<< Objectives >>GENERAL OBJTo empower teachers & educators enhancing their education action through innovative educational model based on empathy with students & cooperation with local educational community actorsSPECIFIC OBJ1To improve teachers & educators’ skills in non-formal learning & in addressing individual students’ needs2To provide capacity building tools for disadvantaged contexts educators3To align school programs with individual needs, skills & preferences4To increase opportunities for youths<< Implementation >>1.Educational program implementation2.Co-design & development of OERs on school education empathy-based pathway design methodologies(provided through platform promoting also cooperation & exchange across EU)2. Educational Communities pilots development3.Individual development paths open dashboard (tailored on student profile) co-design & development by educational communities4.Comm., dissemination & exploitation to promote adoption & further development of project outputs & results in EU<< Results >>EXPECTED RESULTS1.Improved skills of teachers & educators in tackling learning disadvantage, early school leaving & low proficiency in basic skills through non formal learning & empathy-based pathway design methodologies2.Improved capacity of rural & disadvantaged communities in youths management3.Increased & improved educational opportunities for youths living in rural & disadvantaged areas4.Strengthened cooperation between educational & social actors within & among EU communities

<< Background >>ContextAs COVID-19 has shed light on business models' reshaping, bringing remote work and hybrid models to the front line, Europe urgently needs to digitize its industries, while a fundamental shift in the skills of corporate trainers is required in order to be successful (Hoojberg & Watkins, 2021). To that end, the European Commission has presented the ‘Shaping Europe’s Digital Future’ strategy, with the view, among others, to invest in digital skills so as to promote new opportunities for businesses (European Commission, 2020, Shaping Europe's Digital Future). In fact, the Digital Education Action Plan (2021-2027) of the EC combines the development of a highly sustainable digital education framework with the increase in digital competences for digital transformation, including digital literacy, data-driven technologies, etc.(European Commission 2020, Digital Education Plan 2021-2027). Rationally, the pandemic has put a dent on businesses' digital transition strategy (Ong, 2020,). However, more than 70% of them are struggling with the lack of staff with digital skills, especially within the rise of hybrid working models (remote/in-office work), while 88% do not have the capacity to invest in the digital upskilling of their employees (European Commission, Digital skills and jobs, 2021).A main challenge is that remote work leads to staff being less productive, with many companies failing to adjust their training culture in order to digitally engage with employees while in a lockdown (Consultancy.eu, 2020). Of course, the digital transformation has also affected corporate training, since new ICTs emerge and occupational profiles need to change increasingly fast to survive (Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training, 2020) . The share of workers with low or even no digital skills ranges from less than 20%(Bulgaria) to up to 40% in most EU countries (Germany, Ireland), while many countries stand between 20-30% (Greece, Italy, etc.), implying that employees are not yet comfortable with this new remote-work model (European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training, 2020).As L&D pushes up the corporate agenda,to engage employees in being more productive within hybrid workplaces, effective e-training demands exceptional digital competences and soft skills in order for VET & corporate trainers to efficiently operate in a virtual coordination mode (Hoojberg & Watkins, 2021). Thus, the role of trainers becomes even more vital, as the European labor market will need to replace less qualified or narrowly trained trainers with highly qualified professional experts. Besides, all the actions taken for digital transformation forcing a rapid adoption of e-learning solutions by VET programs has not properly supported the acquisition of practical skills and organization of work-based learning,which are crucial elements for successful VET training (Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training, 2020).<< Objectives >>Project SolutionAmong other fields, COVID-19 has also affected corporate training and team management, making digital transformation along with the adoption of microlearning even more urgent within a world that everything turns online. To increase employees’ productivity and establish efficient team leading, DigiREACT will combine personalized training and gamified learning in an Experience Brewing Engine that will deliver effective skills retention tools for the establishment of an online engaging experience for employees.To that end, the project will develop a full training e-course primarily for corporate trainers of EQF level 3 that are struggling to engage their employees in remote-work or hybrid work business models. In addition, DigiREACT will also create an Employee Experience Platform (EXP) that will be facilitated by artificial intelligence and gamification mechanisms serving as a constant training and skills retention tool for employees. Finally, the project will provide a solid framework and support for the creation of European synergies that can affect the recommendation of new solutions towards sustainable development and viable digital transformation.Project ObjectivesTo normalize virtual/blended training within hybrid workplaces and due to the lack of engaging e-learning platforms and educational resources, DigiREACT aims to increase the professional skills of corporate trainers. This will enrich their profile with efficient e-leadership skills and digital competences enabling them to tackle the challenges of leading hybrid teams. In particular, the project will focus on the development, retention and improvement of the following skills of corporate trainers, always in alignment with the needs of the labour market and the digital vision of the European Commission (Digital Agenda, Digital Competence Framework 2.1, including the integration of AI technologies):-e-leader’s skills and leading virtual teams-organizational skills-data literacy for digital design & data visualization-communication and teamwork skills through ICT tools-creative Digital content creation-problem solving skills-online safetybasics of data-intensive technologies (aligned with the Digital Competence Framework 2.0 and EU legal framework to AI).To support knowledge and skills acquisition, the purpose is also to launch an engaging Employee Experience Platform for corporate training in order to digitally upskill corporate trainers to manage hybrid teams of learners, while supporting employees in retaining their skills. DigiREACT will provide content authoring functionality supported by Artificial Intelligence technologies (xAPI, recommendation engine) for the development of personalized training pathways based on skills mapping and learner’s type. The web-based platform recommended by DigiREACT will utilize social learning tools and gamification elements (Open Badges, stimulating videos, competition leaderboards, interactive quizzes, point system) for business training in order to motivate employees to learn how to achieve their organization’s mission.