Make the change happen with small – scale development projects: best practice of Lifelong Learning Center, Azerbaijan State University of Economics

An example of a small-scale action implemented by the Lifelong Learning Center (Azerbaijan) within the ETF DIGI ENE Initiative.

How the journey started?

• ETF Network of Excellence launched the Initiative called “Developing and Sharing Excellence on digitalisation of teaching and learning”
• Joined by: Lifelong Learning Center, Azerbaijan State University of Economics
• Mentored by: ETF DIGI ENE experts supported by STEPS

Main NEEDS identified by Lifelong Learning Center (UNEC):

• map and pilot new tools and methodologies to make digital learning and teaching more effective and enjoyable by students;
• access up-to-date teaching materials & resources related to digital knowledge.

FOCUS of the project:

? Creation of immersive virtual learning spaces with Mozilla hubs.

In action:

UNEC team explored the Initiative “Build with bits” presented during the thematic webinar “Digital Pedagogies” (31/05/2023). Built with Bits is an example of an innovative international programme, which helps to create virtual immersive spaces as a means to address different social, cultural and educational issues.

It combines the potential of immersive teaching using Mozilla hubs, an open source tool for creating virtual environments useful in the processes of collaboration and allowing participants to combine collaborative learning experiences and digital technologies. The course had several phases, starting from training on the Mozilla Hubs platform and the use of Spoke by Mozilla for creating virtual spaces (in collaboration with students). UNEC team joined the community server Discord enabling to collaborated with a variety of international partners and went through the training about how to create virtual spaces (composed of 6 short modules).

IMPACT:

• UNEC staff and students have had the opportunity to discover a new methodology + tool: collaborative & immersive teaching with the use of Mozilla Hubs.
• Group of teachers and students increased their knowledge about “Mozilla Hubs” a powerful tool to support teaching and learning, which can be used to build scenarios for learning objectives, e.g. to learn English in a virtual setting that simulates the experience of an airport check-in desk, or while ordering at a restaurant, or maybe learning about science by exploring the sea bed. It offers teachers and students the possibility to build these scenarios themselves. For example, a class – but also several classes geographically distant from one another – can use a Virtual World to set up an exhibition space on a particular subject, or rebuild a historical site from the past.
• The new knowledge has been shared among peers internally creating a multiplying effect and raising the whole digital capacity of the Centre. The methodology will be studied for further application.
• Increased digital ledearship skills of UNEC’s core team thanks to the participation in the Learning Pills and exchange with experts on the importance of the whole-school approach in the digitalisation process of the institution. A step ahead towards a digitally innovative institution.

OBJECTIVE of development projects

The Development Projects implemented inside “DIGI ENE Initiative “Developing and Sharing Excellence on digitalisation of teaching and learning” aimed at materializing the change in the form of piloting new tools/approaches/methodologies by selected CoVEs. More: https://openspace.etf.europa.eu/pages/digitalisation-education-and-role-centres-excellence