Practising Transnational Politics in Blended Learning Erasmus Project

Project Title

Practising Transnational Politics in Blended 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 : 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: International cooperation, international relations, development cooperation; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Open and distance learning

Project Summary

United Nations Model Games (MUN) is a worldwide practice of simulations in which participants take on the role of an international delegate in a simulated committee of the United Nations (UN). Against this backdrop, the goal of Practising Transnational Politics in Blended Learning (PATRAPO) is to contribute to the international MUN community by developing open access transnational teaching kits and a handbook for a two-semester series of online blended learning seminars that train students for the participation in MUNs. To do this, PATRAPO builds on a cooperation of three European Universities and a Canadian associate partner university for training for MUNs. For the time being, neither such a transnational structure nor such teaching kits and handbooks exist.
The partner universities are Fulda University of Applied Sciences, Autonomous University Madrid, Zagreb University and, as an associate partner, MacEwan University Edmonton. The partners all have previous experience both in MUN model games and in EU projects and can build on previous MUN activities. The advantages of such a joint structure are the mutual support, the possible synergy effects, a widening of the respective horizons to different input and experiences, and last not least a development and implementation of best practice teaching kits as well as a joint grading scheme. Besides it furthers intra-European relations and fosters EU values. Based on their individual experiences, the partners will jointly develop, establish and implement the following elements and aim at the following results, to be carried out in a yearly rhythm:
a) a teaching kit for preparative joint blended MUN training seminars (including work in small groups and virtual seminar sessions; 1st semester of each academic year) at all participating institutions, including: teaching curricula, seminar plans, active-learning methodology, material, content, explanation, organization, training video collection (accessible on the project website). We aim to teach 30 students per semester.
b) a teaching kit for joint blended MUN (including delegation work in small groups and a virtual MUN; 2nd semester of each academic year), including: procedure, technical solutions, organizational advice, and detailed description of “how-to” (accessible on the project website). We aim to teach 30 students per semester.
c) a handbook including a manual (intellectual property of the partners) and user advice for third parties for the two teaching kits. The handbook will be made available open access on the project website.
d) a project website to provide information on the project, the ongoing process and the teaching kits as well as the open access handbook with manual.
e) four intensive staff trainings for blended MUN seminars for applying these facilities: the project is a learning system including further training for teachers. We plan four staff trainings with two participants from Fulda UAS, two participants from UAM Madrid and one participant from UNIZG at the beginning of each semester.
f) intensive study programmes to attend life MUN (if pandemic allows it, if not, in a big virtual MUN). At least 30 students should participate per year.
g) until the end of the project, the blended MUN seminars shall be implemented as permanent elective courses in all participating institutions and a joint ECTS grading scheme established.
The project aims at permanently establishing the new seminar series and the cooperation of the participating universities and build appropriate infrastructures in order to provide long-term benefits with respect to student competencies and the quality of the participating universities. Partners will establish a joint ECTS grading scheme. All students will obtain ECTS credits according to the institutional demands at each partners’ university and study program for participating in the MUN seminars. The joint blended MUN training seminars at all participating institutions will be maintained after the end of the EU funding as a fixed part of the partners’ study programmes and teaching activities. A project website will be set up by the partners and include a project description of PATRAPO, the ongoing process, results and links to the two teaching kits as well as the handbook including a manual and user advice for third parties for the two teaching kits. The website will be continued and updated after the end of the EU funding by the partners. In order to organise the seminar series, the regular exchanges in online meetings of the partners will also continue. The project PATRAPO will connect not only the faculty members but also students of the participating universities and thus build a basis for further exchange and collaboration.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 282219 Eur

Project Coordinator

HOCHSCHULE FULDA-UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES & Country: DE

Project Partners

• UNIVERSIDAD AUTONOMA DE MADRID
• SVEUCILISTE U ZAGREBU