Across the German borders: Digital Hgher Education in the EU

The role of EDEN organisation Open Education in Croatia

ET2020 WG on Digital Skills and Competencies

Sandra Kucina Softic• EDEN Vice-President for Open professional collaboration• Assistant Director for Education and User Support at

the University of Zagreb University Computing Centre (SRCE)

• sskucina@srce.hr

e-teaching.org, November 7, 2016

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“The smart network for the professional community

and a professional community for smart learning”

The most extensive and established professional network in open and distance

learning Founded in 1991200 institutional members1200 individual membersCooperation agreements65 EU projects since 1997ERASMUS+ Civil Society Cooperation

Operating Grant since 20153

http://www.eden-online.org/

Core missions• Policy and feasibility studies• Professional development – the Garden of

Learning• Innovative projects

To support our members and

partners in their endeavours to

modernise education in Europe

• Annual Conferences• Network of Academics and Professionals• Disseminating good practice, project results

and policy

To facilitate the exchange of

knowledge and practice in all

sectors and levels of education

• Support for early-stage researchers• The European Journal of Open, Distance

and e-Learning EURODL• Bi-annual Research workshops

To further research in the field

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EDEN 2017 Annual Conference

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http://www.eden-online.org/2017_jonkoping/

• The skills and knowledge required to take an active part in a society characterised by digital technology are embedded, learned, and practiced in people’s daily lives.

• Technology and open education open doors to groups of learners from a range of backgrounds, generations, cultures with different languages, literacies, and ways of communication.

• What are the new challenges for teachers and educators in the new media landscapes to create meaningful contexts for learning?

• Submissions: 30 January 2017

Open Education in Croatia• Croatian Education, Science and Technology Strategy

(2014)– Croatia should be open, mobile and innovative with science and

education as developmental priorities– to ensure high-quality education available to everyone under the

same conditions and possibilities– the importance of using information and communication technologies

in educational process, fostering the implementation of e-learning, other modern methods of teaching based on ICT and development of open educational resources

• Croatian Declaration on Open Access (2012)• E-learning in higher education is used mostly as the

blended model• National e-learning platform Merlin for HEI• The Catalogue of the Higher Education Institutions’ E-

courses in Croatia 8

Examples of good practice - SRCE

• main computing centre and the architect of e-infrastructure, covering both the University of Zagreb and the whole research and higher education system.

• competence centre for information and communication technologies, as well as the centre for education and support in the area of ICT application

• SRCE Open Access Policy (2014)• Portal „SRCE& Open Education” - educational resources

developed within the framework of SRCE’s educational activities, under CC licences, open and free to anyone

• Activities on promotion of open education and open access• Online course on CC licences

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New priorities for European cooperation in education and training

(autumn 2015)• Relevant and high-quality knowledge, skills and competences

developed throughout lifelong learning, focusing on learning outcomes for employability, innovation, active citizenship and well-being;

• Inclusive education, equality, equity, non-discrimination and the promotion of civic competences;

• Open and innovative education and training, including by fully embracing the digital era;

• Strong support for teachers, trainers, school leaders and other educational staff;

• Transparency and recognition of skills and qualifications to facilitate learning and labour mobility;

• Sustainable investment, quality and efficiency of education and training systems.

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ET2020 Working group on Digital skills and competencies (2016-2018)

• Issues addressed:– Development of digital competences at all levels of learning (includion

non-formal and informal), in response to digital revolution– Fostering transparency, quality assurance, validation and recognition

of skills and qualifications, including those acquired through digital, online and open learning resources, as well as non-formal and informal learning

– Increasing synergies between education, research and innovation activities, with a sustainable growth perspective, building on developments in HE, with a new focus on VET and schools

– Promoting use of ICT with a view to increasing the quality and relevance of education at all levels; Boosting availability and quality of open and digital educational resources and pedagogies at all education levels, in cooperation with European open source communities 11