Launch of the Erasmus + programme higher education strategic partnership project at Vilniaus kolegija / University of Applied Sciences
The Faculty of Economics of Vilniaus Kolegija/ University of Applied Sciences is launching and coordinating the Erasmus + program higher education strategic partnership project – “Digital readiness and capacity building of humanities professors in universities through partnership with digital technologies companies (No. 2021-1-LT-01-KA220-HED-000031124).
The project involves partners from six countries: Lithuania, Poland (Fundacja Rozwoju Aktywnosci Miedzynarodowej i Edukacyjnej), Bulgaria (Pax Rhodopica Foundation), Romania (Universitatea Transilvania Din Brasov), Italy (Prism Impresa Sociale S.R.L.) and Greece (Panepistimio Patron).
The project will develop four intellectual products: the DigitUni Toolkit, the DigitUni Distance Learning Toolkit, the DigitUni Distance Learning Manual and the DigitUni e – Platform and an Interactive Library.
The researchers from the Faculty of Electronics and Informatics of Vilniaus kolegija / University of Applied Sciences will also contribute to the development of intellectual products.
Project implementation period: January 1, 2022 – December 31, 2023.
The main objective of the project “Digital readiness and capacity building of humanities professors in universities through partnership with digital technologies companies” (DigitUni) is to support the digital transformation and to strengthen the capacity of humanities professors to provide high-quality, inclusive, digital education through development of their digital competences and strengthening their cooperation with companies-experts in digital technologies.
The concrete aims of the proposal are:
- To increase the capacity and improve the readiness of Humanities departments in universities to implement online, blended and distance teaching in a hybrid or online environment through strengthening & expanding of the digital pedagogical skills and competences of their staff.
- To enable humanities professors & assistants to deliver high quality inclusive digital education though development of innovative methods for overcoming of existing barriers and difficulties with the support of leading companies in digital technologies.
- To adapt the existing tools and to create new digital resources to be used in the hybrid/online education process.
- To establish collaboration between digital technologies companies and humanities university departments.
DigitUni intellectual outputs:
– Methodological Framework – it will describe the pedagogical interactive technology of the professional – pedagogical training on how the university professors, assistants & researchers implement online, blended and distance teaching through a hybrid or online model. It will also describe in detail the approaches and methods that will be applied in the DigitUni Toolbox.
– DigitUni Toolbox – it will consist of a toolbox with digital resources and guidance for their application in a hybrid and/or online educational process. It will provide a set of digital resources to support the humanities professors to deliver high quality, inclusive digital education in the hybrid/online process.
– Manual on hybrid/online education process for humanities professors & assistants – it will explain the humanities university professors & assistants how to use the Toolbox. In collaboration with the IT partners, the Manual will provide tailor-made solutions adapted to local challenges to expand digital competences of both professors & students.
– E-platform and interactive repository will be used to host all DigitUni outputs & to work as a databank with various resources for both the academic staff & the students in a hybrid/online education process. It will gather in one virtual place all project outcomes with interactive resources, materials & tools that the academic staff can use to enhance their digital & professional competences to work in a hybrid/online environment.