Conclusion

Abstract

This final chapter summarises the lessons learnt from the OECD expert meeting held in Florianopolis (Brazil) in November 2009 as well as the policy implications. On the whole, it addresses the issue of how a systemic approach can improve our understanding of how technology-based school innovations work and how local innovations can be scaled up successfully. In times of economic crisis, a systemic approach to technology-based innovation in education is even more urgently needed. Most countries are now facing difficult times, and OECD member states are no exception to this. The immediate programmes that many governments have launched – sometimes in a co-ordinated way, with the aim of facing the financial crisis – have also been coupled in many cases with in-depth reflection about the way in which our economies work and with strategies to promote longer-term development and vision. In the context of this reflection, it becomes apparent that in the medium and long-term, innovation will increasingly be a key factor not only to economic growth but also to social welfare. The efforts to sustain technology-based innovations in education should be no exception to this. In the light of the financial crisis, each educational system should improve its ability to scale up technologybased innovation for improved learning outcome and learning strategies.