Introduction of Erasmus+ programme

The general objective of the project is the value-based development of youth participation within school frameworks and municipalities in the Carpathian Basin in response to the most justified problems of professionals working with young people: addressing and involving young people.

E-learning, Materials for students and laypeople will be prepared in english.

The need for the development of more active learners who will apply in practice the idea of 'learning how to learn' and 'learn through life', has led to the development of this research project, through the development of metacognitive skills in students. The term of 'Metacognition' is credited to the developmental psychologist John H. Flavell, the “father of the field,” and it has become one of the major foci of psychological research.‘Metacognition’ essentially means cognition about cognition; that is, it refers to second order cognitions: thoughts about thoughts, knowledge about knowledge or reflections about actions as well as our ability to consciously monitor and regulate one’s knowledge processes, cognitive and affective states, motives and intentions. During the last 40 years metacognition has become one of the major fields of cognitive developmental research. ‘Theory of Mind’ (ToM) development, the second major part of this project, is the area of cognitive development research that investigates the nature and development of our understanding of the mental world. The term ‘theory of mind’ introduced by David Premack (1978) refers to our ability to explain, predict and interpret behavior in terms of mental states. Actually, ToM is the first kind of our metacognitive knowledge about how our mind and the mind of others work (i.e. to attribute mental states to ourselves and to others), an ability found to play a vital role in one's interactions with others.Since its beginnings, this area has grown to be one of the liveliest in developmental psychology. Today, there is an extensive evidence that learners’ metacognition can directly affect their learning (e.g., Boekaerts, Pintrich & Zeidner, 2000; Winne, 1995). Also, the ability to effectively manage one’s lown earning seems to lead to success in and beyond school and self-evaluation was found to be related to school performance in adolescence (Demetriou & Kazi, 2001).Teaching students thinking strategies and metacognitive skills can lead them to pursue their own learning throughout their education and their life. Funding this project will facilitate students' and teachers' active practice on metacognition: Students can become more mature thinkers who provide conflict trials for themselves, question their own assumptions, provide counterexamples to their own rules etc. and become capable of providing the supportive other role for themselves. In this way, progressively, students learn not only how to get a particular task done independently, but also how to set about learning new problems, and finally become independent learners who gain control over their own learning and learn how to learn. In the previous age, teaching for thinking was a priority for the educational system; nowadays, however, metacognition is what characterizes the ‘educated’ person and is a prerequisite for effective teaching and learning, for the development of active, creative and independent learners through life.

Background: A survey conducted with the main Educational Health Organization in Austria showed that roughly 50% of initial applicants for classes leading to a qualification in the healthcare sector do not succeed in their training due to a lack of adequate language skills (German). An additional problem is that 2nd and 3rd generation immigrants - as well as other non-native speakers - have neither the appropriate level of language nor the vocabulary to pursue their (further) education in the healthcare sector and obtain the necessary qualifications for entering the workforce. In Germany, the situation is comparable; 56% of unqualified healthcare workers have a migration background and 27,3% of these come from Eastern-European countries (Federal Statistical Office, Institute for Adult Education, Federal Employment Agency). Health tourism, with people seeking affordable healthcare e.g. in Eastern European Countries, and German-speaking students wishing to study or train in non-German-speaking countries are further considerations that underline the urgent need for improved, vocation-specific language skills for the healthcare sector.

