DL Trainers’ Development Path Erasmus Project

Project Title

DL Trainers’ Development Path

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 adult education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Open and distance learning; ICT – new technologies – digital competences

Project Summary

The 21st-century challenges – globalization, information overload, rapid changes, virtualization – leads to more and more requirements for learners and educators. The skills that learners need to contribute effectively to society are in constant change. Professional development, at all points in a teacher‘s career, is necessary to keep up with changing research, tools, practices. Most institutions and training organizations look much the same today as they did a generation ago, and educators/trainers themselves are often not developing the practices and skills necessary to meet the diverse needs of today’s learners. They see the necessity to enter the e-learning market and change their profile but they are often afraid of such change -especially mature educators- or the training available do not offer the clear move to e-learning with a simple explanation, good tasks, examples, exercises and comprehensive for trainers knowledge necessary for DL.
The project is the response to the lack of programs that offer new skills to the trainers/educators/mentors who work in a traditional way and would like to acquire new skills connected with e-learning and DL. The trainers/educators/mentors with experience usually are afraid of entering new areas and using new tools that require IT knowledge. The outbreak of the coronavirus has shown to the world how important competencies that allow teachers to conduct classes online. The closing of thousands of educational institutions has opened up many opportunities in the implementation of online education, on the other hand, it excluded those working only with traditional methods.
The problems of online education and staff skills are particularly important. Poland, Lithuania, Greece and Romania lack experienced trainers who can smoothly pass from traditional teaching to DL (e-learning). The ratio of educators who can be at the same time mentors and trainers is very low and it is about 11% (Lithuania), 14% (Poland), 15% (Greece), 14% in Romania compared to the European average (EU 27) of 32% (Istat, 2016). There is a very poor stat. data referring to trainers’ and educators’ qualifications and specializations as there are no such registers at the national or regional level. It is connected with the fact that a part of trainers and educators are freelancers or work in education besides doing professionally sth else.
Main aims:
• Enhancing the quality training of trainers/educators/mentors in DL
• Exchange of best practices of partners org in DL
• Fostering the provision&assessment of trainers’ key-competences: DL and e-learning training abilities&digital skills which are included in curricula
• Introducing, developing&promoting innovative methods&tools in training by supporting personalized learning approaches for trainers/educators/mentors, teaching them ICT in an accessible way offering OERvia platform, open&flexible learning, virtual mobility by introducing an e-learning platform open to all trainers
• Promoting cross-border cooperation in education&learning via e-learning as all partners will work on DL and e-learning
• Enhancing the professional development of persons working/active in education by offering them new competencies&ability to work on-line by changing their profile
• Increasing quality&range of training, ICT-based methodologies&use of OER– by introducing new methods, tools, e-learning, personalized teaching
The project reached the mature people who are trainers/educators/mentors who used to work in a traditional way and wanted to acquire new skills connected with e-learning. Over 300 people participated directly in our events (2x dissemination events in each country, and 4 DE instead of the conference in Poland, one pilot training course in each country). Indirectly, with the help of dissemination tools, we reached approximately 3,000 people presenting our activities. By publishing products on the E+ platform, we expect to reach more people.
During the project, a platform was created that included instructional videos, transcripts, quizzes, visual materials, and manuals on how to switch from traditional to online teaching. The project also created a handbook presenting how and how to teach trainers and educators new digital skills.
During the project, people had the opportunity to work with new online tools and learn to use in everyday work. This knowledge will be transferred to the oasis used in class. Project recipients were both interested in switching to online teaching and creating classes that combine traditional methods and the virtual work of learners.
As a result of the project, the participants acquired new ITC competencies and learned how to train others with similar tools. Our materials are available under free licenses, so anyone can use them in the future.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 137420 Eur

Project Coordinator

Stowarzyszenie “Aktywni.EU” & Country: PL

Project Partners

• Plunges suaugusiuju svietimo centras
• SYLLOGOS EKPAIDEFSIS KAI ANAPTIXIS ATOMON ME IDIKES ANGKES
• ASOCIATIA DIRECT