Output 8 consists of the development, maintenance and content creation of a website which will serve as the central platform for the multi-stakeholder TEASPILS community of practice we wish to install. The platform (website) will be established as soon as the project starts and will be multifunctional and divided into different areas. The bulk of the content will be the public database of ideas, activities and resources for teachers, teacher educators, policy makers and scientists. There will also be information about the project itself, the partnership and information on how stakeholders can get involved.
This platform is crucial for the success of the project in multiple ways. It will be a content-rich website of activities and experiences related to technology supported environmental instruction. The online platform is necessary to reach our European audience and to centralise the external communication related to the project. The project will use multiple online platforms for reaching its objectives, such as eTwinning, and social media. Each of these platforms has its own focus and target group, hence the need for having one platform that subsequently feeds the other platforms. The site will also host all content and references from the knowledge hub (IO7). Furthermore, it will be the one platform that will be targeting all stakeholders.
As the main purpuse of the platform is to support the launch and continuation of a European knowledge network, the platform will also follow Roger’s innovation adoption model. This would mean the following: In the first stage, the platform will be used to facilitate dissemination of our materials and outcomes, to connect partner organisations and associate partners, and to clearly and concisely explain the goals and methodology of the project to newcomers. In the second stage, the platform should also support the involvement of stakeholders directly by participating in our trialling or one of our events and by using our OER materials. At that stage, we expect the network to become more (inter)active, and hence, will make sure the platform enables interaction and contributions. In the third stage, also newcomers should be able to quickly understand the scope of the TEASPILS community and to become part of it in a way that suits their needs and interests. Hence, the platform and its materials should also support individual schools, teachers, and teacher education institutions from countries without formal environmental education policies and curricula, who want to introduce the topic to their own practice.