Innovative education

Goal

To create conditions for quality science education and to stimulate pupils' interest in scientific research by developing and improving the network of modern science laboratories in the gymnasiums of Vilnius City Municipality.

Description

- helping gymnasiums to set up modern science laboratories and to equip them with modern learning tools;
- providing professional development opportunities for teachers in schools with science laboratories;
- enabling Vilnius science teachers to learn from each other by sharing experiences.

Achievements in 2024

Between 2023 and 2024, 3 long-term training programmes were implemented for teachers of biology, chemistry and physics. The sessions involved practical laboratory activities. 39 Biology, 41 Chemistry and 22 Physics teachers participated in the programmes. 

Partners: Gamtos mokslų ugdymo centras, Vilnius University's Faculty of Chemistry and Geosciences (Didaktikos centras), Vilnius University's Faculty of Physics

Contact

Project manager Rūta Mazgelytė
ruta@eduvilnius.lt

Goal

To promote innovative teaching methods, interdisciplinary integration and school cooperation by developing and improving the network of open technical FabLab workshops in Vilnius City schools.

Description

- providing professional development opportunities for teachers in the 36 schools that have set up FabLab workshops;
- making methodological materials available to teachers;
- enabling teachers to learn from each other by sharing their experience of working in FabLabs;
- providing support to FabLab schools on how to use the equipment.

Fabrication/Fabulous Laboratory workshop is a state-of-the-art platform for innovation and invention, designed to construct, model, design, manufacture and prototype a variety of products, as well as to encourage creativity, entrepreneurship and interest in technology and technology. Minimum recommended equipment for a FabLab workshop: 3D printer; CNC milling machine; Laser cutter; Plotter; Electronics/robotics components (with at least one soldering station and several electronics/robotics kits).

In the educational process, the FabLab workshop has the advantage of teaching in an authentic, immersive environment, where students follow a path of imagination, design, prototyping, reflection and collaboration to find creative solutions to challenges. Driven by their intellectual curiosity, pupils experiment, explore and invent, which helps them to see themselves as learners with good ideas that can be put into practice.

Achievements in 2024

Between 2023 and 2024, 4 FabLab vitamin workshops were held, where FabLab teachers shared their good practices in using FabLab equipment in their classrooms. 35 teachers participated.

In spring 2024, 15 teachers completed the newly developed professional development programme "Eletronics 101". 

Individual expert advice on the use and technical preparation of FabLab equipment was initiated at the request of schools. 19 schools that have set up FabLab workshops have benefited from the advice. 

Partners: VILNIUS TECH „LinkMenų fabrikas“ Kūrybiškumo ir inovacijų centras

Contact

Project manager Rūta Mazgelytė
ruta@eduvilnius.lt

Goal

Maths skills are one of the most pressing issues today. We aim to prevent gaps in education from an early age by using Eduten Playground, a Finnish-developed maths learning platform.

Description

Eduten is a computer-based platform for mathematics education, scientifically based on research in contemporary mathematics didactics and pedagogy. It features very good learning data analytics, tailored to monitor progress and achievements at student, class and school levels. The platform won the UNICEF EdTech prize.

Selected schools participating in the project have been using the Eduten mathematics teaching platform for one year, providing professional development and support to teachers using the platform.

The project consists of:

- training for school coordinators and teachers on the use of the Eduten virtual learning platform and the analysis of student learning data in this environment;

- advice to teachers and school coordinators on various issues related to the use of the Eduten virtual learning platform;

- advice to teachers and school coordinators on working with pupils with special needs on the Eduten platform;

- professional development for teachers on the use of innovative learning environments in education;

- the provision of a manual for the use of the Eduten platform for teaching mathematics;

- mobilising the teachers involved in the project into a virtual learning community.

Achievements in 2024

85% of Vilnius schools use Eduten (grades 1-8) for maths learning.

A survey of teachers and parents of students on the use of the Eduten platform for mathematics education was carried out. Some key insights:

- 207 teachers in grades 1-8 and 2009 parents of students in grades 1-8 participated in the survey.
- The majority of teachers (90.3-93.4%) indicated that the Eduten platform:
- useful or very useful for teaching mathematics and helped to improve students' learning outcomes (75.6-84.4%);
- increased motivation to learn mathematics (67.5%-74.7%);
- increased pupils' independence and self-confidence (70.8-75.9%);
- the platform helped a higher proportion of teachers in Years 5-8 to work with special needs children (77.5%).

