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Head in the Clouds: Digital Learning to Overcome School Failure

Funder: European CommissionProject code: 2015-1-AT01-KA201-005024
Funded under: ERASMUS+ | Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices | Strategic Partnerships for school education Funder Contribution: 291,891 EUR

Head in the Clouds: Digital Learning to Overcome School Failure

Description

From 09/2015 to 08/2018 the Vienna University of Technology (TUW) together with 6 partners from 5 European countries implemented the Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership “Head in the Clouds: Digital Learning to Overcome School Failure”. The cross-sectoral consortium consisted of TUW, Verein Offenes Lernen (OLE), Fundatia Crestina Diakonia Filiala Sfantu Gheorghe (FSG), GAIA Kosovo (GAIA), Sukromna Zakladna Skola (SZS), Technical University Kosice (TUKE), www.scio.cz SRO (SCIO). This educational project dealt with the prevention of early school leaving, the development of basic and transversal skills and the enhancement of digital education in the context of minorities, mainly Roma. Having in mind that the prevailing educational disadvantages and exclusion of minority group members, lead to lacking integration in the labour market and exclusion from society in general, the project aimed at providing an alternative way to education for children aged 6-17 years, struggling with the formal educational system or having no access to education at all.Objectives were:overcoming obstacles for integration providing a learning environment for target groups who have difficulties to succeed in established formal education systemsincreasing the learner's ability to coordinate, facilitate and analyse their own learning processescreating an innovative educational tool reducing early school leaving of children of minorities increasing transversal skills to increase chances of integration in the labour marketfoster creativity, innovation and modernisation in education to raise digital literacyraising digital competences of educators creating a device/approach that is easily usable to ensure wide implementationraising employability and mobilityraising the recognition of non-formal education sharing new methods, identified lessons and good practices as well as knowledge networking The project started with a needs assessment to tailor materials to the local contexts. It developed 6 learning modules, supported by digital materials, tools and software. The chosen approach - MINIMAX - is an innovative educational approach aiming at minimal teacher invasion and maximum learner autonomy. It was inspired by Sugata Mitra’s Self-organized Learning Environments (SOLE), as well as Constructionist learning theory. The learning modules consist of simple and modular structured task sheets, allowing learners to playfully acquire skills, knowledge and competencies in a variety of subjects as well as interdisciplinary, transversal and social skills. Each task sheet is linked to an online hand-in application via QR-code, which allowed users to analyse their achievements, while interacting with members of their group and peers in 2 other European countries - creating a positive individual learning process. The developed educational materials focus on a broad variety of topics including programming, video making, digital literacy, English, environment, culture, history, customs, hygiene and first aid.Educators were given the opportunity to experience the developed tools and materials in trainings, and were provided with detailed manuals. The learning modules, specifically designed to engage children and youth in their own learning process, were implemented by the partners SZS, FSG and GAIA, in their afterschool and youth programmes, in 3 locations in Slovakia, Romania and Kosovo with more than 100 participating learners from Roma communities. Throughout the implementation period the approach was evaluated by SCIO with the help of other consortium members, using both quantitative and qualitative data including 3 types of questionnaires on learner autonomy, personality and task accomplishment, live observations, interviews with children and educators, written reports and data from the hand-in application. Based on constant feedback and evaluation after the trial period the learning modules were improved and trained to educators both participating in the trial run and beyond, as part of the dissemination strategy of the consortium. All developed educational modules were published as OER, available in English, Hungarian, Slovak and Serbian on the project website https://brainsintheclouds.eu/. A detailed manual focusing on the projects’ aims, teacher roles, training and evaluation approach and outcomes was developed. A 22 minutes documentary about the project was produced, offering further insights and impressions of the practical work done. The team observed changes in learning disparities, school attendance/leaving, pursuit of careers and transversal skills, especially social interaction skills and digital competences. The observed changes and developed educational modules have inspired the partners working with the target groups directly to continue working with the developed MINIMAX approach, tools and materials both within their institutions as well as beyond by offering guidance and materials to other institutions and stakeholders.

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