Objectives: This project develops top-notch instruments and methodologies in coordination with the partner institutions to forward the innovation-led transformation process of the learning culture of VET institutions. As an output of the project VET trainers will be equipped with a digital learning platform which not only comprises up to date training methodologies but is interlinked/connected to a language learning tool that has been awarded multiple times and complies with the zeitgeist. The platform can be used in blended learning settings and all developed tools will be accessible anytime and anywhere due to their complete digital finish. The IDEAL project will bridge the gap between recognized language skill deficits (in German) and current VET training/teaching/counselling methods in the healthcare sector. It will do this by developing an innovative online language learning approach, consisting of learning videos (using interactive subtitles) and an interactive glossary, which will be a part of a digital learning platform, and secondly, a teacher’s handbook with practical and methodological guidelines for the best usage of the videos, glossary and other materials collected. Additionally, it aims to offer digital learning tools to students and trainees in neighbouring countries (Hungary, Slovakia, Germany) so that they can improve their German language skills and enter the healthcare sector. Accordingly, the project aims to contribute to 1) raising the practical skill level of VET trainers/teachers/counsellors, and 2) improve German language skills and labour market integration of trainees in the healthcare sector. Furthermore, it seeks to promote the use of innovative digital learning tools for language proficiency and skills training, and transfer knowledge in this area among countries. Finally, the project aims to contribute to better employability for people from partner countries wishing to train/work in the healthcare sector in German-speaking countries.

Background:

Erasmus is the most successful mobility programme in the world. By the beginning of 2020, it was estimated that around 10 million students had already participated in this exchange programme since it was launched in 1987. However, according to statistics this represents only 1.7% of the European Union’s population, which means that the programme is still far from reaching its full potential. Most of EU surveys and reports carried out in the framework of European projects revealed that the reasons behind low participation are related to lower economic capacity of the majority of students and their families to support their stay abroad which results in unequitable access to quality higher education studies and to future employment opportunities. Mobility is politically desirable and HEIs all over Europe are currently faced with extremely demanding targets concerning the increase of students undertaking an international mobility experience. Universities have therefore a clear need to find the most effective strategies to be able to comply with such targets, and this implies not only financial resources but also the necessary conditions to allow for the widest possible participation of all students potentially undertaking a mobility experience abroad. The overall budget available for KA1 Mobility of individuals is normally satisfactory for universities and in general allows them to provide an effective answer to the existing demand of the academic community. The main issue, however, remains the fact that a significant number of students does not have the necessary financial support to complement the grant awarded by the Programme and to allow for the full coverage of basic expenses in the country of destination.

Implementation:

The implementation of E4A will encompass the organisation of a series of activities, events and publications with policy relevance to reach the decision makers in Brussels and produce real transformation in the programme’s design, particularly concerning the funding of individual mobility at Higher Education level. Firstly, the team will conduct a mapping of other scholarship funding models to benchmark for the more advantageous examples of grant schemes. This activity will be complemented by a desk research to extract best practises of other studies in the same field and include the results of the feedback gathered during the E4A Student Social Labs – a series of local events in the partner HEIs to engage Erasmus students in voicing their needs during mobility for a reality-based and co-designed solution. These activities will culminate in the organisation of the first multiplier event: Is the new Erasmus for all? » proposals towards a more inclusive Erasmus scholarship where it will be presented the Mapping and Research Report and opening the floor for the discussions around what will be the proposal of a new scholarship calculation methodology. This second round of activities will be led by a transdisciplinary scientific working group in charge of considering multiple variables to design a more inclusive grant scheme and publish a document that gathers the methodologies used in developing this proposal.

Thirdly, the organisation of a small-scale impact study will set a pilot-experiment with a sample of real Erasmus participants with similar financial conditions (economically disadvantaged), randomly selected and divided in two groups:

the first will test the current Erasmus scholarship scheme and the second will test the impact and feasibility of the more inclusive scholarship calculation formula(s) developed previously. This activity will include financial support from sponsors associated to the project to assure the necessary top-ups in a more inclusive scholarship proposal. Lastly, the E4A partners will prepare a Policy Paper with recommendations based on the conclusions of all the previous activities. The partner institutions will address policy makers in a final high-level conference in Brussels: The future of Erasmus is for all! » Making participation more inclusive through a better grant mechanism to call on the need to prioritise economic inclusion as a way to increase participation in the Erasmus programme through a more equitable scholarship.

