Experts acknowledge »nature deficit disorders«, which strongly affect youth generation in the Alps. A lack of a relationship to the environment entails a loss of Alpine identity and know-how, with a distorted perception of the mountains. Mountain oriented education plays a key role to instil in young generations the sensibility and knowledge of Alpine cultural and natural heritage and highlight opportunities for their future. There is a need to raise youth's environmental awareness on what the Alps can offer them also in terms of sustainable social and economic opportunities. Project Alpine initiatives for Alpine natives (Alps4nats) unites 3 Slovenian (AO), Italian (P1) and French (P2) secondary schools to test a new and innovative pedagogical-didactic approach inquiry –based learning with participative approach. Activity, who leads to all three IOs, is in line with 3 WPs, which are financed by Management and Implementation. Biotechnical centre Naklo (AO) is responsible for coordination of management activities (WPM) – 6 transnational and monthly online metings, managing, administrative guidelines and reporting procedures, Twinspace, 4 financial reports. Liceo Scientifico Statale Annibale Calini (P1) is responsible for monitoring and evaluation activities (WPE): preparation of e. questionnaire for TMPs and online meetings, L/T/T activities (C1 – C4), multiplier events (E1 – E3) and intellectual outputs (IOs), 2 e.reports. MFR La Tour d'Aigues (P2) is responsible for dissemination and exploitation activity (WPD). The whole activity of inquity based learning /classroom/year/partner = 50 contact hours + 4 field trips + 4 initiative work also at home Introductory phase of the method is connected with C1 activity, where 4 representatives per partner of the later-on formed initiatives chose 4 local sustainable-development (SD) oriented issues to solve them in the whole-school year lasting learning process in the field of agriculture and tourism. When they come back they present the chosen local SD issues to the whole class – formation of 4 initiatives – smaller groups of students, who in learning phase autonomously collect the information through internet, interviews, on the field-trips (sc: bus rent) – good and bad practices. Collected materials in online version with interactive tasks will form E-textbooks (Sl, I, F versions) – O1, which is used for students' autonomously and peer to peer learning, but joined summary (E) will enable learning about the same problematics in other countries. Students will autonomously solve the chosen SD issues – 12 concrete solutions (sc: object – service) in a problem-solving-participative phase. The action will be closed with C2, where representative of all initiatives will compare the issues, solutions, analyse them by SWOT and assess the potential for the solution transferability. In the second school year another SD issues will be solved in the fields of biodiversity and environmental parameters - the action will be repeated (C3,C4). 24 individualised curricula will be reviewed and compare to develop 1 joined curriculum with 4 units and Catalogue of knowledge, skills and competences (O2 in Sl, F, I and ENG). Inquiry based learning with participative approach as a learner-centred methodology requests a shift in a teacher's role: facilitator, motivator and compass. To support teachers Alps4nats will prepare a review of scientific papers of similar pedagogic-didactic methods, description of the methods, instructions for teachers how to implement the methodology in each of its phases and a special tool of cards (150 pieces, Sl, I, F; sc – design and print) which will allow teachers to visualise the whole process. All these materials are joined in a Toolbox for easier implementation of inquiry based learning in classroom (O3). All IOs will be evaluated by external evaluator (sc) and will be disseminated by multiplier events in September 2021: E1 - A textbook as a result of autonomous learning (AO), E2 - A revolution of inquiry-based learning with a participative approach in the field of education, E3 - To be alone in the classroom with the pedagogical-didactic method, which includes a lot of unknown variables. For dissemination actions and sustainability of the products we will use the network of Alpine schools (pedagogic methodology, all IOs) and platform OurAlps (project YOUrALPS, Alpine space). Project will be presented on at least 3 scientific conferences with pedagogic-didactic contents. Methodology will motivate students to develop a set of competences (professional, European key - , and sustainable development oriented -). They will achieve a higher level of knowledge, which means more qualitative and durable knowledge. Teachers will be supported by materials, which are developed for their professional development. Schools will be more connected with their territory and sustainable, their curricula will include alpine natural and cultural heritage.
In the project used the IBL approach has induced changes in students, teachers and the local community. Students became more aware and got a deeper knowledge of local SD issues. Their developing internal motivation forced them to get involved in the process of solving SD issues and raise awareness among family members, peers, children, local community. From passive observers, they became agents for SD, who live sustainable lifestyles and stay long-termly connected to chosen issues (as members of associations, professionally connected). International activities (LTTs, students’ meetings) gave them insight in how SD issues are similar on the whole Alpine arch and all Alpine countries should be involved in their solving. The Alps4nats project has empowered teachers for the implementation of IBL. In the project designed and tested materials (Os) should inspire teachers to use the method frequently due to high learning and also transferability potentials to other educational fields (science and even further), age group of students (educational vertical) and other geographic regions (not only the Alps). They include a description of IBL and its phases, steps for easier implementation (O3), examples of actions (O1) and curricula (O2).
