Sustainable Fashion Curriculum at Textile Universities in Europe – Development, Implementation and Evaluation of a Teaching Module for Educators Erasmus Project

Project Title

Sustainable Fashion Curriculum at Textile Universities in Europe – Development, Implementation and Evaluation of a Teaching Module for Educators

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 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Environment and climate change; Social/environmental responsibility of educational institutions; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

A strong demand for sustainability in the textile and fashion industry and its global market imposes a continuous implementation of the guiding principle Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in education and in the industry as well as the investment in education and the adaptation of new skills. This is the reason for the need of enhancing the quality and relevance of the learning offer in education towards the latest developments in textile research and innovation. The Fashion DIET project envisages the development of new tools for improving key competences of lecturers, trainers, teachers, students and young textile specialists who will be professionals in the textile and fashion industry.
The project’s objectives are to enhance the quality and relevance of the learning offer in training by developing an innovative further education module in the context of ESD and an information & e-learning portal supporting the dissemination of the project’s outcomes such as teaching and learning material, which will be elaborated, tested and evaluated. The project’s resources are well balanced between the partners, include all costs of the project and will be monitored through a management plan, financial templates, and financial reports. The project partners have planned these main outputs and activities:
1. Further Education Module
2. Information & E-Learning Portal
3. Teaching and Learning Material
4. Learning, Teaching and Training Activities (lectures, seminars, workshops, discussions etc.)
5. Multiplier Events
6. Scientific Papers, Journal Articles, Scientific Events, etc.
The didactic content and methodology will be made relevant for the target group through the expertise of the partners: 1 university of education, 1 university of applied sciences and 2 technical universities with textile technology departments from 3 countries – Germany (University of Education Freiburg, Reutlingen University), Bulgaria (Trakia University), and Romania (TUIASI). The university partners will develop, test and evaluate training material, based on state-of-the-art research knowledge in textiles, fashion and sustainability and a long-lasting tradition and experience in textile education.
The further education module and the teaching and learning material will be supported and disseminated by the information & e-learning portal, which will be configured and adapted with the adequate tools for learning and implementing ESD as a guiding principle. The project impact on the target group will lead to:
– better understanding of ESD in the context of textile and fashion,
– better textile and fashion related knowledge in the context of production, market and sustainability,
– better quality of education,
– better skills for project management and digital competence,
– better skills in performing European partnerships,
– improved competences linked to professional work,
– increased capacity to work at an international level,
– increased competence in foreign languages,
– greater understanding of cultural diversity,
– increased opportunities for professional development.
The partnership brings together eastern and western pedagogical experience and points of view and researches on ESD in the textile and fashion sector. The partners are showing large diversity in experiences that can be explored and also identify similarities, moving towards ESD practices and policies that can cross the borders and become ‘European’. With this project we will learn from each other how the managing of ESD education and the use of an information & e-learning portal will be accomplished. In addition, we will have the opportunity to study and know our partners’ universities and educational systems in the occupational field of textiles and clothing and share educational problems of each partner within an intercultural exchange. The collaborative work will create strong friendships, enhance motivation and produce quality work that can be set as examples of good practice in the European community, for others to follow. Inter- and transdisciplinary cooperation and networking are to be initiated with the aim of developing ESD competence, creating fundamental changes and continuing after the end of the project.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 423826 Eur

Project Coordinator

Pädagogische Hochschule Freiburg & Country: DE

Project Partners

• TRAKIYSKI UNIVERSITET
• HOCHSCHULE REUTLINGEN – TECHNIK-WIRTSCHAFT-INFORMATIK-DESIGN
• UNIVERSITATEA TEHNICA GHEORGHE ASACHI DIN IASI