Introduction

AGME comes together as a partnership of 4 HEIs and 1 SME from 5 different countries to deliver innovative solutions to the great educational challenges of the century. By basing the project on specific research carried out in these institutions and globally, AGME can directly address the needs presented. This will be done by using agile methodologies in virtual education and online learning. These methodologies will be paired with an innovative virtual learning toolbox for digital and soft skills, specifically created with intuitive pathways for learners and teachers. AGME also delivers webinars, pilot testing, and efficiency evaluation of online education which allows for continuous improvement and growth. Additionally, the project includes a training of trainers activity which will be celebrated virtually to improve digital literacy and equip educators with the skills, tools, pedagogical methods and resources needed to excel in the online classroom.

Summary

AGME comes together as a partnership of 4 HEIs and 1 SME from 5 different countries to deliver innovative solutions to the great educational challenges of the century. By basing the project on specific research carried out in these institutions and globally, AGME can directly address the needs presented. This will be done by using agile methodologies in virtual education and online learning. These methodologies will be paired with an innovative virtual learning toolbox for digital and soft skills, specifically created with intuitive pathways for learners and teachers. AGME also delivers webinars, pilot testing, and efficiency evaluation of online education which allows for continuous improvement and growth. Additionally, the project includes a training of trainers activity which will be celebrated virtually to improve digital literacy and equip educators with the skills, tools, pedagogical methods and resources needed to excel in the online classroom.

Description

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a global crisis, affecting not only health and economic concerns, but also severely impacting education and higher education institutions globally. The unprecedented challenges posed to the educational sphere have left students, teachers, researchers, and their families to abruptly shift their whole lives online, with little to no preparation. EVM and HMU took this opportunity to survey more than 950 students from 34 countries in order to identify the most challenging obstacles they are facing related to learning in the online environment. The qualitative questionnaire revealed some of the highest obstacles related to social interaction, soft skills, learning management tools, emotional support, and instructor issues. However, students were not the only party affected. EVM, HMU and UNINETTUNO then held a series of webinars on the challenges of online teaching and how to improve. Over 1,600 participants registered to attend the webinar and 897 participants responded to a survey regarding the challenges posed by online teaching. 85% of the participants reported no previous experience or knowledge of online teaching. Some of the greatest challenges reported from the educators included assignment and assessment methodologies, pedagogy and soft skills of online teaching, technology specific for online teaching, and emotional engagement with the learners. Although each of these challenges poses great threat to the quality of education, and therefore the success of future generations, AGME views the situation as a catalyst for the innovation and change that has been needed in education for much time. AGME comes together as a partnership of four higher education institutions and one enterprise across five different European countries to deliver innovative solutions to the greatest educational challenges of the century. By basing the project on specific research carried out in these institutions and globally, AGME can directly address the needs presented by educators and learners in each of the programme countries. This will be done by using agile methodologies in virtual education and online learning to create a teaching guide specifically designed around the concept of redeveloping what we now know of as online education by bringing something new into existence, which is originally built to be virtual, rather than simply changing traditional face-to-face teaching methods to the online classroom. These methodologies will be paired with an innovative digital-skills virtual toolbox, including a virtual environment, training program, didactic center, webinars, and more. The project also involves pilot testing and a quality evaluation tool, which will be used to create national reports from each partner, allowing for continuous improvement and growth. In addition to these project results, AGME will deliver a training of trainers activity to improve digital literacy and equip educators with the tools necessary to thrive in the online classroom. As we bring these tools into existence, online education will become the new normal, as educators and learners find that traditional classroom methods are not only outdated, but also no longer necessary when all parties obtain the necessary tools and methodologies to flourish virtually. Agme aims to promote excellence in teaching and skills development and tackle skills gaps and mismatches by providing innovative practices in a digital era.

Objectives

AGME will provide a direct response to the needs of the partner institutions and its stakeholders. The project aims for pedagogical change at the local, national and European level in hopes to solve the pressing challenges of the pedagogical crisis due to COVID-19.

UNINETTUNO Role

Development of a Training toolkit for Digital Education

Development of Evaluation kit and general Pilot testing

Partners