Year: 2018

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New Project Launched: TEST

PeterMaz news, Project
New Project Launched: TEST

The EBI/EIE is partner in a new ERASMUS+ project where the EBI/EIE has written the application.The project aims to develop and evaluate multimedia based teaching material using the innovative “Analogous Compare and Transfer” Method (acronym ACAT) approach to teach science subjects, namely physics, biology and chemistry. The ACAT method is a methodology concerted on the pattern of thinking of girls enhancing the well-known logical paths boys are using normally and supports the learning of boys as well.

A study from 2017 proofs the acceptance of the pedagogical approach and confirms the usability with an evident preference of female students. In general, the students appreciate the method with higher approval of the female learners. In the same way, the female learners show a stronger agreement to the use of multimedia material, specifically using the described method and to enable the transfer from everyday life images to scientific imagination and clear ideas dealing with the currently discussed problem.

Project Objectives

The objectives are

  • Use of an “image-based teaching system” which favours the scientific learning behaviour of (approx. 70 % of) girls with a good learning success for boys as well
  • Developing multimedia-based and/or interactive examples of best practice (called tools in this application) focusing on physics (for example quantum physics), biology (for example virtual dissections) and chemistry (comprehending chirality utilizing VR-technology).
  • Use a self-evaluation model for students to estimate their increase of competences
  • Evaluation of these examples in several schools (transnational)
  • Development of a transferability guide for teachers
  • Publishing of the created and evaluated material as OERs

The project starts with December 2018 and lasts for two years.

The applicant organisation is the Colegio Internacional Costa Adeje (Spain), partners are Dragonskolan (Sweden), the Europäische Bildungsinitiative (Austria) and the Dublin Dun Laoghaire Education and Training Board (Ireland).

What does ACAT mean?

PeterMaz Miscellaneous, Project
What does ACAT mean?

This is the acronym for the “Analogous Comparison and Transfer” Method. This pedagogical approach to teaching STEM subjects was developed by Peter Mazohl (EBI/EIE Austria) and published at the ICERI 2017 (International Conference for Education, Research, and Innovation in Seville).

An example for the ACAD transfer in Quantum Physics (What are quantum objects?)

This method means a new pedagogical approach to strengthen female learners in STEM subjects. The method was developed in School Education and focuses on the age of 16 to 18 years old students. The method uses analogous comparisons by taking examples or situations from everyday life and in consequence the logical or analogous transfer to the scientific problem. The method uses the development of imaginations or “pictures in the head” to develop a view of the analogy; this picture is transferred as a problem-solving idea to the concrete scientific problem. Multimedia material like animations are used to provide a higher level of imagination and to develop the understanding for the discussed problem. The method was developed in the disciplines physics, mathematics and computer science and was tested in physics at high school level.

It turned out that male learners also benefit from this approach and get a deeper understanding in the fields of science.

To proof the ACAT method and to test the usability and get some reference to the published study an ERASMUS+ KA2 School Project was started (with December 2018). The project’s outcomes will be several examples of the implementation of the ACAT method, tested and evaluated in a Spanish, an Irish, and finally in a Swedish school.

Kathi – our new head of the training department

Europaeische Bildungsinitiative Miscellaneous, news
Kathi – our new head of the training department

Kathrin Zehrfuchs

Kathi Zehrfuch, the new head of the training department

Kathrin just finished her Master study (business) with focus on business administration and controlling at the University of Applied Studies. During her studies, she has been working for the EBI assisting in courses and in the planning, implementation and performing of the “Blended Learning Conference” in Wiener Neustadt in 2014.

In the last three years, she was also working in application writing and she coordinated the scientific publications done by the EBI.

 

 

New Project launched: CICERO

Europaeische Bildungsinitiative Blended Learning, CICERO, Project
New Project launched: CICERO

The EBI/EIE (Austria) is partner in a new project “Enhancing Digital Competence through Photography” about digital competences. The project partners come from Spain, Greece, and Portugal. The official coordinator is the University of Stockholm, Sweden. The application has been written by Peter Mazohl (from the EBI/EIE) with peer reviewing of Harko Verhagen from the University of Stockholm.

Digital Photograpy is closely connected with Digital Competences

The objectives of this project are to develop and implement special courses for adults teaching Digital Competences by Photography. Learners learn to take digital images of certain quality, to develop digital competences (using the DigComp 2.0 framework [1]), editing images, use of images in medias and other related competences. A photo contest will be used to motivate learners (and other adults) to submit their photos; these images will be published in the European Cultural Heritage Database.

This approach of teaching digital competences is new: There are elements of project-based learning in combination with Blended Learning. The training method behind is active and group-based learning.

In the project, different types of adults are going to be targeted: younger adults (to increase their digital competences and to give them better chances on the working market), older adults (to prevent the exclusion of society due to missing digital competences) and disadvantaged people living on remote places (for example Greek islands).

The developed courses will provide the (more or less) same content und use the identical pedagogical approach, but be developed, implemented, performed and evaluated to the specific target groups.

One of the aims of the project is to organize an European Photo Contest (out of the participating partners and their trainees) to collect images showing “European Heritage”. This contest will be open for all Europeans and be a means of dissemination of the project.

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[1] DigComp Framework: https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/digcomp/digital-competence-framework

Image source: Pixabay (CC0 License)

Stefanie – our new head of the technical department

Europaeische Bildungsinitiative Miscellaneous, news, Project
Stefanie – our new head of the technical department

Stefanie Mayrwöger

We proudly present our new head of the technical department!

