Expand horizons through 3D printing in a common Europe of Regions Erasmus Project

Project Title

Expand horizons through 3D printing in a common Europe of Regions

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 : School Exchange Partnerships

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Overcoming skills mismatches (basic/transversal); ICT – new technologies – digital competences; International cooperation, international relations, development cooperation

Project Summary

Context: We (the BBS Bad and the Technikum Kluczbork) have given our students the opportunity to meet people from other cultures, to understand their background, to deepen their own linguistic skills and to learn to think in international contexts by working together on a project. The exchange encouraged the willingness to learn in a European and international context. The pupils were able to acquire the flexibility, mobility, communicative, intercultural and social skills necessary in a globalised world.
Goals: Through this school partnership we have strengthened the European dimension of our actions, developed our cross-border cooperation skills and enabled us to meet new challenges. With the help of mobility activities for pupils, we strengthened the promotion of tolerance, which was particularly promoted in the Paris Declaration.
Activities/Methodology: In joint project work in the field of 3-D printing, cooperation, peer learning and exchange of experience at the European level were supported. Specifically, the participating teachers and the selected classes in both schools will be encouraged to acquire and develop key competences. For the pupils, this meant developing their employability on the labour market, their personal, social and professional development and their participation in civic and social life. They experienced the importance of lifelong learning by learning about 3-D printing technology (speed of innovation in working life) and the quality and effectiveness of mobility experiences to improve learning.
To achieve these objectives, ICT skills and digital literacy are taught to all target groups. This started with the use of eTwinning with all its functions for collaborative work and continued with the improvement of competences in the field of 3-D printing technology. The planned mobility activities for 14 learners and 4 teachers each promoted teamwork by realising and implementing a task in the group and increased the willingness to express themselves in another language as both groups had to engage with each other. The cooperation with the partner school using eTwinning and mobility facilitated the structured preparation and implementation of the project phases and the evaluation of the results.
Both teams of teachers jointly developed project tasks for 3D printing in their classes. Transnational work was practised, ideas and methods exchanged.
Participants: The full-time courses BF1 Metalltechnik/Fahrzeugtechnik/Elektrotechnik took part in the BBS Bad Dürkheim. Here the age range was 15-17 years. The pupils have the secondary qualification I and prepare themselves in this course of education for a better mediation on the job market. As these are technical subjects, there were no female participants in this class.
The Kluczbork pilot plant was attended by vocational school classes of electricians and mechatronics engineers aged 17 and over. The vocational training takes place in 3 years full school. For the female pupils the same applied as at the BBS Bad Dürkheim. For both schools it applies that digital competences are only introduced into the curricula from the very beginning and that the project in the area of 3D printing was very beneficial here.
The binational teams of teachers in charge were made up of vocational training specialists. In both organisations 4 teachers were appointed to supervise the partnership, implement the project in their classes, support each other in team meetings and accompany the pupils in their mobility activities. The team of teachers documented and evaluated the project.
Results: The project enabled the access and evaluation of ICT and thus promoted a highly relevant key professional competence. The student body experienced lifelong learning and cooperation at European level as an important success factor for employability. The short-term exchange activities offered pupils international learning experiences, fostered their understanding of the diversity of European cultures and languages and helped them to acquire the social, civic and intercultural competences necessary for their personal development. They were accompanied by the teams of teachers, who strengthened their transnational cooperation skills.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 31260 Eur

Project Coordinator

Berufsbildende Schule Bad Dürkheim & Country: DE

Project Partners

• Zespol Szkol Ponadgimnazjalnych Nr 2 Centrum Ksztalcenia Ustawicznego