Courses

This course is designed to equip school administrators — principals and vice principals — with the knowledge, skills, and strategic vision needed to lead digital transformation in their institutions. Participants will explore how digital tools, data-driven decision-making, and emerging technologies can enhance school management processes including communication, resource planning, staff coordination, student tracking, and stakeholder engagement. The course emphasizes practical leadership strategies for managing change, building a digital culture within schools, and aligning institutional goals with European digital education priorities.

Course Methodology

The course follows a blended approach combining short theoretical inputs (max. 1 hour per day), hands-on workshops, case study analyses, peer-learning sessions, and action planning. Participants will work individually and in small groups to develop a Digital Transformation Action Plan for their own school, which they will refine throughout the week. Real-world school management scenarios and European best-practice examples will be used to ensure immediate transferability.

• To develop school leaders’ capacity to plan and implement digital transformation strategies at the institutional level.
• To introduce data-driven decision-making tools for school management, staff evaluation, and student performance tracking.
• To enhance communication and stakeholder engagement through digital platforms.
• To build participants’ skills in change management and fostering a digital culture among teaching staff.
• To align school digital strategies with Erasmus+ and European Digital Education Action Plan priorities.

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Assess their school’s current digital maturity level and identify areas for improvement.
• Design a Digital Transformation Action Plan tailored to their institutional context.
• Use data analytics dashboards to support evidence-based management decisions.
• Implement digital communication and collaboration platforms for staff, students, and parents.
• Apply change management strategies to lead digital adoption among school staff.

Day 1: Foundations of Digital Transformation in Schools

• Icebreaker Activity: “Digital Leadership Self-Portrait”
  Participants map their current digital competencies and leadership challenges on a shared digital whiteboard (Miro/Jamboard).
• What is Digital Transformation in Education?
  • Key concepts, European frameworks (DigCompOrg, EU Digital Education Action Plan), and why school leaders are the key drivers.
• Workshop: Digital Maturity Self-Assessment
  • Using the European Commission’s SELFIE tool, participants evaluate their school’s digital readiness.
• Group Activity: Identifying Gaps & Priorities
  • Based on SELFIE results, participants identify their top 3 digital transformation priorities and begin outlining their Digital Transformation Action Plan.

Day 2: Data-Driven School Management

• Warm-up Activity: “Data Bingo”
  Participants match school management challenges with data-driven solutions in a bingo-style game.
• From Gut Feeling to Evidence: Data-Driven Decision-Making
  • Introduction to data-driven decision-making in school administration (attendance, performance, resource allocation).
• Hands-on Workshop: Building a School Dashboard
  • Using Google Looker Studio (or Power BI basics), participants create a simple management dashboard with sample school data.
• Case Study Analysis & Action Plan Work
  • Analysing how European schools use data to improve outcomes. Participants define the data strategy section of their Action Plan.

Day 3: Digital Communication & Stakeholder Engagement

• Warm-up Activity: “Communication Audit”
  Participants map all current communication channels in their school and identify bottlenecks.
• Digital Ecosystems for School Communication
  • Overview of platforms (Google Workspace for Education, Microsoft 365 Education, school-specific apps) and best practices for parent-teacher-student communication.
• Workshop: Designing a School Communication Strategy
  • Participants draft a digital communication plan covering internal (staff) and external (parents, community) stakeholders.
• Peer Review & Action Plan Integration
  • Participants exchange communication plans and give structured feedback. Integration of communication strategy into the Action Plan.

Day 4: Change Management & Building a Digital Culture

• Warm-up Activity: “Resistance Map”
  Participants anonymously share the biggest resistance points they face and discuss solutions collectively.
• Leading Change in Schools
  • Change management models (Kotter’s 8 Steps adapted for schools), managing resistance, and motivating staff for digital adoption.
• Workshop: Designing a Staff Digital Training Plan
  • Participants create a professional development roadmap for their teaching staff using a provided template.
• Role-Play Simulation: “The Reluctant Teacher”
  • Participants practice persuasion and coaching techniques for digitally hesitant colleagues. Adding the change management section to the Action Plan.

Day 5: Conclusion and Cultural Excursion

• Action Plan Finalization and Presentations
• Future Collaboration Ideas for Digital Transformation Projects
• Certification Ceremony and Cultural Excursion

• Participants will receive their certificates.
• Participants will provide a general evaluation of the course and complete the event survey.
• Participants will receive course materials, videos, photos, and PDF documents in both digital and print formats.

Follow-up and Support

After the course, participants will receive all course materials both digitally and in print. An email group will be created for idea exchange, and self-evaluation materials will be provided. Participants will also receive a follow-up check-in after 3 months to discuss progress on their Digital Transformation Action Plans.

*Please note that course activities and content may vary depending on participants’ preferences and the instructor leading the session. Any changes to the course are at the discretion of the instructor. If there is a specific topic you would like to include in the course content, please let us know in advance.