Successful organization of the DigiGreeNPost info-day, supported by DAISSy-HOU
The info-day of the “DigiGreeNPost: Towards a more Digital and Greener Postal Era” European project, was held with great success and attracted the interest of 154 employees of the Hellenic Post (ELTA) from all over Greece. Specifically, it was organized by the Education Department of the ELTA, with the support of the DAISSy Research Group of the Hellenic Open University (HOU), Greek project partner, and took place at the premises of the Postal Service in Kaissariani (45 Adrianopouleos str, Kaissariani district- Athens, Greece) with the participation of 23 participants in person and 131 online. The main purpose of the event was the presentation of the DigiGreeNPost project and its deliverables and results to date, in the context of the digital and green transition of post offices, towards their sustainable development.
The launching speech was delivered by Mr. Evangelos Makris, Project Manager, representative of “AKMI”, project Coordinator, who presented the three phases of the DigiGreeNPost training programme, that is the training of trainers (phase 1), the training of employees with theoretical and practical part (phase 2) and the certification process (phase 3).
Subsequently, Mr. Markos Tsipouras, Project Manager of DAISSy-HOU, Professor of the Department of Computer Science of the University of Western Macedonia, presented the DigiGreeNPost electronic platform for the creation of Individual Learning Accounts (ILAs), which was developed by the Research Group, and also highlighted the importance of microcredentials in the development of employees.
Then, Mr. Aris Maragakis, representative of ELTA, Greek partner, presented DigiGreeNPost and analysed in depth the various components of the project, related to the digital transformation and the sustainable green growth.
It is noteworthy that the Hellenic Authority for Communication Security and Privacy (ADAE) is an associated organization of the DigiGreeNPost project, adding value by contributing to the implementation of actions in the areas of digital transformation, security and privacy of communications. ADAE was represented at the event by its executives, Irini Gavala, Head of the Directorate of Postal Privacy Assurance, and Eleni Varvarousi, Head of the Department of Regulatory Framework, New Technologies and Applications Monitoring.
DigiGreenPost is a three-year, innovative training project, co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union. It is implemented by AKMI as Coordinator and the consortium includes thirteen (13) Organisations (Postal Operators, Vocational Training Centres, Accreditation Bodies) from six (6) European countries, with DAISSy-EAP as a Greek partner. The project is designed exclusively for the employees of the European Postal Services and aims at the acquisition of certified digital as well as environmental (green) knowledge and skills. In particular, upon successful completion of the training programme, trainees will have the opportunity to participate in the “Digital” and “Environmental” certification exams for obtaining the “DigiDreeNPost Dual Certification (ISO/IEC 17024)” certificate.
For more information about the DigiGreeNPost project and other activities of DAISSy-HOU:
- Websites: http://daissy.eap.gr/en, and https://digigreenpost.eu/
- Facebook: @DAISSyResearchGroup and https://www.facebook.com/digigreenpost
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daissyresearchgroup/, https://www.linkedin.com/company/digigreenpost-project/posts/?feedView=all
- Χ (Twitter): https://twitter.com/daissy_research και https://x.com/digigreenpost
- Instagram: @daissy_researchgroup
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7V02ttvwTB-1HB4TERSu9Q
- Email: info@daissy.eap.gr
Accessible Digital Education at the center of DAISSy-HOU work
The inclusion of people facing barriers to their access to education due to fewer opportunities, including learning disabilities, is one of the key points of the European Education Area and it is included in the European Pillars of Social Rights, in which it is stated that “everyone has the right to quality and inclusive education, training and lifelong learning” (Pillars 1, 3 and 17 on the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities). It is also in line with the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the implementation guidelines of Erasmus+ and many other European Union (EU) Programmes, as well as relevant European and national policies.
Young people with learning disabilities are particularly at risk of early school leaving and statistics show that fewer people with disabilities complete tertiary education. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need to address this issue, particularly in terms of providing digital skills training. Furthermore, this issue is usually raised in relation to children, i.e. supporting schools and teachers in the inclusion of students with disabilities, while similar initiatives and specific support and training programmes for adult students are less common.
Supporting the inclusion of students affected by learning disabilities in education, is even more complex, but also imperative in the current phase of digital transition, leading the discussion to the need for accessible platforms and content, adapted educational methodologies, as well as appropriate digital skills for educators.
