Belgium
Digital Literacy 2.0
This project follows a train-the-trainer and qualify-the-users approach. It sets out to develop and implement training programmes for staff in non-formal learning settings such as Public Libraries, community centres and care centres. Once they are trained, these staff members will enable new users of the Internet to develop skills and knowledge needed to make full and safe use of the World Wide Web as both users of content and creators of online content.
With DLit2.0 we aim to...
- enable adult education staff in Europe for the provision of ICT-Training courses.
- enable learning distant adults to make use of Web 2.0 for acquiring knowledge and participating in social life in an autonomous, confident and critical manner.
- promote the key competence Digital Literacy for continuing education among poorly educated adults.
- encourage and stimulate collaboration between educational and social organisations and promote professional exchange and cooperation on European level in lifelong learning for marginalised and disadvantaged citizens in general.
- enhance the use of ICT for lifelong learning.
- stimulate the dialogue on the training of the trainers in non-formal and informal education in Europe.
We will work towards these aims by implementing a two-step strategy based on a structured curriculum and learning materials which can be used in non-formal learning settings.
European Conference: Towards a European Quality label for ICT industry training and certifications
Since the financial crisis began to hit labour markets in 2008, Europe has lost more than 5.6 million jobs. In its Communication “Towards a job-rich recovery” the European Commission states that “recovering this lost ground is only possible if the EU returns to sustained economic growth, which in turn requires European industries and services to retain or regain international competitiveness. In this respect, the capability of industry and services to compete and evolve is becoming increasingly dependent on the innovative and effective use of information and communication technologies (ICT).
Despite high levels of unemployment, ICT skills shortages have been identified. The mismatch between skills available and the needs of the labour markets concern all Member States, but affect them to varying degrees. Remarkably the demand for ICT practitioners continues to grow by around 3% a year, with labour demand outstripping the supply. Depending on the scenario to become reality there could be up to several 100,000 vacancies by 2015 unless more is done to direct more young people into computing degrees and retrain unemployed people.
In this context industry-based training and certification is part of the solution to reduce skills shortages and mismatches and thereby unemployment in general. However, we are currently faced with some strong inhibitors and constraints to make this happen. Starting a career as ICT practitioner or advancing a career towards those areas of highest demand is constrained by the fact that the ICT certification world remains un-transparent with thousands of different certificates, ranging from technical ones (almost every ICT provider offers some), those offered by foundations in information management to high end certificates. Moreover they seem to live in a parallel universe to that of vocational and higher education.
The lack of transparency and quality labelling is a challenge to human resources departments in their (cross-border) recruitment processes and curricula developers interested in providing side entries for interested individuals and organisations, but most of all to small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) searching for talent and very importantly also to ICT practitioners currently lacking orientation and guidance in deciding on and taking their next career step.
Progress towards solutions
Several European initiatives, involving in particular the CEN Workshop on ICT Skills, have been trying to address this issue by developing standards for competences (European e-Competence Framework) and ICT job profiles. The results of the project to be presented at this conference constitute a further step towards guidance and orientation through the certification world. Using the European e-Competence Framework it developed a European e-skills quality label, services and tools to foster transparency and guidance towards quality in the market of industry-based training and certification as it
- Provides means to distinguish different types of certification and training (by quality labels and industry-based certification and training courses against the e-Competence Framework),
- Collected and disseminated empirical information and evidence about demand and supply of e-skills in Europe to provide interested parties with an overview of areas with high demand for e-skills to better match e-skills demand and supply,
- Provides a service and tool for focused further development and certification of one’s own e-skills or those of staff members to support better job placement and recruitment in companies. For this purpose a prototype of an online landscape, self-assessment tool and web portal is offered to stakeholders interested in the further development and enhancement of the prototype towards a fully-fledged service for operation in the job placement, recruitment, e-skills further development and certification market.
At the conference leading stakeholders will discuss how industry-based training and certification can contribute to reduce ICT skills shortages and unemployment. Solutions for achieving greater clarity and orientation support through the ICT education and training landscape together with latest data on ICT skills demand and supply developments and forecasts (2012 – 2020) will be presented. Possible interactions with employment agencies and recruitment / staffing industry will be shown.
A proposal for a pan-European quality label together with criteria, processes and structures for ICT industry training and certification will be presented. The first prototype of an online support tool for ICT practitioners and stakeholders such as human resources managers will be demonstrated. These will allow stakeholders to better anticipate e-skills needs in EU labour markets and put them in a position to swiftly act upon. Recommendations for actions and governance will mark the end of the conference.
