SMART – Science, Maths and Relevant Technology Erasmus Project

Project Title

SMART – Science, Maths and Relevant Technology

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 school education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2015

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: International cooperation, international relations, development cooperation; Entrepreneurial learning – entrepreneurship education; Research and innovation

Project Summary

Five countries worked together to develop transversal skills to strengthen teaching professions. Our aims were to improve the teaching of Science, Maths and Technology. Background factors were a) declining interest among students b) a not uncommon lack of ability to pull through demanding courses and subjects in secondary school to qualify for Uni and career in the field. We shared the belief that varied ways of delivering knowledge and skill content to learners would be beneficial and that educators need input to enhance students learning and results.

We worked to a) catch the interest for Science, Maths and Technology in those to choose a pathway in education and b) continually fed the interest by challenging our students as they need inspiration to choose this route also at Uni level. We encouraged teachers and students by working together between countries, thus exemplifying the idea of transnational collaboration to nurture entrepreneurial citizens who will pursue their aspirations in the field instead of dropping out. We identified a need of more real world learning aka applied learning and thematic lessons connected to live experimentation. Once at the go, we had teachers use ICT to update, develop and deepen their own Best Practice.

Objectives: a) strengthen teaching professions b) increase teaching quality through mobility and cross-border cooperation c) develop transferable skills and inspire entrepreneurial learning, international cooperation for the benefit of staff and student participants’ development, which – in its turn – would rub off on our teaching teams, departments and senior management thus creating a positive cycle in school leading to students enjoying a more varied teaching enhancing their learning.

Partners
Five schools and a multimedia company. An international research centre took on the role of supporting partner
• Alytus Kolegija – a university of applied sciences in Alytus, Lithuania, with students in the highest level of education
• Lycée Charles Baudelaire, an upper secondary school in Annecy, France, of only theoretical/academic studies – in terms of student age alike the
• Coordinating Swedish school Bromangymnasiet, but the two represent different educational traditions and backgrounds.
• Two secondary and upper secondary schools in Devon, England, of which one is rural – Tavistock College – and the other is a city school – Devonport High School for Boys. Both schools have had students join project activities across age groups to give the SMART project its full span age wise from secondary to university level.
• Alén Multimedia, based in Coruna, Spain, run by former teachers focusing on more diverse learning using ICT facilities to develop education in the digital era.
• We also need to mention here the support of our affiliated (silent) partner – the international organisation CERN.

Activities
SMART platform – the creation of a pedagogical platform for teachers to consult and contribute to. (O1)
SMART Digital Guide – Best Practice shared for others to try. The Digital Guide’s interactive face caters for feedback for further development and advise adjustment to users. Partners worked continually on trying and improving a range of thematic lessons across areas of Science, Maths and Technology.
SMART sharing and trying each other’s ways of teaching. We tried partners’ Best Practice and added commentary on results and suggestions for development, partly to strengthen the link to context and external collaboration. (O3)
SMART Report published on the platform in collaboration with CERN (O4)
SMART Weeks – a film produced to exemplify what international collaboration to promote hands-on learning and transferable skills can look like between schools. Partners’ teachers and students met in real life to network, build common ground and inspire one another (O6, C1, C2)
SMART Report on Physics Course: our Lithuanian partner visited CERN to update knowledge, improve networking and to establish a collaboration with CERN. (O7, C4)

Results and impact other than expanded network between people and countries:
• A more active involvement of students and teachers in the learning/teaching process. Students and teachers working together aware of transferable skills and developing these actively. The method of learning by doing was used in the most efficient way leaving lasting impact on syllabi planning. Teachers of mutual or different subjects plan together for their students’ learning
• Digital Guide offers greater variation of how student knowledge can be obtained
• Obtained understanding of progression between stages of education
• The digital guide provides many examples of hands-on learning that has worked as a mind-opener to many teachers and to school management
• External links with companies, consortia and other education centres as well as ways to collaborate with these are an important result and impact

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 178307 Eur

Project Coordinator

Bromangymnasiet & Country: SE

Project Partners

• ALYTAUS KOLEGIJA
• Lycée Charles Baudelaire
• ALEN MULTIMEDIA SLL
• Devonport High School for Boys Academy Trust
• Tavistock College