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Description
THE GOAL OF THE PROJECT is to equip VET teachers and trainers in partnership countries and partners’ staff with tools and knowledge on how to design and deliver educational content to all learners group, how to create an accessible distance and digital learning using inclusive design for learning, universal design, special methodology, elearning and diversity.
The goal is to give VET teachers and trainers knowledge needed to overcome barriers to learning that people with disabilities may encounter in online education. This project want to create a learning community of people who will share their knowledge as it develops in the area of inclusive education.
Partners made a research in their countries, the majority reported a lack of startegies connected with digital learning, inclusive online and remote learning, they feel frustrated by the fact that they are not supported in the digital education.
The following activities and outputs will be developed within the project and 9 people from partners organizations ill be involved in the development of the project resultsWithin the first phase Globalnet sp. zo.o. will conduct a comprehensive analysis in terms of strengths and weaknesses in the implementation of distance learning. Then partners will develop guidelines to facilitate online learning for VET teachers and trainers, INCLUSIVE DESIGN FOR LEARNING and UNIVERSAL DESIGN, E-LEARNING FOR DIGITAL LEARNING AND DISTANCE LEARNING, testing of the developed training and dissemination events. The impacts on VET TEACHERS AND TRAINERS; will gain more confidence through bringing the digital and distance methodology and inclusive learning into practice: knowledge on universal design, a new way of approaching (meet) learners needs by uniwersal design for education.
Summary of project results
The project was written and submitted during the Covid and post-Covid period and therefore was to focus on the topic of remote and digital learning, taking into account all students, with all their needs.
The pandemic forced all educators to teach remotely with online learning. The crisis caused by Covid 19 has exposed many inadequacies and inequities in education and the pandemic has hit the most vulnerable the hardest. Vocational education and training has been particularly hard hit by the crisis.
According to the research OECD, only 60% of teachers received professional development in ICT (2017) while 18% reported a high need for development in this area, only small % of VET teachers and trainers ( VET T&T) are prepared to digital learning, they have a lack of knowledge of the software available to facilitate the online learning and lack of IT skills. Trainers reported also the need to make education accessible for all by inclusive learning.
The number of individuals with disabilities is increasing due to a number of factors (ageing of societies). 9% of men and 0,5% of women are color blind. This has implications for how we use color to convey information. 4-7 million Poles have some kind of disability. Font size and font type matter for ease of reading and not just for older individuals. 1,8 million Poles have vision problems, people with hearing impairement account for 900 000 people and there are many with learning disabilities and many who experienced accessibility issues when using online course material. 15 % of the population in Norway, out of 5,3 million people, have a disability. 6-9 % of the population are facing mobility problems, about 250.000 – 300.000 have a hearing loss. 320 000 have vision problems, and 75 000 have cognitive disabilities.
Partners made a research in their countries in Sep 2020- 40 VET T&T, 35 VET learners and partners stakeholders, partners staff -30
- 80% have a lack of skills and knowledge in ICT and methodological knowledge – startegies connected with digital learning, inclusive online and remote learning, they are frustrated and they need support, inlusion of learners was a impactful problem, engagement of lerners.
During the implementation of the project, all planned results were created, from examining the situation related to distance and inclusive learning in partner countries, through developing guidelines for teachers, modules on diversity management, pilot workshops for teachers and VET trainers, developing materials on the e-learning platform and organizing dissemination events in Norway and Poland.
The project contributed to increasing the potential of VET teachers and trainers, equipping them with new skills and knowledge in the field of distance and inclusive education. Through meetings with teachers and workshops during the implementation of the project and development of results, partners had the opportunity to consult the created materials and receive feedback on their work. The creative approach to teaching and the methods and techniques (tools) used during inclusive teaching were of particular importance. During pilot workshops in Poland, teachers paid particular attention to the aspect of universal design in education and were interested in ready-made solutions used to involve all students in the teaching process.
The project achieved the expected results. Of particular importance was the exchange of experiences between partners and the sharing of knowledge and experience by the partner from Norway, who has many years of experience in distance and inclusive teaching.
Summary of bilateral results
Cooperation with an institution from Norway has brought benefits on many levels, both for Globalnet and the Norwegian institution MiA. The most important benefit for Globalnet was the opportunity to cooperate with a Norwegian partner, because so far Globalnet had no contacts or cooperation in this country. It was a new experience for Globalnet staff and listeners. Additionally, the MiA partner has experience and works in an area that was also little known to Globalnet and little developed in Poland. This is a matter of inclusive and distance education and, above all, managing diversity at work and in education, which is what MiA specializes in. An additional advantage was the possibility of cooperation with a country with a lot of Polish citizens, with whom MiA also works. Many years of experience in addressing training to various groups gives the Norwegian institution skills and knowledge that it shared with Globalnet during the implementation of the project. In terms of their approach to training and education, these two countries represent different approaches. In Norway, this is an approach based more on project work and distance learning, also due to the remoteness of people from urban centers, and in Poland, after the Covid 19 crisis, it is turning towards digital and distance education and quickly acquiring skills to adapt to it.The Norwegian partner was very interested in the way teachers work in Poland and willingly participated in meetings with them during their visits to Poland. The project ended in a good atmosphere of cooperation, despite minor communication problems, and mutual expression of willingness to continue cooperation on subsequent projects. The partners plan to transfer the project results to another sector, with particular emphasis on youth.