International Cooperation of Vocational Schools with Practical Training in the Context of Digital Education Erasmus Project

Project Title

International Cooperation of Vocational Schools with Practical Training in the Context of Digital Education

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 : Partnerships for Digital Education Readiness

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Inclusion – equity; International cooperation, international relations, development cooperation; ICT – new technologies – digital competences

Project Summary

In March 2020 the traditional education model was switched over to distance education, and most schools have been successful in implementing online technologies (strategies, methods, techniques, tactics) in the teaching of theoretical subjects. However, secondary vocational schools still lack a methodology for online practical education. According to the Schools Act, practical training in the Czech Republic is divided into training for students of two- or three-year courses, training for students of four-year courses and on-the-job training. For the project purposes, we have therefore approached secondary vocational schools of the same focus in the European area, because we are aware of the importance of confrontation of procedures and methods especially at the time of a non-standard and untested teaching process such as digital education in fields that include practical training and are linked to the application sphere. As far as fast-evolving fields with innovative technologies are concerned, experience sharing, mutual confrontation and inspiration, and consequently the creation of a network among organizations are important accents of a successful education process.
Since the outbreak of the coronavirus crisis and the introduction of distance education, the teams of experts in the field of information and communication technologies, field-specific didactics and school psychologists have been working on an optimum implementation of online education, an embodiment of teaching principles and didactic rules into digital education, and introduction of innovative technologies especially in the field of vocational training of students. These school teams of experts also need to draw inspiration from partners abroad where schools and institutions have, due to the dual system, different options and solutions concerning the use of digital tools and methods (Slovakia, Austria, Germany and Belgium). With respect to the long-term use of a constructivist approach in the work with students with specific educational needs, and in connection with the emergency measures associated with COVID-19, new challenges and tasks have appeared with regard to the inclusion of such students in the education process. The main objective of the project is to update older education paradigms, which means to gradually switch over from a transmission approach to the education process to a constructivist approach based on the activity of students for whom the teacher is only a facilitator, tutor of the education process. One of the project outcomes is a comparison of the digital education systems in secondary vocational schools with practical training in selected European countries and a panel discussion on effective inclusion in a high-quality education process.
International cooperation and individual project meetings will be focused on particular topics. The project involves 6 institutions from 5 European countries (3 secondary vocational schools with technical fields, a pedagogical university, a technical university and an educational institution focusing on corporate and further education). From each organization, 3 participants will always be involved in project activities: teachers of vocational subjects, ICT coordinators, experts in subject didactics, employees of counselling centres and workplaces, school management. The partner organizations have communicated via email and video conferencing already during the project preparation and have defined the partial activities and priorities of the project so that they will benefit all involved organizations. Within the individual activities, the project will compare how the individual participating organizations approach the changed situation in education. The subject of international cooperation and individual meetings will be specific topics. There are a total of 7 international meetings, 2 project management meetings and 5 professional educational activities.
The main topic of strategic partnerships of participating organizations is the comparison of ideas, plans and thoughts on how to solve the fundamental problem revealed by the experience with the immediate switchover of schools to distance education: How to secure, in pedagogical and, above all, technical terms, meaningfulness and effectiveness of the online teaching of vocational subjects implementing practical education in the education process.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 96455 Eur

Project Coordinator

Vyssí odborna skola, Stredni skola, Centrum odborne pripravy, Sezimovo Usti, Budejovicka 421 & Country: CZ

Project Partners

• Technische Fachschule Haslach Privatschule des Landes Oberösterreich
• TECHNISCHE HOCHSCHULE DEGGENDORF
• PRIVATE PADAGOGISCHE HOCHSCHULE DER DIOZESE LINZ
• Stredna odborna skola technicka
• SPRL Bohemia EU Planners