A significant reduction in face-to-face teacher-student interaction and relationships is one of the problems identified by universities in Europe as a result of distance education. A new project brings together: Lodz University of Technology, University of Applied Sciences in Saarbrücken (Germany), University of Alcalá (Spain) and University of Aveiro (Portugal). Our main goal is to change the situation, which is unfavourable for the educational process and students' development. The project leader - Lodz University of Technology - is represented by the International Cooperation Centre.
- For various reasons, the pandemic and the transition to the virtual world have caused students to hide behind the computer screen, which is often followed by a decrease in their motivation to actively participate in classes. The project is intended to meet the dominant challenge of online education, which is to establish a dynamic interaction between the teacher and the student, so important for the efficiency of the education process,' says Prof. Dorota Piotrowska, Head of CWM, 'One of the most attractive challenges of the project will be to develop a virtual system of awarding micro-qualifications, which the student will be able to acquire additionally during their studies. What's more, students will be invited to take part in an experimental task - the so-called reverse mentoring, consisting in playing the role of a mentor for their teachers, in the field of modern tools and virtual communicators.
The project, entitled 'A model for Interactive (A)Synchronous Learning in Online STEM Education e-CLOSE', has been awarded funding of almost €300,000, the highest funding awarded in the Erasmus+ Strategic Partnerships for Digital Education in the Higher Education Sector.