Strategies for Assessment of Inquiry Learning in Science
The aim of this project is to support teachers in adopting an inquiry approach in teaching science at second level (students aged 12-18 years) across Europe.
This will be achieved by utilising existing resources and models for teacher education in IBSE, both pre-service and in-service. In addition to SAILS partners adopting IBSE curricula and implementing teacher education in their countries, the SAILS project will develop appropriate strategies and frameworks for the assessment of IBSE skills and competences and prepare teachers not only to be able to teach through IBSE, but also to be confident and competent in the assessment of their students‟ learning. Through this unified approach of implementing all the necessary components for transforming classroom practice, i.e. teacher education, curriculum and assessment around an IBSE pedagogy, a sustainable model for IBSE will be achieved. SAILS will provide teacher education workshops in IBSE across the twelve participating countries and promote a self-sustaining model encouraging teachers to share experiences and practice of inquiry approaches to teaching, learning and assessment by building a community of practice.
“SAILS aims to prepare teachers, not only to be able to teach through Inquiry Based Science methods but also to be confident and competent in the assessment of their students’ learning.”
A European approach
The SAILS consortium consists of thirteen partner organisations, including universities, SMEs and a multi-national organisation, from across twelve European countries. The strength of this consortium lies in its vast experience and expertise in the areas of science education, teacher training and resource development for teaching, learning and assessment.
By using a pan-European approach, SAILS will ensure that the diverse practices built up in each country can be analysed and shared, resulting in the development of models of best practice. These can be used not only in all the consortium countries but will also be available for other countries to adopt. This European approach raises the standard for everyone by encouraging national implementation, and by extending and promoting innovation in science teaching and learning in the classroom.
“The long-term aim is to generate a greater interest in science subjects at school, improve the take-up of science at third level and thereby increase the number of skilled graduates for employment in science and technology in Europe”.
Technology Enhanced Learning Livinglab for Manufacturing Environments
The TELL-ME project (Technology Enhanced Learning Livinglab for Manufacturing Environments) aims to develop and trial in authentic contexts (SME-driven human-centric and service-oriented manufacturing workplaces) an innovative cross-enterprise methodology and IT platforms for continuous education and training in heterogeneous business ecosystems, blending Precision Teaching (PT) lifelong learning and Living Lab (LL) participative co-creation aspects in ways that can address more business needs than traditional training
This responds to several EU 2020 Strategy indicated in several Flagship Initiatives like "An Agenda for new skills and jobs", "An industrial policy for the globalisation era", "Innovation Union" and "Digital Agenda for Europe" and summarised in the two questions below:
- How can SMEs blue collar workers in less advanced industrial sectors keep the pace of innovation of technologically advanced ones?
- How can TEL-based training be positioned and improved, in order to have more impact on industrial sectors' innovation and resilience?
Five main challenges have been identified as fingerprints of the TELL-ME proposal:
- Human-centred manufacturing and the increasing need to consider human factors and workers wellbeing in the production processes;
- Service oriented Manufacturing and its increasing need to open, breed and govern globalised business ecosystems;
- Learning Ecosystems are the new frontier of collaborative value networks on a global and cross-sector market;
- Living Labs of SMEs and their need to constantly develop business-technical-social-market innovation via co-creation and inspirational environments;
- Learning at the Workplace and its need for fast, punctual and personalized life-long learning that takes account of fluency-driven approaches to training, and trends in using TEL and OER for self-regulated learning.
European Conference on Quality in VET Practices and lessons learnt from successful EQAVET implementation at national level
In 2010, the EACEA issued a call for proposals “to support national projects for the development of a national approach to improve the quality assurance of vocational education and training systems by promoting and developing the use of the European quality assurance reference framework in vocational education and training (EACEA/09/2010). ”Five pilot projects were selected. These projects tested EQAVET as an instrument to promote a shared culture of quality assurance.
For their testing, the projects chose to target different systemic levels:. The projects mostly focused on national contexts of initial VET and continuous professional development. The projects were expected to develop original approaches to Quality Assurance by adopting the EQAVET framework. Consequently, they had to do stocktaking and description of existing practices and current initiatives, design, develop and implement Quality Assurance at the chosen level, use, implement and maintain of tools and methodologies, design a broad and specific communication campaign and establish lasting stakeholders relations.