On this basis, the “Accessible Digital EDUcation (ADEDU)” project was developed, which is an Erasmus+ project co-financed by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency and has a duration of thirty (30) months, from 01.01.2024 to 30.06.2026. The ADEDU consortium includes a total of five (5) organizations from three (3) countries, under the Coordination of “ALL DIGITAL” (Belgium), having as partners the “European Association of Service Providers for Persons with Disabilities (EASPD)” (Belgium), the “Media Education Centre (MEC)” (Serbia), the “IASIS” NGO and the “Hellenic Open University-DAISSy Research Group” (Greece).
Specifically, the ADEDU project aims to reduce barriers to the active participation of all, without discrimination, in the educational process and ultimately in society, and to address the digital skills gap. In this context, educators and trainers will leverage the individual elements of the project, such as the educational curriculum, development activities, peer learning, networking, guidelines on inclusive communication and digital learning environments, which facilitate innovation and inclusion at any stage of the learning process.
The DAISSy Research Group of HOU participates in the vast majority of the project’s activities and deliverables. Based on its expertise and long-term experience, DAISSy is responsible for the work package that concerns the understanding of learning disabilities, the mapping of teachers’ educational needs, the development of a Course as well as the assessment of the accessibility of the ALL DIGITAL Academy (ADA) digital environment for participants with learning disabilities. In addition, the Research Group is responsible for the Quality Assurance, the technical development and maintenance of the project website as well as the ADEDU online platform which will soon host the corresponding Course.
Ü For more information about the ADEDU project as well as other projects and actions of DAISSy-HOU:
- Websites: http://daissy.eap.gr/ and https://ad-edu.eu/
- Facebook: @DAISSyResearchGroup
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daissyresearchgroup/
- X : https://twitter.com/daissy_research
- Instagram: @daissy_researchgroup
- Email: info@daissy.eap.gr
Positive evaluation of the “Critical Visual Media Literacy” European project by DAISSy-HOU
The“Critical visual media Literacy and empowerment (CLIP)” European co-funded project has been completed recently, summarizing an eighteen-month demanding and high-quality implementation, receiving a very positive evaluation by the Erasmus+ Managing Authority of 86/100.
The main objective of the CLIP project has been to strengthen the digital capabilities of the Higher Education (HE) sector and to increase resilience to manipulation and polarization working on the important issue of critical visual literacy, which is a fundamental component of the way that european students and citizens are getting informed in today’s digital era.
The CLIP project has been co-financed by the ERASMUS+/KA220-HED – Cooperation partnerships in HE Programme of the European Union. It was coordinated by the UNIMED – Unione Delle Universita Del Mediterraneo (Italy) with Libera Universita Di Lingue e Comunicazione (Italy), ALL DIGITAL (Belgium) and the Hellenic Open University-DAISSy Research Group (Greece) as partners.
The DAISSy-HOU was responsible for the implementation of all CLIP activities in Greece, participated in all intellectual outputs and deliverables and coordinated the development and technical support of the CLIP online educational platform in which the CLIP Course has run: https://mooc.daissy.eu/.
More precisely, DAISSy-HOU was involved, in the conduction of the Report on Visual Media Literacy in Europe that integrates the challenges imposed by visual media illiteracy and proposes the competences to be developed to support visual media literacy as well as a set of tools that can be used to track misleading visual information.
Furthemore, the Research Group leaded the development of the micro-learning Course on Critical Visual Literacy and Fluency (in English, Italian and Greek) that was piloted with over 200 participants in total receiving a very positive feedback by participants.
Lastly, DAISSy-HOU was also highly involved in the development of the scalability and transferability toolkit, that includes a set of related operational Guidelines and Recommendations.
On behalf of DAISSy-HOU, the CLIP project was coordinated by Mr. Achilles Kameas, Professor at HOU and Director of DAISSy, managed by Ms. Eleni Georgakakou, Senior Project Manager and Researcher, and implemented by Ms. Panagiota Polymeropoulou, Senior Researcher, Ms. Natalie Lokou, Researcher, and Mr. Ioannis Messalas, Developer/ Technician.
DAISSy-HOU would like to thank all the CLIP activities‘ participants and stakeholders and ensure them that it will keep on working to strengthen the (digital) capabilities of the HE sector.
