.’
Sarah Doumen, i-Learn Communication Manager
assessmentQ as an online training and assessment tool
The tools on offer with i-Learn were not selected at random. ‘Our range reflects the current need of the educational landscape’, Inke explains. ‘After studying these needs, a team of teaching experts selected the appropriate tools based on a wide range of criteria.’
‘Most of the tools offer existing content. We know from experience, however, that teachers like to add to their lessons themselves. That is why we went in search of an online training and assessment tool with broad assessment capabilities. assessmentQ immediately caught our eye, and we ended up choosing it for a whole variety of reasons.
‘Teachers can use assessmentQ to create highly flexible new lesson material, as well as reusing existing materials. The platform has a wide range of question types and offers the possibility to make sound recordings and add media files. We also liked the unique modules, including those that incorporate mathematical formulas and technical diagrams. Ultimately, the feed and monitoring modules, along with the additional security features, proved the deciding factor.’
‘assessmentQ allows teachers to create and assess new lesson material quickly and easily, with far-reaching possibilities.’
Inke De Leeuw, i-Learn Stakeholder Manager, KU Leuven Kulak Kortrijk Campus
What’s more, assessmentQ allows teachers to conduct tests and exams online – a significant benefit in support of distance learning. In future, the platform may also play an important role at points known as key moments in pupils’ learning pathways. By measuring learning gains, it becomes immediately clear whether pupils have genuinely understood the material they were supposed to absorb.
‘i-Learn is not just one in a long line of compulsory technical innovations: it’s a way of making education more creative and inclusive, thereby creating more opportunities.’
Sarah Doumen, i-Learn Communication Manager
500 schools
‘Close to 500 schools have already signed up for i-Learn’, Sarah concludes. ‘Over the coming year, we hope to continue enabling optimal use of everything our platform has to offer. In time, i-Learn may offer a solution for all Flemish schools. Not only that: it’s more than just a tool. We also offer teachers professional support with many aspects of their job, such as differentiation, feedback culture, etc. The tone has been set, and the potential is enormous.’
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Want to know more about i-Learn?
i-Learn offers teachers the digital tools and support to create simple, customised learning pathways for every pupil, entirely free of charge.
- Find out more at i-Learn
- Or explore the extensive, free support range (Dutch).