Making an inventory of results and outcomes
The projects approached EQAVET from a wide perspective. They have prepared stocktaking and inventory reports, manuals for quality assurance, curricula and certification process for quality managers, communication strategy for involving stakeholders in Quality assurance and Guidelines. These documents contribute to a growing of the amount of needed information, innovative examples and guidelines on the implementation of EQAVET at different systemic levels (institutional, VET providers and schools).
The projects also tested their approach and tools towards developments and combinations of the existing quality cultures . The work of the pilot projects was a crucial opportunity to get stakeholders on board on quality issues at a larger scale.
Aims of the conference
The conference will host 150 persons bringing together representatives of the national ministries, stakeholders (social partners, VET providers, sectoral representatives, industries VET learners and chambers) and multipliers (Lifelong learning programme National Agencies).
The main aims of the conference are to
- Offer an overview of the results of the work of the EQAVET projects;
- Share methods and tools elaborated by the projects;
- Take stock of the common challenges;
- Reflect on the needs for further development of EQAVET.
The outcomes of the conference will be presented in detail in the next issue of the EQAVET projects Newsletter in February 2013
IMPLEMENT
IMPLEMENT is a package of on-line learning materials for professionals working in University Lifelong Learning (ULLL). And it's all FREE!
From “rhetoric to practice“ to “make LLL a reality“. This aim remains a key priority on the European policy agenda while offering crucial challenges in professional practice for all educational institutions and stakeholders. But how can universities do justice to their responsibility and role as “important social actors contributing to the better integration of adult learners, in particular through the recognition of informal and non-formal learning”? How could universities be supported “to invest more in services for learners” and to “better use their partnerships and effectively communicate the results of their cooperative activities”? How can they become truly LLL universities?
The highly praised results of the BeFlex Plus project made clear recommendations in response to these questions and produced excellent training materials as a valuable learning resource targeted at university staff and their partners and stakeholders – both actual and potential - to reflect on their institutional situation, to develop action plans, and to IMPLEMENT changes. The materials cover 5 key topics:
- Exploring Diversity in University Lifelong Learning
- Implementing Institutional Change
- Curriculum in Partnership
- Regional Collaboration and Partnership in University Lifelong Learning
- Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)
Over 2 years (January 2011 to December 2012) the IMPLEMENT project aims to further disseminate and actively exploit the results of the BeFlex Plus project. The approach is based on the idea that the potential for transfer and implementation is strongest when key partners are supported to act as multipliers, to adapt and to work with the materials according to their own needs and the specifics of their home university and national context. The objectives are:
- to add value to the existing training materials on the 5 topics by adapting them to national needs, using them in real training at institutional, national and transnational events, and
- to develop and deliver an online version of each topic in order to provide a sustainable and dynamic solution for the longer term exploitation of the learning resources and best practice examples.
At the end of this Year 1, the results achieved are:
- the materials adapted and piloted at institutional events in 4 countries
- 6 new case studies prepared and used as resources in these sessions
- transnational workshops held in Genoa (IT)
- checklists prepared for engaging learners and for using case studies in training
- a first draft of the on-line version of one of the topics – RPL – presented in a transnational event (Genoa, IT) and feedback obtained
- dissemination presentations made in international settings (Granada (ES) and Genoa (IT) and leaflets distributed widely
- the public website for dissemination that you are visiting now
- an internal management site for the development of the on-line tools set up on moodle
In Year 2, we plan to:
- hold a further institutional event will be held in the University of Graz (AT)
- develop all 5 topics in on-line versions that will be sustainable
- deliver a face-to-face workshop on the topic of Curriculum in partnership and present a draft of the on-line version of the topic Regional development at a trans-sectoral event in Graz in May 2012
- deliver all 5 topics in face-to-face and on-line versions in a transnational event in Malta in early November 2012
- undertake full-scale dissemination using a range of tools including social networking
CARER+ - Developing Digital Competences of Care Workers to Improve the Quality of Life of Older People
An interdisciplinary and international team of 14 institutions launched the Carer+ project earlier this year for care-workers all around Europe. The project identifies and enhances ICT competences of care-workers who support elderly persons at home - anticipating a new and vital role for care workers. Introducing new, easy-to-use internet-based technology tools for elderly, in the next 2 years scientific research, a competence framework, curriculum and training tools in theory and practice, training for trainers and policy exchange visits as well as an open online learning space and community for care-workers will be put in place to realise the challenging aims of the project.
