Virtual Reality based training to upskill VET Teachers and Trainers and foster inclusion of SEN Students in WBL Erasmus Project

Project Title

Virtual Reality based training to upskill VET Teachers and Trainers and foster inclusion of SEN Students in WBL

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 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Disabilities – special needs; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

CONTEXT/BACKGROUND
The upskilling of Teachers and Trainers competences for fostering INCLUSION has been identified as a high policy priority by the EU in the Council Recommendation on promoting common values and inclusive education (EC Com2018/23), by the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2016 Report on the right to inclusive education) and by the UN AGENDA 2030 for Sustainable Development (Goals 4 and 8). Moreover, the 2018 EC Report “Education and Special Needs: policies and practices in education, training and employment for students with special needs in the EU” confirms that to integrate SEN students in Education and Training, there is a need to prepare Teachers and Trainers to use digital and innovative tools, such as the Virtual Learning Environments (VLE). In the frame of VLE, the use of VIRTUAL REALITY (VR) is considered valuable and profitable for SEN students in initial VET when applied for facilitating their access to WBL at local and international/Mobility level.
VETREALITY represents a reply to the mentioned needs as it will provide the target group – VET Teachers/Trainers – the required digital competences for tackling this innovative change in the SEN students’ learning process.

MAIN OBJECTIVES
• Foster innovative learning approaches and methodologies and provide digital skills for teaching and training, as outlined in the EU Digital Education Action Plan (EU DigCompEdu/2017);
• Increase technological competences on VR applications and competences for facilitating SEN students’ access to WBL;
• Promote VR in the frame of Mobility as a mean to incentive the participation of SEN students and assure equity and inclusion in all VET environments.

NUMBER AND PROFILE OF PARTICIPANTS
IO1-VETREALITY e-Compendium: 70 VET Teachers/Trainers will be selected at EU level and 56 stakeholders/VR experts will be identified by partners to participate to the 2 foreseen focus groups;
IO2-VETREALITY Training Programme:
a) Short-term Joint Staff Training Event (Pilot 1): 14 VET Teachers/Trainers will be selected among partner organizations to participate in a 5-day LTTA session in Graz/AT;
b) National Pilots: 10 VET Teachers/Trainers per partner organization (70 at EU level) will participate to a 10-day training;
IO3-VETREALITY Mobility Tool Box: 10 VET Teachers/Trainers per partner organization (70 at EU level) will participate to a 2-day pilots testing.

ACTIVITIES AND METHODOLOGY
VETREALITY Project is developed with a multidisciplinary approach designed to achieve the project objectives and ensures the delivery of the planned results, by integrating the methodologies specific for the following activities:
• Management, including Quality Evaluation, Dissemination and Exploitation activities;
• Development of 3 IOs;
• Short-term Joint Staff Training Event in Graz/AT;
• 6 National Multiplier Events and 1 Final Conference in Campobasso/IT.
The activities are strictly interconnected, verifiable and preparatory to the next, with the progressive involvement of the beneficiaries and a clear and transparent division of work and roles according to partners’ expertise.

VETREALITY will have the following RESULTS:
• IO1: raising VET Teachers and Trainers’ awareness and knowledge on the best available VR applications to be used for facilitating the learning process of SEN students aimed at their smooth access to WBL (focus groups and collection of VR existing tools);
• IO2: developing a training programme to provide the target group with knowledge, skills and competences needed for integrating VR technology into own teaching and training methods aimed at supporting SEN students’ access to WBL (EU and NA training programme and testing);
• IO3: promoting SEN students’ involvement in Mobility, facilitating their integration thanks to VR technology and applications;
• providing a sustainable model to other organizations and stakeholders at local/NA/EU level, interested in supplying innovative competences to teaching and training staff and fostering the use of VR in learning for supporting SEN students in the frame of WBL.
In addition to the 3 core Intellectual Outputs VETREALITY will develop further results necessary to achieve its objectives in terms of sustainability: Communication and Dissemination Strategy and Quality Management Handbook and reports.

VETREALITY will have an extended IMPACT on:
• Direct participants (VET Teachers and Trainers) will acquire digital skills and innovative tools to foster an INCLUSIVE approach in the fields of WBL and MOBILITY;
• SEN students will increase their participation to WBL and Mobility programmes;
• Partner organizations will integrate the training programme in their curriculum and replicate it to reach more professionals;
• Stakeholders and Associated Partners will access a wide range of materials in various languages thanks to the project website available for 5 years after the project end, ensuring a sustainable EU network of stakeholders in the field.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 325000 Eur

Project Coordinator

CO&SO – CONSORZIO PER LA COOPERAZIONE E LA SOLIDARIETA’-CONSORZIO DI COOPERATIVE SOCIALI-SOCIETA’ COOPERATTIVA SOCIALE & Country: IT

Project Partners

• Cork Education and Training Board
• INSTITUT NATIONAL SUPERIEUR DE FORMATION ET DE RECHERCHE POUR L’EDUCATION DES JEUNES HANDICAPES ET LES ENSEIGNEMENTS ADAPTES
• Reattiva – Regione Europa Attiva
• Auxilium pro Regionibus Europae in Rebus Culturalibus
• DANMAR COMPUTERS SP ZOO
• Tolosako Inmakulada Ikastetxea S.Coop.