Results:

The partnership expects to publish the following documents until the end of the project lifecycle: - Mapping and Research Report - Guidelines for a more inclusive grant calculation formula - E4A Impact Study - Erasmus4All: Recommendations towards a more social and economically inclusive Erasmus scholarship | Policy Paper With the preparation of these publications it is expected to raise awareness and support from the main target group, the HE students, by having them engaging actively in the projects’ activities, voice their challenges and pressure political leaders to change. The aim is to achieve a more equitable and a fairer grant system that may provide a clear answer to the real needs of participants, and contribute to promote inclusion in HE. It is also expected the reinforcement of the reliability of the Erasmus programme label. By analysing and identifying the potential weaknesses and strengths of the current system, the E4A project is providing the programme an active quality monitoring system. The type of activities designed for this project will also allow the HE students to participate in the co-creation of the programme and feel their needs are heard, addressed and actually produce a real change. This reinforcement of the programme’s visibility in terms of quality will also contribute to increase the circulation of students and improve and facilitate equal access to the European Higher Education Area, which is one of the strategic priorities of the European Commission having as background the Bologna Process. A last outcome is the promotion of a continuous political debate, throughout the project implementation and after its completion, on inclusion. One of the project’s results being the Policy Paper including recommendations resulting from the overall project’s conclusions plays an important role to push inclusion higher in the policy agenda and produce substantial impact in the mid-term review of the Erasmus+ programme. The powerful project values, mission and goals anticipate a guarantee for sustainability in this framework, both partners as well as other European institutions beyond the partnership involved in student mobility are committed to and share the vision of a future truly democratic Erasmus programme.

The European Digital UniverCity (EDUC) brings together 8 research intensive public universities: Potsdam, Paris Nanterre, Jaume I, Pécs, South-Eastern Norway, Cagliari, Masaryk University and Rennes 1. EDUC aspires to use digitalization as a vantage point to foster learning, research, innovation and societal responsibility and thus to strengthen present and future citizens in their capacities to tackle 21st century challenges. The alliance builds on the expertise of its members to extend challenge-based, transdisciplinary and innovative pedagogies, to internationalise curricula and to pilot new formats (micro-credentials, European degree) supporting a flexible student journey. The alliance supports seamless mobility of students, scholars and staff through multilingualism as well as blended, physical and virtual learning/training formats organized on the joint virtual EDUC inter-campus. It entertains a rich network of innovation and knowledge transfer for entrepreneurship, traineeships and cross-sectoral research with local and international ecosystems. The consolidation of the EDUC governance model of co-creation and the legal statute will reinforce the alliance’s inclusive and open approach promoting the European way of life and European values on a global scale. The main beneficiaries of the activities are the almost 200.000 students, 13.500 scholars and 17.500 staff. EDUC expects to raise the employability of its students, increase regional knowledge-transfer, establish a vibrant research community, create new HR tools, develop the competencies of its staff and act as a role model. It will produce 47 deliverables covering shared governance, management and dissemination, joint infrastructures, joint learning opportunities, research induced education, staff development and outreach activities.

Olyan tananyag készítése, mely ráépül a CONSCIOUS által elkészített tananyagok szakmai tartalmára, és az orvos-egészségügyi képzésben résztvevő PhD hallgatók részére ad mélyebb szakmai tudást.

The project´s ambition is to build a well-educated group of people able to contribute to improvement of attributes of vehicles that will have less negative impact on the environment as such. To continuously improve the car as an important mean of transportation, knowledge and skills that are relatively new needed. For this purpose training and awareness raising is needed. The project by its content and focus on combining the car industry and higher education for green and circular economy will improve the education and training of people who will be able to contribute to green targets in the automotive industry.

In the light of new pandemic crisis, the utmost importance of automotive industry as employers and buyers has been demonstrated by shot down of these flagships of economy, their recovery and restart will be very important in the upcoming years. Taking into account the environmental needs within preparation of young people for the industry, the project priorities are well defined and focused. The project aims to:

- tackle future skills mismatches and to promote excellence in skills development;

- build connected, effective and efficient higher education systems;

- ensure higher education institutions contribute to innovation.

