A Multi-pronged Approach to Promote Pedagogical Innovation and Distance Learning in Higher Education

A Multi-pronged Approach to Promote Pedagogical Innovation and Distance Learning in Higher Education Célio Gonçalo Marques1(B),AnaNata 1, Luís Miguel Ferreira1,2 , and Ana Marta Rodrigues1 1LIED – Laboratory of Pedagogical Innovation and Distance Learning, Polytechnic University of Tomar, Estrada da Serra, Quinta Do Contador , 2300 Tomar, Portugal {celiomarques,anata,ana.rodrigues}@ipt.pt 2Escuela Politécnica Superior, Universidad de Sevilla, C/ Virgen de África, 7, 41011 Sevilla, Spain [email protected] Abstract. In an ever-changing society, it is of utmost importance that education offers methods and tools that foster a more dynamic and participatory teaching and learning experience, tailored to the needs of today’s students. Consequently, the pursuit and implementation of active learning and distance learning approaches have become imperative in higher education. This study presents effective practices devised at a Higher Education Institution in Portugal, aimed at promoting pedagogical innovation among faculty members and enhancing distance learning. The work highlights various activities that support digital empowerment, as well as strategic research and development initiatives, which can serve as valuable guidelines for other higher education institutions. Furthermore, drawing upon three years of collected data, the impact of these activities on the faculty, the institution, and the community was evaluated. Overall, the results demonstrate that the multi-pronged approach has had a positive influence on teaching practices and has positively affected the organizational dynamics. It underscores the critical nature of continuous investment in specialized training and research and development endeavours. Keywords: Higher Education ·Distance Education ·Pedagogical Innovation · Learning 1 Introduction When examining pedagogical innovation, particularly in higher education, it is crucial to acknowledge the profound impact of the SARS-COV-2 coronavirus pandemic. In effect, in March 2020, the world experienced an unparalleled transformation as widespread lockdowns were implemented, necessitating an abrupt transition to distance learning. However, it is worth mentioning that significant changes have already taken place in the higher education system in Europe and consequently in Portugal, which were not solely prompted by the unexpected shift caused by the coronavirus pandemic. These changes were primarily driven by national and international policies and reforms. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2025 J. V. Carvalho et al. (Eds.): ICITED 2024, LNNS 858, pp. 334–343, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-74751-9_31 A Multi-pronged Approach to Promote Pedagogical Innovation and Distance Learning 335 While it is not possible to provide an exhaustive list of all these changes, two crucial transitional phases in the evolution of higher education in Portugal are worth highlighting: the post-25th April 1974 era and the post-Bologna era of 1996. The first phase, mostly at the national level, emerged because of the political regime change brought about by the so-called “Carnation Revolution”, which ended a 40-year dictatorship in Portugal and paved the way for the democratization of education at all levels. The second significant transformation in the Portuguese (and European) educational landscape came with the 1996 Bologna Declaration, which instigated substantial changes in the organization of Higher Education Institutions throughout Europe. The objective was to establish a strategic vision that would facilitate the development of a European Higher Education Area characterized by quality and competitiveness. In the post-Bologna education system, the role of the teacher shifted towards that of a tutor, and the learning process became student-centered. This represented a rupture from the traditional teaching model, with the teacher-tutor guiding, mentoring, and encouraging students to actively participate in the construction of their knowledge [8]. As a result, sociocultural theory, and the constructivist view of learning [17] have gained popularity in explaining learning, research, and development, particularly, in Higher Education Institutions. Therefore, to meet the need for investing in innovation, in new teaching and learning methodologies, as well as in greater involvement in development projects, in 2019, it was established the Laboratory of Pedagogical Innovation and Distance Education (LIED.IPT) at the Polytechnic Institute of Tomar (IPT). This study aims to assess the diverse activities of LIED.IPT, which not only promote pedagogical innovation, but also foster empowerment and digital transformation in higher education. The research methodology employed in this study includes document analysis generated from the analysis of documents relevant to this study, and quantitative methods that consists in collecting, analyzing, and interpreting numerical data collected through online surveys applied after key moments. This work comprises the following four subsequent sections. Section 2provides a brief contextualization of distance education, with a particular focus on analyzing the key aspects that characterize it in the national and European context. Section 3presents the strategic axes and objectives of the LIED.IPT. Following that, Sect. 4presents the multi-pronged approach, and provides examples of the activities developed in LIED.IPT. Finally, in Sect. 5, the concluding remarks are presented, evaluating its impact within the organization and the surrounding community. 