Continuing Education to Preschool Teachers and Education Directors through Online Trainings Erasmus Project

Project Title

Continuing Education to Preschool Teachers and Education Directors through Online Trainings

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 school education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2015

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Intercultural/intergenerational education and (lifelong)learning

Project Summary

From the proposal:
In recent years, the importance of high quality in education and care for young children has been increasingly acknowledged and reflected in a high number of European strategies, policies and programmes between the European Commission and the Member States. In 2011, the Council of the EU formally recognizes the central impact of early years service provision for individual, societal, and economic success. In the EU 2020 strategy, providing high-quality and accessible education and care are a key element. International skill survey results (Pisa 2012 (OECD) and Pirls/Iglu 2011 (IEA)) document the relation between early childhood education and care (ECEC) and school performance which is fundamental for individual development and therefore the key to the future. Improving the general access to and enhance the quality of education for preschool teachers and education directors as well as supporting their personal development will ensure a contribution to the European targets.

With regard to the above mentioned points, the aim of the EduTeach project was to design, test and implement a modular training programme adapted to the needs and interests of those responsible in education and care for young children (0-6 years) across Europe. To allow both flexible and individual learning, the training offers are based on ICT and incorporate self-study learning activities with a touch of interactivity. Using the results from the user needs analysis and the evaluations of the implementation of trainings, EduTeach further tends to forward research and development on models, methods, and didactic strategies for effective online training to educators, preschool teachers and education directors.
E-learning modules on 8 different topics are offered on EduTeach learning platform, url: www.eduteach-portal.odl.org. The modules are set under a CC-license and are free for use to everybody.
The e-learnings are informal education opportunities to employees with restrictions due to family, time, finances, and locality.
Piloting the developed set of online learning modules was done with more than 80 preschool teachers and education directors and other users from the target group in participating countries. The received feedback was and will be used for further develop of digital tools.
The activities of the project were centered on four main intellectual outputs, namely 1) Joint scientific research: user needs analysis and methodology development, 2) E-learning platform, 3) Set of educational materials: curriculum and training content, and 4) Report on testing and implementation. The consortium organized and hosted several multiplier events with more than 300 practitioners and stakeholder organizations, who were informed about the EduTeach project and got the chance to participate actively in the course development through the pilots.

The project consortium of EduTeach is led by the Innovation in Learning Institute at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany, and includes Militos Consulting S.A. (Greece), Spanish Federation of Early Childhood Education Centres (Spain), IPAK Inštitut za simbolno analizo in razvoj informacijskih tehnologij (Slovenia), Università degli Studi di Macerata (Italy), StePS srl (Italy), Innovation Training Center (Spain), Akademie für Kindergarten, Kita und Hort Brode und Hovermann OHG (Germany), Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME) and City of Tampere, Early childhood and basic education (Finland).

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 268088 Eur

Project Coordinator

FRIEDRICH-ALEXANDER-UNIVERSITAET ERLANGEN NUERNBERG & Country: DE

Project Partners

• IPAK INSTITUT ZA SIMBOLNO ANALIZO IN RAZVOJ INFORMACIJSKIH TEHNOLOGIJ VELENJE ZAVOD
• Innovation Training Center, S.L.
• Confederación de Centros de Educación Infantil CECEI
• BUDAPESTI MUSZAKI ES GAZDASAGTUDOMANYI EGYETEM
• Akademie für Kindergarten Kita und Hort Brode und Hovermann OHG
• STEPS srl
• TAMPEREEN KAUPUNKI