Filling the Gap: Open Educational Resources for supporting teachers in distance learning Erasmus Project

Project Title

Filling the Gap: Open Educational Resources for supporting teachers in distance learning

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 : Partnerships for Digital Education Readiness

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Open and distance learning; ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Inclusion – equity

Project Summary

FILLING THE GAP intends to develop innovative Outputs for strengthening the methodological and digital skills of teachers and educators with respect to the use of OER in digital teaching, paying specific attention to inclusive approaches.

From the context analysis on educational systems in Europe, in particular in the project countries (IT, ES, BE, HR, GR), it has clearly emerged how much the pandemic of COVID-19 exacerbated an already existing need of providing teachers with training and tools to develop their technological skills and enable them to embody new strategies into their professional practice, with the final goal of guaranteeing the didactic activity continuity and quality, even in the distance learning scenario.
The partnership is composed by different actors, sharing specific expertise on inclusive practices, all committed to the aim of fostering an innovative distance learning:
-4 secondary schools (LICEO FANTI, PLATON, BERNARDIN FRANKOPAN and COLEGIO HUERTA SANTA ANA)
-1 cooperative VET centre (IRECOOP)
-1 digital and educational services cooperative (ARCHILABO’)
-1 University specialized in Inclusive Education and Digital Solutions (UCLL)
Besides the partner staff, the project intends to involve teachers, educators, students from stakeholder schools, including those with mild intellectual disabilities. They will be specifically involved in the activities of data collection and testing of the IOs, dissemination of the project’s results. The collaboration among schools will be further fostered through the creation of a parallel eTwinning project.
The partnership of Filling the Gap intends to share an articulated and complementary expertise to create 2 transnational Outputs, which will be: digital, inclusive, practical, transnational, accessible and freely available, expandible and sustainable after the project ending.
* IO1_MOOC on Distance Learning, a comprehensive training course, which will provide teachers with knowledge and skills on innovative methodologies to plan and evaluate didactic activities in distance learning and on the available OER to apply these methods, keeping a focus on inclusion of all students and on respect for teachers and students wellbeing in distance learning. The acquired skills will be certificated through the innovative system of the Open Badges.
* IO2_Distance Learning Activities Kit (DLAK), a collection of distance and blended learning activities, which may cover all the curricular teaching subjects, starting from those transversal to all secondary schools paths. They will be structured by age ranges, taking into account individual learning needs. The Kit will combine practical contents with methodological indications in order to provide teachers with a comprehensive tool.
To guarantee the quality of the project results, the forecasted activities encompass:
-3 transnational meetings
-1 Joint Staff Training Event
-5 Multiplier Events (1/partner Country)
A communication and dissemination plan will be structured, forecasting also the use of eTwinning, SEG, E+PRP to maximize the visibility across Europe and the impact of the project’s results towards the direct target (teachers/educators) and other stakeholders and institutions working in the educational field.

The Project Management is structured according to the following key-roles:
PROJECT DIRECTION: Irecoop, as leading partner, will coordinate project implementation, budget management and communication among partners; it will monitor the respect of the timeline. PROJECT COMMITTEE (PC): composed by representatives of each partner, will act as decision-making body with regard to the project’s activities; it will operate by consensus.
OUTPUTS COORDINATION: assigned to the partners responsible for the management and the implementation of the Outputs, in coordination with the PC.
SCIENTIFIC VALIDATION: the University partner UCLL will guarantee the scientific validation of the methodologies and tools of work, as well as of the produced contents, with regard to the IOs production.
The partners will work together through a collaborative platform for the project management (Trello) and through classic communication tools(Skype, phone, email, Gdrive).
The quality and sustainability of the project will be guaranteed by detailed activities planning, effective strategies and tools to monitor/evaluate/carry them out, an extensive online and offline dissemination plan through the transnational networks of stakeholders and by the commitment of the partnership to stimulate the usability of the Outputs.
In the medium-long term, the project will have an impact in terms of cultural, methodological and practices change on school systems, starting from the inclusive and digital teaching practices that teachers/educators will be able to implement. Within 1-2 years after the project ending, it is forecasted that 2.500 users have downloaded the DLAK and 1.500 have attended the MOOC.

Project Website

http://filling-the-gap.eu/

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 216133 Eur

Project Coordinator

IRECOOP EMILIA ROMAGNA SOC. COOP. & Country: IT

Project Partners

• UC LEUVEN
• Archilabò Società Cooperativa Sociale
• HUERTA SANTA ANA S.COOP.AND.
• GIMNAZIJA I STRUKOVNA SKOLA BERNARDINA FRANKOPANA
• LICEO SCIENTIFICO STATALE ” MANFREDO FANTI “
• Platon M.E.P.E.
• UC LIMBURG