Travelling Through Time in Europe Erasmus Project

Project Title

Travelling Through Time in Europe

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 2014

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Teaching and learning of foreign languages; ICT – new technologies – digital competences; International cooperation, international relations, development cooperation

Project Summary

Our partnership is made up of 5 secondary schools from France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands. Our project is focused on education, innovation and the use of ICT supported learning and teaching. As stated in “Europe 2020” and “Rethinking Education” (EC, 2012) smart growth is essential by developing the new skills and competences required, if Europe is to be competitive. Schools have a strategic role in innovation and in preparing the new generations, who need higher level skills. The quality of teaching and learning is a key factor. ICT and OER will be essential tools in education, which will become more personalized, collaborative and informal. Our partnership used the opportunities of the digital revolution and new technologies to develop a unique online interactive Applied Game for European schools. The design and work on our Applied Game (AG) motivated teachers and students, enhanced the quality and relevance of education and improved learning outcomes.
The AG can be used by individual teachers/learners, by schools and groups of schools in one country, but the ultimate goal is that teachers and students from schools all over Europe will be able to cooperate, learn, communicate and compete within the game.
The content of our AG is based on “Travelling through time in Europe”. It gives the participants the opportunity to discover how Europe has developed and are challenged to play an active part in European future. Our project lasted three years and every year a new topic was added to the game. The time line of the game covers the ‘past, present and future’ and has the title: “Time Warp”. Groups of students from all partners competed to design a distinguish logo for the game.
Every year different students and teachers have worked on the AG in international groups. They set up an online community via eTwinning to get in touch and share ideas and materials. We used the necessary mobilities to bring students and teachers from our schools together to work collaboratively in international teams on the topics, content and rules of the game. “Time Warp” is an attractive AG that can be played without time-limits by students in the age of 12 – 15 years old. Competitors are challenged to learn more about all kind of topics of Europe in general but also of specific European countries. They also develop their reading, digital and language skills (English), problem solving competences and research skills on OER. To stimulate collaborative work there will be different tournaments with different levels of competition between an unlimited amount of European groups/classes/schools .
To make the Applied Game workable, of excellent quality and useful for all European schools we have had adequate support. Professor of Educational Sciences W. Admiraal (University of Leiden) was interested in our idea and has given support and advise for our partnership to make a successful Applied Game. For the technical and digital development of our game we have had the support of computer game enterprise ‘Stoneroos’ in The Netherlands.
In the long term we expect that “Time Warp” can grow to an Applied Game with European status and good possibilities for further developments in education.
TOPICS: Because we wanted the AG to be useful for many different fields of study (profiles) we have chosen various topics: 1st year, European History and Culture; 2nd year, Environmental challenges in Europe; 3rd year, Communication in Europe.
OBJECTIVES:
KNOWLEDGE:
STUDENTS learned more about Europe, its history, culture and environmental problems; about each other’s school system; about communication in foreign languages with the help of ICT; about socio-economic differences in the EU.
TEACHERS learned more about each other’s school systems; deepen their knowledge of Europe and the topics. They learned more about the potential of new technologies for education.
SKILLS:
STUDENTS of our partnership (13-15 years) are digital-born learners and were motivated to enhance their creative, problem solving and digital skills and competences as designers of a new game. They improved their ability to speak and write in English, the lingua franca of the project; developed their social skills by working in international groups and have adapted to different cultural habits; improved their ability to use ICT and OER for educational purposes.
TEACHERS improved their English; developed their social skills by working in international groups; improved their digital skills and ability to use ICT and OER for educational purposes; improved their budgeting, planning and organizing skills and upgraded their teaching abilities and professional profiles.
ATTITUDES: STUDENTS, TEACHERS & SCHOOL STAFF think positively about collaborating on an international scale; are more open to innovation and international orientation; are more aware of the importance of being responsible citizens, increased their European awareness and the feeling to be part of the EU.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 354845 Eur

Project Coordinator

OSG Gemini College & Country: NL

Project Partners

• Erich-Fried-Gesamtschule Wuppertal
• Collège Marthe Dupeyron
• Istituto Comprensivo Sassuolo 4° Ovest
• INSTITUTO DE EDUCACION SECUNDARIA LA VAGUADA