Currently, the European Union faces many challenges related to EU governance coming with the new millennium. A sense of national identity or EU citizenship is nowadays confronted with many problems and influences on the population of the EU (esp. globalization, multiculturalism, patriotism, immigration, language diasporas, ethnic identity, ethnocentrism, nationalism, patriotism, identity crisis). In order to enable young people (students) in European countries to adequately explain individual challenges, raise their awareness in these topics and help them to find their own opinion and attitude towards it, it is necessary to keep the discourse constantly confronting the views of individual member states EU so that teachers can learn about these topics with a current awareness and in optimal knowledge increasing active citizenship. This requires adequate research that takes into account the current view of EU member states and also identifies young people's views on national identity and EU citizenship as part of the learning process. The project brings together 4 partners from the Germany, UK, Czech Republic and Slovak Republic to compare their experience with learning the above named topics to learn about the state-of-art development which can be used by university teachers and teachers at secondary schoolsl. The long term aim of the project is to raise educational achievement and participation of young people in active EU citizenship. The cooperation of particular EU countries has been chosen so that each provides a representative view of the issue of national identity and EU citizenship. However, it was not an easy process due to the incorporation of the country in various European alliances such as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the First Republic of Czechoslovakia, the oppression of Czechoslovakia during WWII and after. The new democracy, which the Czechs experienced after 1989, brings a fresh perspective on EU citizenship as opposed to national identity which have been defined by the Czech accession to the EU. The Slovak Republic has shared with the Czech Republic a part of its modern history, however, the story of Slovak evolution of the national identity differs. Patriotism has always played an essential role and the Slovak Republic has been, since 1993, a new democracy that has had to reconsider its national identity. Germany, a traditional European power, has always influenced the political development of Europe. The German perception of EU citizenship and national identity underwent a major change after the Second World War and once again after the reunification of Germany in 1990 which presents a historical milestone. Another perspective is that of the United Kingdom, which is different from the other countries as it is a monarchy with four incorporated countries. However, the recent development and devolution tendencies in contemporary UK have redefined British understanding of national identity. The British perspective is currently being heavily influenced by the Brexit negotiations. The particular aim of this project is to teach the above named topics at university level in a highly innovative way with the use of information and communication technology (ICT) which enables instant communication of project members and shared teaching in real time in the 3D virtual classroom, regardless of where the users are located. This will also significantly raise the awareness of university teachers about using ICT in the blended learning form at university level. In addition, it might contribute to the digital skills development of university students and teachers. The use of the 3D multiuser virtual environment in university teaching and blended mobility provides a highly innovative method of university education (so far mostly used at US universities). Since it is an completely new educational element within the EU, it is essential to include students with specific needs for pilot testing to ensure that this educational tool is appropriate for them as well (that is why the students with special needs are also included in the project). As a part of project activities, the intellectual outputs available at the project website will be prepared for university teachers and university students to enhance their knowledge of active citizenship and to improve their digital skills. The factsheets with basic information about the particular challenges to national identity and EU citizenship will be prepared. Moreover, teaching objects for Toolkit will be made available online and academic articles for teachers will also be accessible at the project website. One month blended mobility for university students will be implemented by using real and 3D virtual building at Palacky University in the Czech Republic. The beneficiaries of this project will in addition include teachers at secondary schools, local authorities, and youth organization workers who will be involved in multiplier events.
We wanted to achieve following aims in the topics defined in the call: 1) EU Citizenship, EU awareness and Democracy, 2) ICT - new technologies - digital competence, 3) New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses. This project was thus focused on 3 main objectives: 1) Innovation of university teaching with the use of new digital technology which enables more easily to involve students with special needs as well and it helps to provide a more effective and inclusive way of internationalisation via digital technology (blended mobility). 2) Innovation of educational methods by using new digital technology in teaching the topical themes of EU citizenship and Civic competences in teaching subjects at project member universities. 3) Innovation of university curricula through the common curriculum topics of partner universities based on the new up-to-date knowledge about the topic of EU citizenship in relation to national identity and its reflection in particular project member states.
The main reason for entering this topic was the need for our civic education teachers, language teachers and history teachers to gain an up-to-date awareness of national identity and the current perception of European citizenship, because knowing how the younger generation thinks today and whether they feel more like members of their own nation or, as a result of globalisation tendencies, they are more comfortable with a sense of European citizenship, is important for the way we teach not only language but also national history and civic responsibility. The other reason was the situation which the European Union faces in meaning of many challenges related to EU governance coming with the new millennium. A sense of national identity or EU citizenship is nowadays confronted with many problems and influences on the population of the EU (esp. globalization, multiculturalism, patriotism, immigration, language diasporas, ethnic identity, ethnocentrism, nationalism, patriotism, identity crisis). These challenges cut across many disciplines and require collaboration not only between historians, linguists, sociologists, philosophers, but also between EU countries to learn from each other's examples of good practice.