On 30 September, the lecture “Pedagogical Innovation: Transforming Today the Education of Tomorrow” took place at the António Cartaxo da Fonseca Library in Tomar. Organised by Rotary Club Tomar Cidade, the session was opened by Raquel Baião, President of Rotary Club Tomar Cidade, and featured a presentation by Célio Gonçalo Marques, Vice-Rector of the Polytechnic University of Tomar, Secretary-General of the KreativEU European University Alliance, member of the National Council for Pedagogical Innovation in Higher Education, and Director of LIED.
Starting from the thought-provoking question “What if...?”, the lecture challenged participants to reflect on the role of pedagogical innovation in addressing the challenges of contemporary education. The central message was clear: pedagogical innovation is not simply about introducing technology into the classroom, but about intentionally transforming the learning experience to foster greater student participation, autonomy, critical thinking, and engagement.
Throughout the session, concrete examples of active learning methodologies were presented, including Think-Pair-Share, Problem-Based Learning, the Flipped Classroom, and Gamification, demonstrating how more collaborative, meaningful, and student-centred learning environments can be created. The potential of Artificial Intelligence as a tool to support learning was also discussed, highlighting the importance of developing students’ ability to question, verify sources, analyse information, and build their own knowledge.
The lecture concluded with a challenge to all educators: pedagogical innovation does not require changing everything at once; it can begin with a single question, one activity, or one lesson. After all, the school of the future does not begin tomorrow. It begins with the decisions we make today.
The event also provided an important opportunity for interaction between the Secretary-General of KreativEU and a range of stakeholders, while serving as a valuable occasion to promote the alliance led by the Polytechnic University of Tomar.
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