E-Learning from Nature Erasmus Project

Project Title

E-Learning from Nature

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: Natural sciences; Key Competences (incl. mathematics and literacy) – basic skills; ICT – new technologies – digital competences

Project Summary

Context
The project rationale is deeply rooted in the long lasting effort of European policies in addressing the underachievement in basic skills as far as scientific issues are concerned.
The “Council conclusions on increasing the level of basic skills in the context of European cooperation on schools for the 21st century” stated that “A good level of reading literacy and numeracy, together with a solid grasp of the basic principles of the natural world and of fundamental scientific concepts, provide the basis for the acquisition of key competences for lifelong learning”.

Objectives
The European Commission through the Italian National Agency for the Erasmus+ Programme financed the E-learning from Nature project in the framework of the Erasmus+ Programme with the aim to:
• Improve students low achievements in scientific subjects by improving their basic skills of scientific subjects through a practical approach based on the comparison with concrete issues. This approach, together with a strong reference to their local context, will allow them to acquire a basic knowledge in science, overcoming the perception of distance from everyday life which is often associated with scientific knowledge.
• Motivate secondary schools students to learn science by providing them with teaching materials developed and made available by exploiting the communicative potential of new technologies. This approach, together with a strong reference to their local context, will allow them to acquire a basic knowledge in science, overcoming the perception of distance from everyday life which is often associated with scientific knowledge;
• Promotion of a learner-centred pedagogical approach where student involved in the project – supported by the teachers – find their own way to acquire key basic competences in scientific subjects.
• Creation of a transnational network of secondary schools directly involved in the project activities as associated partners.

Participating organisations
The E-learning from Nature project involved:
• 8 contractual partners including training agencies, schools, universities and associations
• 39 schools
• 147 teachers (109 science teachers and 38 English teachers)
• 1 100 students
• 40 associated partners including associations, education centers, business associations, public authorities, universities

Activities and Results
The following results have been achieved through the related activities:

ICT based collection of Research Action tools: Learning Science through Nature
The Research Action tools: Learning Science through Nature provides access to:
– Geographical Areas: a collection of information sheets, direct sources (photos, videos, drawings etc. available in digital format) about the flora, the fauna, the natural elements and any other human intervention of scientific interest of a specific environmental area; the result is available at https://enature.pixel-online.org/learning_science_GA.php
– E-lessons: small video lessons aimed at identifying the connection between the above mentioned natural elements with school scientific curricular activities and the related basic skills to be acquired; the result is available at https://enature.pixel-online.org/learning_science_EL.php

Teachers’ guide “Innovation in the teaching of scientific subjects”
The guide for science teachers focuses on the subject of innovative methods to enhance students’ motivation towards the study of scientific subjects and improve their basic skills in science.
The guide is organized in 4 chapters:
• Teaching scientific subjects through problem based and real life case scenarios.
(https://enature.pixel-online.org/teach_guide01.php)
• Enhance students’ scientific basic skills through their active involvement in the learning process
(https://enature.pixel-online.org/teach_guide02.php)
• Effective use of new technologies to promote the scientific knowledge
(https://enature.pixel-online.org/teach_guide03.php)
• Transnational cooperation to promote scientific knowledge in school education
(https://enature.pixel-online.org/teach_guide04.php)

Impact
As far as the impact of the project is concerned:
– Teachers had with the opportunity to be part of a transnational network of colleagues interested in addressing the issue of students’ underachievement in science subject
– Teachers also were involved in a learner-centred pedagogical approach giving them the possibility to contribute to the creation of the project intellectual output
– Teachers have at their disposal 2 ICT based learning tools (The database of geographical areas and the database of related e-video lessons) and a guideline to enrich their competences related to innovative teaching methodological approach
– Students experienced a motivating and effective experience that put them at the centre of the teaching method. Their curiosity for science was stimulated making them autonomous, motivated learners.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 214807,97 Eur

Project Coordinator

ISTITUTO STATALE DI ISTRUZIONE SECONDARIA SUPERIORE “FEDERICO ENRIQUES” & Country: IT

Project Partners

• PIXEL – ASSOCIAZIONE CULTURALE
• FUNDATIA EUROED
• INITIATIVES POUR UNE FORMATION EFFICACE ASBL
• EPIMORFOTIKI KILKIS Single Member llc
• Instituto Politécnico de Bragança
• LIMERICK INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
• Traku rajono savivaldybes pedagogine psichologine tarnyba