After the pandemic, the return to university classrooms with face-to-face lectures is dividing public opinion. On the one hand, universities are claiming the value of the face-to-face university experience and pushing for a full return to classrooms, libraries and physical spaces of universities; on the other hand, an increasingly diverse student population is demanding that hybrid or online learning become permanent. Among the reasons for preferring distance learning and blended and flexible learning are mainly the high cost of living in university towns, as well as issues related to neurodiversity and physical or mental health problems, work commitments or caregiver responsibilities towards family members, children, the elderly or people with special needs.
In order to support students with low income and/or living in peripheral, remote and rural areas, 6 Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Region 1 (Kosovo, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina) have initiated – in cooperation with the Universities of Ljubljana, Malta and the Polytechnic University of Madrid and CESIE – the project SMARTEL – Improving the process of education through the development of e-learning multimedia platforms and smart classrooms. SMARTEL aims to improve the quality of education in Kosovo, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina through the implementation of an e-learning platform for distance learning and the development of modern pedagogical approaches related to it. The project also includes specific actions to support students with special needs, especially visual impairments.
Since the start of the project, after an internal and comparative analysis of the ICT and digital learning environments in the project partner universities, the following have been published
- Analysis of elearning and smartlab models of HEIs from E+ programme countries
- Analysis of e-learning and smartlab models of HEIs from E+ partner countries
- Comparative analysis of the distance learning platforms and smartlab models
This analysis was followed by specific research into the needs of staff in the universities involved. From this analysis, a specific training programme emerged to develop the skills of administrative and teaching staff for the introduction and management of distance learning tools.
From 21 to 23 June 2022, the teaching and administrative staff of the universities took part in a training at the University of Malta. Training focused on the Design, delivery and management of online courses and the Administration of the Moodle learning platform. CESIE participated as trainer on the topics of Multimedia Learning and Instructional Design.
The visit to the University of Malta was one of several study visits, both remote and face-to-face, planned by the project to the partners from the programme countries (Slovenia, Malta, Spain and Italy) and focused on the exchange of good practices and suggestions related to the development and delivery of distance learning. The next one will take place in Italy in September 2022 and will be coordinated by CESIE.
For further information, please contact Alessia Valenti: alessia.valenti@cesie.org
About the project
SMARTEL – Improving the process of education through the development of e-learning multimedia platform and smart classrooms is cofinanced by Erasmus+ programme, DG EAC: Directorate General for Education and Culture.
Partners
- UNIVERSITY OF MITROVICA (Kosovo)
- INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS COLLEGE MITROVICA (Kosovo)
- JAVNA USTANOVA UNIVERZITET CRNE GORE PODGORICA (Montenegro)
- UNIVERZITET ADRIATIK BAR (Montenegro)
- UNIVERZITET U ISTOCNOM SARAJEVU (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
- University of Mostar (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
- UNIVERSIDAD POLITECNICA DE MADRID (Spain)
- UNIVERSITA TA MALTA (Malta)
- UNIVERZA V LJUBLJANI (Slovenia)
- CESIE (Italy)
For further information
Read more about SMARTEL and visit the website https://smartel.pr.ac.rs/.
Contact Alessia Valenti: alessia.valenti@cesie.org.
