Digital transformation of schools in Poland
Welcome to the Albus Project by Google!
The Albus project is an innovative initiative to demonstrate the value of digital transformation for schools in Poland. Organised by Google for Education and implemented by CCT Poland the Albus Project aims to provide students with a modern and engaging learning experience, while also equipping teachers with the necessary tools to facilitate this process.
“This project is called Project Albus and it’s a research-centred project to demonstrate the impact of using technology in teaching and learning.”
Wiliam Florance, Google
About the Project
The Albus Project is a comprehensive educational program that combines multiple aspects such as innovation, technology and education in order to develop an interactive, dynamic and open digital learning environment for all students in Poland. Regardless of students’ location, they can access high-quality education provided by teachers who also have access to a robust number of tools and programs specifically designed for education. Providing educators and students with modern tools gives opportunities for the creation of interactive and engaging learning, provides an opportunity for personalisation tailored for the different needs of students as well as gives flexibility in the learning environment.
Features and tools supporting real-time collaboration, easy and fast access to feedback, availability of all documents and resources in one place, inclusive classroom environment, personalised learning and many more are prerequisites for creating an environment for both students and teachers alike that fosters innovation, progress and student success. By embracing the implementation of technology into the classroom the Albus Project aims to revolutionise the way we teach and learn in the contemporary 21st century.
“The use of Google Workspace for Education tools will primarily improve didactic work. Thanks to these tools, students will not have to copy definitions and theorems from textbooks, they will have access to them online.”
Izabela Czaja, a teacher at the II Liceum Ogólnokształcące
im. Maria Konopnicka in Katowice
CHECK THE RESULTS
The project was organised by:
Technological Partners:
Educational Partner:
The research team
was represented by scientists from Jagiellonian University, Cracow University of Economics, and Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce:
Schools
Two schools were chosen to be part of the Albus project and be the main participants – Julian Tuwim Primary School No. 234 in Warsaw and Maria Konopnicka High School No. 2 in Katowice.
The project aims to inspire other schools in Poland to also transform digitally and we are here to help them professionally with the whole process of implementing the digital transformation in their schools. We believe that every student deserves access to a world-class education, regardless of their location or background. By following the steps of the Albus schools you can gain access to a powerful digital learning platform that has been designed to meet the needs of modern students and educators.
The Albus project was launched in May 2022. With the start of the whole project, procedures were launched to meet all the conditions and criteria required by Albus’ originators. The Google Workspace platform was implemented in schools.
In June, CCT Poland conducted the first training courses that introduced Google Workspace for Education for teachers, administrators and the management of both schools. During the whole program, teachers went through numerous trainings that helped them not only to understand and use the whole Google ecosystem and technologies in their everyday lives but also included different examples of usage of the technology in the classroom. During the program current and new IT administrators were trained in both schools which made the administration of Chromebooks and accounts much easier. Moreover, school principals also took part in the project, and thanks to that the whole school management system was improved and basic procedures were fully moved to the cloud. All the trainings were conducted with the usage of Lenovo Flex 5 Chromebooks.
The next very important aspect of the Albus project was the Level 1 and Level 2 Certified Google Educator workshops. These courses (which end with an exam) allowed teachers to correctly select Google Workspace for Education digital tools for a particular lesson topic. After familiarising themselves with Google’s educational philosophy, teachers learned about teaching methods that allow them to use the full potential of the digital classroom. To achieve this goal, CCT Poland has developed a special training block containing such didactic topics as content creation, project-based teaching and 1:1 teaching and learning.
In October 2022, there was a ceremony of handing laptops to students and the first workshop using the acquired equipment. From then on, all classroom activities began to be conducted in the 1:1 (digital classroom) model.
In April the research team from the three research institutions in Poland gathered together to analyse all the information gathered throughout the 6 months during which the Albus Project has been running in the two schools in Warsaw and Katowice. The researchers analysed the data collected in order to see what are the results of undergoing such a project aimed at implementing digital technology transformation in schools and what is the feedback from teachers, students and principals part of the project implementation.
What are the criteria for successful implementation?
✅ The educational institution is required to have an educational platform;
✅ Students and teachers should be provided with appropriate electronic equipment (1 laptop for each student and teacher);
✅ The management is required to undergo training – Cloud-based School Management;
✅ The educational institution must nominate several teachers for workshops related to the administration of the digital platform;
✅ Teachers should undergo training that will allow them to use digital tools in classroom practice.
The Results
A very important aspect of the Albus project is the scientific study that measurably analysed the impact of teaching and learning in a 1:1 model on broadly understood school education. The research was carried out by an independent research group consisting of scientists representing the best Polish universities (Jagiellonian University, Cracow University of Economics, and Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce).
The research results fully present the impact of digital transformation (school in the cloud, digital classroom, 1:1 model, project-based teaching, use of Chromebooks) on the quality of school education from the perspective of students, teachers and principals.
Here are some positive facts observed by the principal, teachers and students in the schools participating in the project:
» First of all, the role of the teacher in the digital classroom has changed dramatically. From a provider of dry facts and definitions, the teacher became a guide for his students in their process of analysing the information they learned, and consequently, based on these thoughts, a navigator in the process of creating new solutions.
» The change in the attitude of students consisted in their greater involvement in lesson tasks, but also in developing a large dose of independence in the learning process.
» Another positive feature that parents and teachers liked was the provision of a safe working environment for students. The Google Workspace platform and Chromebooks have special protections thanks to which the platform administrator can block suspicious and unwanted websites.
Report
Based on the above results and observations, we can say that we are on the right track to success. It is worth noting that similar studies have already been carried out with positive results in various educational institutions around the world.
Some of the key benefits of the Albus Project include:
- Improved student engagement and motivation
- Enhanced teacher-student collaboration
- Access to high-quality educational resources
- Flexibility and accessibility for all students, regardless of their location or background
We are sharing the results of the study below:
READ THE REPORT
If you also want to go through the process of digital transformation with your school – get in touch!