Impact case study database

Beauchamp and Abbinett’s work fundamentally changed the pedagogical use of technology in language teaching in seven countries spanning Europe and Eurasia, reaching well over 9,300 educational practitioners and student teachers [E1]. Resources from the ITiLT project have been produced in six different languages, namely French, German, Dutch, Spanish, Turkish and English. The final Erasmus+ assessment report of ITiLT concluded that “There is substantial evidence of impact on participants and their organisations at local and wider levels” [E2]. ITiLT was independently evaluated at 88/100 and designated as a ‘Success Story’ by Erasmus+, a category reserved for projects that have distinguished themselves by their impact, contribution to policy-making, innovative results or creative approach, and that might be a source of inspiration to others [E3].

The final report for Phase 1 of the project concluded that “the whole team has reached over 9,300 people with their dissemination activities’ over seven countries” [E2]. The Phase 2 final report (2017) concluded that there had been an impact on “a minimum of nearly 1700 students in five countries to date” and “potential for over 500 more each successive year” [E4]. Multiplier events – during which educators trained other teachers in using the technology – increased the research’s reach: “In total, at least 1,327 attended all dissemination events by partners, and online hits were 36,013 for these events, in addition to 82,000 on Scoop.it.Footnote:

Scoop.it is a content engine that monitors global sources to find and curate relevant third-party content. ” [E4]. The Project lead of Phase 1 estimated that, based on an average class size of 25, over a period of 3 to 4 years, the learning of more than 50,000 students had been impacted [E5].

Evaluations of multiplier events completed by classroom teachers internationally showed a series of positive impacts:

• 95% agreed that ‘I found the event valuable to support my professional development’;

• 91% agreed that 'The event has given me ideas that I can use in my classroom’;

• 89% agreed that ‘The event has given me ideas that I can share with my colleagues’;

ITiLT mainly reached educators in higher education, in-service and pre-service classroom language teachers, and teacher educators who needed pedagogical support for the design and implementation of technology-enhanced language lessons. The active involvement of teachers, pupils and lecturers as real collaborators in planning, delivering and recording their lessons, has ensured that ITiLT resources definitively affected teachers’ thinking and pedagogical practice: “This hands-on and yet solid approach was and is still inspiring to me in my teaching practice.” [E6]. The ‘research-based pedagogy’ has proven especially valuable with education researchers who are training the next generation of educators. For example, a Durham University Professor reported: “I have been able to pass on these developments to over 600 initial teacher education students in my teaching at Durham. I have also been able to demonstrate and inform over 400 teachers in Norway through a collaboration with the Norwegian Business School (BI) in Oslo” and “[ITiLT has] altered the way that I have approached the use of IWBs in the classroom, and how I support future teachers in the use of IWBs in the classroom” [E7].

The project’s website [E8] has been made available beyond the end of the project. It has been used by teaching practitioners in Europe, North America, Australia and Turkey. The website hosts:

• 117 video examples of the use of interactive technologies in second-language teaching;

• a comprehensive professional development e-resource, including a series of mini-guides; and

• an extensive online library.

These resources continue to be widely used. A Université Côte d’Azur Professor has personally used it in the teaching of between 500 and 800 students: “[I have] used the website in pre- and in-service teacher education with undergraduate classes (25-80 students in third-year English from 2011 onwards) and masters’ classes for pre-service primary and secondary teachers (50-80 students per year since 2011). To my knowledge the ITILT project websites are used by colleagues at other French universities (Université Grenoble-Alpes) and I have also used them in workshops (Ireland2017, Norway 2018, French universities and school authorities from 2011) and webinars (Germany 2013, 2016, Canada 2014, Belgium 2017, UK 2018) attracting an average of around 50 participants.” [E9]

Web resources are also shared through professional bodies and networks such as European Schoolnet, a not-for-profit network of 34 European Ministries of Education which supports schools and teachers to bring innovation in teaching and learning with a particular focus on ICT and digitization [E5] and which features ITiLT prominently on its webpages [E10].

In summary, ITiLT has had a significant impact on language educators across Europe, transforming their teaching practice and promoting enhanced learning for tens of thousands of pupils and students.