Activities

The project is structured in a highly cohesive work implementation configuration having a main coordinator and individual output/task coordinators in order to promote internal leadership and to drive active participation and inclusion in the project activities of each project member.

The task and responsibilities are distributed as follows:

Overall project management is performed by The Digital National Alliance.

Mapping the digital readiness and resilience of HEIs in response to the COVID-19 crisis: governance and enabling services (R1) will be led by MUAS. However, all the other partners will organise the reviewing stage, incorporating their comments and feedback. All other partners will contribute to the data collection and drafting the reports.

Mapping the digital readiness and resilience of HEIs in response to the COVID-19 crisis: teaching and learning practises and infrastructure (R2) will be led by NBU. NBU together with MUAS, the R1 leader, will oversee the writing of the synthetic report. All other partners will contribute to the data collection and drafting reports.

Concept, case studies, best practises, and blueprint for the strategic approach to digitalisation (R3) will be led and coordinated by Algebra. All other partners will contribute to the analysis, the collection of best practises, the development of case studies and ultimately to the elaboration of the blueprint. If information, needed for the tasks leading to R3 is only available in local languages, partners will ensure its translation into English.

Blueprint for digitalisation of pedagogy (R4) will be led by Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini. However all partners will contribute to the analysis, literature review and the blueprint. If information, needed for the task leading to R4, is only available in local languages, partners will ensure its translation into English.

The different roles of the digital educator (R5) will be led and coordinated by Gruppo Pragma. Additionally, ESI CEE will support the lead partner in the design and customisation of the learning and collaboration platform. All other partners will be involved and contribute to the work accordingly. If information is needed for the task leading to R5, if only available in local languages, partners will ensure its translation to English.

Training materials for the digital educator (R6) led by ANT. However all partners will be responsible for the organisation of the collaboration sessions and the development of the self-training materials.

The quality assurance process will be led by EFMD. However, all partners will be involved in the quality assurance tasks and each partner will be responsible for the quality of the activities and outputs included in the particular result or task they lead

The dissemination task is led by the Digital National Alliance. All partners will be involved in its co-creation as well as in the constant dissemination tasks, including the organisation of the multiplier events, which will be monitored by DNA.

Intellectual Outputs

R1 : Mapping the digital readiness and resilience of HEIs in response to the COVID-19 crisis: governance and enabling services (led by MUAS)

R1 will provide cutting-edge analysis, based on the latest evolution, one and a half year after the start of the pandemic. It will actualise and supplement the existing surveys conducted before the COVID-19 that are partly obsolete and need to be updated in light of the new situation in higher education. It will pinpoint to what is needed, what has already been achieved and draw conclusions. The comprehensive approach will bring a new understanding of the challenges and identify solutions for what remains to be done.

Tasks leading to the output:

R1/A1: Identifying educational institutions to include in the survey
R1/A2: Selection of respondent clusters
R1/A3: Defining the survey methodology
R1/A4: Administering the survey and data collection
R1/A5: Data analysis and interpretation

R2: Mapping the digital readiness and resilience of HEIs in response to the COVID-19 crisis: teaching and learning practices and infrastructure (led by NBU)

Starting from the institutions identified during R1/A1, R2 will extend the survey to also study the perception of teaching staff and students. The picture will be complemented with mapping digital infrastructure and learning platforms used before and during the lockdowns. R2 answers the needs of educators when developing their lectures and of academic/programme directors when conceiving and managing academic programmes and curricula.

Tasks leading to the output:

R2/A1: Defining the survey methodology
R2/A2: Administering the survey and data collection of teaching practices
R2/A3: Administering the survey and data collection of learning practices
R2/A4: Mapping the digital infrastructure
R2/A5: Data analysis and interpretation
R3: Concepts, case studies, best practices and blueprint for the strategic approach to digitalisation (led by Algebra)

The ultimate scope of this project result is to design a blueprint for digital transformation of educational institutions and the entire education process. This will be achieved through the research of current concepts and practical approaches, and presentation of selected best practices in hE and VET institutions and their case studies. The scope will be defined but not limited to the institutional reactions on the COVID pandemic situation.

Tasks leading to the output:

R3/A1: Analysis and presentation of the existing digital transformation concepts
R3/A2: Exploring the institutional approach to digital strategies
R3/A3: Collection of the best practices and development of case studies
R3/A4: Blueprint for digital transformation in education

R4: Blueprint for the digitalisation of pedagogy (led by Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini)

The scope of R4 is to integrate the DigiCompOrg framework, and in particular the Teaching and Learning Practises, Assessment Practises, Content and Cirricula, and Infrastructure dimensions by designing pedagogy that presents a selected set of cases guidelines and tools addressed to meet the need of HE and tertiary VET educators and managers, and inspire and guide them in the successful operationalisation (design, delivery and assessment) of effective digital teaching and learning in their institutions.

Tasks leading to the output:

R4/A1: Qualitative analysis for case preparation
R4/A2: Literature review
R4/A3: Blueprint for digital pedagogy

R5: The different roles of the digital educators (led by Gruppo Pragma)

The value contribution and innovativeness of this project result is to focus on the transformation of the role of the educators by defining different aspects and designing a training path. In this respect R5 will rely on three main sources :

DigiCompEdu framework
Competences for e-facilitation
Neuroscience studies and effective virtual conversation approach

The work leading to R5 will be coordinated by Gruppo Pragma. Additionally, ESI CEE will support the lead partner in the design and customisation of the learning and collaboration platform.

Tasks leading to the output:

R5/A1: Explore the competencies needed to fulfill the different roles of the digital educator
R5/A2: Create a profile description for each role
R5/A3: Design a training programme
R5/A4: Design and maintain a learning and collaboration platform (supported by ESI CEE)

Detailed description of the Intellectual Outputs and the tasks leading to their achievement is available in Annex I and the presentations the lead partners made during the kick-off meeting.

R6: Training materials for the digital educator (led by ANT)

The project will develop training activities and materials for educators, so they can improve their digital competence. As such R6 will implement the training programme designed in R5/A3 and complement it with self-training materials for all roles of the digital educator as described in R5/A2. The R6 answers the needs t=od educators who have to improve their digital competences and belong to A2 (Explorers) and B1 (Integrators) levels of the DigiComEdu framework.

The innovative aspects include the online delivery of the training programme using a learning and collaboration platform, customized particularly to serve it. In addition, such self-training materials do not exist at the moment, ast they will be based on the role descriptions cerated in R5/A2.

Tasks leading to the output:

R6/A1: Organize a joint staff training event
R6/A2: Organize collaboration sessions
R6/A3: Self-training materials for the different roles of the digital educator