Blockchain for Entrepreneurs – a non-traditional Industry 4.0 curriculum for Higher Education Erasmus Project

Project Title

Blockchain for Entrepreneurs – a non-traditional Industry 4.0 curriculum for Higher Education

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 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Enterprise, industry and SMEs (incl. entrepreneurship); Cooperation between educational institutions and business

Project Summary

BLOCKS project created a networked platform of collaboration on curriculum development for universities and companies to develop non-traditional, blended-learning courses, tailored for an Industry 4.0 world, and focused on providing teachers, students and entrepreneurs with knowledge and skills on the blockchain technology. The approach was non-technologically intensive, as the purpose is to provide a business-oriented type of knowledge, applicable for all types of students and entrepreneurs. The project identified critical skills and knowledge packs needed in a blockchain-powered economy and implement them in the curriculum of universities, in a gamified, user-design oriented manner, tailored for various types of users.
The specific objectives of the project were:
1. Identification of skills shortages and knowledge gaps in blockchain in target groups
2. Creation of an online multi-disciplinary transnational teachers training center on the blockchain
a. Design and development of a curriculum on blockchain for teachers and trainers
b. Design and creation of digital, online delivered, gamified, study materials on blockchain for teachers and trainers
3. Design and development of blended learning curricula on blockchain for students, entrepreneurs, other types of users
4. Design and creation of digital, online delivered, gamified, study materials on blockchain for students, entrepreneurs, other types of users
5. Design and development of a BLOCKS game – a preparatory online learning tool designed to provide users with learning opportunities in preparation for the usage of a platform such as Microsoft Azure–Blockchain as a service.
BLOCKS was implemented by a consortium of 7 universities, large enterprises and SMEs from Romania, Estonia, Greece, Latvia and Italy. It instructed in block-chain related issues at least 400 trained professionals: students in the partner universities, teachers, trainers, entrepreneurs, professionals in other actors of the ecosystem (financial, regulatory, etc.), targeted directly through intensive study programmes or multiplier events. The project has at least 1000 global users of the Game, OER and e-learning platform.
The main project results and activities are:
1. IO1 is an in-depth study on the current status of skills and knowledge shortages and gaps in blockchain in the various types of actors of the ecosystem.
2. Creation of an online multi-disciplinary transnational teachers training center on the blockchain
a. IO2 = the curriculum for short, medium and long-term courses on blockchain meant to bridge the gaps identified in IO1 in teachers and trainers.
b. IO3 = the study materials for the courses designed in IO2. The study materials are meant to be delivered in an innovative manner, mostly online, with a blended learning component, strongly gamified and facilitating the simulation and testing of future activities.
3. Design and development of blended learning curricula on blockchain for students, entrepreneurs, other types of users. IO4 = the curriculum for short, medium and long-term courses on blockchain meant to bridge the gaps identified in IO1 in all actors of the ecosystem. The focus shall be on skills for entrepreneurs interested in supply chain and logistics for products, to energy markets. A special section shall be dedicated to public administration and governance using blockchain. Also, separate focus on social impact using blockchain.
4. IO5 = the study materials for the courses designed in IO4. The study materials are meant to be delivered in an innovative manner, mostly online, with a blended learning component, strongly gamified and facilitating the simulation and testing of future activities.
5. Design and development of a BLOCKS game, a simulated preparatory online learning tool designed to provide users with learning opportunities in preparation for the usage of a platform such as Microsoft Azure – Blockchain as a service.
All IOs were integrated into an SR7=IO7- an e-learning platform, decentralized, gamified, readily accessible, available at https://platform.blocks.ase.ro/
The project introduced 2 intensive study programmes (online) for students/ stakeholders, lasting for 5 days each, with 55 participants (students) from partner educational institutions and at least 15 trainers for them and 1 face-to-face intensive study programme for teachers/trainers, lasting for 5 days, with at least 25 participants (teachers/trainers) and at least 15 trainers for them. Lastly, there was a joint staff training session, lasting for 3 days, with at least 20 participants.
For Multiplier events, BLOCKS proposed 15 online seminars/webinars delivered for multiple types of stakeholders in all countries covered by the project on the key topics and 7 information sessions designed to disseminate the project results to press and other external stakeholders. Other dissemination was done via articles and conferences.

Project Website

https://projectblocks.ro/

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 350020 Eur

Project Coordinator

ACADEMIA DE STUDII ECONOMICE DIN BUCURESTI & Country: RO

Project Partners

• VITALE TECNOLOGIE COMUNICAZIONE – VITECO SRL
• TALLINNA TEHNIKAULIKOOL
• Baltijas Datoru akademija
• UNIVERSITATEA OVIDIUS DIN CONSTANTA
• ZITEC COM SRL
• MATHEMAGENESIS IDIOTIKI KEFALAIOUCHIKI ETAIREIA