Research confirms that collaborative learning has a positive impact on students' academic achievement as well as on the development of social competences. We know however, that collaborative teaching and learning are not yet commonplace in schools across Europe.

On Friday 15 December, two representatives of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MEST) in Kosovo (Mr. Valmir Gashi and Ms. Hanemsha Latifi) visited European Schoolnet for the first time. After various exchanges during 2017, we are delighted to announce that we close the year with MEST, Kosovo joining European Schoolnet in an observer capacity, with the hope to become a full member in the near future.

How innovative are learning spaces in your country? Do they help stimulate collaborative teaching and learning using technology? Adapting learning spaces is set to become an increasingly important issue for policy makers and school leaders, as it facilitates innovative pedagogies using technology in the classroom.

2017 has been a special year for European Schoolnet, as we have celebrated 20 years of transforming education, together with all our members and stakeholders across Europe and beyond. Having begun as a network of 18 Ministries of Education in 1997, we currently have 31 members, all united in our mission to test promising innovative practices, share evidence about their impact, and support mainstreaming effective teaching and learning practices for all students.

European Schoolnet is delighted to welcome back Nancy Knowlton and Tony Cann to the Future Classroom Lab with their new companies (Nureva and Learning by Questions), set to be important players on the educational technology scene.

Launched at EMINENT 2017, the 'Open Book of Educational Innovation' examines how innovation, especially technology-inspired innovation is defined, showcasing over a hundred ground-breaking initiatives in schools across Europe.