The rapid shift to remote teaching and learning necessitated by the global COVID19 pandemic exposed areas of significant need in VET schools, especially in those who are targeting students with disabilities and fewer opportunities. It has underscored previously unknown or poorly understood gaps in equity, access, tools, and infrastructure but as well in the VET educators of this underrepresented group. VET educators had to accelerate technology implementation plans and their own professional development to move their teaching online, while simultaneously building educators and students capacity to use technology. Keeping an eye on issues of equity in remote learning environments can seem overwhelming, particularly when moving teaching and learning from the classroom to an online platform, mostly for VET students with disabilities. During this time of transition, ensuring equity for students with disabilities involves ensuring that all digital materials & platforms are accessible & work with the assistive technology tools available to students. The areas of education and training where students with disabilities can thrive differ significantly from those of mainstream students. SOIL project is focusing on a training area that has been proven beneficial for students’ skills and competences development and at the same develops a digital suite of educational tools that will ease VET educators’ job, as well keep students engaged. SOIL is seeking to prevent social exclusion of VET students with disabilities from COVID19 outbreak. It has been proven that gardening & therapeutic horticulture are practices that help the inclusion of marginalised groups. Creating and maintaining flower and vegetable gardens has long been recognized as being therapeutic and is now being widely embraced as a tool to help students with special needs develop skills necessary to enjoy all of the positive paybacks that come with being in nature. It provides a source of exercise, friendship, stimulation & relaxation and moreover it helps to the development of diverse skills. SOIL target groups are: VET students with disabilities & fewer opportunities who are enrolled in a VET schools’ curriculum. We focus on this target group of VET students with disabilities are undoubtedly among the most vulnerable at risk of educational exclusion during COVID19 outbreak. There is a great need for them to continue their VET education as this is the channel through which they achieve personal development & participation into the community; VET trainers & educators who have found themselves amid a significant need to transfer their teaching curriculum on line with the use of digital tools which have to correspond to the augmented needs of their students with disabilities. The online learning environments require them to demonstrate high quality digital delivery skills &confidence in using web conferencing solutions. Unfortunately, not all students have equal skills, resources or opportunities to participate in distance and e-learning. This global crisis has amplified and reinforced the digital, social, emotional, cultural and economic inequalities that many VET students and their families were already facing. A major challenge is the continuation of the work-based component of the VET programmes during lockdown. While theory can usually be taught and learned online, practical aspects cannot be effectively delivered, e.g. due to lack of access to tools, materials and equipment. To this direction we are planning to develop groundbreaking digital training tools in order to facilitate the continuation of practical training of VET students; SOIL project foresees the implementation of 3 Intellectual Outputs, as following: IO1 Digital Learning Suite for Bio Gardening and Therapeutic Horticulture: a suite of video tutorials of training and learning resources for bio gardening and therapeutic horticulture, media reached to qualify the needs of VET Students with fewer opportunities (disability) IO2 Bio Gardening and Therapeutic Horticulture Digital Lab; a web portal with the typology of a lab class where VET trainers can apply IO1 resources to VET Students IO3 SOIL - The Social Gardening AR APP: an Augmented Reality up that can be used by VET students to identify plants, vegetables and trees and with the guidance of their VET trainers on line to practice of garden cultivation and management. IO3 will have the options to connect with other users in SOIL teams and work together under the supervision and guidance of a VET trainer. SOIL partners are INSTITOUTO PROOTHISIS KAI PISTOPOIISIS PROIONTON AGRODIATROFIS, ERGASTIRI EIDIKIS EPAGGELMATIKIS EKPAIDEFSIS KAI KATARTISIS and INSTITOYTO KOINONIKIS KAINOTOMIAS KAI SYNOXIS from Greece, ROMAGNA TECH SOCIETA CONSORTILE PER AZIONI from Italy, FUNDACIÓN BELARMINO FERNANDEZ IGLESIAS from Spain and SECONDARY MUNICIPAL SCHOOL KOCO RACIN C.O. SVETI NIKOLE from RNM.
Our project had the following main objectives: 1. To develop a digital training program for VET trainers and students in the field of sustainable agriculture and digital skills, aimed at improving their employability and competitiveness in the job market. 2. To promote the use of digital tools and technologies in sustainable agriculture practices, particularly among VET students and trainers. 3. To enhance the skills and competencies of VET trainers in developing and delivering digital learning content and tools, and to provide them with new teaching methodologies and strategies. 4. To increase the access and availability of training opportunities in sustainable agriculture practices, particularly for students with disabilities and those living in remote or rural areas. 5. To establish a network of stakeholders, including VET providers, employers, and agricultural organizations, to facilitate the exchange of knowledge, experience, and best practices in sustainable agriculture and digital skills.
The SOIL project was initiated to address the growing need for digital transformation in the agricultural sector, particularly in the field of certification and quality assurance. With the advent of new technologies, there is a pressing need to modernize the way in which we certify and monitor agricultural products, ensuring that they are of high quality and meet the necessary standards. The project aims to address the challenges faced by VET students and trainers in this sector, particularly those with disabilities, by providing them with the necessary skills and tools to navigate the changing landscape of digital agriculture. Additionally, the project seeks to promote more sustainable and environmentally friendly agricultural practices, which is a pressing need in the current global climate. By providing VET students and trainers with the knowledge and skills to use digital tools for certification and quality assurance, the project aims to contribute to a more sustainable and innovative agricultural sector.