Dialogue Clubs: Creating a Sustainable Dialogue with Teachers on Informatics Education

The DIGITAL FIRST project proposes a new approach to teaching computer science, in which the function of computer skills is in the foreground and serves as the ultimate goal of the educational process. For decades, foreign language instruction was heavily influenced by structuralism, a method focused on teaching grammar through the study of sentence forms and the mechanics of language. Students learned how to conjugate verbs and construct sentences but often found themselves unable to engage in meaningful conversations. By the 1980s, the limitations of this approach became evident, leading to a gradual shift toward functionalism—a teaching method that prioritizes the practical use of language and the meaning behind sentences. Research shows that this shift has resulted in students who are not only more proficient in foreign languages but also more engaged and satisfied with their language studies. This is where the DIGITAL FIRST project comes into play. Aiming to initiate a functionalist shift in informatics education at the primary and secondary levels, the project seeks to move away from the traditional focus on structures. Instead, it emphasizes the functional application of IT skills and knowledge, treating informatics as a horizontal competency essential for all aspects of modern life, from work to leisure. How functionalist shift can be made in teaching in primary and secondary schools is the question we are trying to answer in our Dialogue Clubs. Dialogue Clubs are platforms to co-create a sustainable dialogue about teaching, the teacher’s new role and competences, and how to support them in the process of integration effective pedagogical approaches in their everyday teaching. Topics of the first two dialogue clubs were Personal function and Informative function of digital technology. Join us at the webinar to find out what teachers from ten countries have to say to those questions and share with us your opinions. Speakers

• Lidija Kralj, education analyst and advisor, Suradnici u učenju
• Arjana Blažić, teacher trainer, education technology consultant and course designer, Suradnici u učenju
• Helena Valečić, teacher trainer and advisor, Suradnici u učenju

More information available here.