Objective 1: Research how digital tools and emerging technologies can work in a learner focused manner in School which links to the horizontal priority of addressing digital transformation through development of digital readiness, resilience and capacity. The ShakesVR project seeks to investigate the impact of learner led digital tools in the classroom. Objective 2: Respond to The Digital Education Action Plan (2021-2027) to create a "Learner Led" methodology of digital learning in the classroom which links to the priority of stimulating innovative learning and teaching practices The Digital Education Action Plan (2021-2027) outlines the European Commission’s vision for high-quality, inclusive and accessible digital education in Europe. Objective 3: Creating an Inclusive and Accessible Prototype digital learning tool and methodology. By utilising a Universal Design for Learning (UDL) strategy and including students and teachers in co-creation, the project will create a prototype tool that is inclusive and accessible; that works for students with different learning abilities, creating a platform which places students at the heart.
GSA has been working in Education for 37 years and has seen the impact that it can play in making our European societies fairer and more inclusive.. Covid-19 showcased how the switch to digital learning and the loss of in person teaching impacted disadvantaged students the most. (See Eurydice report) We wanted to bring students' needs to the forefront and develop tools that they would use in the real world. We involved teachers as main facilitators, in need of support to embrace digital tools that work for them and their class and this need was at the heart of the project. We focused on Shakespeare for several reasons: GSA’s 10 years worth of experience and creative knowledge, speeding up and enhancing the project Shakespeare, as a European Author, still influencing the world we live in with truths that cut across all cultures Bringing Shakespeare into the digital age. Students and educators will also develop STEM skills as part of a literacy-based project that respects the works as pieces of literature and art. ShakesVR also seeks to address the lack of learner-led digital tools to teach Shakespearean text.