MA in Educational Technology: A New Online Blended Learning Program for New Member States Erasmus Project

Project Title

MA in Educational Technology: A New Online Blended Learning Program for New Member States

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 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Open and distance learning; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; ICT – new technologies – digital competences

Project Summary

The present project was situated in the context of improving the capacity of new member states to use educational technology in order to innovate teaching and learning practices. The strategy to accomplish that was to increase competences with educational technology, target technological aspects of innovative learning methods; and address the difficulty of working educators to combine professional development with workplace commitments.

Such goals were fulfilled with 1) the successful development and implementation of two international blended one-year master’s programmes one at UT (Master in Educational Technology) and one at RTU (Master’s in E-Learning Technology), 2) their evaluation, 3) the composition of guidelines for conducting outreach usable by other similar programmes, 4) the creation and update of a platform in which to share materials that would encourage educators around the globe to study educational technology and/or deepen their knowledge and skills concerning the use of technology in education. The two master’s programmes were developed, implemented and evaluated with the assistance of experienced partner such as UU.

The master’s programme at UT was originally designed before the start of the project. At the end of the present project, three rounds have been completed. During the project the programme was further developed after every year taking into consideration the results of the evaluation and the suggestions made. Over the course of the three rounds, the number of students has constantly increased. Overall, 39 students enrolled in the master’s programme in the first three years – 9 in 2017, 11 in 2018, 18 in 2019. As of Sept 2020, 29 students completed successfully their studies, 2 dropped out and 8 are currently on an academic leave. Besides Europe, the Tartu master’s programme attracted students from Canada and the US, Mexico and Jamaica, Kenja, Egypt, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Cameroon, India, Pakistan, South Korea, Japan, Bangladesh.

The master’s programme at RTU was designed, successfully obtained the accreditation and it was implemented for the first time in the academic year 2019-2020. 8 students eventually enrolled in the programme. During the studies, 1 student dropped out, 4 decided to take an academic break, 3 students defended their master’s theses.

The platform that was created at the end of the first year provided the space for sharing online materials that were developed and tested during the different rounds of the two master’s programmes. The structure of the platform gave to the users an overview as to the types of materials that they could find as well as an idea of the different subtopics concerning educational technology as a practical discipline. While they were not organized as a course, the materials could provide a general overview of the main themes related to the use of technology in education as well as a practical guidance. The platform was also used to share the documentation generated by the project and advertise events related to the project as well as share the recordings of the same events.

Additionally, as part of the project, guidelines as to how to evaluate a blended master’s programme and how to promote it where compiled and used. The guidelines for outreach contain indications as to how to promote a master’s programme in the area of educational technology. The partners under the supervision of the University of Utrecht created and implemented guidelines as to how to conduct in-depth evaluation of an international master’s programme in the area of educational technology, in which particular attention should be given to the quality of learning and teaching, the use of digital technologies for distance education, the international class and the relationship between study and work. Additionally, the three reports issued at the end of each year are a valuable resource for other universities to implement a similar programme indicating upsides and downsides of a blended format, which turned out to be a fundamental importance during the pandemic.

The two master’s programmes along with the documentation described above contributed to the increase of the competences with educational technology in the Baltics, provided the environment for helping educators combine study and work and it created an international environment for both lecturers and students.

The long term benefits include the emergence of a community of learning and practice, which comprises both staff members of the three partners involved in the projects, former and present students from both master’s programmes. Proofs of that are 1) an online course was developed by the three partners and piloted in the master’s programme in educational Technology at the UT, 2) the inclusion of former students in the teaching activities in some of the online courses, 3) the exchange among the three partners beyond training occasions, 4) a podcast dedicated to educational technology.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 151113 Eur

Project Coordinator

TARTU ULIKOOL & Country: EE

Project Partners

• UNIVERSITEIT UTRECHT
• RIGAS TEHNISKA UNIVERSITATE