Innovative Digital European Active Learning Erasmus Project

Project Title

Innovative Digital European Active Learning

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 2014

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: ICT – new technologies – digital competences; EU Citizenship, EU awareness and Democracy; Key Competences (incl. mathematics and literacy) – basic skills

Project Summary

Youth unemployment is high across the EU, particularly in Italy and Greece for example. More than ever, young Europeans need an education that equips them with employability skills and helps develop their sense of entrepreneurship. The Euro and economic crisis and recent events in Ukraine had challenged the sense of European identity. In many countries extremists and anti EU parties were gaining popularity (e.g. Golden Dawn in Greece, UKIP and FN in France). This project addressed a need in developing a strong sense of European identity and empowering students and staff to become active citizens, a key need outlined in the Treaty of Lisbon. This proved to be all the more relevant as Brexit happened while the Project was being undertaken. As teachers, we realised that the current generation of young Europeans are a digital generation and learning and teaching strategies must adapt to cater for a changing learning style. Too many students feel disconnected from learning as traditional teaching practices are not effective in challenging and engaging the digital student in the learning process. As a result, student attainment could be higher as some disaffected students drop out of education.
This project helped equip students and staff with essential skills to help address deficiencies in the taught curriculum: Employability, Linguistic, ICT, Presentation and Literacy skills.
Three key objectives were decided:
1. boosting employability skills and school-business links,
2. using innovative e-learning to raise attainment and
3. developing a stronger sense of European identity.
The project activities covered key skills: Employability, ICT, Linguistic, Presentation and Literacy.
The project addressed the following Commission educational policy priorities outlined in the Work Programme: developing transversal digital, linguistic and entrepreneurship skills, innovation in student-centred pedagogy, enhancing ICT in learning and teaching, developing links between education and employment, improving student attainment and teacher training and professional development.
Between 40 and 50 people participated in each of the six partner schools. The students were aged between 15 and 18. We gave preference to students that were socially and economically deprived and/or geographically isolated. We also included students with special educational and physical needs. Staff included teachers, technicians and managers. ICT specialist teachers and technicians brought expertise, support and training and improved all participants’ digital and ICT skills.
We carried out some ambitious activities centered around the use and promotion of ICT and digital resources in learning and teaching, developing key skills and strengthening participants sense of European identity. Staff produced innovative and digital resources that were shared as OER through our website (http://idealproject14.wixsite.com/ideal). These resources included various skills such as literacy, ICT, presentation, linguistic and employability skills. Students also undertook an oral history video project, a comparative study on school systems including preparation for working life. Students also worked on a collaborative European Citizenship project where they researched the development of EU integration in their region, designed a scheme of work on learning and teaching about the EU and designed and carried out their own pressure group campaign as active EU citizens. Some students and staff also created their own video blog on social media about learning a new language. One of the final tasks was the setting up of mini enterprises among the students of the six partner schools. We held two multilateral events: a digital teaching fair to share best practice in the use of eLearning and ICT in education. We also held a Conference at the European Parliament on our project objectives and outcomes. Other important aspects of our project included work placements for the students during the short-term mobilities, job-shadowing and job sharing for the teachers during these short term mobilities and – last but not least – long term mobilities for both teachers and students. Our lesson plans, resources, research, apps and other materials helped raise standards across the schools. We shared our research and evaluation findings with 8 MEPs during our conference in the European Parliament and encouraged them to promote and endorse our project resources and digital materials as good practice. In the long term, our students will hugely benefit from having taken part in the project as they have developed key skills and an entrepreneurial spirit. Students and staff have become more empowered and active European Citizens. Our conference and eLearning fair shared the very best of the digital practices and our project outcomes were delivered. Moreover, the project created and developed personal relationships with the partner schools and among staff and students beyond Erasmus+.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 294094,9 Eur

Project Coordinator

St Ronan’s College & Country: UK

Project Partners

• Friedrich-Engels-Gymnasium
• BHAK und BHAS Oberpullendorf
• FONDATION PROVIDENCE DE RIBEAUVILLE ECOLE JEANNE D’ARC
• Istituto Superiore “A. Rizza”
• NIKIFOREION- 1st GENIKO LYKEIO KALYMNOU