For more information regarding the CLIP project, and other projects and activities of DAISSy-HOU:
- Websites : http://daissy.eap.gr/en and https://clipproject.eu/
- Facebook: @DAISSyResearchGroup
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daissyresearchgroup/
- X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/daissy_research
- Instagram: @daissy_researchgroup
- Email: info@daissy.eap.gr
Invitation by DAISSy-HOU to join the online Course on “Equity, Diversity and Inclusion”
The DAISSy Reseacrh Group of Hellenic Open University (HOU) invites you to register and participate at the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) addressed to current and future managers and everyone interested in improving their skills on the principles of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion (EDI).
Specfically, the “Equality, Diversity, Inclusion For improving the qualitY of management EDUcation (EDIFY-EDU” European project partners have launched the MOOC on “Enhancing Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in the workplace”, which is especially designed for supporting actual and future managers and professionals but also everyone interested to have a better approach towards EDI topics and skills. Furthrmore, the MOOC enables participants to pursue entrepreneurial initiatives based on EDI competencies.
It is noteworthy, that the EDIFY-EDU MOOC is based on the training needs, skills gaps and identified competencies coming from the research phase of the EDIFY-EDU project, see: EU Report: Business Management Education and Training Provision on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. It aims to enhance Business & Management training and upskill the current workforce; facilitating the acquisition of EDI competencies, transversal and digital skills for management students and managers in business, mapped to European competence frameworks (e.g. EntreComp, LifeCom, DigComp), and responding to the societal transformation.
Furthermore, about the EDIFY-EDU MOOC:
- Offers state-of-the-art curricula developed by experts under high standards of quality assurance.
- Includes twenty (20) modules covering transferrable and digital skills for professionals and future managers.
- Regards a flexible weekly workload and schedule of about 10 hours per week to be completed at own pace personalised support provided by experienced lecturers.
- Provides interested learners with a set of core modules, focused also on practical applications and case studies.
- Needs at least an intermediate level of English, as all the online lessons and materials are in English.
- Gives the opportunity to meet, connect and network with peers from all over the world, as well as interact with other students, professionals (and the tutors) through the fora.
- Provides certification in accordance with the European and national qualification frameworks.
The participants who will successfully complete the MOOC will be given priority to enlist in a Specialised training programme.
The EDIFY-EDU MOOC is offered free of charge and it is open to anyone who is interested in joining it putting emphasis to, working managers, Small and Medium Enterprises’ owners and start uppers eager to have a better approach towards EDI and thus have better outcomes (MOOC), undergraduate HE students willing to attend trainings that can effectively and rapidly introduce them into the labour market (MOOC and Specialization Course), but also everyone interested in the EDI in the workplace themes.
- The EDIFY-EDU MOOC registration form is
- The Course has been initiated in mid October 2024, it is at a self paced mode and will be offered until the end of February 2025.
- It is delivered online, so the lectures (videos) and reading material are available 24/7 .
- An one-hour live webinar is organised every two week, for interacting with highly experienced invited experts. The webinars are recorded, thus are available to be watched afterwards in the Course platform.
- Open Badges are awarded upon completing successfully each section’s modules.
- Learners who achieve 70% score in each section of modules will be awarded the MOOC Certificate.
For more information about the EDIFY-EDU project and other activities of DAISSy-HOU:
- Websites: http://daissy.eap.gr/en and http://www.edifyedu-project.eu
- Facebook: @DAISSyResearchGroup
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daissyresearchgroup/ and https://www.linkedin.com/company/edify-edu/
- X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/daissy_research
- Instagram: @daissy_researchgroup
- Email: info@daissy.eap.gr
The DAISSy Research Group of HOU participated at the International Event ALL DIGITAL Summit 2024
The DAISSy Research Group of Hellenic Open University (HOU) participated at the 17th ALL DIGITAL Summit 2024, which was held in Madrid, Spain, on October 15th, 16th, and 17th, 2024. The International event AD Summit is organized annually by the European organization ALL DIGITAL (AD), a pan-European Network based in Brussels representing member organizations from all over Europe. The AD network collaborates with 25,000 digital skills development centers with the aim of ensuring that every European citizen can benefit from the digital transformation. The DAISSy Research Group has been a member of the AD Network since 2016.
