UNESCO recognises the mSchools programme as a world benchmark in mobile learning

• UNESCO presented a report today at MWC19 Barcelona to highlight the mSchools educational programme fostered by Mobile World Capital Barcelona as one of the most important inclusive mobile learning projects in the world
• The Changing Education Together seminar by mSchools held the seventh Mobile Learning Awards given to the most innovative projects by Catalan teachers and schools
• The Catalan Minister for Digital Policies, Jordi Puigneró, and the Catalan Minister for Education, Josep Bargalló, took part in the seminar attended by 500 professionals from the education sector
• The mSchools programme launched mSTEAM, its new teaching proposal, at YoMo 2019. The initiative promotes scientific learning in the classrooms via mobile technology

28 February, 2019

BBarcelona, 28 February 2019.- mSchools, the mEducation programme fostered by Mobile World Capital Barcelona (MWCapital) in collaboration with the Regional Government of Catalonia, Barcelona City Hall and GSMA, is one of the most noteworthy inclusion, mobile learning and digital transformation projects on the world education scene. UNESCO indicated as such when it selected mSchools from among over 150 projects from 41 countries to be included in its report on best practices in mobile learning. The document contains case studies to advise schools and governments on how to create inclusive and effective learning spaces in the digital era.

Under the title ‘Transforming the education landscape in Catalonia (Spain) through a systemic and inclusive mobile learning programme’, the report was presented by representatives of UNESCO at the mSchools Changing Education Together (CET) seminar held during MWC19 Barcelona.

According to UNESCO, mSchools shows how “a responsible use of mobile technologies in the classroom, combined with a series of activities and new forms of teaching, can increase the commitment of students and help develop 21^st century skills”. With this method, says the report, students become life-long apprentices, and the skills they acquire help them carve out a career in fields such as science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

The fifth edition of the CET seminar was attended by 500 professionals from the education sector, including head teachers, representatives from the education sector and education policymakers, who reflected on the role of digital transformation in education.

CET was hosted by John Hoffman, CEO of GSMA Ltd., Josep Bargalló, Minister for Education in the Regional Government of Catalonia, Jordi Puigneró, Catalan Minister for Digital Policies, and Carlos Grau, CEO of MWCapital. Also involved was Cristóbal Cobo, Director of the Ceibal Foundation Educational Centre and associate researcher at the Oxford Internet Institute, and Carlos Magro, Vice Chairman of the Asociación Educación Abierta (Open Education Association).

Learning awards to promote the good use of technology in the classroom

The seminar also hosted the seventh Mobile Learning Awards (MLA), which are given to the best projects created by teachers and schools from Catalonia in the area of the transformation of education through digital technologies.

In the category of best digital experiences in the classroom, first prize was given to the Rockalins, a project created by Lluís Burillo, Head of Music at Institut de La Roca del Vallès and Head Teacher at Escola Municipal de Música. This project, based on self-learning systems, enables pupils to learn how to play an instrument autonomously through technology. The ultimate goal of the project is to form a band with all the students. Second prize went to the Prats de la Carrera-Palafrugell school. Under the title ‘¡Ei! ¡Te cuelga un hilo! ¿Cómo nos vestiremos de aquí a 50 años?, students simulated future fashion, creating designs such as watches that control exposure to the sun, dresses made of orange peel and jackets with GPS systems for small children.

In the category of best digital transformation projects by a centre of education, first prize went to Escola Marià Fortuny in Reus. Núria Sabaté Vallverdú designed Digitrans, which includes the use of mobile devices, programming and robotics in everyday life at the school. Second prize was given to CFA Bon Pastor- Barcelona. Marta Catalán Gimeno is responsible for the project La competencia digital: el nuevo reto de la educación de adultos, which helps give students the necessary tools to understand the environment in which they live and perfect their digital skills, which are increasingly in demand in the professional world.

mSchools launches mSTEAM, its new educational proposal, at YOMO

YoMo, the technology festival for youngsters held from 26 February to 2 March in La Farga de l’Hospitalet, was used to present mSTEAM, the new educational proposal by mSchools created with the collaboration of research centres and science institutions from Catalonia (CRG, FNOB, CREAF, NanoEduca and Escuela del Agua).

This initiative, a set of free-access and free-of-charge teaching materials, promotes multi-disciplinary learning based on projects and challenges using the mobile phone as a pocket laboratory and bringing the most pioneering science to primary and secondary school classrooms.

Participants at YoMo were able to visit the mSTEAM workshops, where they were given an insight into the world of cells by observing and analysing the cells in their own bodies using their mobile phones as a microscope, among many other experiments.oMo han podido disfrutar de los talleres mSTEAM, donde han podido descubrir el mundo celular a través de la observación y el análisis de las células de su propio cuerpo utilizando el móvil como un microscopio, entre otros muchos experimentos.