In today’s social care systems in most European countries, it is possible to receive the care needed at home, especially if one suffers from multiple chronic illnesses. Europe battles with an aging society and with the financial crisis holding a firm grip on European economy, it becomes increasingly crucial to take a close look on social care systems in place. For many elderly citizens the transition to a life in need of care is accompanied by lack of qualified caregivers, an absence of basic services such as transportation, no access to appropriate housing, and loneliness. Recent research has shown that a growing number of older people can be encouraged to use online services, and that modern ICTs and AAL (Ambient Assisted Living) technologies can radically change their lives. The key mediator between technology and ever-day life of elderly people are the domiciliary care-workers.
CARER+ is there to care for care-workers. It will create a unique a list of ICT knowledge and skill-based competences for domiciliary care workers with related certification process for digital competences of care-workers. Based on this framework and non-formal hard and soft skills, a special learning environment and resources will be put in place and disseminated. To make sure, the CARER+ framework works in real-life conditions, the project will pilot its framework and methodology in 5 countries with 500 care-workers. Following the lessons learned during the pilot phase, a complete set of guidelines will be developed to ensure transferability for all areas of the field. News and updates on project events and activities will be continuously shared on the web, on social online platforms and at events.
Details of on the project can be found at the project website: http://www.carerplusproject.eu/
EU aPLaNet project nominated for a global Edublogs award - please vote
The EU transversal aPLaNet project, has been nominated for a global Edublogs award. This is a great opportunity for the dissemination of aPLaNet but also for the whole LLP programme in gaining global recognition of the work that is going on, at a European level, in education.
You can help by voting.
You can vote for aPLaNet here (social networking category) http://edublogawards.com/vote-here/
Holistic Approach to Technology Enhanced Learning
Many studies on the role of ICT as a catalyst to change learning scenarios have failed to grasp relevant developments because they were working on the ground of a given set of technology options and codified learning models. If the areas of implicit, tacit and informal learning are not taken into consideration there is little chance to discover fundamentally new forms of learning through ICT.
The HOTEL Support Action aims to contribute to more effective, holistic and faster innovation cycles in European TEL, by increasing quality at the level of the cycle itself and of the different phases foreseen, that can be replicated in the future. Taking inspiration from the "Deming Cycle" model (Plan/Do/Check/Act) the HOTEL project focuses on the design, testing and validation of a new innovation working method for TEL (the HOTEL Innovation Cycle).
The most important element of impact of the HOTEL project will be:
- To establish a sustainable and replicable working paradigm (the HOTEL Innovation Cycle) to identify new models of learning through ICT, analyse the specific elements of innovation, assess the potential impact at the micro (technology-learning), meso (organizational-learning) and macro-level (policy); present results of the analysis and assessment to a community of innovators, researchers, decision makers; collect the results of field-test and in-depth contextualized proof-of-concept activities;
- Set up three Learning Exploratorium Labs (one in higher education, one in a corporate setting, one within an international professional network focused on eLearning quality) where the Innovation Cycle can be tested and validated and that will represent a contribution to the European Innovation Partnership for TEL.
The focus of the support action is on adult learners and the ways they use or might use ICT to learn as a structured and fully organized activity, but also as a side effect of work and personal development in many fields.
Invitation to E-ViEW webinar series on work-based learning in December
On behalf of the E-ViEW project team who have been actively engaged in the development of a European Virtual Campus aimed at work based learners, I would like to invite you to take part in the webinar series we are organising in December to present the outcomes of the project.
The time table for this series is as follows:
- Wednesday 5 December 16:30 - 17:30 CET - Defining the needs of work-based learners - results of the research work carried out by the E-ViEW team
- Wednesday 12 December 16:30 - 17:30 CET - Supporting the needs of work-based learners on a national level - the experience of E-ViEW partners in Poland, Portugal, Ireland and UK
- Wednesday 19 December 16:30 - 17:30 CET - Building and supporting a European Virtual Campus for work-based learners that enables cross-border collaboration - the experience of E-ViEW partners in Poland, Portugal, Ireland and UK
You are very welcome to take part in the complete series or a single webinar of your choice. Participation is free but you need to register online to be sure of a place.
Further information about E-ViEW is available here: http://www.e-view-project.eu.
To register online: http://www.e-view-project.eu/invitation-december-webinar-series-creating-european-virtual-campus-aimed-work-based-learners