The theme of the 17th AD Summit 2024 was “Engaged Digital Citizenship: Connections for an informed and conscious society”. The programme included keynote speeches, panels, workshops and informative sessions with over 400 in person participants representing 100+ organisations from 30+ countries, and an even larger number of online participants through live broadcasts. The novelty of this year’s AD Summit was the Digital Village, an open space that hosted exhibitors and makers that was organized in 4 main quarters, which reflected the 4 thematic streams of the Summit, each focusing on a distinct aspect of engaged digital citizenship:
- Fostering a Digital Society,
- Educating on Media Literacy, Data, and AI,
- European Digital Rights, Online Safety, and Wellbeing: Guiding Policy Principles, and
- Empowering Digital Social Innovation.
HOU Professor Achilles Kameas, Director of DAISSy research group chaired the Summit organizing committee and, with the assistance of Ms Phoebe Kamea, was responsible for the conception, planning and implementation of the Digital Village. Together with a representative of the Municipality of Madrid, he inaugurated the Digital Village, and he was awarded the honor to be its first Mayor!
HOU-DAISSy “inhabited” the Digital Village with two stands, in two different “neighborhoods”: Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and Empowering Digital Social Innovation. Dr. Theodor Panagiotakopoulos, Mrs Eleni Georgakakou and Mrs Ioanna Marini, members of DAISSy, presented the numerous relevant projects and their results that DAISSy has implemented throughout the years.
Moreover, DAISSy participated at the sessions:
- Panel discussion with experts: “ALL DIGITAL Academy Panel – Integrating emerging technologies in education”, on which Prof. Achilles Kameas, presented the MOOC on IoT that DAISSy members developed for the project “ADA – All Digital Academy” and discussed the future of Education in the era of AI,
- Workshop “The ALL DIGITAL Academy: AI, IoT and GenAIEdu courses”, during which Dr. Theodor Panagiotakopoulos, Senior Project Manager and Researcher of HOU-DAISSy, presented the pilot delivery details and results of the All Digital Academy MOOC on Internet of Things.
- Three lightning talks on which,
- Achilles Kameas gave two presentations on “Fostering social innovation through inclusive entrepreneurship” and “Inclusive STEAM educator competency framework”, in which he presented some of the results of projects Reinser and SpicE, and
- Eleni Georgakakou, Senior Project Manager and Researcher of HOU-DAISSy, gave a presentation on “Countering online hate speech with an online game”, in which she presented the results of project LEAD Online and further discussed on the use of online games as educational tools.
Overall, the participation of DAISSy-HOU in the 17th ALL DIGITAL Summit was extremely successful. Not only the DAISSy group, but also HOU were promoted to all participants and stakeholders, especially after the great success of the Digital Village. Moreover, the members of HOU-DAISSy had the opportunity to get to know fellow AD members and establish collaborations. At the end of the event, in recognition of the excellent collaboration in organizing the Summit, Prof. Achilles Kameas presented an honorary gift to Víctor Hugo Martínez Buixeda, General Director of Fundación Esplai, a large Spanish network of third sector organizations.
The Summit sessions were attended by European Commission and Council of Europe representatives, policy makers, stakeholders in digital education, trainers, educators, representatives of civil society, and market representatives, who were actively involved and contributed experience, ideas, tools and policies. Its main findings and outcomes are summarized in the white paper Goals and recommendations for Engaged Digital Citizenship, which will be presented to the members of the ALL DIGITAL network, EC officers and other stakeholders in a special event that will take place in Brussels on December 9th.
For more information on the 17th ALL DIGITAL Summit 2024, as well as the recorded speeches, you can visit: https://all-digital.org/all-digital-summit-2024/.
For more information regarding the projects and actions of DAISSy:
- Website : http://daissy.eap.gr/en
- Facebook : @DAISSyResearchGroup
- Linkedin : https://www.linkedin.com/in/daissyresearchgroup/
- X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/daissy_research
- Instagram : @daissy_researchgroup
Invitation to the hybrid multiplier event of the LEARN.INC project, by DAISSy-ΗΟU
The DAISSy Research Group of the Hellenic Open University (HOU) invites you to take part in the multiplier event on “Days of Open Education and Society”, which will take place on Friday, 18th October 2024 at 18.00 (“My Way” Hotel, Patras-Greece), with the possibility of online participation, through the zoom electronic platform.
