Innovative, free, on and off line access modules to study master’s courses in Europe Erasmus Project

Project Title

Innovative, free, on and off line access modules to study master’s courses in Europe

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 2016

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Overcoming skills mismatches (basic/transversal); Recognition (non-formal and informal learning/credits)

Project Summary

• Context/background of the project;
When this project was initiated it was considered a problem that many students had the formal prerequisites to register for a master’s programme, but still lacked skills or competences that are important to be successful in the master´s courses. As a result, many students did not get their degree within the allocated time and several dropped out without a degree. Of all students that enter a master´s programme in Europe about two thirds will get their degree.
For a university there are many ways to evaluate and improve their results, as measured by government and society. OECD’s annual Education at a Glance looks at who participates in education, how much money is spent on education in different countries and results.
For educational institutions the four statistical indicators below may be used to evaluate how well their programmes meet the demands of society and students.
Enrolment; i.e. to recruit the most suited prospective students.
Completion rate; make students successfully complete their studies with a degree.
Time-to-degree; make students complete their studies within a specified time period.
Retention; encourage the less successful students to re-enrol in a study programme and get a degree rather than drop out.
These four points are strongly connected and together they indicate to what extent students are suited and/or prepared for studies they enrol in.
The access modules developed in this project give interested students much of the information needed to avoid the frustration and possible cost of a failed attempt to earn a degree, and provide suitable material for those who want to prepare for their selected programme.
• Objectives;
The primary objective of this strategic partnership was to design an online platform to house free (on- and off-line) access modules to four master’s programmes in Europe. The modules are intended to help universities attract suitable students and prepare them by evaluating and improving knowledge and skills that are pertinent in order to successfully study on the master’s programmes in question.
Each access module provides potential students with a visualization of their skills and knowledge as compared to those identified by lecturers as desirable for the master’s programme. If there are any weak spots identified the student are presented with a series of learning interventions designed to develop the required abilities. Users are also presented with an option to enjoy all learning resources. The study material developed in this project had to be licensed as Open Educational Resources (OER) i.e. free to redistribute and use for public education in accordance with the Paris Declaration.
• Number and profile of participating organisations;
There were four partners in the project; three universities; University of Borås (UB), University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI), University of Alcalá (UAH) and a soft-ware developer; Digital Connextions Ltd, (DC).
• Description of undertaken main activities;
AToM: The Access to Masters platform, a HTML5 System developed by Digital Connextions is accessible to prospective students online. The access modules below can be used online or downloaded and run offline. Instructional video on how to use the platform, as well as information about the project for students and teachers, was developed and published by UHI.
Access module for a Masters´ programme in Textile Engineering, (UB).
Access module for a Masters´ programme in Education, (UHI).
Access module for a Masters´ programme in Leadership and Management, (UHI).
Access module for a Masters´ programme in Telecommunication Engineering, (UAH).
A multiplier event at each partners university, UB, UHI och UAH
• Results and impact attained;
The final product of the project is the AToM platform and four modules that allow prospective students to assess their skills and knowledge profile as compared to that desired for study on a master’s programme. If needed the student is presented with a series of learning interventions designed to develop the required knowledge and skills. The content of each module spans subject knowledge and academic skills preparing the student for the master’s programme and for transition to employment.
The study material developed in this project are licensed as Open Educational Resources (OER) i.e. free to redistribute and use for public education.
Three multiplier events was organized, one by each university. A poster and a leaflet presenting the project was designed and printed to be available at those events.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 244177 Eur

Project Coordinator

HOEGSKOLAN I BORAS & Country: SE

Project Partners

• UNIVERSITY OF THE HIGHLANDS AND ISLANDS
• SZEGEDI TUDOMANYEGYETEM
• Digital Connextions Limited
• UNIVERSIDAD DE ALCALA