<< Implementation >>In compliance with the objectives described above, specific activities are going to be implementing in order to meet up the project priorities for digital transformation and VET training establishment:-A needs’ verification report that will act as the foundation for the development of the Corporate Trainer Profile, the training backpack Learning Outcomes and the training methodology. The report will comprise the main findings from the needs analysis conducted at a pre-application level, the feedback derived directly from the project target group in order to validate the conceived needs, and the framework of the competences that corporate trainers need to acquire in order to be successful in new business models.-The development of a solid training methodology to be followed for training delivery during the project implementation and after its completion. The methodology will include also a Memorandum of Learning Agreement as well as the definition of the Corporate Trainer Profile in alignment with a pre-defined ECVET system for validation and accreditation.-The development of a complete training course in the form of a backpack comprising training materials, lesson and training plans, assessment tools and a concrete and yet helpful guide for corporate trainers with the view to increase their e-leadership skills and digital competencies.-The configuration of an online learning environment that will engage trainers into the learning process fostering their skills acquisition and retention in the long term.-The establishment of a wide network inside and outside the partnership for the development of DigiREACT synergies through a common community tailored to the needs of project enthusiasts and to the labour market’s trends-Project Quality Plan, Sharing, Promotion, Piloting and Exploitation plans facilitating the horizontal activities of the project and thus establishing its impact providing top quality results-The elaboration of an Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) agreement that ensures the exploitation of the project-The organization of 4 multiplier events for raising awareness about the project results and inviting participants to the piloting activities as well as the execution of a final conference serving as an exploitation seminar-The planning and execution of a 3-day Learning, Teaching & Training Activity serving as a training and validation workshop among partner staff members in order to equip them with the knowledge and skills required to deliver proper training in their countries.<< Results >>With regards to the tangible outcomes of the project, we will develop and validate:- A hands-on training backpack with multimedia resources tailored to the real needs of corporate trainers in alignment with the needs of the labour market with a view to increase their digital skills for efficient digital team management in a post-covid era. All project materials to be developed for the purposes of this result will be freely accessible as Open Educational Resources in the project website.- An Employee Experience Platform as an open software serving as an online learning environment facilitated by artificial intelligence mechanisms and gamification elements. The platform will be customized to the needs of corporate trainers that need to increase their e-leadership and digital competences in order to efficiently manage hybrid teams and employees that are/will be forced to work remotely and are struggling to stay engaged in their activities. The online learning environment will also utilize social learning tools for VET training in order to motivate employees to learn how to achieve their organization’s mission.- A dedicated virtual space serving as a common space of the project network for project practitioners. The web-based community will be created for participants and future participants to communicate, organize trainings, exchange ideas, build synergies of practice, promote and update the project results through content authoring tools, get live and asynchronous support from the experts. The goal is for practitioners to become active members of the community and in the long term promote a common policy recommendation for digital transformation.As for the intangible results that are expected past the project completion, we aim to:- increase the digital skills of corporate trainers in order to enable them cope with the digital transformation of their organizations and thus distant working models- improve employability skills for employees that are forced to work remotely after the pandemic crisis through a ‘Netflix-style’ Learning Experience Platform- support employees to retain their skills long-term in a post-COVID period through skills retention modules- formulate the framework for the creation of common synergies of practice among project practitioners, stakeholders and policy makers with the view to recommend new solutions for digital transformation across the EU- promote the adoption of smart solutions in E&T within the context of VET and corporate training sectors turning to online innovative and sustainable solutions- integration of open educational resources (OERs) and open software in the learning process facilitated by stimulating online learning elements and activities

