The Mobile ethical Laboratory Erasmus Project

Project Title

The Mobile ethical Laboratory

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 higher education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2019

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Creativity and culture; Early School Leaving / combating failure in education; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

The Mobile ethical laboratory (MEL)

Entering the multicultural classroom is a challenge for both students and educators.
Each time people meet, a confrontation between multiple perceptions in ethical values take place. What appears to be a hospitable gesture in one country may seem the opposite in another country. Meeting `the other as the other` can be strange, overwhelming and embarrassing (L. Vanlaere 17, 3, 2010)
A British survey supports this and points out, that loneliness and the feeling of isolation is prominent among young people, and it seems that digital media increase these feelings (C. Victor; P. Qualter 2018) According to this study young people find it difficult to connect with others and to cope with negative feelings. Nevertheless, connecting with others is an activity that is required throughout the entire life. Changing schools or classes, for example, exposes the young person to the risk of being excluded, and each change is a social shift in Arenas, which exposes the student’ vulnerability (E. Goffmann)
Despite challenges like these, educators are required to perform effective teaching and to ensure inclusion.

Educators need to investigate their own role in teaching and we believe, that they/we need support to find new innovative methods that implicate creativity and mentalization (to understand our own and others’ behavior in relation to possible underlying mental states (Bateman & Fonagy 2012) and relate to, what we call exposure methods and models belonging to the field of art. This position is supported by new studies showing that methods known from the field of art promote understanding between people, raise the well- being of the individual and promote inclusion (Jenny Secker, Lyn Kent & Jo Keay 2017)

Therefore the aim of this project is to develop a Tool Box by the means of which educators can generate an innovative way of teaching. This teaching, based on exposure methods, aims to create a space for social inclusion that maintains students and that diminish loneliness and alienation

MEL links together schools from different educational levels and competences (45 educators from primary/secondary school, VET and HEI).
This partnership is the reason for working transnationally. Each of us brings expertise concerning exposure methods and each of us already carried out important projects, based on different exposure methods such as drama, role-play and literature, all inspired from the field of Art. Supporting educators to apply these creative methods facilitates an awareness of the educators own values, enables mentalization and personal growth and helps focusing on the educators role.

The objectives of MEL are:
1 Changing the mindset of educators
2 Developing a Tool box that is tested, tried and scaled up
3 Making the students feel more at home in class, also when they change arena
4 Developing a sustainable network

Activities, methodologies and the tangible/intangible results in MEL are all closely connected, and each activity and methodology is a step towards the results of the project.
All activities and methods are related to exposure and seek to promote critical reflection. They will take place at transnational meetings and when working with the development of the tangible result.
The 10 intellectual Outputs:
2 scoping reviews and 1 position paper point out trends and key issues in the areas of hospitality, exposure methods and inclusion;
5 case studies and 1 video dealing with “How to meet the other person as the other”; “The feeling of being at Home” and “The shift in Arenas”.
1 Tool Box containing a guideline of MEL, a methodology handbook and a sampling of Topic cards. The Tool Box contains central elements from the other 9 IO`s.

These outputs will be spread and disseminated at 3 multiplier events and will be published in relevant journals and websites.

The intention of MEL is that our laboratory is a place, where investigation and development is an ongoing mobile activity. These activities are intended to search for the ethical base of good practice, meaning that adequate relations between persons are taking place in order to reach a hospitable and inclusive environment.

Envisaged impact and long-term benefits of MEL:

1. By changing the mindset and creating the Tool Box, educators will feel safer, be more courageous and will be able to cope better with the situations in class.
2. The Tool Box can be used across nationalities and across educational levels and will continue inspiring and guiding educators concerning exposure methods and critical reflection
3. A hospitable attitude will promote the students` `feeling at home`, which is the first step in creating a space for social inclusion and reducing the feeling of loneliness and alienation among the students

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 261565 Eur

Project Coordinator

VIA UNIVERSITY COLLEGE & Country: DK

Project Partners

• Holstebro Kommune
• SC Master Artis SRL
• RHIZO04
• UNIVERSITATEA DIN BUCURESTI
• SCOALA GIMNAZIALA FERDINAND I