The eTwinning Monitoring Report 2019 shows teachers’ high satisfaction with the online community. Switzerland is left out of the Erasmus+ funded platform.
The European Schoolnet published a full and short version of the eTwinning Monitoring Report 2019, which provides insights into the online platform’s impact on teachers’ practice, skills, and professional development opportunities, as reported by eTwinners. The report shows e.g. that teachers perceive a significant impact from their involvement in eTwinning on the development of their pedagogical skills, technology and assessment skills. Teachers also report a significant impact on students’ ability and motivation to learn, above all when it comes to competences such as collaborative decision making and team work.
Launched in 2005, eTwinning is a digital platform and online community for school staff (teachers, head teachers, librarians, etc.), including for Vocational Education and Training (VET) schools, in Europe and beyond. It is available in 31 languages and offers a space to communicate, collaborate, and develop projects. For this purpose, it offers a public area and private areas. It is an action for schools co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme. Currently, eTwinning involves teachers from 36 European countries and neighbouring countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Jordan, Lebanon, Moldova, Tunisia, and Ukraine). Switzerland is not associated to Erasmus+ and does not have access to the platform.
While in 2005, the focus of eTwinning was on school partnerships, fostering teachers’ professional development has gained more importance over the past years. Via the platform, teachers can access online professional development opportunities at European level. In eTwinning groups, teachers can meet and discuss specific subjects, topics or other areas of interest (e.g. game-based classroom or sustainable school networks). During the Safer Internet Day, this year happening on 11 February 2020, eTwinning teachers are among the millions around the globe offering activities. Besides, eTwinning still supports virtual collaboration among schools, e.g. through a safe platform, where teachers can meet and collaborate with peers from their partner schools and even involve pupils.
With the new Erasmus+ programme putting even more focus on virtual and blended collaboration post-2020, eTwinning will remain an important platform and community at European level.