According to the study ‘PISA’ that has been carried out every three years since 2000 by OECD, it has been observed that European Union is lagging behind in terms of the performance of students in mathematics. Regardless the performance of students in mathematics all over Europe, one would expect that they have at least understood the prominent role of mathematics in human evolution. However, the questions that are frequently expressed even in the classrooms of High Schools, mainly in relation with the utility of mathematics in everyday life and their correlation with other areas of human sciences and culture, come to contradict the above expectation. For instance, the influence of mathematics in the development of various forms of Arts is of a great interest, and exactly for that reason has being widely known since the ancient times. Particularly, in the recent years, the research educational community attempts to mitigate the relationship between mathematics and art by using alternative teaching methods, indicating that the effect of art in mathematical learning is always positive (Catterall and Waldorf, 1999b; Ingram & Seashore, 2003). We perceive that The Art of Maths project can be now classified as a fruitful addition towards this effort with all the tangible outputs it offered as an OER. Hence, the teachers and subsequently students from 13 to 18 years old, now have the opportunity to approach both the correlation and influence of mathematics during the development of various ramifications of art, including visual arts, music, cinematography, literature and theatre, and additionally to experience the art development as an alternative method which could be successfully ‘exploited’ during the didactics of mathematics, by simultaneously using ICT based methods and specially-designed innovative tools such as games. The rich experience in various ramifications of didactics of mathematics through both formal and non-formal methods and contexts of the partner organisations has produced innovative training modules with specially designed material that appeals to both mathematic teachers and students of secondary education. The on-line training course provides educators with a plethora of no less than 56 tools to inspire their students and to be implemented along their official curricula or as an extra curriculum activity. The on-line game entitled 'Let's Play' in the OER website is a must try gamification system which can be used either to intrigue the curiosity of your students before introducing the on-line training course or evaluate their knowledge in a non stressful, informal way which can be easily used as formative assessment. More than 350 students and 225 teachers so far, were involved in pilot and exploitation phases; where they have experienced this journey of knowledge investigating mathematics within the classical art of Ancient Greece, the proportions of the Parthenon and the notion of the ‘golden mean’; to the notions of ‘linear perspective’ of Renaissance and the ‘geometry’ of modern art, through a display of works of art and paintings. They met with ‘Pythagoreans and the numerical relations of sounds’ which led to the study of pulsation in the 17th century and the modern view of harmony. They have dealt with the mathematical notions, mentality and history through various parts of theatrical texts, movies and literature, in all the five partner countries. At the same time, the e-Handbook to be found within the official platform of https://artofmaths.eu/ of 25 pages long, exploits the best-off activities of the on-line training course. The unique E-Library provides educators with all sorts of material in all of the 5 languages of the project including but not limited to academic material and articles, videos, documentaries, TED talks, within relevant thematic areas. The feedback from the students available to you via the E-handbook confirms that we have achieved our initial aspirations which were defined as follows: (i) to understand the applicability of mathematics in another field, realizing that it is not a science detached from any other field; (ii) to allow the mixture of mathematics and arts to create a more pleasant feeling, which will eventually affect the way they accept and approach mathematics in the classroom, thus cultivating a positive stance towards math; (iv) to learn how to use digital technologies and innovative tools in order to absorb knowledge and to fully comprehend a new term/concept; thus also contributing to the modernization of didactic models in teaching math and STEM, in general. The on-line training course, which will be available in a variety of languages (ENG, SWE, FR, GR, PRG) will be open for free use also after the end of the EU funding, whilst its dissemination will be of a large scale (Schools, NGOs, Research Associations, Ministries of Education & Universities).

"DIGITAL RURAL GAME project aims to promote in low-skilled adults the acquisition of digital competences and other soft skills needed to eliminate the digital gap in rural areas in Europe. The expected results are:- Identified the gaps and needs among low-skilled adults in rural areas in partner countries. - Develop an interactive online game to improve digital skills in low-skilled adults in rural areas. - Created a handbook for educators and low-skilled adults in rural areas for a correctly use of the game and improving digital skills in rural areas of Europe. In addition, with the achievement of the results described above (which are related to the intellectual products that will be developed during the execution of the project), we can contribute to achieving the following challenges:- Reduce the digital gap in rural areas in Europe through gamification and non-formal and informal education- Promote lifelong learning in rural areas as a tool for socio-economic development and the fixing of the population of rural Europe emptied.The achievement of the objectives of the project will allow low-skilled adults to access the new jobs that digitalization will bring, minimizing the risks of long-term unemployed and helping to fix population in the most disadvantaged rural areas.To this end, the project aims to develop materials that support professionals in the field of adult education in search of employment or that seek to improve their employment status. These materials will be based on the concept of ""gamification"", a learning technique that moves the mechanics of games to the educational-professional field in order to achieve better results, either to better absorb some knowledge, improve some skill, or reward specific actions, among many other objectives. This type of learning gains ground in training methodologies due to its playful nature, which facilitates the internalization of knowledge in a more fun way, generating a positive user experience.By the end of the project, the consortium will have developed support materials for adult educators so that they can train digital skills and other soft skills through an online game of low-skilled people in rural areas.In addition, it will contribute to promoting lifelong learning, raising awareness through the Project of the importance of continuing to be trained in spite of one's age."

