The importance of digitization, creativity and cultural awareness is always present, but it is particularly emphasized in the current situation, at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. We need to acquire new skills and competences that strengthen creative potential and thus contribute to the resilience of the educational, cultural & creative sector. Our project is a cooperation between public educational/academic institutions & private businesses that can see a big opportunity to thrive and improve their skills and offers in terms of new tools and digital competences in ICT and visualization techniques. This will open up new ways of collaboration boosting open and distant Cultural Heritage Education through a strategic alliance of 7 partners from 4 countries (AT, GR, IT, SI). The Interdisciplinary Resilience through Science & Cultural Heritage Education Network (IRSCHEN) is not only a Strategic partnership project but also the place where this project idea was born and where a very special site of archeological importance called “Burgbichl” has been discovered recently by the Coordinators of the project, University of Innsbruck. Through this interdisciplinary network, all partners can improve and promote technical skills, media literacy and awareness on our common cultural heritage while fostering our solidarity to overcome the negative effects of the pandemic. The digital transformation of European Cultural Heritage (ECH) sites in the field of archeology and its adaptation to the needs of students will enable further social and educational added-value for our 2 main HE-target groups, but also grant access to education to a wider audience beyond the academic elite. It will be possible to get to know & learn about different remote places with high importance for our common values, transfer knowledge about ECH easily, and learn about similarities that unite us without physical mobility. Project IRSCHEN´s main target groups are : 1.) ACADEMIC & PROFESSIONAL STAFF in CULTURAL HERITAGE EDUCATION: Educational & scientific staff from Higher Education partners in need of improving their digital competences who want to tackle skills gaps and learn about transdisciplinary approaches & innovative pedagogies for open and distant learning (28 directly involved in trainings, further 350 reached through multiplier events & dissemination activities) 2.) STUDENTS: Students (18-35 years) from curricula like archeology, ancient studies, history, regional development interested in archeological ECH in Alps Adriatic Region (32 directly involved in the scientific camps, further 850 reached through e-learning modules & educational game). IRSCHEN pursues the following objectives: - To tackle skills gaps and mismatches, especially related to digital competences, through transdisciplinary approaches and innovative pedagogies such as research-based learning; - To develop, test and implement OERs relevant for HE-target groups (with co-creation elements) & potential impact for a broader audience (science to public approach) on a long term with flexible and modular course design (online or blended) to support the setting up of open and distant learning while also being relevant for the labour market and for the wider society; - To increase attractiveness and reforming educational offers for STEM with a STREAM (add "reading" and "arts") approach including real-world applications, inquiry-based and ICT-enriched learning, collaborative practices, including university-business cooperation; - To foster civic engagement & life-long learning opportunities related to our archaeological heritage as an integral part of our European identity whilst delivering European Cultural Heritage Education as part of different curricula (archeology, ancient studies etc.) & thus to promote a cross-border and scientifically based know-how transfer and understanding of European Cultural Heritage through the use of ICT - To foster transnational cooperation & interdisciplinary resilience through building a solidarity network between Academia & Business from "the Alps Adriatic Region" & "the Mediterranean". The following IOs will be delivered: IO1: Collection of Cultural Heritage Data (analogue & digital in 2D/3D, available in English and German) IO2: Toolkit for Digital Readiness including real life application (provided in 5 languages: English, German, Italian, Slovenian and Greek) IO3: Digitalization processes for innovative & inclusive education: Transforming finds from archeological sites into e-learning materials (available in 5 languages: English, Italian, Greek, German, Slovenian). Furthermore we will implement the following Learning Teaching Training Activities: - Digital Readiness Training 1: Short term staff training (2021, IT: 12 teachers) - Scientific Camp 2021 (AT, 16 int.students) - Scientific Camp 2022 (AT, 16 int.students) -Digital Readiness Training 2: (2023, IT, 16 teachers) 4 Multiplier events in 4 countries will be organized (215 guests).
- To tackle skills gaps & mismatches, especially related to digital competences, through transdisciplinary approaches, and innovative pedagogies such as research-based learning; - To develop, test and implement OER that are relevant for students of our targeted curricula with flexible and modular course design (online or blended) to support the setting up of open and distant learning while also being relevant for the labour market and for the wider society (people with fewer opportunities) -To increase attractiveness of educational offers including real-world applications, inquiry-based and ICT-enriched learning, collaborative practices, including university-business cooperation; -To foster civic engagement and life-long learning opportunities related to our archaeological heritage as an integral part of our European identity whilst delivering European Cultural Heritage Education in our partner countries and beyond, thus to promote a cross-border and scientifically based know-how transfer and understanding of active citizenship; -To foster transnational cooperation, know-how and interdisciplinary resilience through building a solidarity network between Academia & Business from "the Alps Adriatic Region" & "the Mediterranean".
The importance of digitization and creativity / cultural awareness is always present, but it is particularly emphasized in the current situation and societal/ ecological transition. In order to anticipate this, we need to acquire new skills and competences that strengthen transversal skills and thus contribute to the resilience of the Higher Education sector and its key-actors. Our project meant to foster transnational cooperation between higher educational institutions and business/start-ups that can see a big opportunity in creating a win-win situation in order to thrive. New tools, digital competences and visualization techniques are explored to boost resilience and creativity in the academic field. Through this strategic alliance we can trigger a powerful change using the example of "IRSCHEN“. All partners share the need to improve technical skills & awareness on our common cultural heritage.The digital transformation of European Cultural Heritage (ECH) sites in the field of archeology will enable further social & educational added-value. Digitization can play an enormous role, because the new technologies can help visualize the cultural heritage in an engaging & revolutionary way reflecting the needs of all key actors in HE.