- The most frequently mentioned benefit of the Eduten platform was the improvement in mathematics skills and achievement (51 out of 143 teachers). Other benefits identified by teachers were motivation to learn, more varied tasks/lessons, differentiation of tasks/benefits for special needs students, etc.
- Just over half of the students use the platform both at school and at home, while 31.4-44.2% use it only at home. 
- The majority of parents (75.3-86.6%) indicated that the Eduten platform is useful or very useful for their child's mathematics learning and they would like their child to continue using the Eduten platform for mathematics learning (74.6-84.5%).

Contact

Project manager Edita Linkevičiūtė
edita@eduvilnius.lt

Goal

We equip teachers with the competences to creatively integrate information technology in different subject areas or to teach a separate lesson in computer science, thus developing children's ability to be creators as well as users of information technology.

Description

For the second year running, Vilnius schools are learning how to integrate information technology into primary school lessons with the help of the programme Vedliai, in preparation for the renewed curricula starting in autumn.

We help teachers to develop children's logical thinking, creativity and the ability to combine different technologies, and to acquire the skills needed to be successful in the technology industries (programming, design, 3D modelling, virtual reality, animation, game development, artificial intelligence).

This year, the project received international recognition at the World Summit Awards, a global competition for digital projects.

Achievements in 2024

Over the three years of the programme, all primary school teachers were trained to integrate IT in primary education. And 47 schools in grades 5-8 have used the Vedliai platform to complement their IT lessons. Between 2024 and 2025, Vilnius Municipality funded the licensing of 74 primary or elementary schools - 31 635 in total - on the Vedliai platform.

A survey carried out in 2024 shows that around 90% of teachers find the Vedliai platform useful and very useful for teaching computing. Teachers agree that with Vedliai, students' competences in computer science improve and students are more creative because they can develop their own projects.

Contact

Project manager Andra Litvinaitė
andra@eduvilnius.lt

Goal

To play with the principles of experiential education to develop the subject and general competences of pupils in Grades 3-4.

Low motivation is one of the most important factors contributing to low achievement. Therefore, making learning more interesting for pupils through engaging formats can be an excellent tool not only to engage pupils, but also to motivate them and improve their achievement.

Description

- participating schools have access to fully developed world education lessons; materials and activities with Minecraft education edition for grades 3-4;
- a mentor is assigned to each participating teacher;
- Minecraft education edition licenses for the teacher and each student in the class until the end of the project;
- One-to-one support for the implementation of Minecraft education edition.

Achievements in 2024

Between 2023 and 2024, the Minecraft education edition was used by 12 teachers and 246 pupils in Year 4 world education lessons. 
In Grade 3, 14 teachers and 335 pupils used the resource.
In 2024-2025, the teaching materials are being used in Year 4 by 10 teachers and 241 pupils. 
9 teachers and 219 pupils in Year 3

Partner: VšĮ Edukraftas (Trys kubai)

Contact

Project manager Rūta Mazgelytė
ruta@eduvilnius.lt

Goal

With so many sources of information - from news portals to social media or Youtube videos - we must learn to identify reliable sources, verify information and understand how to live in the stream. If we want to teach media and information literacy to students, we must first give the necessary knowledge to teachers. This is why long-term professional development programmes on media and information literacy education have been developed and implemented. One programme is for beginners and the other for those already advanced in media information literacy. 

Description

The training introduces and discusses topics that provide a solid foundation in media and information literacy: 

- Introduction to Media and Information Literacy. Introduction to media and media analysis (identifying misleading information), facts versus opinions, different types of information.
- Visual media. How visual media are used to disseminate misleading information. Tools for identifying different visual media (photographs, videos), their use in working with students, the new technologies.
- Thinking biases. How our brains work and how this knowledge can be used to manipulate us.
- Data literacy. Protecting private data, the online personal footprint and what can be learned from it. Manipulation of data presentation (visualisation of statistical data).
- Propaganda. Propaganda techniques and objectives. (Meta)narratives about the State of Lithuania. Information attacks.
- Democracy and social justice. Impact of media and information literacy on democracy. Media quality standards, role in a democratic society, emerging challenges. Stereotyping and polarisation.
- The training will also provide opportunities for individual consultations. The content of the sub-programme will be adapted according to the needs of the teachers who have registered (a teacher survey will be carried out at the beginning of the programme).
- Conspiracy theories. Their emergence, development, impact and diffusion in Lithuania and worldwide.

The Media and Information Literacy. Level 1" was completed by 3 groups with 75 participants.

