The second training/workshop of the DigiUni project took place in Poland

01/06/2024

The second training/workshop of the DigiUni project took place in Poland

From May 27 to 31, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland, hosted the second training/workshop “Enhancing Digital Competencies.” This event is part of the EU Erasmus+ Program project, “Digital University - Open Ukrainian Initiative” – DigiUni ( DigiUni: Digital University — Open Ukrainian Initiative ). Participants included representatives from 10 Ukrainian partner universities of the project, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, and the Ukrainian Association of IT Professionals.

At the start of the workweek, Professor Rafał Witkowski, Vice-Rector of Adam Mickiewicz University, welcomed the participants with introductory remarks.

The initial phase of the training focused extensively on exploring the EPICUR consortium's experience in creating a platform for digitizing student mobility among member universities and implementing hybrid learning.

«Each Ukrainian university partner of the DigiUni project brings its unique experience, which it shares during the training. The composition of partners is not random. During the training at Adam Mickiewicz University, we were presented with the practices of the host institution. Additionally,

since the Polish university is a member of the EPICUR university alliance, it was crucial to observe how universities, that are positively competitive, find common ground, satisfy students, and mutually strengthen and develop, creating synergy. Ultimately, all this contributes to the alliance's success and reputation growth. This holds significant importance for us since within DigiUni, we are actively establishing the foundation for an alliance of Ukrainian universities learning to collaborate in shaping a unified digital educational space using a common digital education platform», noted Sergiy Bronin, DigiUni project coordinator from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv.

Yevgen Sokol, Rector of the National Technical University "Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute,"believes:

"The training was beneficial as we learned about various approaches used to address similar issues that our DigiUni project faces. It's interesting that the problems discussed by EPICUR alliance representatives coincide with those we discussed during the implementation of our DigiUni project. The alliance consists of 9 European educational institutions, while we have more partners, including both Ukrainian and foreign universities. There are many nuances to consider for effective communication and collaboration.

I am confident that the upcoming trainings will provide us with a better understanding of how to accomplish our main goal - creating a digital educational platform and filling it with content. Our university has been using one of the most innovative digital platforms for several years, which continues to evolve actively, accumulating unique experience within the Ukrainian higher education system, and which we propose as the foundation. Discussions are ongoing."

A separate day was devoted to using Microsoft Forms as a tool for creating forms, tests, and surveys for educational purposes. Participants learned how to use MS Teams to organize and conduct effective online meetings, maximizing available options for seamless collaboration.

Yuliia Serhieieva, Head of the Projects and Educational Programs Department of the Center for Educational and Innovative Technologies of the Ukrainian Catholic University mentions the lectures dedicated to Microsoft Forms and Microsoft Teams with interest:

"At our university, there is no single policy regarding the use of a specific operating system or application in the educational process. Everyone chooses what is convenient for them. Therefore, it was interesting for me to learn about the capabilities of these applications."

Yuliia's colleague, Petro Baykovskyy, an Associate Professor of the Department of Political Science of the Ukrainian Catholic University, believes that "this training primarily improves digital skills, and systematizes knowledge of various platforms and capabilities. Currently, partner universities participating in the DigiUni project are exploring different platform options to reach a consensus on what our platform should be, where online courses for Ukrainian students will be published."

Ms. Yulia's colleague, Petro Baikovskyi, a lecturer at the Department of Political Sciences of the Ukrainian Catholic University, believes that "this training primarily allows you to improve digital skills, systematize knowledge about various platforms and opportunities.

According to Sergiy Bronin, this part of the training was filled with information that can be used in developing content for the DigiUni project.

"For some participants, working with Microsoft Forms and Microsoft Teams represented a new experience. It's beneficial that we've now all become acquainted with their functionalities, as our system plans to implement a communication system using Microsoft Teams. Microsoft Forms proves to be an excellent tool for content development," noted the DigiUni project coordinator from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv.

Participants also studied the experience of creating video content in online education, learned best practices for creating engaging and effective educational videos, and the basics of professional video production. All this knowledge is necessary for creating high-quality educational content.

Those interested had the opportunity to practice recording videos and perform speech exercises in a professional studio during the workshop.

Participants also gained insights into the Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) project, an example of "virtual mobility" that allows students from different countries and universities to interact with colleagues and professionals to develop intercultural competencies and digital skills during joint educational tasks or activities related to specific subjects.

Vitaliy Nosok, State Expert on Higher and Adult Education, Directorate of Professional Pre-higher and Higher Education of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine noted:

"The DigiUni project is a unique structural project of the Erasmus+ program. From the Ministry's perspective, supporting the institutional capacity of Ukrainian higher education institutions in creating a digital platform and filling it with content is very important. The state does not always have the resources to support higher education institutions in implementing high-tech solutions, so international support and experience are valuable to all. The Ministry is a full partner in the project and is ready to provide necessary assistance, including making changes to the regulatory framework and higher education standards in terms of educational program content. The training was very interesting as it included practical aspects and tools. We were also presented with the experience of organizing platforms implemented at Adam Mickiewicz University, which collaborates with universities in other countries and already utilizes the best practices related to synchronizing processes that occur in different universities. Polish colleagues sincerely share this experience because they understand our goal - to create a truly high-quality and universal national learning platform that can be used not only by partner universities but by anyone interested, as the project is public."

Larysa Chovnyuk, Head of the International Office of the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, noted:

"The DigiUni project is highly ambitious, and like all ambitious initiatives, it requires time and human interaction for consensus to be reached on our objectives. These collaborative meetings with partners are crucial. We observe developments in other universities, engage in discussions among ourselves, and undoubtedly, we will establish a framework that meets our specific needs and ensures sustainability beyond the project's conclusion."

Tomasz Brańka, a member of the DigiUni organizational committee, discussed the philosophy embedded in the DigiUni project:

"Several years ago, we began to create a consortium of our universities, a platform for exchanging ideas, courses, and perhaps knowledge and experience. When we started working, we saw that this could be beneficial. Similar processes are taking place in your Ukrainian consortium, which you are creating within the project.

Collectively, we are developing a platform that will benefit not just the universities involved in this project, but also all Ukrainian universities. The pandemic and the ongoing war have shown us the importance of having a strong digital foundation for our development. Even after the war, we understand that this will be our new reality; there will be no return to the times before the pandemic. If I had to describe this new situation in one word, it would be 'flexibility.' We must be much more flexible. Students have also seen that some knowledge can be taught using internet resources, using platforms and that it is not always necessary to meet in person in the classroom. Undoubtedly, face-to-face communication between teacher and student is important, but we can adapt. After the pandemic, it has also become clear that students can take on more responsibility. Interaction between teacher and student can develop, and we can give students more responsibility."

Ukrainian partners sincerely thank the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan team for organizing the training and supporting the group during the educational visit.