PROJECT DESCRIPTION

 

As a response to the strategic goal of boosting enrolment in technical fields of study in order to foster innovative knowledge-based economy, marked by Education Strategy in the Republic of Serbia until 2020, the project has wider objective to increase attractiveness of engineering education through innovative teaching methods as well as trough the strengthening of university-secondary vocational schools collaboration. The innovation off teaching method will be carried out through networking of remote engineering laboratories established at partner HE institution. The established network will be aimed for sharing and exchanging remote engineering experiments as open educational resources of the Library of Remote Experiments, exchanging knowledge, experience and innovative practices of engineering education as well as for secondary vocational schools teacher training in using resources of the Library in order to improve engineering teaching at secondary education level and making it more effective and interesting for their pupils and influence them to think about the possibility of following a career in engineering.

ACADEMIC / TRAINING CONTENT

Remote experimentation laboratories that will be established at particular HE institutions, would be based on real equipment experimentation as a core component of engineering education as well virtual experiments and will be available to all users of NeReLa network via the Internet. EU good practice in remote engineering laboratories networks (DEV1.1) and existing remote experimentation within engineering curricula at partner HE institutions will be analyzed for indicating the ways of improving remote experimentation within particular curricula in specific engineering disciplines (DEV1.2 - 1.4). The technical infrastructure for supporting remote experimentation at each partner university will be provided (DEV2.1). Established network of remote labs (DEV2.2) will integrate the engineering experiments existing in particular remote experimentation laboratories of partner HE institution into electronic lab repository – The LireX library (DEV2.3). Engineering students, teachers from HE institutions and teachers from secondary vocational schools will be able to choose the experiments from the LiReX catalogue.

Set of new hardware and virtual remote engineering experiments, for different subjects in specified engineering disciplines (Electrical, Computer and Mechatronic Engineering) will be developedat the partner universities and will be included into The LiReX library offering of new open educational resources. The advisory board will assess the quality and the suitability of the new remote experiments before they are included in the LiReX catalog (DEV2.4).

Three trainings groups of teachers from selected secondary vocational schools will be formed for on-site trainings at three partner universites (UNIKG, UNINI, UNS) as well at the closest regional center for secondary vocational schools teacher professional development. Each of three groups will be choosen for trainings in remote experimentation within one of three specified engineering disciplines (DEV3.1). Six workshops will be organized for the training of secondary vocational school teachers in using LiReX Library resources (DEV3.2). The real user case validation will be carried out by exposing number of trained teachers on their realistic feedback on the strengths and weaknesses of using remote experimentation (DEV3.3).

The modernization of curricula in Electrical, Computer and Mechatronic Engineering at HE partner institutions as well their teacher education curricula of engineering subject on master level will be carried out by incorporation the comprehensive learning modules with remote experiments into the syllabi of some engineering subjects. The technical, pedagogical and methodical background of used experimentswill be developed. The collaborative learning model enables cooperation between students working on experiments will be foster (DEV4.1). The real user case validation will be carried out by involving the students of upgraded curricula on their realistic feedback on strengths and weaknesses of using remote experimentation regarding learning outcomes (DEV4.2). On the bases of selected groups of secondary vocational schools teachers who are trained for using of remote experiments into specific engineering disciplines, specific curricula, in which they teach, will be modernized by incorporation of remote experiments into the syllabi of some engineering subjects (DEV4.3, DEV4.4). The real user case validation will be carried out by involving the pupils, who will be involved in remote experimentation, on their feedback on strengths and weaknesses of using remote experimentation regarding learning outcomes (DEV4.5).

PEDAGOGICAL APPROACH

Established network will bring innovative pedagogical approach in engineering education as well as in education and training of teachers from secondary vocational schools by using inovative learning model. Remote engineering experiments from LiReX Library will be incorporated into the engineering curricula and teacher education curricula of engineering subject at HE partner institutions by developing blended learning and distance learning methodology. The comprehensive learning modules with remote experiments will be prepared based on the target groups’ requirements for blended learning and distance learning mode of delivery. Regarding this the following models will be developed:

- the model for providing instructions for executing remote experiments by following guidelines for ‘instructional content design’.