Media information literacy knowledge is deepened through the discussion of topics:

- Conspiracy theories. Their emergence, development, impact and dissemination in Lithuania and worldwide.
- Information and national security. The impact of information on national security and the state's actions to prevent threats.
- Artificial Intelligence. Its potential and the problems it poses in the information field.
- Innovative media literacy and citizenship. The experience of non-governmental organisations and the use of interactive educational methods in media literacy education.
- Interim discussion of projects. Fact-checking. The importance of fact-checking, tools and initiatives.
- Emotional literacy. How does the manipulation of information affect our psychological well-being?
- Non-Russian disinformation. Communication by authoritarian regimes and its impact on global information instability.

The Media and Information Literacy. Level 2" was completed by 1 group, the number of graduates was 24.

Contact

Project manager Asta Morkūnienė
asta@eduvilnius.lt

Goal

Narrative environments for play and learning (NEPL) is an imaginative role-playing activity in which a group of children create a shared storyline. Research shows that NEPL helps pre-school children to be better prepared for school, and develops literacy, speaking and self-regulation skills.

Description

Narrative environments for play and learning (NEPL) method, reveals its theoretical and practical origins, the concept of narrative play, and teaches the concrete steps for implementing this method in a preschool setting. A series of training sessions and individual consultations are organised for the teams of participating institutions. Training and guidance for pre-schools is provided on themes selected according to the needs of the specific pre-school.

Achievements in 2024

7 kindergartens have completed the training in the period 2023-2024. They shared their experiences, successes and challenges at the 4th Scientific and Practical Conference "When teachers play...".

In 2024-2025, 10 new kindergartens started training:

Vilnius Kindergarten "Malūnėlis";
Vilnius Kindergarten "Vėjelis";
Vilnius Nursery School "Pelėda";
Vilnius Kindergarten "Berželis";
Vilnius Kindergarten "Karuselė";
Vilnius Nursery School "Ramunėlė"; 
Vilnius Kindergarten "Smalsučiai";
Kindergarten-school "Vilija";
Vilniaus Kindergarten "Žirmūnėliai";
Vilnius Nursery School "Spragtukas".

Contact

Project manager Jogailė Misevičė
jogaile@eduvilnius.lt

Goal

Literature must undoubtedly be an integral part of a well-rounded education, which is why we aim to equip preschools not only with books selected by experts, but also with the knowledge of how to read in order to engage even the youngest ones in the colourful world of literature.

Description

In cooperation with the National Library of Lithuania, we are working to set up reading corners in pre-school institutions in the capital. The reading corner consists of furniture specially adapted to the needs of pre-school children, books selected by reading specialists and methodological and informative material on reading corners, early reading and tips on how to creatively make the corner work.

In addition, we organise theoretical and practical training for teachers on reading with the youngest readers.
Reading corners are set up in 10 pre-school institutions in Vilnius.

Achievements in 2024

With the help of experts, a publication on the reading methodology and a two-part training course for pre-school teachers on how to work in reading corners using the methodology are being prepared.

With the help of children's literature researcher Kęstutis Urba, we have prepared a list of recommended books for kindergartens in Vilnius city.

Contact

Project manager Jogailė Misevičė
jogaile@eduvilnius.lt

Goal

The use and potential of artificial intelligence (AI) tools is growing in a wide range of sectors, not least in education. As students are quick to see the potential of AI, it is essential that teachers have the knowledge and skills to keep pace with their students and enrich their teaching with modern technologies. 
With this programme, we aim to equip teachers with the necessary knowledge and practical skills to use existing AI tools appropriately and efficiently in their daily work, both in preparation and in the classroom. All this to ensure quality lessons and to save teachers' time where it can be done.

Description

In 2025, we are launching a long-term professional development programme for Vilnius teachers. The programme will cover the following topics: introduction to AI technology, how to communicate with an AI chatbot using query engineering, how AI tools can facilitate lesson preparation - from content creation to task generation with various AI tools such as ChatGPT, MagicSchool, Gamma App etc. Teacher practice with AI tools is an integral part of the programme.

Contact

Project manager Rūta Mazgelytė
ruta@eduvilnius.lt

Goal

Physical activity is the basis for a healthy life and has a positive impact on concentration and learning. With children's activity levels declining, we aim to make physical education lessons modern and engaging, using new educational methods.

Description

Bringing together a community of physical education teachers to identify the challenges related to the quality of physical education lessons and to develop tools to improve quality, to develop the competences of physical education teachers by inviting them to share and learn from each other, to develop the competences of physical education teachers in cooperation with researchers and other social partners.

Achievements in 2023

In 2023 a long term training programme for pre-school physical education teachers has been developed and implemented. The 48-hour programme consists of 4 modules.
Participants developed competences in physical literacy education for pre-school children.

Contact

Project manager Asta Morkūnienė
asta@eduvilnius.lt