Youth in the Alps will face Great Challenges in the future. Will they be able to address them? Mountain-oriented education (MOE) plays a key role in instilling in young generations the sensibility and knowledge of the Alpine natural and cultural heritage and highlights their opportunities One of the Alps4nats challenges was the inclusion of MOE into formal education. 1. How to induce transformative learning (TL) in youth so that they will make a positive shift towards more sustainable behaviour? 2. How will they become more proactive in the process of solving sustainable development (SD) issues, inspired by Greta Thunberg? 2. Which competences should they gain to be better face and shape current and future changes (mass unemployment among youth, human-induced climate changes)? SD competences, which include environmental, social and economic responsibilities, should be integrated into curricula. 3. Teaching MOE is not possible with a traditional “teacher-centred” methodology; teachers are faced with a technological shift in the teaching process. Teachers need special guidelines for the implementation of inquiry-based learning with a participative approach (IBL) as the MOE-oriented pedagogical approach (phases, examples, tips).
Experts acknowledge »nature deficit disorders«, which strongly affect youth generation in the Alps. A lack of a relationship to the environment entails a loss of Alpine identity and know-how, with a distorted perception of the mountains. Mountain oriented education plays a key role to instil in young generations the sensibility and knowledge of Alpine cultural and natural heritage and highlight opportunities for their future. There is a need to raise youth's environmental awareness on what the Alps can offer them also in terms of sustainable social and economic opportunities. Project Alpine initiatives for Alpine natives (Alps4nats) unites 3 Slovenian (AO), Italian (P1) and French (P2) secondary schools to test a new and innovative pedagogical-didactic approach inquiry –based learning with participative approach. Activity, who leads to all three IOs, is in line with 3 WPs, which are financed by Management and Implementation. Biotechnical centre Naklo (AO) is responsible for coordination of management activities (WPM) – 6 transnational and monthly online metings, managing, administrative guidelines and reporting procedures, Twinspace, 4 financial reports. Liceo Scientifico Statale Annibale Calini (P1) is responsible for monitoring and evaluation activities (WPE): preparation of e. questionnaire for TMPs and online meetings, L/T/T activities (C1 – C4), multiplier events (E1 – E3) and intellectual outputs (IOs), 2 e.reports. MFR La Tour d'Aigues (P2) is responsible for dissemination and exploitation activity (WPD). The whole activity of inquity based learning /classroom/year/partner = 50 contact hours + 4 field trips + 4 initiative work also at home Introductory phase of the method is connected with C1 activity, where 4 representatives per partner of the later-on formed initiatives chose 4 local sustainable-development (SD) oriented issues to solve them in the whole-school year lasting learning process in the field of agriculture and tourism. When they come back they present the chosen local SD issues to the whole class – formation of 4 initiatives – smaller groups of students, who in learning phase autonomously collect the information through internet, interviews, on the field-trips (sc: bus rent) – good and bad practices. Collected materials in online version with interactive tasks will form E-textbooks (Sl, I, F versions) – O1, which is used for students' autonomously and peer to peer learning, but joined summary (E) will enable learning about the same problematics in other countries. Students will autonomously solve the chosen SD issues – 12 concrete solutions (sc: object – service) in a problem-solving-participative phase. The action will be closed with C2, where representative of all initiatives will compare the issues, solutions, analyse them by SWOT and assess the potential for the solution transferability. In the second school year another SD issues will be solved in the fields of biodiversity and environmental parameters - the action will be repeated (C3,C4). 24 individualised curricula will be reviewed and compare to develop 1 joined curriculum with 4 units and Catalogue of knowledge, skills and competences (O2 in Sl, F, I and ENG). Inquiry based learning with participative approach as a learner-centred methodology requests a shift in a teacher's role: facilitator, motivator and compass. To support teachers Alps4nats will prepare a review of scientific papers of similar pedagogic-didactic methods, description of the methods, instructions for teachers how to implement the methodology in each of its phases and a special tool of cards (150 pieces, Sl, I, F; sc – design and print) which will allow teachers to visualise the whole process. All these materials are joined in a Toolbox for easier implementation of inquiry based learning in classroom (O3). All IOs will be evaluated by external evaluator (sc) and will be disseminated by multiplier events in September 2021: E1 - A textbook as a result of autonomous learning (AO), E2 - A revolution of inquiry-based learning with a participative approach in the field of education, E3 - To be alone in the classroom with the pedagogical-didactic method, which includes a lot of unknown variables. For dissemination actions and sustainability of the products we will use the network of Alpine schools (pedagogic methodology, all IOs) and platform OurAlps (project YOUrALPS, Alpine space). Project will be presented on at least 3 scientific conferences with pedagogic-didactic contents. Methodology will motivate students to develop a set of competences (professional, European key - , and sustainable development oriented -). They will achieve a higher level of knowledge, which means more qualitative and durable knowledge. Teachers will be supported by materials, which are developed for their professional development. Schools will be more connected with their territory and sustainable, their curricula will include alpine natural and cultural heritage.