CONTEXT/BACKGROUND OF THE PROJECTIn 2010, the EC has set the reduction of ESL to less than 10 % of the relevant population by 2020 as headline target in the Europe 2020 strategy. The main obstacles to the achievement of the objective is the high rate of youngsters leaving school before having completed their learning pathway (Eurostat, 2015). In Italy, 63.1% of students aged 16 to 18 years is at risk school leavers. Romania has the fifth highest ESL rate in Europe. The trend indicates a decrease, from 18.4 in 2010 to 17.4 in 2012 [Eurostat] but not sufficiently. In Sweden, the rate of ESL is low, but it is steadily rising since 2009, while Lithuania was among the better countries in terms of early school leavers, with a rate of about 7%. In the last 10 years many reforms of the education systems have taken place in Europe with the aim to meet the requirements of the job market, but according to Eurostat, unemployment rates shows a low demand for labour and skill mismatches.MAIN AIMTo develop, test and assess an innovative and replicable methodological approach for inclusive smart learning activities, identifying career-oriented soft skills and competences for students, who will empower their self-awareness, self-guidance as well as their responsibility in personalizing learning and in using responsibly innovative educational technology tools and methods. SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES- engagement of 100 students through an innovative smart learning environment based on self-awareness digital and analytics technologies (e.g., learning analytics and social-awareness technologies) which can also enable the emergence of informal skills;- A guide for teachers (20 teachers: 5 * country ) to empower their learning role in technology teaching by defining a new pedagogical approach; - Schools enhancing by a greater connection to the needs of the job market by encouraging developing career oriented soft skills. - School community as a whole. The project will implement the recommendation of the EC on schools policy, by putting together the partners' experiences to create shared guidelines for a “whole-school approach” in ESL preventionTARGETS• 100 students• 20 Teachers/Trainers • Ca. 800 stakeholders (professionals in the fields of school education, higher education, job market)• Partner Research centres and universitiesINDIRECT TARGETS- Ca. 9.000 people sensitized thanks to dissemination activities.METHODOLOGIESVirtual Learning Environment, Technology Enhanced Learning Systems, ICT Integration in school education, cooperative learning, best practice exchange.MAIN ACTIVITIES:O1 - TRANSNATIONAL NEEDS ANALYSIS & RESEARCHO1 - A1 - Develop methodology and instrumentsO1 - A2 - Conduct national desk researchO1 - A3 - Organize national focus groupO1 - A4 - Conduct national survey and interviewO1 - A5 - Elaborate national reportsO2 - "ENABLE" TECHNOLOGY ENHANCED METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH ON ESLO2 - A1 - Identification of a set of soft skills "career oriented"O2 - A2 - Define key Learning OutcomesO2 - A3 - Elaboration and test of the methodological approachO2 - A4 - Monitoring and evaluation of the methodological approachO2 - A5 - Provide pedagogical contentsO3 - "ENABLE" SMART LEARNING ENVIRONMENTO3 - A1 Analysis and Design of the IT architecture of Smart Learning EnvironmentO3 - A2 Software ImplementationO3 - A5 Provide Guidelines for learners, tutors and trainersO4 - INTEGRATING METHODOLOGY AND TECHNOLOGY ON SMART LEARNING ENVIRONMENTO4 - A1 Development and implementation of Training materials for teachersO4 - A2 Integrate e-learning contents into ENABLE smart learning environment O4 - A3 Testing phaseO5 - PILOT RUNO4 - A1 - Selection of participantsO4 - A2 - Organize national training eventsO4 - A3 - Conduct a pilot collaborative learning activityO4 - A4 - National testing and consultation reports O4- A5 - European Report on testing and consultation activitiesE1 - Multiplier event realized in LithuaniaE2 - Multiplier event realized in RomaniaE3/E6 - E7 Multiplier event realized in ItalyMAIN TANGIBLE RESULTS:Study on ESL preventionGuideline on the whole-school approachSet of the career oriented soft skillMethodological executive planSmart Learning EnvironmentMAIN IMPACTS- 100 students will be enabled to carry out learning activities in a smart learning environment taking into account their personal develop in terms of self-awareness, self-guidance and sense of responsibility;- 20 teachers/trainers can improve a more effective use of learning technology, can put more attention in stimulating informal learning;- schools leader (1*country) will benefit from the Recommendation on whole-school approach; - ca. 800 among relevant stakeholders will be informed on the ongoing project activities and will receive all dissemination material;- Development of a strategic methodological “bridge” between research, school education and job market;
Enable project aims at reducing the number of early school leavers by developing career-oriented soft skills, enhanced in a technological environment. The European Union has set the goal of reducing the number of young people who leave school by 2020 by 10%. Students enhance transversal skills oriented towards the labor market through teaching supported by technology. The European Union intends to support young people and allow them to fully develop their personal talents. One of the main obstacles to the full achievement of this goal is the high rate of young people leaving school before completing the learning path and before obtaining a certification that guarantees them to be competitive within the labor market. The causes of early school leaving can be social, economic, individual or linked to learning difficulties. Plausible countermeasures can be the effective use of educational technology and the growth of awareness of educational goals in students. The use of the ENABLE platform for the development of soft skills allows a personalized approach to learning, a diversification of training paths to adapt them to cognitive styles and even to the expectations of young people. The student himself has some control over his training. The teacher or tutor can communicate directly with the student, assigning tasks and personally verifying progresses: for a student, especially if at risk of leaving school, having the opportunity to create his/her own portfolio of skills and negotiate educational goals useful for training a soft skill, is a powerful incentive to empowerment and consequently to the realization that what you learn is useful. By stimulating the curiosity of the students and their personal interests, their self-respect and awareness can be gratified and improved. IIS Federico Caffè in Rome is the Coordinator of the project that has Partners from four different countries, Italy, Lithuania, Romania, Sweden: the Regional school Office of Lazio (USR), Eco E-learning, as a technological partner, Effebi association (Finance & Banking, Association for Organizational Development and Human Resources), Technology and Scientific Park of Kaunas (LT), Simono Daukanto Progimnazija School of Kaunas (LT), Gheorghe Lazar National College of Bucharest (RO ) and Folkuniversitetet of Uppsala (SE). In addition to the activities planned within the Project Management and Implementation, A1- management plan; A2- quality plan; A3- Skype Partner meetings; A4 - monitoring and evaluation activities; A5- administrative and financial management activities; A6 - realization of the material for dissemination (brochures, newsletters, website, social pages); A7- agreement on Intellectual Property Rights and Open Access Strategy of the results obtained, five important outputs have been realized: O1-research and analysis of needs in the field of dispersion; O2 - the choice of the methodological approach; O3 - the realization of the technological environment; O4- realization and integration of pedagogical contents into the learning platform; O5 - Pilot Project to test the project activities. The Partners met in 7 transnational meetings and carried out 7 Multiplier Events for the dissemination of the project results. One hundred European students have strengthened their soft skills, carrying out the activities prepared by the Partners and inserted on Enable platform. Twenty teachers have improved their methodology, acting as tutors during the pilot project. The dissemination plan had been established from the very beginning of the project with the aim of spreading information about the project's aims, results and outputs through websites, newsletters, seminars and events, brochures and articles.