Alfonso Molina participates in the annual ANP Conference round table.
The annual conference of the National Association of Public Managers and Professionals in Schools (Rome, Oct. 8-9, 2024) is dedicated to “Emotions, Neuroscience and Learning: Proposals for More Efficient Didactics.” Today, at 15.05 the Loyola Auditorium will host a round table on “A School Education Addressing the Today’s Technological and Cultural Challenges,” with Alfonso Molina, Personal Chair in Technology Strategy at the University of Edinburgh and Scientific Director of the Fondazione Mondo Digitale.
In his contribution, Prof. Molina reflects on the objective of education and the characteristics of the challenges currently faced by schools. “We live in an age of great acceleration, largely caused by the velocity and pervasiveness of digital tools, but also by global challenges such as climate change and an ageing population. This complex scenario exerts a constant pressure on schools to innovate and change, in all areas” explains Prof. Molina. “Today, the choice of both physical and virtual educational technology is practically unlimited and constantly evolving (from on-line platforms to non-digital tools, new classrooms, and school infrastructure). This diversity must be accompanied by a wide range of didactic approaches and content with the potential to significantly improve the quality and involvement of students, teachers, and school personnel. However, motivation, creativity, and innovation at school do not only depend on the availability of tools, as change must develop from what already exists in the classrooms, schools, and educational system in its entirety. These are the existing challenges: economic, cultural, political, and demographic.” In this context, Prof. Molina places the educational challenge within the metaphor of “life journey” in the 21st century, exploring both travellers and the areas they travel. The contribution concludes with the concrete experiences that have been developed by the Fondazione Mondo Digitale in various areas to promote a form of education that is both active and oriented towards holistic sustainability.
15.05 | Round Table
A School Education Addressing the Today’s Technological and Cultural Challenges
- Stefano Moriggi, Professor of Digital Citizenship and Director, PLAiCE, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia; McLuhan Foundation (Toronto)
- Mario Pireddu, Professor of Technology for Education and On-line Learning, University of Tuscia, Viterbo
- Maria Ranieri, University of Florence, Professor of General Didactics and Special Pedagogy, Director of the Education Technology Laboratory
- Renata Maria Viganò, President, SIRD, Professor of Pedagogy, Catholic Sacred Heart University
- Alfonso Molina, co-founder and Scientific Director, Fondazione Mondo Digitale
