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Description
This project will be focused on the bigger picture developments around and within higher education. The goal is to create an understanding about the circumstances in which teaching and learning technologies and practices are taking shape, as well as about the world that institutions, instructors, and learners are going to find themselves in. The current project aims to determine the HEIs staff digital education knowledge gap, and proposes tools to address it on behalf of the faculties. Investing in human capital to develop digital education skills, and to easier adapt teaching methods to a blended, e-learning and tech, innovative based one represent one of the digitalization’s main pillar. HEIs staff is the target group of the project, and the proposed training curricula is the contribution of the project to enhance the quality of digital education and to showcase the importance of training.
The objectives:
– Evaluate the gap between the actual and expected levels of digital knowledge and skills of faculties in Romanian and Icelandic HEIs for future digital educations, with particular focus on SNSPA and UoI, using two studies in 16 months.
– Enhance human capital value in HEIs, designing a new item of evaluation the digital competences to be implemented in employment and promotion criteria in 18 months
– Facilitate the closure of the gap by offering a sample guide and two training courses for digital education and the documentation to be certified in 24 months
– Transfer advanced knowledge about the digital education from UoI to SNSPA and INCSMPS in digital education and research tools, for about 20 faculties, and create a group of trainers for the proposed training programs.
The first level target group is the staff of the partner’s HEIs, the second level is the higher education staff in Romania and Iceland, the third level is the staff of the 18 HEIs from 13 countries from the networks, level four for any faculty from EU and non-EU.
Summary of project results
Higher education is undergoing transformation due to four global trends across social, technological, economic, and political domains. Technological innovations, notably artificial intelligence and the NGDLE, are pivotal in reshaping teaching methods. This initiative delves into these trends to understand the evolution of educational practices, aiming to equip institutions, educators, and students for the future. Recognizing these trends will enable university decision-makers to establish resilient instructional systems.
The European Union''s Digital Strategy highlights the importance of digital proficiency, advocating for a cultural shift. It recommends equipping all personnel, both IT and non-IT, with vital digital skills through various methods including education and mentoring.
This project aimed to pinpoint the digital education proficiency gap among HEIs staff and offer tools to bridge this divide. It stresses enhancing digital teaching capabilities and transitioning to a blend of e-learning and technology. To advance digital education standards, a training curriculum targeting HEIs staff has been proposed.
Key project objectives include:
• OB1: Assess the digital skills gap among faculties in Romanian and Icelandic HEIs, notably SNSPA and UoI, over 16 months.
• OB2: Introduce ''digital competencies'' as an evaluation metric in HEIs for hiring and progression within 18 months.
• OB3: Offer a reference guide and two digital education courses, along with accreditation materials, across 24 months.
• OB4: Share insights from UoI to other institutions, benefiting approximately 20 faculties and creating a training cadre.
The project''s outcomes comprise two studies assessing the digital competencies of students and educators from Romania and Iceland, especially during the pandemic. Their views on the future of digital education were also gauged. Based on these studies, two training curricula were crafted for educators. To support digital adaptation, criteria for hiring and progression were proposed.
A guide for efficient video conferencing was also produced, with potential adaptability into a digital tool for academic documentation improvement. Six papers were drafted for publication, with two under review.
Beyond the standard digital education training sessions, a specialized session for Romanian educators on digital research tools was initiated. These sessions emphasized evaluating various digital tools.
The synthesis of the results achieved by the projects is: Map of the existing level of knowledge in using and producing digital education and tools of HEIs staff in Romania & Iceland, Projection of the expected level of knowledge and skills for the new normal digital education of HEIs staff in Romania & Iceland, A new normal employment and promotion criteria for digital education knowledge and skills for the HEIs Staff, Two curricula for teaching/training modules: Start/Beginner using and producing digital education and research tools of HEIs and Advanced using and producing digital education and research tools of HEIs, Professional Guide of How to prepare or attend a video international research conference.
- 5 intellectual outputs
- 4 multiplier events
- 5 joint and training activities (3 training activities and 2 workshops).
- 4 news letters – the Newletters were issue and published on February 2022, August 2022, February 2023, and August 2023, aiming to keep posted on the academic environment with the project implementation stage and the upcoming events. They were sent by mail to about 600 recipients and posted on the project website.
- 6 joint articles – the articles are based on the information collected about digital transformation in higher education and the data collected through the empirical research conducted. Four of them are co-authored with Icelandic representatives, and Romanian partners co-author two. At the same time, three of them are in Clarivate journals with AIS, and three are indexed in WoS. They are posted on the website.
At the national level, O1 and O2 provided the X-ray of the digital skills of the personnel in HEIs and a projection of how higher education could fit the digital age. The main impact was for the Romanian Ministry of Education and Romanian Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digitalization and Icelandic Ministry of Education as evidence for the public policies they developed.
The O3 was useful for CNADCU and ARACIS in Romania and Ministry of Education in Iceland, official bodies responsible for standards, quality assurance, certification, and accreditation of the HEIs and faculties. They could use the proposed standards for digital competences as a starting point for amending the existing employment criteria and career progression (awarding titles and job positions).
O1, O2, O3 were used by the HEIs to develop at the institutional level an X-ray and projection study to evaluate the gap to be filled in the future and to adjust the institutional standards.
At the level of the partners’ institutions, the impact was initially a map of their personnel level of digital skills and the gap to the expected one. This served as a tool for the partners’ top management to set up institutional HR policies and training priorities.
The employment criteria and career development at the partners’ level were adjusted based on the O3.
The results of the project had a direct impact on the partners, creating small groups of faculties’ participants to the STTE activities who gained knowledge and skills on digital education tools to be used on a larger scale in the future. They became qualified to assist other HEIs in developing their own studies and training programs.
UoI and SNSPA benefited from the O4 as the first universities offering training programs in digital education for faculties. It was used initially for their own staff and for other universities as in-house training programs or as open training programs for anyone interested. The impact was measured in the number of faculties registered to attend the training programs. Later, the impact was evaluated using the number of HEIs that developed similar training programs and the number of HEIs and participants interested in the training programs.
The O5 became a formalized digital tool guide available for about 27,200 teaching staff in Romania and Iceland, externally downloadable for free. The impact was measured in the number of downloads.
Summary of bilateral results
The mobility activities STTE held in both universities SNSPA, Bucharest, Romania , and University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland , represent more than mere academic engagements. These activities create a bridge between the Romanian and Icelandic academic teams, fostering a rich exchange of information and insights. The primary objective is to delve deep into the realms of academic digital education and research, with a particular emphasis on discerning strategies that can captivate the younger generation and the staff to digital transformation.These activities are not conducted in isolation but involve mixed groups comprising students, professors, and researchers from all partnering institutions. This rich blend of participants ensures a diverse mix of perspectives, methodologies, cultural nuances, and anticipations. Such a heterogeneous group leads to a fusion of varying viewpoints, thereby enriching discussions and brainstorming sessions. When different cultural backgrounds and academic trajectories merge, the resulting discourse can lead to unique solutions and innovative strategies.Looking ahead, there''s a vision in place. The immediate plan is to refine and execute the discussed curriculum and emplyment/promotion criteria bringing it to life within partner institutions. This ensures that the teaching approach is holistic, benefiting from the diverse expertise of educators from different academic backgrounds. But that''s not all; there''s also a forward-looking agenda to tap into potential digital education resources. The aim is to secure funding that can fuel further research and development initiatives in the realms of digital education and science. Through such endeavors, the goal is not just to advance academic pursuits but to truly make the universities the leaders of digital transformation of society.