The COVID-19 pandemic hit European Higher Education in the first weeks of the second semester of 2019/20. Italy, Portugal and Spain suffered heavily the effects of the pandemic. Most Higher Education Institutions (HEI) closed their facilities in February or March 2020. Face-to-face classes stopped, and synchronous distance online classes were the adequate solution. The adopted technologies in each case were on one hand those available, and on the other hand, what instructors were able to use. This was the possible temporary solution for the beginning of the pandemic. However, with the start of the new academic year, HEI needed to be ready for the new uncertainty. Such a complex setting requires a creative, flexible solution, that encourages collaboration and learning from peers, and finally, that promotes a culture of sharing. This project presents a model that helps responding to the challenge described above. The project BLA aims to implement the COVID-19 International award on Innovation in Blended Learning, the fastest way to learn from a crisis. Through this award, the consortium wants to increase the quality of Higher Education by promoting fast inter-institutional learning and collaboration. In a moment of scarcity of resources, through the award, the consortium wants to grow the engagement of all stakeholders, change their mind-set to a culture of self-innovation and increase the impact of innovation by rapidly disseminating international best practices. More specifically, the objectives of the BLA project are: • to create awareness for the importance of keeping the focus on quality and excellence when creating blended learning courses • to increase the number of faculty actively involved in the production of high quality blended learning courses • to create opportunities for sharing best practices at international level, while receiving relevant feedback from peers • to develop learning courses that relevant as tools for international education During the project, there will be two editions of the award, focusing on three areas of knowledge: health and well-being, social sciences and humanities, and STEM. The competition happens separately at each University, with an international jury; there will be a final event, joining the awardees of the three universities. The main result expected is to have a large number of faculty members engaged in the production of high quality blended learning courses, suitable for an international audience. Putting both editions of the award together, if there is at least one participant for each scientific area from all three universities, at the end of the project there will be a catalogue of 18 blended learning courses shared by all the institutions. However, we do expect a larger number of blended learning courses, as this is a competitive process with both an international dimension and a strong institutional dissemination, benefiting students in all three institutions. The international dimension of the award includes the exploitation of the results and impact of the BLA project. The internationalization of the Education process was highly affected by COVID pandemic. The creation of a Catalogue of Virtual mobility learning opportunities, including the awarded courses and other high-quality courses, will contribute to increasing the opportunities for students and faculty to engage in international learning opportunities. This is enriching to all parties involved. The Catalogue of Virtual Mobility courses is aligned with the current educational policies of the European Commission, increases the visibility of the courses, and reaches a larger community of students, while contributing for the internationalization of the universities. This output will have a strong impact outside the Consortium and after the projects ends. The main stakeholders of this project are the Faculty of the three partners of the Consortium. Any member of teaching staff may apply for the award. The dissemination tools of the project will reach them. The mechanisms underlying the competitive process of the award will select them. The multiplier events of the projects will reach an additional number of faculty members. Even non-active members in the project will benefit from sharing the best international practices in blended learning. The secondary target of this project are the students of the three universities. Students will benefit by having courses that are better suitable for online distance education. Students will have the opportunity to attend courses prepared by other international universities and actively interact with students from different countries. These opportunities are formal international learning opportunities, with full academic recognition and credit award.
The project BLA aimed to implement the COVID-19 International award on Innovation in Blended Learning. Through this award, the consortium universities wanted to increase the quality of Higher Education by promoting fast inter-institutional learning and collaboration; engaging, in a moment of scarcity of resources, faculty members, students and universities' decision-makers to change their mind-set to a culture of self-innovation and increase the impact of innovation by rapidly disseminating international best practices. More specifically, the objectives of the BLA project were: • to create awareness for the importance of keeping the focus on quality and excellence when creating blended learning courses • to increase the number of faculty actively involved in the production of high quality blended learning courses • to create opportunities for sharing best practices at international level, while receiving relevant feedback from peers • to develop learning courses that are relevant as tools for international education
The implementation of an International award on blended learning came as a complementary strategic instrument to reward the efforts of instructors when introducing blended learning as a response to the COVID-19 challenge of distance education. The international dimension of the award aimed at creating opportunities for international cooperation, reinforcing the concept of cross-institutional ECTS awarding, and consolidating the internationalization experience in an more inclusive context. The international award intended to address HEI needs on the existing and coming challenges: - adjust alternative solutions to the different pedagogical requirements of each specific scientific area. - ensure the best possible standards of their educational products, preparing students for their future. - focus on preparing students, faculty and staff for the new educational and innovative models. - reinforce the dissemination of best practices in a moment of crisis with fewer resources, so that the institutional learning curve may accelerate. - maintain the international dimension of their internal transformation, using their partners’ best practices examples and cross-cultural diversity as a source of institutional long-run flexibility.