Creative Engine Erasmus Project

Project Title

Creative Engine

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for vocational education and training

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Access for disadvantaged

Project Summary

PROJECT SUMMARY
In contemporary engineering VET, there is a seemingly irreconcilable tension between two growing needs. On one hand, there is the ever increasing body of technical knowledge that students must command. On the other hand, there is a growing recognition that young engineers must possess a wider array of cross-disciplinary knowledge and skills that will allow them to function in real engineering teams and to produce real products and systems, meeting enterprise and societal needs. A knowledge of the tools, techniques and practices associated with the discipline of creativity and innovation is considered as a critical element for engineering education moving forward.

To support continuous innovation, future engineers must master more than the mathematical and scientific knowledge associated with their discipline, but also the ability to understand the role of innovation and creativity in order to fully comprehend the new product development process from idea generation through to commercialisation stage. Therefore, educational initiatives that invest in curriculum modernisation and the necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes for promoting creativity and innovation are urgently required, particularly for engineering students who will be required to solve complex open-ended problems in today’s rapidly changing environment.

Given this context, there is a need to develop new pedagogical and teacher training material focused on the integration of creativity and innovation curriculum into engineering VET. The Creative Engine project forms a strategic partnership between 5 EU partners with expertise in Engineering, Innovation and Creativity practices and Teacher Training. Collectively the partners aim to develop an openly accessible modular training course focused on the subject of creativity and innovation that will encourage future engineers to understand the value and relevance of these skills and competencies within their studies and careers. Creative Engine will also develop a teacher training programme to ensure VET trainers have the disciplinary knowledge, technical expertise and pedagogical techniques to effectively deliver engineering VET using “learning-by-doing” and “flipped classroom” approaches.

To enhance both student and trainer’s creativity & innovation knowledge and practical skills, Creative Engine will utilise a blended leaning approach combining both formal and non-formal learning techniques. Project-based learning activities and game-based learning exercises will form an integral part of the modular training course (IO2) and the teacher training programme (IO3). These informal-learning techniques will be designed on modern engineering technologies such as Rapid Prototyping, 3D laser scanning and Automation, in order to provide dual-impact learning experiences which will simultaneously develop necessary technical skills in conjunction with creativity and innovation. This will ensure learners are equipped with the necessary knowledge required to boost their employability opportunities, entrepreneurial capability and ability to become leading engineers.

Project Website

http://www.creative-engine.org/

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 370080 Eur

Project Coordinator

SOUTH WEST COLLEGE & Country: UK

Project Partners

• Institute of Innovation and Knowledge Exchange
• DUBLIN CITY UNIVERSITY
• THOMAS MORE KEMPEN VZW
• TKNIKA