The event is addressed to higher education institutions, local research and training institutes, postgraduate and PhD students, researchers, academic staff, civil society organisations and local stakeholders and is open to all.
- Participation is free of charge and open to all, at international level.
- Registration to online participation is done by submitting the corresponding form
- Online participation is possible using the following link
- A certificate of attendance will be issued to any interested party who wishes for it.
The event regards the dissemination of the results of the “Learning Incubator for Project-based Teaching and Training through Research (LEARN.INC)” European project, which is implemented by DAISSy-HOU as the Greek partner. In particular, “VOCIS” an online platform will be presented, about the collaboration between students and university teaching staff, offering a preparatory course for challenge-based learning.
Furthermore, the “PROTINC” will be presented, an online incubator that highlights sustainable projects from VOCIS, developing courses according to the priorities of the European Union (G.I.F.T. / Green, Inclusive, Fit for Digital, Transparent.
Finally, the “OPENARC” methodology will be analyzed, regarding the creation and implementation of an open access digital archive, including the LEARN.INC platform as well as the Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) in video format, ensuring high quality teaching.
LEARN.INC is a three-year project, co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union and implemented by a consortium of five (5) partners from four (4) countries (Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Turkey), with the DAISSy Research Group of the HOU as the Greek partner.
For more information on the LEARN.INC project and other activities of DAISSy:
- Websites : http://daissy.eap.gr/en, https://learn-inc.eu/
- Facebook : @DAISSyResearchGroup
- Linkedin : https://www.linkedin.com/in/daissyresearchgroup/
- Twitter : https://twitter.com/daissy_research
- Instagram: @daissy_researchgroup
- Email : info@daissy.eap.gr
The DAISSy Research Group of the Hellenic Open University participates in the international closing conference of the “LEARN.INC” European project
The DAISSy Research Group of the Hellenic Open University (HOU), participates in the international conference on “Knowledge for Community Action”, marking the completion of the European project “Learning Incubator for Project-based Teaching and Training through Research (LEARN.INC)”, which is implemented by DAISSy-HOU as the Greek partner. The conference takes place online on 24-25 September 2024 (9:00-17:00 CEST) and is organized by the Research & Training Point Foundation (Bulgaria), and co-organized by the Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu (Romania), the St Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia (Bulgaria), and the Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University (Turkey).
Specifically, the final LEARN.INC conference is addressed to higher education institutions, local research and training institutes, postgraduate and PhD students, researchers, academic staff, civil society organisations and local stakeholders. The aim of the conference is to explore the role of challenge-based education in academia, putting emphasis on the dissemination of the results of the LEARN.INC project. In this context, the two-day conference will address important issues in academic education, such as the impact of challenge-based methodologies on students, innovative pedagogical methods and paradigm shifts in research and teaching, and the role of communities and partnerships in building socially responsible Universities.
In particular, the international conference will include a thorough presentation of the LEARN.INC project results and deliverables. More precisely, the “VOCIS” online platform for collaboration between students and university faculty, offering a preparatory course for challenge-based learning, will be presented. Next, “PROTINC”, an online incubator that highlights sustainable projects from VOCIS, developing courses in line with the priorities of the European Union (G.I.F.T. / Green, Inclusive, Fit for Digital, Transparent) will be analysed. Finally, the “OPENARC” methodology will be presented regarding the creation and implementation of an open access digital archive, including the LEARN.INC platform as well as Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) in video format, ensuring high quality teaching.
It is noteworthy that:
- Representatives of the partner Universities will be speakers at the international conference, as well as participants of the Bulgarian Antarctic Expedition, who will share exciting experiences from the research field.
- The official language of the conference is English.
- Participation in the conference is free of charge.
- Registration is compulsory and can be done by submitting the corresponding form
LEARN.INC is a three-year project, co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union and implemented by a consortium of five (5) partners from four (4) countries (Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Turkey), with the DAISSy Research Group of the HOU as the Greek partner.
For more information on the LEARN.INC project and other activities of DAISSy:
- Websites : http://daissy.eap.gr/en https://learn-inc.eu/
- Facebook : @DAISSyResearchGroup
- Linkedin : https://www.linkedin.com/in/daissyresearchgroup/
- Twitter : https://twitter.com/daissy_research
- Instagram: @daissy_researchgroup
- Email : info@daissy.eap.gr
Educational Programme for Inclusive STEAM Education with the support of DAISSy-HOU
The DAISSy Research Group of Hellenic Open University (HOU) announces the launch of an Educational Programme about Inclusive STEAM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math), starting on 9th September 2024 by offering a related Massive Open Online Course-MOOC!
