What Is iTEC?
European Schoolnet led iTEC — Innovative Technologies for Engaging Classrooms — as the largest European initiative ever undertaken on future classroom design. Backed by 26 partners, 14 education ministries, and €9.45 million from the European Commission, the project ran from 2010 to 2014 with a clear conviction: lasting change comes from progressive adoption of innovative learning activities, not from radical technology overhauls.
The results were striking. A clear majority of students reported gains in problem-solving, critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration. Students took on new roles — peer tutors, co-designers, even teacher trainers. More than 80% of teachers surveyed reported enhanced creativity and new approaches to assessment; over 90% said they still used the iTEC approach and recommended it to colleagues.
The Future Classroom Toolkit
The Future Classroom Toolkit packages the iTEC methodology as an open resource for anyone involved in educational planning — from classroom teachers to national ministries. It comprises five toolsets that walk users through a complete design cycle:
- Toolset 1 — Stakeholders & Trends: Assemble the right people and map the technology, social, and policy trends shaping learning.
- Toolset 2 — Maturity Modelling: Gauge how innovative a school currently is and set a realistic target for change.
- Toolset 3 — Scenario Building: Run a workshop to turn trends and maturity data into a concrete future classroom scenario.
- Toolset 4 — Learning Activities: Design engaging, technology-supported activities ready for lesson planning.
- Toolset 5 — Pilot & Evaluate: Test activities in the classroom and measure their impact on learning outcomes.
Six Zones of the Future Classroom
The iTEC Future Classroom Lab organises learning around six distinct zones, each supporting a different mode of work:
- Investigation — research using text, data, experiments, surveys, or media
- Creation — producing a shareable output from that research
- Exchange — peer collaboration and knowledge-sharing
- Interaction — teacher-led instruction where appropriate
- Development — personal reflection and informal learning
- Presentation — sharing work with an interactive audience beyond the teacher