Empower Competences for Onlife Learning in HE Erasmus Project

Project Title

Empower Competences for Onlife Learning in HE

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: Quality and Relevance of Higher Education in Partner Countries; ICT – new technologies – digital competences; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

The aim of ECOLHE – “Empower Competences for Onlife Learning in HE” project is to examine the way in which the idea of an E-learning European HE Area (in the broader framework of the Bologna Process) has been translated into practice at national context by Academic Bodies. Our purpose here is to identify the way in which the digital challenges to promote LLL through ICT in HE is shaped in specific contexts. ECOLHE is an action research project that aims to create the best conditions of exchange best practices in:
– teaching digital skills in HE
– training course for teachers and tutors for improving online teaching in HE in the logic of LLL, inclusion and innovation recalled by High-Level Group on the Modernization HE
– recognition and validation of teaching competences in HE for teachers’ professional development
– recommendation for Academic Bodies
The principal objective of ECOLHE is to understand the way in which national policies have translated the European policies, and how the universities have translated regulatory constraints in practice with the intent to intercept useful suggestion for policy-makers, decision-makers and Academic Bodies in order to built an EEHEA founded on the teacher’s professionalization and EQAS

The research adopts a mixed methodology (quality and quantitative) by the realization of 6 case studies (2Italy, Spain, Greece, Ireland, Finland) through a comparative perspective. ECOLHE will examine national public policies for e-learning in HE related to case studies in order to study the transformation of key concepts from supranational level to national level. (i.e.: dominant rhetoric, orientations, legacies, obligations, risks and opportunities, expectations, educational paradigm and so on), during the implementation process.
This comparative documentary analysis takes into account national laws, investments and national projects. The comparative analysis will include, at least: the definition of the HEA; the e-learning policies; digital strategies for Lifelong Learning; the promotion of ICT for social equity and inclusive learning, supporting services (guidance, career counselling, e-learning, etc.); priorities of learning and appropriate incentives; removing legal obstacles; the measures adopted for ensuring LLL; actions and projects to promote the use of ICT in HE; the question of teachers’ professionalization; internationalization and quality assurance initiatives.
ECOLHE has built a partnership (Italy, Spain, Ireland, Greece, Cipro, Finland) among universities, research centres, training institutions, quality agencies, including various approaches and experiences.
ECOLHE will contribute to the enhancing of digital technologies in HE focusing on:
-the construction of an EEHEA
-the improvement of teachers’ strategic skills for online and blended teaching in HE
-training and tools for teachers and tutors for online and blended teaching in HE
-the reflection about the question of recognition and validation of teaching competences for HE
-the identification of recommendations and guidelines for Academic Bodies in order to promote the integration of ICT for LLL, inclusion and innovation in HE
The added value of the partnership is given by the fact that the transnational partnership show different experiences in ICT teaching field
The main activities will be developed following a stepwise approach
A 1st step ECOLHE produces the Comparative Research Report on “Digital Technologies in HE: from the European vision to the university governance” (IO1-P2), where each Partner country realizes its case study.
In the 2nd step, ECOLHE will produce a “Training Pilot for online teaching in HE“ (IO2-P3).
In the 3rd step “Engagement tools for HE online learning environment (IT) (IO3) ECOLHE Project will realize a Pilot for Engagement Tools for online or blended environment in HE (IO3-P1).
The 4th step ECOLHE will produce the report “Symbiotic Learning Paradigm (SLP): Teacher Competences, Methods & Approaches in HE ” and the associated tool for self-assessment of HE institutions and their professionals (UCC)”. It will be concluded by a comparative report aimed to underline the most important problems in teaching professionalization for HE.
The 5th step IO5 Recommendation and guidelines for Academic Bodies (GR), regards the elaboration of Recommendation and Guidelines for Academy Body in providing them for useful framework and instruments to improve teaching quality, enhancing online and blended environment in HE.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 416430 Eur

Project Coordinator

Fondazione Link Campus University & Country: IT

Project Partners

• PANEPISTIMIO PATRON
• LAUREA-AMMATTIKORKEAKOULU OY
• FUNDACIO PER A LA UNIVERSITAT OBERTA DE CATALUNYA
• UNIVERSITY COLLEGE CORK – NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, CORK
• European Association of Erasmus Coordinators
• UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI ROMA TRE