Self-learning resources for informal childminders Erasmus Project

Project Title

Self-learning resources for informal childminders

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 vocational education and training

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2016

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Open and distance learning; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Inclusion – equity

Project Summary

Context/background of the project
Research in partner countries and recognition in most EU nations have highlighted a particular training and professional need, linked to early childhood care and education outside school and institutional contexts.
The available learning pathways, programmes and resources for informal childminders are not adequate to enable them to develop the necessary skills and provide childcare in an informal context like home, at the necessary quality and professional standards, thus closing the gap with the formal provision of early education & care. For this reason, it seems important to design and organise a free and easy access training course, especially for informal workers, useful to provide children with high-quality services and to enable people who would otherwise be excluded from academic or institutional education to find work in the world of early childhood care and assistance.
Objectives
The objectives of the project were related to the implementation of a system of professionalisation for formal and informal childminders, across the social spectrum. In particular, the partners sought both to improve the access of informal childminders to training, developing open educational resources tailored to their needs, and to introduce a modern training delivery method, enabling learners to follow flexible learning pathways as regards the acquisition of skills relevant to early childhood care in an informal context.
The consortium, through the materials and the designed accompanying pathway, has allowed municipalities, VET providers and associations of disadvantaged groups to offer courses for informal childminders open to their citizens, learners and members.
Sustainability of project results has been assured through the active involvement of public VET providers, social organisations and municipalities in the partnership countries.
Number and profile of participating organisations
The partnership comprises 5 organisations from 5 countries (Italy, Greece, Ireland, Slovakia and Spain), from the worlds of VET, research, learning innovation and disadvantaged groups’ representation. University of Macerata (UNIMC) and FLORIDA University bring significant experience in developing high-quality educational resources for informal childminders that work with children aged 0-6 years, in research in the ECEC field, and on training provision for the sector’s staff. ECI (Early Childhood Ireland) has experience in training informal childminders and offering quality experiences for young children and their families in their settings. PROMEA (Greece) brings expertise in research methodologies design and implementation, and in innovative learning solutions focused on professional skills. NCRP (Slovakia) has extensive knowledge of VET courses for disadvantaged learners and families.
Description of undertaken main activities
During the projects have been implemented both the analysis of current and future training needs, in order to develop learning outcomes updated and tailored to informal childminders needs, and the development of learning units, learning and assessment materials to be offered online as OERs in a comprehensive VET programme in informal childminding. A free MOOC has been developed from these resources to promote the adoption of innovative practices in VET.
A set of knowledge resources and tools for course providers was designed to facilitate running and dissemination of the course.
The municipalities, NGOs, associations of disadvantaged were involved to promote the adoption of ChildInMind knowledge resources and online course: projects outputs were shared through multiplier events, inviting target groups to uptake ChildInMInd results and act as disseminators
Results and impact attained
The results of the project, in terms of materials and resources produced, are five free and downloadable online learning modules, concerning the professional profile and the main competencies that a childminder must have: 1) Childminding: roles and responsibilities; 2) Working with young children and their families: attitudes and approach; 3) Promoting home safety for children; 4) The importance of play for children; 5) An Anti-BIAS approach. Furthermore, an open-access MOOC, in self-learning, for the training of the Childminders; an e-book for the trainer, accessible also offline and from mobile devices; a manual for the organization of the course by subjects who want to include it in their vocational training offer and some materials for dissemination and promotion of the course, including an online tool from which to download materials and resources
All materials are available in 5 languages (English, Italian, Greek, Spanish, Slovakian).
Long-term benefits
The course will be available free of charge for all institutions and associations that wish to include it in their training offer. The CC free license allows the course contents to be modified and adapted, citing authors of the materials.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 373512 Eur

Project Coordinator

UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI MACERATA & Country: IT

Project Partners

• HELLENIC SOCIETY FOR THE PROMOTION OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT METHODOLOGIES ASTIKI ETAIRIA
• FLORIDA CENTRE DE FORMACION SOCIEDAD COOPERATIVA
• Narodne centrum pre rovnost prilezitosti
• ECCE & PLAY EARLY CHILDHOOD IRELAND