Stefanie just finished her Bachelor studies (BSc) in Media Technology with focus on Interactive Media at the St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences. During her studies, she lived in The Hague, The Netherlands for one semester where she studied Photography and Internet Marketing.

In the last two years, she participated in the LeaD in Practice blended-learning project for which she also traveled to Athens, Greece and took part in the STEPS Education Practitioners Seminar in Potsdam, Germany.

Stefanie started her Master studies in Digital Design & Graphic Design in September and will attend the 3rd ASEF Young Leaders Summit on Ethical Leadership in October in Belgium, Brussels.

Stefanie will be responsible for technical production of intellectual outputs and the technical background for the learning platform. She also is engaged in interface development in the frame of EBI’s project involvement.

SemiFit – EBI/EIE is partner!

Europaeische Bildungsinitiative Miscellaneous, news, Project
SemiFit – EBI/EIE is partner!

The EBI is partner in the Youth Project Seminar for intercultural trainers in HRE.  The EBI/EIE is mainly focusing on the 50+ generation in Adult Education. Participating in this project we have the chance to educate our younger trainers to work with international youth groups and younger adults. Two of our trainers, Stefanie Mayrwöger and Kathrin Zehrfuchs, will be in charche to cover this target group.

SemiFit in HRE is an example of Peer and Lifelong Learning where educational practitioners have the chance to share their competencies and experiences and learn new concepts from peers. In SemiFit, every participant is actively involved in the preparation and design of the learning space: content and flow. The project is linked to key European youth policy developments where non-formal educational youth work needs to be better connect.
Additional the project also brings in its expertise: upcoming European Youth convention III in 2020, COE rec on Youth work, European Training Strategy for YW, the development of a European Charta on Youth work, the further development of the European Youth Strategy, but also reference cooperations such as “becoming a part of Europe”, “Youth for Human Rights” all indicate youth issues become more political. Such there is a need to foster strategically the processes of capacity development of EDC/HRE work in the field of youth, as in the recent years barriers in a lot of European countries have become higher.

Stefanie Mayrwöger from the EBI/EIE will participate at the training event organized in Almuñécar, Spain (Málaga area) from 1 to 6 December 2018.

Cooperation contract with the FLG

Europaeische Bildungsinitiative Blended Learning, Flipped Adult Education
Cooperation contract with the FLG

The EBI/EIE signed a cooperation contract with the Flipped Learning Global Initiative (USA) for the new project about Flipped Adult Education.

The FLG will impact to the project and provide a “supervision” on the developed handbook for Flipped Learning. The special role of the FLG in the project will be

  • Be an associate partner to the project
  • Provide tactical and strategic-planning support and guidance
  • Participate in the initial project partners planning-session in Vienna
  • Review the final project outcomes before publication

Jon Bergmann and Errol Smith wil be personally involved in the development of the project’s results. The impact from the FLG and the knowledge collected by the pioneers of flipped learning will enrich the project and care for high-level results.

Do we need books in technology enhanced learning (TEL)?

Europaeische Bildungsinitiative Miscellaneous, Technology Enhanced Teaching
Do we need books in technology enhanced learning (TEL)?

In the last three years I met many people mentioning that they use eLearning in their teaching and books are outdated. But – is this true?

Technology in learning

First of all, it would be necessary to clear the term “eLearning”. This term says nothing and expresses everything – from an objective point of view it is more or less meaningless.

The Cambridge Dictionary defines e-Learning[1]

learning done by studying at home using computers and courses provided on the internet

This definition is highly influenced form Marc J Rosenberg[2] who mentions three columns for eLearning:

  1. E-learning is networked making it capable of updating, storage and retrieval, distribution and sharing of instruction or information.
  2. It is delivered to the end-user via a computer using standard internet technology.
  3. eLearning is more than eTraining.

A modern description is done by the North Carolina Education Cabinet (as one example taken from the USA) and defines “eLearning is learning utilizing electronic technologies to access educational curriculum outside of a traditional classroom”.

Rosenberg’s descriptions are approx. 20 years old. The modern version also does not match with the reality. The term eLearning must be replaced by the new expression technology enhanced learning (TEL).

Technology enhanced learning is used to refer to technology enhanced classrooms and learning with technology (and not through technology), which means a learner centered approach using the technology for the learning.

Where is the place for “traditional” books?

Books are still available – Amazon started the business success by selling books (and still sells them), libraries are still used intensively by people borrowing books there. Masses of books – in small quantities – are published and printed as “book on demand”.

Books are transferred to the digital age as eBooks. The reader used an eBook reader (like Kindle, Kobo, or Tolino) or read the book by a viewer on their digital device (laptop, tablet).

Printed books provide all the advantages of technology enhanced learning: you can read them at any time, everywhere, and in your own pace. An advantage is the use of books without energy (you must not recharge your book).

Another big advantage is that you can share the book easily (this is more or less impossible with eBook readers) and that books have page numbers. Did you ever try to cite a text correctly from a eBook without any page information (pure PDF documents often have page numbers but do not supply the advantages of eBook readers like enlarging the fonts).

 

[1] https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/e-learning

[2] Rosenberg, Marc Jeffrey (2001): E-learning. Strategies for delivering knowledge in the digital age. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Image source: © Peter Mazohl