In the context of the increasing relevance of information and communication technologies (ICT) and the transition towards an information and knowledge society, schools and school systems have been facing increasing challenges when it comes to preparing students for successful participation in the ‘digital age’ (e.g. Anderson, 2008; European Commission, 2014; Voogt & Knezek, 2008). In many countries, this leads to manifold efforts with regard to developing innovative conceptional ideas and concrete measures to support ‘digital education’ in schools. In Germany, as in other countries, – i.a. in reaction to the mediocre results of students in Germany in the International Computer and Information Literacy Study2013 (Fraillon et al., 2014) –developments both at the national level and at the level of the federal states can be identified (Eickelmann, 2016). In Schleswig-Holstein, a federal state in the north of Germany, a project called ‘Learning with digital media’ was initiated in 2015 focusing on schools developing best practice approaches for the integration of technology into teaching and learning. The overall focus of this project is the implementation of innovative concepts for a systematic and sustainable integration of ICT in teaching and learning (IQSH, 2016). After a selection process, 20 out of more than 100 schools that applied to be part of the project were chosen for the school network and the associated financial support. Furthermore, an evaluation of the project was conducted (Gerick & Eickelmann, 2016) with a focus on researching relevant conditions at the school and classroom levels with regard to the integration of ICT in teaching and learning. For the different school types, from primary to upper secondary schools, vocational schools and schools focusing on students with special needs, the evaluation study focused on the potential for transferability and scaling up the innovations. In so doing, it further focalized the identification of findings supporting the future development of ‘digital education’. The question of transferability of innovations with ICT in teaching and learning in best practice schools is therefore of particular importance and constitutes the focus of this paper.

Research on the transferability of innovations with ICT has – among other authors – prominently been conducted by Owston in the context of case studies within the IEA Second Information Technology in Education Study Module 2 (SITES-M2). On the basis of case studies in 28 countries, Owston (2003) was able to identify four plausible factors explaining why transfer occurred (ibid., p.154): (1) infrastructure and resources, (2) the fit of the innovation, (3) teacher support and preparation as well as (4) plans and policies that encourage transfer. Against the background of the increasing necessity of developing schools and school systems to improve ‘digital education’ and taking into account the above-mentioned four factors for successful transferability of innovations, this contribution addresses the following research question:

What approaches and measures for successful transferability can be identified in innovative schools participating in the context of teaching and learning with ICT?

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