2 Distance Education: The Portuguese and European Union Context Distance education emerged in the 19th century and has evolved through several historical stages, which range from correspondence education to the use of radio and TV, teleconferencing, computers, and multimedia in the 20th century, until to the latest development in online learning, including Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) and virtual classrooms, providing real-time interaction between instructors and students. In the 21st century,distancelearninghasbeenfurther transformedbyadvancedtechnologiessuch as mobile learning, virtual reality, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence. Nowadays, 336 C. G. Marques et al. distance learning is a dynamic and integral part of the educational landscape, offering flexible and inclusive educational solutions with the aim of providing high quality education for all, ensuring the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 4. Regarding Portugal, the development of distance learning can be traced back to 1927 when discussions began regarding the advantages and disadvantages of incorporating technology in education, specifically through educational cinema. After a period of deliberation, the Ministry of Public Instruction created a Commission in 1932 with the purpose of proposing, creating, and distributing educational cinema content. Later, in 1963, six years after the first regular official broadcast of Portuguese television, the Centre for Audiovisual Pedagogy Studies was created. Its main objective was to analyse the utilization of audiovisual media as tools to support the educational process. In 1965, the “Instituto de Meios Audiovisuais de Ensino (IMAVE)” was created by the National Ministry of Education. IMAVE assumed responsibility for producing, distributing, and managing educational content. This period also marked the introduction of teaching via television, commonly known as “Telescola”, in Portugal. Following Portugal’s integration into the European Union in 1986, distance learning gradually expanded its presence in the education system. Initially, it was associated with specialized vocational training during that time [4]. However, the social, technical, and technological advances experienced by society in recent decades have played a significantroleinthesearchofalternativeformsofeducation,includingtheincorporation and development of distance learning at various educational levels. Since 2014, distance learning in Portugal has been a regulated educational and training offering, particularly for the second and third cycles of basic education and higher education. The DirectorateGeneral for Education recognizes it as a high-quality alternative for students who are unable to attend face-to-face classes. In 2019, the legal framework for distance higher education was established with the approval of Decree-Law no. 133/2019. Moreover, since 2019, due to the need imposed by the SARS-COV-2 coronavirus pandemic, there has been a significant acceleration in the adoption of distance learning in Portugal and worldwide. This acceleration has led to a heightened awareness and acceptance of the advantages of this method. Distance learning is now seen as an alternative and complementary approach to traditional teaching, which predominantly favours face-to-faceinstruction.Therefore,itiscrucial tohaveanorganizationalstructureinEducational Institutions that organized, developed, and delivered training and professional development courses, disseminated, and shared experiences and provided continuous support to its teaching staff. It was for this purpose that LIED.IPT was created. 3 A Laboratory for Pedagogical Innovation and Distance Learning The laboratory for pedagogical innovation and distance learning was established with a clear mission to promote, stimulate, and diversify teaching and learning in both face-toface and distance education settings, utilizing pedagogical innovation and information and communication technologies. The activities were organized into four strategic axes, as shown in Fig. 1. A Multi-pronged Approach to Promote Pedagogical Innovation and Distance Learning 337 Fig. 1. Strategic axes proposed by LIED.IPT. These axes and their main objectives are as follows: 1. Distance Learning: Develop and value distance learning methodologies and practices (e-learning and b-learning). Explore innovative approaches to engage learners in remote environments by leveraging technology and pedagogical strategies to create meaningful and interactive learning experiences, such as Online Learning Pills (OLPs) and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). Actively contribute to the production and dissemination of content for distance learning initiatives. 2. Pedagogical Innovation: Promote pedagogical innovation within the educational community. Encourage the adoption of new teaching methods through workshops and training programs and provide resources to support teaching staff in implementing innovative approaches in their classrooms. Promote the creation of collaborative spaces and activities that encourage interaction, knowledge sharing, and peer-to-peer learning among students and teachers. 3. Services and Consultancy: Offer services and consultancy to support educational institutions and professionals. This includes expert advice on instructional design, technology integration, curriculum development, and educational program evaluation. Collaborations with partners and external organizations to share knowledge and provide tailored solutions for specific needs. 4. Research and Cooperation: Engagement in research activities to explore emerging trends and best practices in pedagogy, technology, and distance learning. Active collaboration with other higher education institutions, both nationally and internationally, promoting partnerships and sharing of knowledge to advance the area of education. Promote a culture of research and academic investigation, through collaborative projects and partnerships. Seek opportunities to innovate and experiment with novel teaching and learning approaches, aiming to improve educational practices and outcomes. Disseminate findings through events and, scientific and technical, publications. By actively pursuing these objectives, LIED.IPT contributes to fostering a culture of collaboration, research, and continuous improvement in the educational community. 