Student-centred learning and learning ergonomics are becoming important aspects of all types of educational institutions. By acknowledging the central pedagogical and didactic position of educational institutions in separate countries, the project partners wish to acknowledge their roles as adding to the ‘making’ of citizens through higher education, cultural awareness. The process of making graduates and citizens is an experimental continuum, allowing universities to provide conditions for associational activities as well as perform a role of cultural custodians by maintaining and revitalising cultural inheritances of the political community, but also giving it direction. It is important to realise that higher education institutions should not aim to undertake such activities on their own, rather they should seek assistance from local and regional experts in the field of pedagogics, urban methodology and cultural activities. While student-centred learning is somewhat difficult to define in terms of its methodology and explicit content, which is to be included, it is the key to adapting to a more diverse student population and changing needs in terms of how education is conveyed. In order to accommodate these ambitions, a re-examination of traditional pedagogy, didactics and scholarship, including ways of how and where the learning and teaching processes take place, is needed. The Universities, involved in this project as partner organisations, will prepare piloting schemes of repurposing of educational buildings and spaces, in order to begin the development and later distribute it to a wider set of university environments. In addition, to this, they will also host multiple day training seminars for potential multipliers of the project results. The trainings will aim to educate on features of the developed model for repurposing of educational buildings and spaces and how to implement/use the model in their faculties. Key outputs of the project are: 1. Mapping of existing participatory practices will be designed in order to provide a clear overview of the participatory practices, in terms of good practices for the repurposing of educational buildings and spaces. The lead partner, when it comes to the intellectual output will identify, group and identify the afore-mentioned good practices. 2. Model for repurposing of educational buildings and spaces in HE institutions and non-formal education organisations based on the mapping of existing participatory practices, which will be the first intellectual output of the project and will serve as a guideline for the model and piloting schemes, which will be established as the second intellectual outcome. 3. Manual for the implementation of the model will be prepared in accordance with the outcomes of the mapping of current participatory practices and in cooperation with the model for repurposing. 4. Policy recommendations for the public authorities for participatory processes in terms of repurposing of public buildings and civic spaces will be developed in order to advocate for more cooperation between policy, civic and educational sector in order to enhance urban development and participatory processes in cities. All project results are designed in ways, which will make them easily transferable and implemented in other organisations and educational institutions, interested in undertaking repurposing of educational buildings and spaces. Through promotion and dissemination activities, we will stimulate educators, students, educational leaders and other stakeholders such as decision-makers in municipality, governmental structures and as well European stakeholders to implement repurposing of educational buildings, allowing for further development of student-centred learning and its usage in urban development and improving learning ergonomics in higher education.
The objective was to develop a MODEL, a MANUAL and POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS based on the activities carried out in the project. The project consortium hoped to achieve a systemic impact on HE through the activities described, both on the institutions involved and on those who would later be interested in using the project results for their own institutional needs. Most educational spaces contain little sensory stimuli and are still too focused on teaching-centred learning methods. Repurposing of learning environments provides students with multiple opportunities to learn and participate in education-related activities with peers, professors and other faculty. Students have the opportunity to work on HE on independent projects that are not necessarily related to their studies and/or courses. This would encourage them to become independent, critical and active members of society. Higher education institutions need to be responsive to the social and economic needs of society, their actions to improve graduate employability, their contribution to national economic growth and local development, and the way they stimulate business creation and innovation in existing enterprises.
Student-centred learning and learner ergonomics are becoming important aspects in all types of educational settings. By recognising the central pedagogical and didactic position of educational institutions in each country, project partners contribute to 'making' citizens through higher education and cultural awareness. The process of educating graduates and citizens is an experimental continuum that enables universities to create conditions for associative activities and play a role as cultural custodians, preserving and reviving the cultural heritage of the political community, but also giving it direction. We found it important to recognise that universities should not carry out such activities alone, but should seek the support of local and regional experts in the field of pedagogy, urban methodology and cultural activities. Student-centred learning, while somewhat difficult to define in terms of methodology and explicit content, is key to adapting to a more diverse student population and changing needs in terms of how education is delivered. To achieve these goals, traditional pedagogy, didactics and scholarship have had to be rethought, including how and where learning and teaching take place.