SNSF funding : PH Zurich research project funded for the first time as part of the international Weave programme
Digital learning technologies, known as edtech, are increasingly being trialled directly in schools around the world. These trial environments are known as edtech testbeds. Companies use them to test their digital products under real school conditions – often in collaboration with teachers, students, researchers and educational authorities.
The research project “Co-creating Meaningful Edtech: An Investigation of Edtech Testbeds” is systematically examining for the first time how these edtech testbeds are created and function at national, European and global level. The three-year project is being funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) with CHF 609’000 for PH Zurich and by the German Research Foundation (DFG) with EUR 526’000 for Helmut Schmidt University in Hamburg. It is the first time that a PH Zurich research project has been included in the Weave programme.
New research field
Under the direction of Mathias Decuypere (PH Zurich) and in collaboration with Sigrid Hartong (Helmut Schmidt University in Hamburg), the project is investigating testbeds in different countries. The focus is on the question of who designs testbeds, which effects of edtech are addressed in the process and how knowledge is generated through the collaboration of all participants.
The aim of the project is to bring transparency to this new field of research, to highlight opportunities and challenges, and to gain insights that support education policy, schools and future participatory innovation projects – far beyond individual testbeds.
