The Project Restart for Education in a Digital Era through Project-based E-learning (RESTART 4EDU) advances solutions for implementation of European policies regarding increasing the quality of higher education. The Project stands for innovating teaching and learning methods at academic level by integrating the digital technology in the educational process. The main innovation consists in the development of methodology of teaching that integrates Project-Based Learning (PBL) with digital technologies. This innovation will lead to a better correlation between the higher education and employers’ expectations, by creating the framework of cooperation between students and specialists from different fields of activity. Also, this will support the internationalization of the academic educational process. The debate about teaching practices in higher education has decades and was the core of Bologna Process. Current developments as the Covid-19 Pandemia reveal that by dramatic changes (i.e., switching from traditional face-to-face teaching to online learning) requires best-practice models, worked examples and vocational training for Higher Education staff to meet the requirements of new emerging situations and demands. These requirements different perspectives as addressed within TPACK-model and affects technological knowledge, content knowledge and didactical expertise as well their interactions. By providing sustainable support with regard to these factors, RESTART 4EDU will be a best-practice model and knowledge source for project-based and related instructional Higher Education approaches (e.g., problem-based learning, service learning, etc.). So, Covid-19 Crisis might be an opportunity for universities to discuss and reflect about the best educational solutions and implement new methodologies in teaching, learning and evaluation activity. HORIZONTAL PRIORITIES: -Innovative practices in the digital era SPECIFIC PRIORITIES in higher education: -Tackling skills gaps and mismatches -Promoting and rewarding excellence in teaching and skills development The GENERAL AIM: Increasing the quality of the teaching, learning and evaluation process in higher education by promoting active and collaborative methods (Project-Based Learning) using e-learning platform and digital resources. SPECIFIC AIMS: SA1. Supporting efforts for integrating ICT in the educational process on an academic level, by creating an innovative instrument: RESTART 4EDU e-learning platform for PBL SA2. Improving teaching skills for professors of partner universities by training them to implement Project-Based e-learning Method in teaching: 50 teachers trained to be drivers for the integration of the RESTART 4EDU e-learning platform SA3. Promoting a high-quality academic education based on a thorough analysis of the impact made by innovating solutions (RESTART 4EDU e-learning platform for PBL): an experimental study on the impact of using the platform will be conducted at the level of partner universities The project beneficiaries: university teachers The consortium is made up of: - Ovidius University of Constanta, Romania - The Applicant - INFOREF, Liege, Belgium - Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Braga, Portugal - Eskişehir Osmangazi University, Turkey The total amount of the project is 228.245,00 € The implementation period: 1st March 2021-28 th February 2023 Intellectual outputs developed in the project will be the following: IO1 - RESTART 4EDU e-learning platform for PBL IO2 - Handbook for Project-Based Learning implementation in Teaching Academic Courses (with examples of projects, interactive training, and video lessons) IO3 - Experimental Research on Implementing Project-Based Learning method via digital resources (1 Scientific Article) In terms of outcomes, this project will lead to training and developing professional competences for teachers: - Digital competences in using online resources - Teaching and learning using Project-Based Learning Methods - Guiding the students into learning and self-assessment process and managing work teams Beside these, the project contributes to the development of soft skills: - Project assessment and qualitative analysis competences - Decision-making competences in project designing - Critical and creative thinking competences - Problem-solving competences - Teamwork competences Learning, Teaching and Training Activities: - Summer School on Project-Based Learning Implementation at the academic level via digital resources Multiplier Events - Discover and Use RESTART 4EDU Resources (2 seminar events) - International Conference on RESTART 4EDU Academic Teaching and Learning Opportunities
By implementing the RESTART4EDU project, we generally pursued increasing the quality of the teaching, learning and evaluation process in higher education by promoting active and collaborative methods (mainly Project-Based Learning) using digital technology. In order to achieve this objective, we had several specific objectives in mind, such as: SA1. Supporting efforts for integrating ICT in the educational process on an academic level, by creating an innovative instrument: RESTART 4EDU e-learning platform for PBL in HE; SA2. Improving teaching skills for professors of partner universities by training them to implement Project-Based e-learning Method in the process of teaching, learning and evaluation. In this sense, a number of 58 teachers were trained for using PBL, thus: 15 teachers from Ovidius University of Constanta, 33 teachers from Osmangazi University of Eskisehir and 10 teachers from Universidade Catolica Portuguesa. SA3. Promoting a high-quality academic education based on a thorough analysis of the impact made by innovating solutions (RESTART 4EDU e-learning platform for PBL). In this regard, two impact studies on the results of the project were carried out and published.
The Project Restart for Education in a Digital Era through Project-based E-learning (RESTART 4EDU) advances solutions for implementation of European policies regarding increasing the quality of higher education. The main innovation consists in the development of methodology of teaching that integrates Project-Based Learning (PBL) with digital technologies. This new approach to teaching at the academic level leads to a better correlation between the higher education and employers’ expectations, through the development of specialized and transversal skills, necessary on the European labor market. RESTART 4EDU is a best-practice model and knowledge source for project-based and related instructional Higher Education approaches, like Backward Design and Design Thinking pedagogy. Also, this project support the internationalization of the academic educational process, facilitating communication between education specialists and creating a coherent vision of university education, by capitalizing on the experiences and complementary resources specific to the partners. RESTART 4EDU represents a common space that expresses didactic creativity and innovation at the service of academic education.