The “Project leading to an Exhibition for the incorporation of Migrant children into the European school frameworks” (POEME), intends to do exactly as its title suggests in the most structured, inclusive way, having in mind current trends in educational material and the most recent digital formats to equip language educators and local and migrant students with powerful skills vital for the 21 century and especially for the challenging shift to online/distance learning as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. This project is based on a consortium which has several years of experience in other Erasmus Projects - Les Apprimeures from France, SPEL from Portugal, DISEPI and IASIS NGO from Greece, CIP Citizens In Power from Cyprus and Logopsycom from Belgium- who devote their work in constant research for innovative ideas and tools for meeting the needs of European society. Thus, the proposal had as its foundations the organisations’ solid grounds of experience and as a scaffolding, research and careful thought for building a coherent, structured and detailed analysis project.Having in mind the current numbers of immigrant students in the European schools, it was decided as deemed important to take serious consideration on how to develop those students' linguistic and cultural realities for having a positive effect on their well-being and performance in schools (Thomas and Collier, 1997; Cummins, 2001; Garcia, 200 cited by Eurydice, 2019, p16). It’s also worth mentioning that the opportunity for local and migrant students to collaborate creating exhibitions, has been recognized by many researchers as a mean to empower marginalized groups (Finney & Rishbeth, 2006; Finley, 2008; Likes, 2010; Thallon, 2004). The two major results of this project are:i) modernization of second language teaching both in content (European Cultural Heritage) and way of assumed digital tools (e-books), as well as in the way students will work for language acquisition and cultural acknowledgement and for presenting their work (blended learning exhibitions) ii) empowerment of educators and students with digital and soft skills through detailed e-reports, e-guidebooks, webinar trainings and workshops, as well as blended learning sample material build. Also, the project includes OERs e.g.: - 1 E-Report translated in the 3 languages of the partners based on a desktop analysis of previous research and projects about current methods of second language acquisition, possibilities offered through e-worksheets and e-books, cultural heritage acknowledgments etc.-18 Worksheets to be translated in the 3 languages of the consortium thus giving 72 Worksheets in all languages, having as a content cultural heritage and intending to develop written language acquisition through meaningful tasks (attending vocabulary, some grammatical and syntactical phenomena) to be used as complementary material.-10 animated e-books with graduation on language level acquisition which will be translated in 3 languages. The purpose of the e-books is twofold: firstly, to give concrete ready to use complementary material to language teachers but also providing them with explanatory sheets and training for gaining the appropriate digital skills for building themselves this innovative pedagogical tool, becoming capable of providing tailor-made reading to their students, which will eventually improve their daily professional practice. -An interactive e-guidebook for POEME exhibitions, where each section analyses what students are expected to do, some ideas and concrete examples as well as which skills they will train and develop.-Samples of POEME blended learning exhibitions by the consortium members (6 in total), including the blueprints and guidelines for each.-School-wide digital or physical (blended learning) exhibitions across the countries of the partnership by at least 200 students and 20 educators. The benefits acquired from curating an exhibition for all students age 12-18 are language acquisition, attending managements skills, presentation skills, writing skills, soft skills, development of autonomy and confidence in their study, collaboration, use of digital tools just to say a few whilst ultimately elevating their self-confidence their self-esteem and feeling in unity with their fellow students and the community they live in both because of the collaboration, the exhibition itself and the content it is applying.In addition, the following organisational results are expected: -6 national online pilot testing of the 18 e-worksheets and the material, by gathering 12 teachers-1 webinar training with at least 60 educators on the use of the interactive e-guidebook and the sample exhibitions’ blueprints and guidelines-6 national e-workshops for training at least 20 language teachers in exhibition curating (either local language acquisition as 2nd language or ESL) and 200 students in total (mixed with migrants and locals)-2 transnational partner meetings.