HIEDTECH (Erasmus+)

The consortium’s main aims are:

• adapt the education system in the PCs to the digital generation through the introduction and effective implementation of ICT-based innovative educational technologies and didactic models in the teaching process;
• enhance the international dimension of education and training through strengthened links between the EU and PCs universities, exchange of expertise and good practices in the areas of digital pedagogies and IET.

Specific project objectives are to: 

1. develop a Sustainable academic network for sharing experience and exchange of good practices in the field of IET and didactic models by August 2019. 
   The network will initially comprise of project PC universities, but it will be open for other HEIs in the PCs to join at a later stage. It will continue functioning after the official project end, thus contributing to project impact and sustainability improvement.
2. develop Concepts of adapting the education system to the digital generation by December 2019 by taking into consideration the specific conditions of each of the PCs. 
   The goal of the Concepts is to adapt the educational system to the digital generation by introducing and implementing effectively IET and didactic models in the education process, thus providing an opportunity for EVERYBODY to learn at ANY time and at ANY place with the help of ANY lecturer using ANY end device – computer, laptop, tablet, smart phone, etc.
3. create IET Centres, active learning classrooms, virtual classrooms in all PC HEIs by November 2019. A prerequisite for the development of the Centres is the EU requirement for opening up education through new technologies. The boost of digital technologies in the delivery of high quality teaching suited to the needs of digital learners in the PC institutions requires the opening of suitable learning environments for this purpose, the introduction and piloting of new educational technologies and the training of teaching staff to use them effectively in formal education.
4. organize courses for trainers and lecturers for the acquisition of digital skills and innovative teaching and learning methods by September 2020.
5. develop OERs and a Cloud-based virtual library of the digital educational resources by August 2021.
6. raise awareness of the need to adapt the education system to the digital generation in the PCs institutions and in society at large. All dissemination activities will be directed towards achieving this goal. Special emphasis will be placed on the successful provision of dissemination activities at national level (within the PCs) in order to reach a wide spectrum of audiences and make sure the impact of the project goes beyond the institutions directly involved in it.

By achieving these objectives the project will help turn the partner universities into innovative universities and to improve the quality of the trained specialists necessary to perform the Digital Transformation of Industries (Industry 4.0).

REASONS:

In order to respond to:

• the Digital Transformation of Industries (Industry 4.0), which also requires DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION OF EDUCATION with overtaking pace, the consortium will develop Concepts of adapting the educational system to the digital generation, considering the specific conditions of each of the partner countries;
• the requirement of the EU to give the opportunity for EVERYBODY to learn at ANY time and at ANY place with the help of ANY lecturer, using ANY device – computer, laptop, tablet, phablet, smart phone, etc. the consortium will create Centres for innovative education technologies.

MAIN PROJECT OUTCOMES AND PRODUCTS:

• Sustainable academic network for sharing experience and exchange of good practices in the field of innovative educational technologies and didactic models;
• 5 Concepts of adapting the education system to the digital generation – 1 per Partner country (PC);
• 15 Centres for innovative educational technologies – 1 at each PC university;
• 45 active learning classrooms – 3 at each PC university;
• Virtual classrooms – 1 at each PC university;
• Handbook of innovative educational technologies;
• Courses for trainers for the acquisition of digital skills and learning methods;
• Courses for lecturers for the acquisition of digital skills and learning methods;
• 75 e-Learning courses – 5 at each PC university;
• 75 PowerPoint presentations of lectures, suitable for delivering using interactive electronic white board – 5 at each PC university;
• Cloud-based Virtual Library of the digital educational resources.

 IMPACT:

• The project products will be of benefit for all stakeholders in education:
  • National and university policy-makers in the field of education;
  • University academics who are trainers / lecturers / learners;
  • Scientific, economic and social partners.
• The project will help to turn partner universities into innovative universities and to improve the quality of the trained specialists, who are necessary to perform the Digital Transformation of Industries (Industry 4.0).

 Summary of work packages

The project will be coordinated by a Project Coordinator with the active engagement of all partners.

The management structure comprises:

• Project Coordinator;
• Management Group (MG);
• Evaluation Board (EB);
• Work package (WP) Leading Team.

Project Coordinator
As a Project Coordinator, P1, plays a key role in the overall project management and any related financial and administrative issues, while ensuring the smooth flow of information within and outside the consortium. When managing the implementation of all tasks, the Project Coordinator will be supported by a Vice Coordinator and a Manager who are representatives of the Lead institution.

The MG will be headed by the Project Coordinator and will comprise of a Manager and partners’ contact persons. Its primary role is to ensure the progress of the project, hence, it will meet frequently, either at face-to-face project meetings, at workshops or conferences, or virtually through e-mail/Skype if necessary. The day-to-day communication method will be via e-mail, Skype, and the project’s cloud space.

The EB, which will develop an internal evaluation system, will assist with and ensure the quality implementation of the tasks in the work packages; it will prepare both the Interim and Final Evaluation Reports. The membership of the EB will include one representative of each partner country (PC)s, one representative of each EU partner and will be led by P18.

WP leading teams – each work package will be led by an EU partner, as well as one partner from each of the 5 PCs, which will communicate with the universities and Ministries of their countries.WP1 – Leader P18. PC leaders – P2, P5, P9, P12, P15. They will work in close cooperation for the creation of a sustainable academic network for sharing experience and exchange of good practices in the field of innovative educational technologies and didactic models.

WP2 – Leader P17. PC leaders – P3, P7, P9, P11, P16. Together they will have to manage the development of Concepts for adapting the education system to the digital generation of each PC.

WP3 – Leader P17. PC leaders – P4, P7, P10, P11, P16. Their task is to create centres of innovative educational technologies, active learning classrooms and virtual classrooms at each PC University.

WP4 – Leader P19. PC leaders – P3, P6, P8, P13, P14. In close cooperation they will have to develop University courses for trainers and lecturers for acquisition of digital skills and innovative teaching and learning methods at each PC. Open educational resources (OERs) will also be created.

WP5 – Leader P18. In WP5 it collaborates with WP5 PC leaders – P2, P5, P10, P12, P15 aiming to perform internal evaluation of project deliverables.

WP6 – Leader P1. Together in close cooperation with the EU partners and with WP6 PC P4, P6, P8, P13, P14 they will work for the dissemination and sustainability of the project. All participants will undertake dissemination activities.

WP7 – Leader P1. Works in close cooperation with the EU partners and with WP7 PC leaders P3, P7, P9, P11, P16.

P20 to P24 are the PCs’ Ministries of Education. Play a key role in the development and implementation of the concepts and in the introduction of innovative educational technologies (IET) in the other universities of the region by disseminating project results.

• Bulgaria
• Italy
• Kyrgyzstan
• Kazakhstan
• Luxembourg
• The Netherlands
• Portugal
• Tajikistan
• Turkmenistan
• Uzbekistan