OPVET emerges from the context of Vocational Education and Training (VET), where there is a lack of international awareness, and a corresponding lack of the English language skills, intercultural and digital competences necessary in a globalised society. Its objectives are (1) to develop three modular Vocational Optional Online Courses (VOOCs) in English, intercultural competence and digital storytelling (2) to test these VOOCs in international vocational placements for student teachers in VET (3) to make the VOOCs available to a wide range of VET providers. The OPVET project will thus provide prospective teachers of vocational education subjects with improved skills and competence in English language, inter-cultural competence and digital teaching and learning. It will support around 30 student teachers in travelling to other countries for their vocational practice placements, whilst using the three modules to enhance their communication skills. Other student teachers (n= 240) from the destination countries will also take part in testing and improving the modules, whilst students studying IT at partner and associate schools will also contribute to the design and technical support of the VOOCs. The main result of the project will be to make these modules and an accompanying guidebook available to a wide range of VET providers across Europe. The ultimate impact and long-term benefit of OPVET, in line with market demands, will be to contribute to the internationalization of VET and the emergence of a new generation of VET teachers able to better motivate their students and to pass on the intercultural skills to function in diverse national and vocational situations.
The OPVET project (Online Platform for Vocational Education and Training) emerges from the context of Vocational Education and Training (VET) and Vocational Teacher Education in higher education, where there is a lack of international awareness, and a corresponding lack of the English language skills, intercultural and digital competences necessary in a globalized society. OPVET's objectives were (1) to develop three modular Vocational Optional Online Courses (VOOCs) in English, intercultural competence and digital storytelling (2) to test these VOOCs in international vocational placements for student teachers in VET (3) to make the VOOCs available to a wide range of VET providers. 1) OPVET developed three modular Vocational Optional Online Courses (VOOCs). Module 1, termed "English and digital storytelling", was designed by NTNU during the fall of 2017. Module 2 termed "Intercultural competence" was designed by Bergamo University during the spring of 2018. The third module, termed " Digital Media in Teaching and Learning", was designed by Åbo Akademi University in the fall of 2018. All three university partners used professional /expert input in the process of designing the three VOOCs. ICT students at Heimdal Upper secondary school assisted in setting up and implementing the online platform and provided technical support for the VOOCs. They also set up the project’s webpage OPVET.eu, in the final year of the project. The VOOC modules used the commercially available CANVAS platform. 2) OPVET tested the three modules (VOOCs) in further steps. Firstly, we tested the modules in order of their development with vocational teacher students and ICT students in upper secondary school, who were traveling to other countries for vocational practice placements in schools and companies. Altogether, 55 (51 students and 4 teachers) travelled abroad during the project period. The final group of students, due to take part in Spring 2020 mobilities, was not allowed to travel abroad, due to the Covid-19 situation. Secondly, we tested the modules with groups of VET students in upper secondary schools. The partner in ICT Belotti has been heavily involved in this process, contributing examples to a Guidebook developed by the project, concerned with use of the modules in vocational teaching and training. Thirdly, other student teachers (n= 300) from the destination countries have taken part in testing and improving the modules. Using the three modules enhanced their digital and communication skills and increased their use of reflective practices. In addition, Dr David Randall was our critical friend in the project, participating in four out of six transnational meetings. Based on his comments, together with teachers and students feedback, we revised the modules in the last year of the project to improve the content and increase the quality and functionality. 3) During the project period, OPVET made the VOOCs available to a wide range of VET providers; VET students at different tracks and levels, VET teachers in a range of contexts and other VET providers, including instructors in businesses, prinicpals at VET schools, and local and national authorities have been introduced for the modules through several multiplier events and conferences. About 400 teachers, students and other VET providers have used the platform during the three years project period. Thus, the OPVET project provided prospective teachers of vocational education subjects and other key partners with improved skills and competence in English language, inter-cultural competence and digital teaching and learning. The main legacy of the OPVET project was to make these modules available as living tools for the future. For this reason, we have made an accompanying guidebook available at no cost. The guidebook, the modules and a range of other digital teaching materials developed in the project are available on the webpage OPVET.eu. Links to the modules are available at: https://bibsys.instructure.com/enroll/67NPPP The goal is for them to be used by a wide range of VET providers across Europe. Some of the universities plan to collaborate with more universities to continue and expand the implementation of the three modules among vocational teacher students and their teachers. The ultimate impact and long-term benefit of OPVET is in line with the demands of European VET and vocational teacher education, contributing to the internationalization of VET and the emergence of a new generation of VET teachers able to better motivate their students, use digital tools in teaching and training and to develop their students' intercultural skills, enabling them to function in diverse national and vocational situations.