Modern Didactics Centre is non-profit, non-governmental organization for continuing adult education and in-service training. Modern Didactics Centre was established in 1999 as inter-university centre by an initiative of Vilnius Pedagogical University and the Open Society Fund-Lithuania.
Mission, aims and objectives
Our mission – to initiate and implement strategic educational development projects and programs that contribute to the improvement of quality in education, by continuously monitoring, researching, and analysing the overall situation in education, taking into account the needs and opportunities of Lithuanian educational institutions and adult learners.
Aims:
- To foster educators’ desire and ability to continuously improve their professional activities and actively participate in Lithuanian educational change.
- Contribute to the implementation of the provisions of the Lifelong Learning Memorandum by working with various adult groups.
- Contribute to the implementation of sustainable development goals by providing consulting and expert assistance to partner countries, educating and informing the public about development and sustainable development processes.
Objectives:
- To initiate and implement innovative educational projects.
- To provide professional development for teachers and other adult groups.
- To consult teachers, schools, municipalities, state, non-governmental, and business organizations on educational issues in Lithuania and other countries.
- To provide expert services by conducting research, preparing strategic educational documents and models, and participating in expert groups.
- To disseminate best practices by participating in and organizing national and international conferences, seminars, discussions, study visits, and by preparing and publishing methodological teaching materials.
IMPLEMENTED ACTIVITIES
PROJECTS
COMPASS – In support of students‘ competence assessment
No. 2023-1-LT01-KA220-SCH-000156521
Dutarion: 4 September 2023–3 November 2025
Co-funder: EU Erasmus+ program
Coordinator: Modern Didactics Centre (LT)
Partners: Centre for School Improvement (LT), The Romanian Reading and Writing for Critical Thinking Association (RO), INNOLINE Oy (FI)
The project aims to support teachers, school leaders and other pedagogical staff in development and assessment of students’ competences, for the progress and success of all and each single student, and promote an inclusive approach to education. This is to be achieved by developing and testing a universal competency assessment model at classroom/subject and all school levels.
- On October 5–6, 2023, the first partner meeting took place in Vilnius, during which the definition of the concept of competence was sought.
Visual Creativity and Design Thinking as tools for young learners in a virtual world
No. 2020-1-EE01-KA227-SCH-093376
Duration: 1 March 2021–28 February 2023
Co-funder: EU Erasmus+ program
Coordinator: Tallinn Art Gymnasium (EE)
Partners: Modern Didactics Centre (LT), Tartu Art School (EE), Educraftor Oy Ab (FI), Crossing Borders (DK)
The project aim to integrate arts and creativity to develop digital skills among target groups by the means of innovative practices in a digital era when distance learning becomes the “new normal” in education and youth work. It aim at enabling learning opportunities for students, pupils, youth, teachers about innovative digital tools making use of and boosting their creativity.
- In 2023, a project publication was prepared entitled “A guidebook for visual thinking techniques & design thinking strategies as tools for young learners in a virtual world“.
QUA.L.I.T.I. – Didactic QUALity Assessment for Innovation of Teaching and Learning Improvement
No. 2019-1-IT02-KA203-063157
Duration: 28 September 2019 – 27 January 2023
Co-funder: EU Erasmus+ program
Coordinator: L’Aquila university (IT)
Partners: Modern Didactics Centre (LT), Ilmiolavoro SRL (IT), Barcelona University (SP), Vilnius University (LT), Valahia Targoviste Iuniversity (RO), Szczecin University of Collegium Balticum (PL)
The project aim at improving the quality of university teaching through a systemic action in the logic of integration between the evaluation of teaching (institutional level), the construction of benchmarks of the quality of teacher performance focused on teaching-learning processes (programme level) and the training (pedagogical-didactic) of the teacher (individual level).
