To use multimedia and interactivity learners must be equipped with modern devices that enable to display the content. In addition, it must be possible to work with this content, which includes not only viewing and reading but also saving, changing or creating new content.
The extent to which these activities are carried out often depends on the type of training. Language learning, for example, might be structured differently than learning scientific content.
The first step in our project is to get an overview about the used devices in modern, technology-enhanced learning. Therefore, we did a small survey among trainers, friends and former or current project partners.
You still may contribute to the brainstorming survey. Use the QR-Code and enter your prefered device in this AnswerGarden form.
This is the Acronym of the new Erasmus+ Project, coordinated by the EBI. The partners in the project aim to develop concepts and guidelines to implement interactive and multimedia-based content in technology enhanced trainings and adult education course.
An important issue will be the use of so-called “multiple devices”. This new term means all types of devices that might be used in courses. The screen size and the physical keyboard are major differences betwenn all the possible devices. In the project, the partners will care about the differences and develop guidelines for trainers and training organisations to deliver the same interactive and multimedia-based content in a similar way so that the learning process can be done with all possible devices.
Specific guidelines will be developed togive trainers (and teachers) the competence to work with the modern technology enhanced tools.
The European Initiative for Education has been involved in several Erasmus+ activities and projects and still is partner or coordinating an Erasmus+ project. Here is a picture gallery with impressions from the last year of involvementt in Erasmus+!
STEM Project "Science Teaching"
Flipped Adult Education - the project team in Drammen (Norway)
CICERO Project LTT event in Portugal
Preesentation the VTT-Project at the EDEN Conference (In Brugge/Belgium)
The new Erasmus+ Project of the EBI takes care about multimedia and interactivity in Adult Education with a specific focus on Multiple Devices. The project Implementation of interactivity and multimedia-based content using Multiple Devices in Adult Education is coordinated by the EBI/EIE and has partners from Italy, Portugal (Azores Islands) and Denmark.
The project will start in November 2020 – further information will be available then!
The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
In Europe, learning outcomes are defined by competences. Competence consists of knowledge, skills, and attitudes. This is typical for School Education and practiced this way during the last decade(s).
But is it really always that easy? Are competencies always the result of a learning process?
Various Definitions
In the ESCO definition of the European Commission (European Skills, Competences, Qualifications and Occupations) you will find:
“The term competence is broader and refers typically to the ability of a person – facing new situations and unforeseen challenges – to use and apply knowledge and skills in an independent and self-directed way.”
The ESCO definition of competence looks like this:
“competence means the proven ability to use knowledge, skills, and personal, social and/or methodological abilities, in work or study situations and in professional and personal development.”
Source: Eurospace
Reading all this, the question occurs: Is not competence always the same? And – are in Vocational Education and Training learning outcomes, defined as knowledge or skills, valid?
The answer is YES, and I’ll give you an example:
An Example
Type description of a tire
There is the company “Tire Fit” sells and fitting tires for cars. A customer is entering the selling room and asks for winter tires for his car. He is showing the car certification to the salesman. The salesman only must have the knowledge to classify the various parameters of the needed tire – nothing else.
During his specific education, he got the knowledge to decide which tire will fit which car and which parameters or regulations must be kept to ensure safe driving with these tires.
The customer has bought the tires and enters the workshop of the tire reseller to get the tires fixed on his rims. The worker there has learned how to take down the old tire and mount the new one. These are skills – nothing else. The worker must be able to handle the machine to disassemble the tires from the rim and after this mount the new ones and finally balance the wheel.
This is an example that in specific cases competencies are not versatile to be used as a description for learning outcomes, but in each case, it is necessary to analyze and evaluate how the learning outcomes can be described best. This can be simple knowledge as well as simple skills or complex competencies.
Peter Mazohl has taken part at the learning, training & teaching event in Dublin as a trainer. The event aimed to increase the competences of the participants to create multimedia-based learning tools, to care for a well-fitting documentation and an appropriate implementation guidelines.
The event took place at the Adamstown Community College. Partners from Sweden and Spain also were present at this workshop-based training.
The EBI participated in the intermediate meeting of the “Science Teaching” project (from October 3 until October 4) in Umeå, Sweden.
At this meeting the first products of the project have been presented. The multimedia-based tools will supply teachers in teaching science as well as help students to get a deeper understanding of complex scientific context.
Meeting at Dragonskolan (Umeå): Planning the next steps
Meeting at Dragonskolan (Umeå): Starting to work
The project group in front of a painting (in the Dragonskolan) done by students.
End of the meeting: The project group in front of the museum
The project addresses three items in the field of Adult Education, which are connected to each other and tied together in this project. These items are
Digital competences
Digital photography
European Cultural Heritage
Rationale of the project
Digital competences must be learned by the users. This requires some motivation. Without motivation, the learning will only “scratch at the surface” and instead of well-proven competences only superficial knowledge and understanding will be the result – without any depth and sustainability.
Digital photography can be the engine to motivate people to care about basic digital competences. This will cover the creation of images (a creative work), the processing of images (a technical endeavour), the storage and administration of images (needs digital competences) and the use of the created images, for instance in social media (needs digital competences as well as basic legal knowledge).
Digital Photographyis done with smartphones as well as with high-tech DSLR cameras. It is part of our daily life!
Finally, digital photography enlarges the social contacts (for instance in special interest groups), keeps elderly people active (both in physical and mental sense) and contributes in many cases to promote cultural heritage (as objects in various images) and transnational activities (photography contest with items addressing the European Year of Cultural Heritage).
Project Aim
The project aims to develop digital competences in the group of adults using digital photography as the engine of motivation and to give an impact to social, cultural, and family life. Additional, taken pictures focusing on European Heritage are collected in a free-to-use database (contribution to the year of European Cultural Heritage 2018).