338 C. G. Marques et al. 4 The Multi-pronged Approach In this section, a comprehensive overview of the multi-pronged approach strategy that wasimplementedfrom2019to2023byLIED.IPTisprovided.Toassesstheeffectiveness and impact of this strategy, data was gathered through document analysis and surveys, ensuring an evidence-based evaluation. The multi-pronged approach strategy included various initiatives and activities for each strategic axis with the aim of promoting pedagogical innovation and enhancing distance learning within the institution. The most relevant activities are detailed depicted in Fig. 2. Webinars Cloud based educational tools Massive Open Online Courses Specialized courses in Pedagogical Innovation Technical and Scientific events National and International Projects Fig. 2. The most relevant activities in the multi-pronged approach. 4.1 Webinars During the last four years, LIED.IPT held an ongoing series of webinars on a range of relevant topics, including good practices in distance assessment, assessment with Moodle® and Microsoft® Teams, creation of questionnaires with Microsoft® Forms, creation of tests with Exam.net®, screencast creation, online assessment experiences, creating and publishing videos on YouTube, plagiarism detection with Urkund®, OpenShot® software, among others. These webinars became crucial in ensuring mandatory social distancing measures during the Covid-19 pandemic, but not only because leveraging the technological capabilities of webinars facilitates real-time communication and improves interactivity in the distance learning environment, aligning with research that highlights the benefits of webinars in supporting learning [20]. The impact of these webinars was evident not only through the number of participants, but also through the exceptionally positive feedback from participants who assigned an average score of 4.68 out of 5 for the criteria “meeting expectations” and “relevanceand updatingofthe topicspresented”.Furthermore, morethan70% ofrespondents expressed the highest level of agreement (strongly agree) for criteria such as “interesting”, “useful in a professional context” and “very good” regarding the webinar A Multi-pronged Approach to Promote Pedagogical Innovation and Distance Learning 339 content. Most participants expressed interest in participating in future webinars, highlighting the importance of such initiatives in promoting pedagogical innovation and improving teaching practices. 4.2 Cloud Based Educational Tools The use of cloud-based educational tools has the potential to improve knowledge management [1]. Therefore, it is important to provide ongoing support and training in digital skills for distance education. To facilitate this, a dedicated YouTube channel (https:// www.youtube.com/channel/UC3CRxFO-TpV05C70wQ98ugA) was created to serve as a resource for educators seeking guidance on utilizing various tools in their online teaching practices. Moreover, the tutorials and materials produced were made available in the institutional Microsoft SharePoint®, as an internal resource for the academic community. Following the same knowledge management logic, the Laboratory website also has been constantly updated, to keep the resources produced always accessible, in a logic of repository that can allow effective access to many web pages or updated web resources [6,18]. 4.3 Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) In last years, MOOCs have gained widespread acceptance in universities across the world, and institutions have emerged to provide the necessary infrastructure for such courses [2]. These courses dramatically changed the teaching and learning experience, and Higher Education Institutions must adapt to this new educational reality. Therefore, in 2021, LIED.IPT created the first two IPT MOOCs: “Sustainable Tourism” and “Introduction to Programming”. These courses were produced in partnership with the NAU Platform, which functions as a technical infrastructure for publishing and monitoring courses, developed and managed by the FCCN Unit of the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) [12]. The MOOC on “Sustainable Tourism” focused on sustainability concepts, the importance of sustainable tourism, material and immaterial heritage, innovation, and tourism trends. Throughout the course, 71 thousand activities were completed, and 456 certificates were issued through the NAU platform. A satisfaction survey was carried out, with 290 participants providing feedback. Participants rated the course on a scale of 0 to 10 regarding on how likely they were to recommend it. The most frequent answer was 10 (extremely likely), accounting for approximately 42% of responses. In total, close to 78% of respondents demonstrated high potential for disseminating the course. The “Introduction to Programming” MOOC had a total of 2761 registrations, of which 2562 were active users. The NAU platform recorded more than 63000 activities, and 238 completion certificates were issued. This represents a completion rate of 8.62%, with an average grade of 76.54%. At the end of the course, a survey was carried out that generated 155 responses. Participants were asked to rate the course’s recommendation levelonascaleof0to10,where0indicated“notatalllikely”and10indicated“extremely likely.“ Among the responses, 68 participants rated it as a level 10, 29 respondents assigned a level 9, and 26 respondents gave it a level 8 rating. 340 C. G. Marques et al. Looking to the future, LIED.IPT plans to launch more MOOCs that will build upon the previous successes and contribute to the continued educational efforts in distance education. 