The Educational-Pink Innovation Grade Index (e-PIGI): A Novel Software-Based Tool for Assessing Innovation in Education

The educational-Pink Innovation Grade Index (e-PIGI) is a novel metric designed to assess and quantify the level of innovation within educational practices and pedagogical projects. This work introduces the e-PIGI tool, an interactive and survey-based software that enables educators, institutions, and project designers to identify both strengths and limitations in their initiatives across ten key dimensions. These include different categories such as: (i) emerging technologies, (ii) adaptability to diversity, (iii) promotion of 21st-century skills, (iv) collaboration, (v) alignment with regulatory frameworks, (vi) active methodologies, (vii) impact, (viii) sustainability, (ix) evaluation and (x) multidisciplinarity. Each dimension is scored using a pink color-based scale ranging from 0 to 10, with darker tones indicating a higher degree of innovation. The resulting output includes a color-coded innovation score and a circular-shaped pictogram that offers a visual representation of the project’s innovative profile. A threshold value of 50 points is proposed as an operational criterion for identifying projects considered innovative. The tool was validated through expert judgment for content validity and through empirical reliability analysis (Cronbach’s coefficient α = 0.833, n = 126), confirming good internal consistency. To demonstrate its utility, the new tool was applied to a set of educational initiatives, helping to highlight their pedagogical strengths and areas for improvement. As an accessible and scalable instrument, e-PIGI aims to support reflective teaching practices, promote ongoing developments, and facilitate the comparison of innovation across diverse educational contexts. This software highlights the potential of e-PIGI to contribute to a more evidence-based and strategically guided culture of innovation in education.