Partenariats d’étudiants et enseignants-chercheurs en réseaux sociaux Erasmus Project

Project Title

Partenariats d’étudiants et enseignants-chercheurs en réseaux sociaux

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 2015

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: ICT – new technologies – digital competences; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Quality and Relevance of Higher Education in Partner Countries

Project Summary

Introduced in 2011 at the initiative of the Haute École Pédagogique du canton de Vaud in Switzerland and co-funded by the General Higher Education Directorate of Vaud, the PEERS programme (Partnerships of Students and Teacher-researchers in Social Networks) is part of a process aimed at increasing the quality of training of future teachers, through the promotion of international projects which include research and knowledge building aspects in the students’ learning pathways. Sharing the belief that this initiative is an avenue worth exploring with respect to the internationalisation of the training of future teachers, three European teacher training institutions, under the coordination of the Haute École de la ville de Liège (BE), Universitatea Ioan Cuza of Lasi (RO) and ESPE Aquitaine (FR), obtained the support of the AEF (Agence Européenne Francophone belge) to take ownership of the PEERS methodology and to test it out, to become themselves, in the long term, vehicles for its deployment at the European level.

Using a project-based learning methodology, PEERS projects aim to foster skills acquisition for future teachers, both through research and the use of ICTS to support remote collaborative work and the acquisition of intercultural skills which are important aspects for the profession in a globalised world.

Specifically, PEERS groups comprise 6 students from two partner institutions, assisted in their research project by two teacher-researchers. The research carried out by a PEERS group focuses on a theme related to bilateral learning or educational issues. Between in situ meetings over the course of an academic year, and in parallel to the remote collaboration, the students apply the jointly developed methodological solutions within their schools. In terms of deliverables, the PEERS experience leads, at the collective or individual level, to writing an article, a poster, a professional report or presenting a communication at a scientific conference. This approach aims to enhance scientific collaboration within an intercultural context.

For the academic years 15/16 and 16/17, 13 groups have tried out the PEERS methodology as part of the EU strategic partnership, i.e. 78 students assisted by 26 teacher-researchers. On the basis of the European funds allocated and backed by the five years of the existence of the PEERS programme, the partners have carried out a wide satisfaction survey of the 156 students involved in 16/17 in a PEERS project, both at the level of the strategic partnership or outside of it (PEERS conducted by the HEP Vaud), in order to assess the scope of the programme at the “methodological”, “remote collaboration”, “research” and “intercultural dynamics” levels. A broad impact study has also been carried out by an external service provider, in order to measure the impact of the PEERS programme at the “research” and “intercultural dynamics” levels, on the 66 teacher-researchers who have participated once or more times in the PEERS programme between the academic years 11/12 and 16/17.

The book entitled “PEERS programme: European prospects”, presented at the International PEERS Conference on 13 and 14 December 2017 in Liege (BE) and published in December 2017 by Éditions Multiculturelles Européennes (EME Éditions), allows one to learn about the elements constituting the essential core of a PEERS project as regards the internationalisation of teacher training, both methodological and systemic, enriched by the results of the satisfaction and impact study surveys carried out on its protagonists.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 91849,54 Eur

Project Coordinator

HAUTE ECOLE DE LA VILLE DE LIEGE & Country: BE

Project Partners

• UNIVERSITE DE BORDEAUX
• UNIVERSITATEA ALEXANDRU IOAN CUZA DIN IASI
• Haute Ecole Pédagogique du canton de Vaud