Technical Innovation in Blended Learning Erasmus Project

Project Title

Technical Innovation 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 : Strategic Partnerships for vocational education and training

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Quality Assurance; Open and distance learning; ICT – new technologies – digital competences

Project Summary

The project developed VET and C-VET training materials and courses design for trainers in formal and in non-formal education. These courses and support materials use Blended Learning as a technology-enhanced method and focus on the use of multiple devices throughout the learning process (as used by the trainees in everyday life). The innovation in our project consists of the implementation of a trainee-focused pedagogical framework based on heutagogy, the development of an all-encompassing quality enhancement framework (including also the pedagogy) and the approach to the diversity of various technical equipment (multiple devices). The project is complementary to a Grundtvig Multilateral project by transferring the theoretical developed outputs to a practical implementation in a different (but similar in many aspects) educational sector.

The project combines knowledge and experience from VET training institutions with the research and innovation potential of universities. The applicant, Fundación SAFA, is an important Spanish school foundation focusing on school and vocational education, both face-to-face and online;, EFQBL is a VET and trainers education organisation; DigiLab from the University La Sapienza and the University of Aveiro are specialised in innovation in technology-enhanced training and the related pedagogy; SADE is a specialist in Distance Learning and quality enhancement frameworks. These participants ensure a consortium well-distributed in Europe, with complementary expertise in the fields developed in this project.

The activities performed are the development, implementation, performance and evaluation of pilot courses in C-VET, the programming of a supporting software tool for trainers, the implementation of a training course for trainers to learn about the new techniques and the creation of a transferability and evaluation guide for the use of the developed outputs.
The four products or intellectual outputs are two special pilot courses fitting to the needs of the two training institutions SAFA and EFQBL using the tools described above; a new developed (web-based) software tool “Trainer’s Toolbox”, a trainers’ training course (implemented as a MOOC on a Moodle server) and a transferability guide.

The methodology used starts from ad is inspired in the analysis of the existing needs and the study carried out about the technical background. In a well-planned cooperation and experience exchange process the pedagogical framework is created (based on heutagogy) and the concepts of the Blended Learning courses. Supervised pilot courses (in a SME in Austria and C-VET course in Spain) are used for evaluation of the findings and processed for necessary amendment. The gained experience is compiled to the two trainer aids (Trainer’s Toolbox and MOOC). The transferability guide is created from the training experience by using the education field specific competences of the partners.

The project results impact to the trainer community in Europe providing innovative and modern training (based on Blended Learning and including workplace-based training) with a technology-enhanced approach to training based on the use of multiple digital devices by the learners.

The training institutions will use the new developed methodology implemented in practical courses as their future approach to offer courses for training in C-VET education (focusing on not hands-on based learning content). The close connection to other VET training organisations will offer the practical passing of the developed methodology and tool and the further use in these organisations. The developed outcomes have a longer lasting lifetime if they are adopted to the change of the technical devices.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 128403 Eur

Project Coordinator

FUNDACIÓN ESCUELAS PROFESIONALES DE LA SAGRADA FAMILIA & Country: ES

Project Partners

• EUROPEAN FOUNDATION FOR QUALITY INBLENDED LEARNING
• Swedish Association for Distance Education (SADE)
• UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI ROMA LA SAPIENZA
• UNIVERSIDADE DE AVEIRO