E-learning Objects for Innovative Science Education Erasmus Project

Project Title

E-learning Objects for Innovative Science 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 adult education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2015

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Natural sciences; Pedagogy and didactics; Open and distance learning

Project Summary

The basic idea of the project “E-learning Objects for Innovative Science Education” (E-LOISE) is to improve adult education and teachers skills and knowledge in using interactive objects in all types of science education, as well as providing inspiration for new ideas in teaching.
One aim of the project was to explore how to utilize the many opportunities for adaptive and self-paced learning, how to take advantage of the newest ICT-technologies to create more tailored, differentiated and individualized material to accommodate modern students need for formative and targeted feedback, and how to develop tools giving teachers the opportunity to easily create resources on their own.

In summary the objectives of the project were:
-to produce at least 3 templates for adaptive E-learning objects for science education. These reusable tools serve teachers to design their own E-learning with little or no help from technicians
-to produce at least 25 E-learning objects for science education using these or similar tools
-to explore the state-of-the-art of E-learning pedagogy and didactics in adult and higher education
-to share methods and knowledge with the partners to develop didactic approaches relevant for the new generation of adaptive E-learning to produce a MOOC (Massive Open Online Courses) on how to use interactive learning objects in natural science teaching

The partnership consists of 5 partners from Scandinavia, Central, Western and South East Europe. The institutions have had very reliable and productive partnership experiences before encouraging them to intensify their exchange of ideas, concepts and experiences. We can build on different traditions and experiences and on previous European collaborations. Our experience is that sharing, along with catalyzing new ideas, also helps us think “outside the accustomed frame”.

The project was based on trust in existing qualities of the partners, their good reputation and on their experience and expertise. All the partners had a long experience in producing E-learning material and of critical implementation. Moreover, all have a substantial stake in adult education and lifelong learning, but in E-learning the entrance points are very different:
KVUC: Offers courses at secondary school levels for adult second chance learners, and E-learning as one of many demanded alternatives to classical classes.
BKS: Berufskolleg Senne offers courses for adult vocational and academic training.
It faces a fast growing demand for E-learning modules to fit individual learner’s needs in courses for adults.
UC, CLL and EUC: The Universities have a strong focus on researching the different aspects of E-learning and on theoretical didactics.
But all of the Universities in this project also offer E-learning courses and are in the need for new types of objects to improve those

The activities closely linked to the objectives include 6 transnational partner planning meetings. The topics of the meetings were the didactic discussions we needed to adress in order to produce the E-learning products. In E-LOISE we believe we have produced objects in a sustainable,i.e.reusable, quality.
All the products can be found and are described on our web-page: https://projecteloise.wordpress.com/

The project has produced a number of templates for teachers to use when planning interactive learning activities (O1). We have chosen to work with four themes:
– Learning to study texts
– Learning with video clips
– Learning with simulations
– Learning to use digital collections of scientific resources
Planning of learning activities have a number of common features, like how to implement prior knowledge and evaluation. For these features we have a separate template. This basic template we have named:
– Enhancing learning using interactive resources
It introduces several elements to make up a common core, introducing how to build an environment around the scientific themes from the first four templates.
Using these templates we have produced 25 learning objects (O2) in the form of lesson plans for short units. We have chosen to provide plans for lessons to make them easier to incorporate into any LMS, thus making the products more sustainable.

The didactical discussions during the project are mirrored in the MOOC (O3) we have produced to describe how to utilize especially the templates – using several of the 25 learning objects. The MOOC is self-paced and of course free, and will introduce anyone interested to the objects produced in E-LOISE.

In addition to the objects produced, we arranged and held a conference in April 2017. At the conference we introduced the participants to our products and to some of the didactics behind E-LOISE objects.

As all the institutions have an impact on how E-learning is viewed in their communities (countries), the impact on the partner institutions will in turn have effect on the practice of other institutions collaborating with the partner institutions.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 102264 Eur

Project Coordinator

Københavns Voksenuddannelsescenter (KVUC) & Country: DK

Project Partners

• ABO AKADEMI
• Berufskolleg Senne der Stadt Bielefeld
• UNIVERSIDADE DE COIMBRA
• EUROPEAN UNIVERSITY CYPRUS