This website use cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website
ContinueUP Development Diary #8 – How collaborative CPD connects teachers with real school situations
The ContinueUP development diary is a series of blog posts that explore how a group of European educators involved in initial teacher education and continuous professional development engage in a process of co-construction and co-delivery to build and deliver a joint programme for teacher learning. The diary provides updates on our experiences during key moments of the ContinueUP project, ultimately aiming to strengthen the continuum of learning across the different stages of a teacher’s career.
The story so far
The CPD MOOC “Empowering teachers as digital lifelong learners in school” was co-constructed and co-delivered by European Schoolnet and CPD providers in Croatia, Portugal, Spain, and Hungary. Building on the ITE module, this MOOC was designed to connect theory with real school situations and to provide teachers with opportunities to reflect on their professional engagement, explore digital tools, and apply them in authentic classroom contexts.
The MOOCs launched on national platforms on 3rd
March 2025, followed by a European launch on the European Schoolnet Academy on 5th May 2025. In total, more than 3,500 teachers registered, with participation spread across the European version and four national editions. While the European MOOC attracted the largest number of registrations (1348), Hungary recorded the highest completion rate (56%). The majority of participants were secondary school teachers, mostly women aged 36 and above, reflecting the demographic profile of in-service teachers across Europe
International and national collaboration
One of the most valuable aspects of this MOOC was the collaborative delivery across borders. The course design and delivery drew on the complementary expertise of the different partners and authors: some brought strong backgrounds in digital pedagogy, others on teacher professional development, while others focused on adapting the content to fit their national audiences. This blend of perspectives enriched the course and ensured that the final product was not only pedagogically sound but also practically relevant.
ILaunching the European version of the MOOC some months after the national courses allowed us to observe how the course worked in different contexts, confirmed the strength of the overall design, and built confidence before scaling it up at European level. Moreover, it ensured that the European version did not compete with the national versions and provided participants with the opportunity to continue their learning in a European learning community that could further enrich their experience from the national participation.
The European MOOC also benefitted from the experience of the Croatian MOOC, where one of the moderators played a dual role and contributed to both versions. Furthermore, a live event that first took place in the Croatian MOOC and was then carried forward into the European edition showed how national experiences can directly enrich the European delivery and strengthen the links between formats.
Teachers’ voices – Evaluation highlights
The evaluation of the CPD MOOC across national and European versions are encouraging and suggest the co-construction and co-delivery was a success. 94% of participants rated the course as “Good” or “Very good”, and teachers reported clear gains in their self-assessed knowledge and professional engagement.
Participants particularly valued the practical and scenario-based approach, the opportunity to exchange ideas through peer review, and the chance to explore new digital tools in meaningful school contexts. Comments highlighted the relevance of the activities, the usefulness of the final assignment, and the sense of being part of a learning community that extended beyond borders.
For the MOOC to reach the B1 proficiency in digital competences, the final activity was intentionally demanding but also unique. Participants had to reflect on different scenarios and produce their own media, applying knowledge to new situations. Many participants found this challenging but also stimulating and rewarding.
Another promising sign came from the student teachers who had first taken part in the ITE module and then continued their learning journey by joining the CPD MOOC, with around half of the ITE cohort enrolling in both. For these participants, the two formats complemented each other well. As one reflection captured, while the module had provided a solid theoretical framework and introduced key digital concepts, the MOOC challenged them to use digital tools in practice, reflect on their pedagogical implications, and engage with real-life teaching scenarios. The peer interaction and feedback during the MOOC further pushed them to think more critically about integrating digital strategies in diverse classroom contexts. This continuity across formats illustrates the potential of linking initial teacher education with continuing professional development, offering teachers a coherent pathway to grow as digital lifelong learners.
At the same time, participants voiced constructive suggestions: more concise text, more video tutorials and practical examples, and additional live Q&A sessions. National evaluations also pointed to the importance of cultural and linguistic adaptation, showing that translation alone is not enough, local examples and contexts matter.
Concluding thoughts
The delivery of the CPD MOOC has given us both strong confirmation and valuable lessons. On the one hand, the very positive evaluations reassure us that the complexities that come with the experience of co-construction and co-delivery can positively impact the learning experience of teachers while also establishing economies of scale and learning experiences for the CPD providers involved. On the other hand, the comments from participants and partners remind us of the importance of clearer instructions, more practical examples, and careful adaptation to national contexts.
Overall, the experience has demonstrated the value of working together across institutional, national and European levels of ITE and CPD provision. With the experiences and lessons from this first edition of the ContinueUP MOOC, we are now better equipped to more systematically work together with other ITE and CPD providers in developing and delivering joint offers for teachers.
Back >