4.4 Specialized Courses in Pedagogical Innovation Digital skills have become increasingly crucial nowadays, emphasizing the need to incorporate them into the education and training programs for future workers [7]. For this purpose, from 2021 to 2023, the Laboratory organized four editions of a “Pedagogical Innovation” course, specifically designed for teachers. The course aimed to achieve several objectives: apply active and agile learning methodologies, facilitating knowledge dissemination and dynamic student monitoring; explore new teaching modalities that complement face-to-face activities, ensuring effectiveness and efficiency in the learning process; introduction of educational technology concepts; and provide participants with communication and content creation tools, along with the ability to develop learning and assessment activities [11]. According to the satisfaction survey, in the first edition, 90% of the attending teachers expressed their satisfaction, with most choosing options ranging from “satisfied” to “loved it.” Additionally, 88.88% of the respondents rated the likelihood of recommending the course as the highest rating, level 10 on a scale from 0 to 10. The second edition of the course achieved similar levels of satisfaction, with 70% of participants indicating that they were “extremely satisfied” and 100% giving the course a level 10 rating regarding recommendation. The rest of the course editions achieved, on average, an excellent level of satisfaction (5) on a scale of 0 to 5. Participants gave positive feedback, highlighting aspects such as the comprehensive view of available possibilities, practical experience with various tools, and a flexible methodology that accommodated trainees of different backgrounds of experience. Another example of specialized courses that were developed by LIED.IPT is the project “Training of Teachers and Other Education and Training Agents - Copromoted projects”, with the goal to empower and train teachers from higher education and professional education groups with design-thinking tools. From 2021 to 2023, five editions of the training were carried out, benefiting more than 50 teachers in the region. In a survey carried out among teachers who participated in the training, 73% reported that the methodology taught was useful and innovative. Regarding the level of agreement/disagreement about the training process and its potential added value, the average responses ranged between 5 and 6 on a Likert scale from 1 to 7, indicating “good relevance” and “high relevance,” respectively. 4.5 Technical and Scientific Events The scientific field is constantly expanding, and discoveries are increasingly made through collaborative teamwork. This is why it is essential to participate and promote scientific events in which professionals and researchers collaborate, share ideas, disseminate results, and generate ideas [3]. Therefore, since its existence, the Laboratory has actively participated in numerous technical and scientific events. We refer to some of the most relevant. For example, the involvement included being part of the Organizing Committee for the national event el@IES - Meeting of Higher Education eLearning A Multi-pronged Approach to Promote Pedagogical Innovation and Distance Learning 341 Institutions and Units in 2019 and 2021, as well as the international Fuse It Multiplier event [13,14]. The laboratory also presented several scientific communications, which we mentioned for example at the SIIE - International Symposium of Educational Informatics in 2019 and 2021 and participated in the Digital Transformation and Information Technologies in Pandemic Times event [9,10,15]. Additionally, it provided technical and technological support, coordinating the streaming assistance for the 8th edition of the WSSC event hosted by the Behavioural Security journal. 4.6 National and International Projects Scientific activities, including those carried out in higher education institutes, have diverse external knowledge needs [16], funding requirements [19], and the need to establish interdependent relationships [5]. In pursuit of these objectives, it is important to formpartnerships and collaborations with other institutions and organizations.Hence the LIED.IPT made, for example, agreements with Metared, the Distance Learning Section of the Portuguese Society of Educational Sciences, and Voluntarios4learning. Additionally, the IPT Image Academy (Microsoft®) was created, aiming to provide certifications in the form of micro-credentials. These certifications not only offer a distinct training opportunity but also integrate perfectly into existing educational paths for students, teachers, and non-teaching staff. Within the scope of European projects, the Laboratory activelyparticipatedinseveral international projects, such as “FuseIT - Future competencies Paths for marketing and ICTEducation”. This project focusedonaddressingeducational and labourmarketneeds in terms of professional skills and knowledge in the fields of marketing and ICT. It was co-financed by the Erasmus+ program under the KA2 action and the European agency ERASMUS+ evaluated the results of the project and awarded it 79 points out of 100, recognizing the added value it brings to the EU. Another two examples are “SparkDigiGirls – Empower Girls Creativity Through the Use of Digital Technologies” [15] and “On-Line Teaching 2.0 (Home 2.0)”, both KA2 Erasmus projects. 5 Conclusions This paper shows that regarding pedagogical innovation in higher education, a multipronged approach acting in four strategic axes proved to have a positive impact on the educational practices in the academic community. In fact, this embracing approach not only improves the quality of education, but also increases accessibility, equity, and inclusion in an increasingly interconnected and rapidly evolving global society. Based on the global analysis of the results obtained, this study highlights the positive impact of having a laboratory dedicated to Pedagogical Innovation in a Higher Education Institution and emphasizes how this can positively impact teaching practices and organizational dynamics. 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