- In 2023 there were developed intellectual outputs: “Teaching quality indicators framework”, “University teacher profile learning/teaching focused (and centered on student characteristics”, “Methodological-didactics guidelines for the learning/ teaching focused teacher”; and a set of articles „The quality of teaching-learning processes in University contexts“.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Since 2008, the Modern Didactics Centre has been an accredited adult education centre. Accreditation certificate No. IVP-12 (Order No. V-1686 of the Minister of Education and Science of the Republic of Lithuania, November 4, 2020).
In 2023, 8 different professional development programs were implemented. A total of 9 professional development events were held, attended by 582 participants.
In implementing professional development, the Modern Didactics Centre focused on the needs of its clients and the national priority areas for professional development in 2023–2025:
- Strengthening digital competencies.
- Improving the competencies needed to implement the principle of inclusion.
- Improving educational practice and didactic competencies.
A 180-hour pedagogical-psychological knowledge course was implemented for individuals preparing to work and working as vocational teachers, non-formal children’s education teachers, career counselors, and those without pedagogical qualifications.
EXPERTISE, RESEARCH ACTIVITIES
Participation in an expert working group
In 2023, Dr. Daiva Penkauskienė, Director of the Modern Didactics Centre, participated in a working group convened by the Ministry of Education, Science, and Sport of the Republic of Lithuania to prepare a draft description of the procedure for assessing the achievements of students participating in general education programs and for using the assessment results.
Prototypes for distance, blended, and hybrid learning
Under an agreement with the National Education Agency, as part of the implementation of the Digital Education Transformation (EdTech) project, a group of experts brought together by the Modern Didactics Centre and the Centre for School Improvement began developing prototypes for distance, blended, and hybrid education in 2023. This is a collection of methodological materials consisting of the didactic basis of the prototypes, recommendations and methodological materials for teachers, teaching materials for students, and examples of educational activities for distance, blended, and hybrid learning.
The aim of prototyping is to provide theoretical and practical evidence of how distance, blended, and hybrid teaching and learning can be efficiently organized in everyday teaching activities, flexibly combine various teaching (and learning) methods, using educational innovations and digital technologies based on scientific research and advanced educational practices. The initial prototypes was tested in October–November 2023 by 90 teachers and 1,562 students from 60 schools.
EURYDICE international education information network
Under a contract with the National Education Agency, experts from the Modern Didactics Centre updated the information about the Lithuanian education system published on the website of the European Commission’s Erasmus+ education information network EURYDICE.
Surveys
- While developing prototypes for distance, blended, and hybrid education, a systematic analysis of scientific literature and research in Lithuania and other countries was conducted on the topics of theoretical approaches and methodologies for prototypes, and scientific insights were prepared to help conceptualize the creation of prototypes.
- A study on the effectiveness of adult mentoring in Vilnius was conducted. The aim of the study was to determine the compliance of the content and organization of the mentoring program with the needs and expectations of the participants and to provide recommendations for updating the program in order to improve its effectiveness.
Consultations
- Consultations provided on new educational initiatives, project and program development, cooperation between the education and private sectors, and other issues.
- Consulted teachers from 60 Lithuanian schools participating in the testing of remote, blended, and hybrid education prototypes.
- Provided proposals and consultations (areas: all-day school modelling, inclusive education, cultural education, STREAM, critical thinking, reading promotion strategies, subject literacy and social-emotional competence education, individual progress assessment and monitoring system) to municipalities preparing progress plans for the ESF program “Millennium Schools.”
Surveys
- Rengiant nuotolinio, mišriojo ir hibridinio ugdymo Prototipus, atlikta sisteminė Lietuvos ir užsienio šalių mokslinės literatūros bei tyrimų analizė Prototipų teorinių prieigų ir metodikos temomis, parengtos mokslinės įžvalgos, padedančios konceptualizuoti Prototipų kūrimą.
- Suaugusiųjų Mentorystės efektyvumo Vilniaus mieste tyrimas. Tyrimo tikslas – nustatyti mentorystės programos turinio ir organizavimo atitiktį dalyvių poreikiams ir lūkesčiams, pateikti rekomendacijas programos atnaujinimui, siekiant jos efektyvumo.
