Introduction
This report has been created by CARDET to support the documentation of planning, capturing, and evaluating the Pilot implementation of the Apphop project in Cyprus under IO2.
The outcome of the implementation phase of the project in all partner countries (Ireland, Portugal, England, Spain, Cyprus, Bulgaria, and Poland) will inform the final Evaluation and Impact Analysis of the Project in September 2021.
In brief, the pilot implementation was completed achieving its purpose. Participants were well informed about the project purpose and objectives, the usefulness of Digital Breakout Challenges as a learning method, and the compendium of DBCs created by the consortium under the IO1 and IO2. In addition, participants were guided to create an account in the e- learning platform of the project, test the learning resources and give feedback. The comments of them were encouraging, and they overall rated the efforts as satisfactory.
Methodology
The methodology that CARDET followed was to organise an online event namely In-service Training Programme for Adult Educators and Learners where they participated 10 adult educators/ trainers and 10 learners in Cyprus. The reason we choose to create an online event was due to the COVID situation during June 2021.During the training, the adult educators have been introduced to the Digital Breakout Challenges and were offered the possibility to achieve the Digital Breakout Rooms Badges.
Pilot Event: In-service Training for Adult Educators and Learners
Number of participants: 10 Educators & 10 Learners
Date:29/06/2021
Virtual Activity:Google meet
Profile of the Participants:
Adult educators & trainers from numerous disciplines (e.g., environmental management and innovation, business innovation, communication & marketing, career coaching etc.). They consist of a group with experience working with youth, low-skilled adults, and NEETs -some more than others. A few of them have been already involved in creating advanced learning material and resources (e.g., Digital Breakout).
How were participants recruited and selected?
CARDET sent an email to selected members of its contact lists and subscribers. Once they confirmed their interest, they have been followed up with an invitation to the virtual event.
How was the In-service training session(s) planned and organised?
The project manager of CARDET created the virtual event, sent an agenda, prepared a PPT presentation as the main teaching aid, delivered the pilot implementation, provided details for registering in the e-learning platform, and sent the event evaluation form to participants.
Results and Findings
Highlights and positive aspects of the training implementation.
The training encouraged the conversation between trainer and participants, and among participants. The goal was to promote sharing ideas, experience, concerns, as well as formative feedback as the primary purpose of the pilot implementation. All participants have been allowed to express themselves and their voice to be heard. Therefore, the collectivism of knowledge was the main highlight, an approach that fits the theoretical aspect of the project.
Challenges, if any, experience during the implementation and how they were managed.
The main challenge was to convince participants on perceiving, using, and creating Digital Breakout Challenges as a useful tool to integrate in their daily practice. Due to the high level of involvement and commitment that is required as a teaching/learning method from both educators and learners, participants expressed the concern that it might not always be the most appropriate tool given the lack of time, skills, and interactivity of the process. This concern was faced by explaining that some extra effort during the process can produce
significant learning results, in terms of problem-solving skills, persistence, and critical skills. Furthermore, Digital Breakout Challenges allow educators to create a resource in any desired topic and thematic area (they are very adjustable). Last, Digital Breakout Challenges enable learners to validate their analytical, synthetical, and creative skills, for this reason, Apphop developed the Badge Framework, where learners can claim their badge upon the completion of their quest.
Summary of feedback from Tutors
Participants were asked to provide their feedback on the Pilot Implementation on a Google form that was created particularly about this purpose https://forms.gle/czR5pRdSEJGqvqs57. Overall, participants were satisfied with the short training and the e-learning platform. Based on their answers, extensively shown in the next section, they agreed that the learning resources can be useful in their professional life, and they imply an opportunity to develop their learners’ skill and capabilities. A few of them did not manage to register on the e- learning platform due to their own technical issues.
Feedback on the blended learning elements and access to the e-learning platform.
According to the participants, the simple form of the platform was a positive aspect. Learners should find the resources easy and start working on them. The large variety of Digital Breakout Challenges (60) is also a positive aspect of the platform. Adult educators can choose relevant topics to work with their learners. In addition, the fact that they are trained to create their Digital Breakout Challenges is another beneficial element of blended learning.
Conclusions
Although the pilot trainings were organised online, the interest from the participants were really high and all participants managed to follow the event smoothly.
The Pilot Event was a very good opportunity to test our Outputs and also disseminate the project. We received several positive feedback about the project in general and about the Digital Breakout Challenges and the In-service training specifically. As we mentioned above, the simplicity of the platform was a positive aspect. Learners could find the resources easily and start working on them. In addition, the large variety of Digital Breakout Challenges (60) is also a positive aspect of the platform and adult educators can choose relevant topics to work with their learners.
In overall it was a successful event and we believe that the trainers learn how to use the Digital Breakout Challenges in their trainings about Entrepreneurship. We are looking forward to present again our project and the outputs in the Multiplier event.
