From e-learning to “e” in learning: Quality improvement, professionalization and modernisation of VET training for young low skilled learners through modern ICT use Erasmus Project

Project Title

From e-learning to “e” in learning: Quality improvement, professionalization and modernisation of VET training for young low skilled learners through modern ICT use

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 vocational education and training

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Quality Improvement Institutions and/or methods (incl. school development); Labour market issues incl. career guidance / youth unemployment; ICT – new technologies – digital competences

Project Summary

VET training especially for low-skilled young learners and people with socio-economic disadvantages is a European VET priority and, as such, is certainly seen as one of the most important factors to tackle youth unemployment throughout the European countries. It is part of a quality initiative for the VET systems accross Europe. VET provision for low-skilled young learners is, however, a complex pedagogical challenge. Quite frequently, the current offers from the European VET systems in terms of content, methods, approaches, tools, skills, and competences miss their recipients. VET teachers/trainers report that they find it hard to reach the young peoples with classical methods, theoretical topics. In addition, the complexity of professions and professional competences in many sectors is steadily growing, which adds to the complex and challenging situation of VET training and its processes.
If we want to improve the quality of the VET learning process for young (low-skilled) learners and add to the professionalisation of VET teachers/trainers, taking a closer look at the communication habits and processes of young people can help: text-based communication involving reading and writing of complex texts tends to disappear; communication tends to focus on key words, slang words, shortcuts, emojies, etc, thus getting shorter and shorter; communication and interaction processes are becoming fast and immediate; communication and interaction have become digital to a high degree. According to recent youth studies, indicators clearly show that if VET training for young people wants to be successful, it needs to make full use of the digital tools available and used by the target group. So far, paper-based, presentation-based, traditional teacher-/trainer-centred, offline-based, theory-based, and, even, classical e-learning-based VET training has not been able to enter in and utilise the young learners’ every-day communication channels. Often, VET learning processes run parallel to core communication processes of the target group, which then can have negative consequences in the teaching/training process. Usually, the technical infrastructure and its availability is not the reason. It is, however, a matter of comepetences of the VET teachers/trainers on how to make full use of their learners’ “smart” and IT-based communication tools and embed them in VET didactics and training processes and plans. It is all about truly bringing the “e” into learning – the main objective of the PROMOVET project.
Therefore, the main aims of the PROMOVET project were:
(1) the implementation of an investigative research with young low-skilled VET learners, VET teachers/trainers and relevant education stakeholders and decision-makers;
(2) the development of a web-based compendium of “smart” ICT-based tools and platforms to be used by VET teachers/trainers in VET training;
(3) the development of a training programme for VET teachers/trainers on the didactically valuable use of “smart” ICT-based tools and platforms, their advantages and impact and their selection, particularly for teaching/training processes with low-skilled young learners;
(4) a general improvement of quality and professionalisation for VET teachers/trainers through a well-selected involvement of ICT in the VET training process; and
(5) the realisation of a participative “inclusive” VET training approach, where young learners become their own teachers’/trainers’ teachers with regard to the use of modern “smart” ICT-based tools in the learning process.
In order to reach the project aims, the partnership developed three intellectual outputs: (IO1) PROMOVET Investigation Research on modern “smart” ICT- and social media-based tools frequently used by young (low-skilled) learners. (IO2) PROMOVET Web-Compendium of modern “smart” ICT- and social media-based tools featuring, amongst others, a description of their advantages and disadvantages and videos to demonstrate their potential for use in VET didactics. (IO3) PROMOVET Curriculum, a 36-hours’ training programme for VET teachers/trainers on how to include modern “smart” ICT- and social media-based tools in VET didactics for young low-skilled learners and featuring an inclusive training approach. These outputs were supported by a multiplier event, a transnational learning/teaching/training activity and pilot courses in all partner countries.
The project partnership consisted of seven organisations from six European countries (AT, CY, ES, FI, IE, IT), mainly VET training centres, expert organisations in IT-based didactics and research and large European networks. The main target and impact groups were VET teachers/trainers, young low-skilled learners, labour market authorities, social partners and VET policy-makers on local, regional, national and European levels.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 262974,18 Eur

Project Coordinator

JUGEND AM WERK STEIERMARK GMBH & Country: AT

Project Partners

• LANSIRANNIKON KOULUTUS OY
• MEATH COMMUNITY RURAL AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP LIMITED
• Fundacion Docete Omnes
• CENTRE FOR ADVANCEMENT OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY LTD-CARDET
• A.RE.S. scarl
• E.N.T.E.R. GMBH