Consultations
- Consultations provided on new educational initiatives, project and program development, cooperation between the education and private sector, and other issues.
- Konsultuoti mokytojai iš 60 Lietuvos mokyklų, dalyvaujantys nuotolinio, mišriojo ir hibridinio ugdymo Prototipų išbandyme.
- Teikti pasiūlymai ir konsultacijos (sritys: visos dienos mokyklos modeliavimas, įtraukusis ugdymas, kultūrinis ugdymas, STREAM, kritinio mąstymo, skaitymo skatinimo strategijos, dalykinio raštingumo ir socialinių-emocinių kompetencijų ugdymas, individualios pažangos vertinimo ir stebėsenos sistema) savivaldybėms, rengiančioms pažangos planus ESF programai „Tūkstantmečio mokyklos“.
DISSEMINATION OF GOOD PRACTICES
Good practice seminars
- On February 2, 2023, the Modern Didactics Centre, together with its partners, presented new professional development programs for Lithuanian teachers, educational support specialists, and career guidance specialists.
- On May 29, 2023, an event was organized in memory of the famous Lithuanian education expert Dr. Vaiva Vaicekauskienė in collaboration with the Centre for School Improvement.
- In September 2023, training sessions were held for two groups of teachers to test prototypes of distance, blended, and hybrid education.
- On December 21, 2023, Dr. Daiva Penkauskienė participated in the programme “I Choose to Teach” podcast #22 “Critical thinking, the path to learning success?”
Presentations at international conferences and national events
- 13 October 2023. Presentation by D. Penkauskienė “How much methodological diversity do we have and how much do we need in students’ final theses?” at the 7th Conference of the Lithuanian Educational Research Association “Education and Training: The Value of Diversity”, organized by the Lithuanian Educational Research Association and Kaunas University of Technology.
- 30 November 2023. Presentation by D. Penkauskienė “Critical thinking – a guide or a challenge?” at the conference for career specialists “#Direction Career: Skills that Open Doors to Success,” organized by the Lithuanian Non-Formal Education Agency and the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport of the Republic of Lithuania.
PUBLICATIONS
Modern Didactics Centre experts participated in the preparation, translation, and editing of the following publications:
- Vaurula, N. (Ed.). (2023). A guidebook for visual thinking techniques & design thinking strategies as tools for young learners in a virtual world. Project „Visual creativity and Design thinking as tools for young learners in a virtual world“.
- Nuzzaci, A. (Ed.). (2023). Teaching qality indicators framework. Pensa MultiMedia Editore s.r.l.
- Nuzzaci, A. (Ed.). (2023). University teacher profile learning/teaching focused. Pensa MultiMedia Editore s.r.l.
- Nuzzaci, A. (Ed.). (2023). Methodological-didatics guidelines for the “Learning/teaching focused teacher”. Pensa MultiMedia Editore s.r.l.
COOPERATION
In implementing joint activities in 2023, we cooperated with the „Diemedis“ school, Vilnius University, Mykolas Romeris University, Centre for School Improvement, company „Karjeros kelias”, company „Wedev.lt“, the Lithuanian Adult Education Association, the Lithuanian Scout Association, non-formal education institutions, general education schools, and institutions engaged in the improvement of teacher qualifications.
MEMBERSHIP
The Modern Didactics centre is a collective member of the following organizations:
- Lithuanian Adult Education Association
- Lithuanian Development Education and Awareness Raising Network (LITDEA)
- Lithuanian Association of Education Centers Employees
- Reading and Writing for Critical Thinking International Consortium (RWCT IC)
Daiva Penkauskienė, director of the Modern Didactics Centre, represents the Centre in the following organizations:
- Lithuanian Educational Research Association (LETA)
- Reading and Cultural Literacy Association
- International Literacy Association (ILA)
FINANCING
The Modern Didactics Centre is not funded by the state budget.
In 2023, 57% of its income came from training, consulting, and expert services, and 43% from EU support for project implementation.