Programming a green future – innovation, technology and research for fostering a sustainable development on an European level Erasmus Project

Project Title

Programming a green future – innovation, technology and research for fostering a sustainable development on an European level

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 : School Exchange Partnerships

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Research and innovation; Environment and climate change

Project Summary

In recent times, the educational sector has seen changes in the demands posed by the ever-changing world we live in. New technologies, globalization and climate change have introduced different opportunities and challenges to teachers and students alike. So, the question arises of how to adapt teaching and training to these new demands. In this light, the proposed project aims at linking the spheres of education and technology on an European level, to encourage all parties involved to make personal and professional progress in different fields relevant in addressing the challenges of the 21st century.
With regard to the objectives of the project, it can be said that professionalization, internationalization and sustainability are the key aims. Not only the Austrian Federal Constitution explicitly states that Austrian schools are required to ensure the highest possible level of education for their students, also the mission statement of the section for Vocational and Adult Education of the BMBWF explicitly highlights the importance of internationalization. Generally speaking, graduates of vocational schools, especially technical and commercial schools, are characterized by a high level of employability and are therefore hardly threatened by unemployment. In order to maintain these positive prospects in the future, and to take measures against the increasing number of early school leavers, it is vital to further develop teaching, training and learning in the light of professionalization, internationalization and sustainability at Austrian schools.
Via the project proposed, the participants will not only make progress on a personal level. More so, they will benefit from an increased sense of belonging to the European community, while at the same time, becoming more familiar with working in culturally diverse and multilingual teams. Furthermore, through the exchange of experience and know-how between the teachers, trainers and students, the potential of European collaboration, as well as the social capital of each person involved, will be stressed. By means of connecting participants with representatives from the fields of education, training and industry, it will be aimed at improving the key competences and strategies relevant in today’s labor market, while similarly, enhancing linguistic and intercultural diversity.
In order to achieve the project’s aims and objectives, the project is designed to foster problem-solving skills and innovation through an international collaboration, supported by an innovative learning and teaching environment that stresses digital technology, networked actions and cooperative learning. The overarching theme of the project will be sustainability and designing a green city of the future, involving all aspects relevant to societies of the future: means of transport, energy production, building and communal living. To specify, the project has a 4 broad key actions. First, there will be a preparatory exchange of trainers/teachers, in order to specify tasks and modes to be used in the first competition week. Next, the first competition week will take place. In mixed groups, students from Austria and Portugal will work on 2 tasks. The first being a robotic challenge, including programming a robot built from LEGO parts, based on the First Lego League, which will be evaluated according to the FLL rulebook. The second task involves creative and innovative problem-solving of a research task, which will be afterwards presented to the board. The third key action involves another exchange of trainers/teachers for preparatory purposes of competition week two. Then, the second competition week will take place, with a similar set-up as competition week 1, only that now, the groups get a task that will build upon the first challenge posed. In sum, 8 teachers and approx. 100 students of four different schools will participate. The pupils, aged between 14 to 16, are student of technical schools and have already learned the basic skills needed to solve the task (e.g. programming & business related skills). The participants will be divided into mixed groups from 4 different schools, and will compete against each other in solving the tasks.
By using the universal LEGO parts and a simple program language, students can create their own robot and find creative and unique solutions. The advantage of this is that possible errors or failures in the working designs can be corrected easily, which ensures a working environment without stress and frustration that stimulates creativity and innovation.
We expect two results. Firstly, innovative, new products that solve the tasks presented, together with a complete documentation including research documents, a Project Management report and a business plan. We will exhibit all the products on eTwinning, on the Erasmus+ Results platform and our websites. Secondly, all involved people will make personal and professional progress on various levels.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 164759 Eur

Project Coordinator

HTL Mödling & Country: AT

Project Partners

• ENSINUS – Estudos Técnicos e Profissionais SA
• HTL Hollabrunn
• Real Academia de Portugal, S.A.
• Höhere Technische Bundes-Lehr- und Versuchsanstalt Bregenz