Target groups involved directly to activities are: academic staff and students, who will be provided with innovative learning materials but also other higher education are research institutions, companies and associations who will benefit from experience and knowledge exchange that the project outputs bring to them.

The list of main results of the project is composed of the following elements:

- comparative analysis of dual education programs in the field of automotive industry in partner countries and elsewhere in Europe;

- implementation of an improved educational program in dual education;

- developing innovative courses and textbooks in English and in national languages of the partners;

- designing a portal and a dedicated e-learning platform concentrating relevant know-how;

- carrying out joint training activities in form of combined courses and trainings for the staff from different partner organizations, ensuring connections and cooperation between industry and educational institutions;

- developing guides for promoting the partnership and its innovative approaches, identified good practices when it comes to broad-minded courses and new research and business

ideas in applying circular economy in the automotive industry;

- proposals on policy recommendations focused on implementation of dual education in the automotive industry influenced by circular and green economy principles and approaches;

- disseminated information on the project and ait achievements in form of elaborated articles published in relevant media, and presentations at relevant events.

The idea of the SYStem project is to create edutainment social media dedicated to soil description and classification using the WRB (World Reference Base for Soil Resources). It will be based on mobile application for uploading soil profile photos with description of soil horizons, materials and properties along with its coordinates and students (users) proposal for the soil classification.

The application would be working both on and offline. Application users will have the possibility to interact with each other and share their knowledge helping less experienced colleagues through comments on other students and researchers uploads within the international SYStem application community.

The project will be based not only on the creating the advanced international social media tool for soil science classification and education issues which is the main goal. It also includes the preparation of exercises manual on how to use SYStem application and social media in edutainment-focused teaching. In addition the soil Omnibus dedicated to support the teaching of newest edition of WRB system (2015) on a university level suitable in various environmental science courses (e.g. environmental protection, geography) will be prepared. Afterwards the evaluation of prepared edutainment module will be carried out during students workshops focused on using the application.

All of the project outcomes which are the edutainment social media tool, user’s manual, soil classification Omnibus and excersises leaflet will be freely accessible throughout EU and world. All students and teachers will have open access to register, use it and ask for experts feedback. The soil data uploaded will be also available for other users as an active collection of various soils with multimedia and geolocation features. The obtained products will comprise an innovative and powerful for the university level teaching tool. It is expected also to be the supporting tool not only the HEI teachers, but also High School teachers and active environmental researchers and practitioners. All of the above mentioned results will last many years after the founding period of SYStem project

The main objective of JOIN-RISe is to make higher education STEM students develop into citizens that are critical thinkers and are fully committed to the SDGs. In order to achieve this, it is crucial for there to be changes to current curricula and for the SDGs to be included in the teaching of STEM degrees. Evidently, lecturers are key players in meeting the project’s main objective.

The SGDs will be implemented by means of courses, optional subjects, adapting current subject contents by using tools, resources and blended learning methods specifically designed for university degrees.

JOIN-RISe will provide a database of Service-Learning projects and Bachelor’s and Master’s final dissertations related to SDGS in STEM which will help students to put their knowledge and social commitment into practice. JOIN-RISe also aims to improve the quality and integration of critical citizenship education at University level. This project will also encourage lifelong learning through a short course (30 hours) aimed at adult learners.

The JOIN-RISe project has three Work Packages:

WP1: Toolkit Integrating the SDGs in the University curriculum

WP2: SDGs Virtual Learning Platform

WP3: Certification system of Sustainability Commitment

At the end of the project, all these resources will be available for all European HE institutions that are willing to tackle this common challenge. The implementation of this project will improve the quality of STEM higher education by including the common values of the SDGs enriching the knowledge that students need for their future. The resources will be accessed from a VLP to make them more digital, inclusive and innovative.