- the model how to provide teaching material (for teachers) and learning material (for students) in order to achieve most efficient teaching/learning.

Based on gained experience the guidelines for further development of education with remote experiments in Serbian secondary vocational schools and universities will be prepared (DEV1.3).

INVOLMENT OF ACADEMICS, STUDENTS AND STAKEHOLDERS AT LARGE

The project envisage the highly involvement of all partners. Set of new hardware and virtual remote engineering experiments will be developedat the partner universities by strong efforts of academic from HE partner institutions with the help of experienced EU partners. Technical issues related to the establishment of the network server, the development of the web portal and the developmentof the management application that enables scheduling/booking of the LiReX resources, will be solved by joined efforts of all partners involved taking advantage of the experience of their members.The academic from HE partner institutions will be also involved in developing of blended learning and distance learning methodology that includes developing instructions for executing remote experiments as well as developing of teaching/learning materials.

Approximately 180 teachers from secondary vocational technical schools throughout Serbia will be trained during 6 workshops for buildingtheir skills in using remote experiments as well to create new ones.

Wide audience of students of engineering study programs and students of teacher education curricula of engineering subject teaching at HE partner institutions will use remote experiments from LiReX repository as open educational resources.

Trained secondary vocational schools teachers will involve their pupils in using the remote experiments which have been created during their training workshops.

ACTIVITIES LEADING TO THE EXPECTED OUTCOMES

To achieve defined wider objective, the following specific objectives would be accomplished:

• To build cross-universities network of remote engineering laboratories in order to enhance engineering education at Serbian HE institutions

• To strengthen university-secondary vocational schools collaboration through secondary vocational schools teacher training in using resources of The Library of Remote Experiments

• To bring remote engineering experiments into secondary vocational school classrooms in order to promote engineering education attractiveness to prospective engineering students

The aforementioned specific objectives would be accomplished trough the following project activities:

DEV1.1 Remote laboratories networks at European universities

DEV1.2 Existingremote experimentation within engineering curricula at partner HE institutions

DEV1.3 Creating guidelines for technological and pedagogical requirements for the remote labs

DEV1.4 Elaboration on building/upgrading of remote engineering labs at partner HE institutions

DEV2.1 Setting up the technical infrastructure for remote experimentation at each partner university

DEV2.2 Networking of remote engineering laboratories from partner universities

DEV2.3 Designing of The LiReX library of remote experiments

DEV2.4 Developing of set of new remote engineering experiments at partner universities

DEV3.1 Selection of trainings groups of secondary vocational school teachers

DEV3.2 Organizing of 6 workshops for the trainings of secondary vocational school teachers

DEV3.3 Evaluation of the teachers’ experiences in using the remote laboratory experiments

DEV4.1 Integration of remote experiments into the curricula of networked partner universities

DEV4.2 Evaluation of the students’ experiences in using the remote laboratory experiments

DEV4.3 Selection of curricula from secondary vocational schools for piloting of remote experiments

DEV4.4 Integration of remote experiments into the curricula of selected secondary vocational schools

DEV4.5 Evaluation of the pupils’ experiences from using the remote laboratory experiments

QPLN 5.1 Defining plan for project quality control and monitoring

QPLN 5.2 Internal project quality control and monitoring

QPLN 5.3 External project quality control and monitoring

QPLN 5.4 Inter-Tempus coaching

DISS6.1 Designing and maintaining the project web site

DISS6.2 Designing, printing and producing promotional materials

DISS6.3 Organizing of 8 info days and several public appearances

DISS6.4 Organizing of 4 dissemination workshops

DISS6.5 Publishing Proceedings on Annual Conference on Remote Experimentation

EXP7.1 Adoption of the exploitation and sustainability plan

EXP7.2 Signing agreements on the right of use of LiReX resources and ownership

EXP7.3 Including the NeReLa network into already established networks of remote engineering labs

MNGT 8.1 Overall project management and administration

MNGT 8.2 Project coordination meetings