The Educational Programme was designed and will be delivered in the context of the “Special Education STEAM Academy (SpicE)” European project, coordinated by DAISSy-HOU under the Scientific Supervision of Achilles Kameas, Dean of School of Science and Technology, HOU.
Within the first stage of the programme, a MOOC entitled «STEAM education for all learners: Incorporating STEAM and Inclusive education practices in everyday teaching» will be offered by SpicE. The educational content of the MOOC has been exclusively developed by the project consortium and was founded on the innovative educators’ competences framework for inclusive STEAM education and the related professional profiles.
More specifically, SpicE MOOC:
- Has a duration of fifty (50) hours / five (5) weeks, is offered through distance asynchronous education and covers the common competences needed for the application of Inclusive STEAM Education to students with mild disabilities.
- Starts on 9th September 2024 and is offered through the Lifelong Learning Center of the HOU.
- Is available in English, with all educational material also translated in Spanish, Bulgarian, and Greek.
Participation in SpicE MOOC is free and the pre-registration form is available [here].
Detailed information about the content of the SpicE MOOC is presented at: https://spiceacademy.eu/spice-platform/
All trainees who will successfully complete the SpicE MOOC will receive 2 ECTS and a Certificate of successful completion from the project and from the Lifelong Learning Center of HOU, according to European and national standards and the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System.
SpicE educational programme is modular, and the MOOC can be complemented with:
- The blended learning programme, of fifteen (15) hours duration, which will deepen the trainees’ competences for Inclusive STEAM education.
- The teacher mobility scheme, where selected educators will travel abroad to participate in practical applications of Inclusive STEAM education.
_ SpicE is a three-year project, co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme (Teacher Academies) and implemented by a consortium of ten (10) partners from five (5) European countries (Greece, Cyprus, Spain, Bulgaria, Belgium), with the DAISSy Research Group of the HOU being the Coordinator.
So far, SpicE is the only project to combine STEAM Education with Inclusive Education.
For more information about the project SpicE and other activities of the DAISSy-HOU:
- Websites: http://daissy.eap.gr/en, https://spiceacademy.eu/el/
- Facebook: @DAISSyResearchGroup, https://www.facebook.com/SpicEAcademyEU
- Twitter: @daissy_research, https://twitter.com/SpicEacademyEU
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daissyresearchgroup/ & https://www.linkedin.com/groups/9353997/
- Instagram: @daissy_researchgroup
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@spiceacademyeu
- Email: info@daissy.eap.gr
Learn about the Online Study Visits and Register to the Platform of the GREELCO project, by DAISSy-HOU
Within the framework of the “Green Learning Community (GREELCO)” European project, the DAISSy Research Group of the Hellenic Open University (HOU) has designed and developed the GREELCO online platform addressed primarily to Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) professionals across Europe and everyone interested in the topic. The platform is a deliverable of the GREELCO project, currently undergoing by DAISSy-HOU as both the only Greek and the only Academic partner.
More specifically, the GREELCO online educational platform is offered for free and it is accessed easily, through a simple registration. Up to now, it has been utilized by more than one thousand (1,000) registered users, including education professionals. A series of tools, such as a Training Webinar, practices and Online Study Visits are available to the registered members. Therefore, the platform is highly accessible and open to everyone, functioning already as a highly visited online communication and collaboration tool that links ECEC professionals throughout Greece, Europe and beyond.
Furthermore, from January 2024 until mid of October 2024, a series of eight (8) Virtual Study Visits has been planned by respective project’s kindergartens, from eight (8) European countries (Belgium, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Slovenia, Serbia), one for each unit. The Virtual study visits are designed interactively, a fact that makes it easier for participants to get to know each other, connect and cooperate, as well as exchange knowledge, experience and examples of good practices, which can contribute to increasing the level of connection between kindergarten professionals from different countries.
There is a number of reasons why registering to the GREELCO platform is important, namely:
Connect and Collaborate
GREELCO is more than just a platform; it’s a hub for connecting and sharing ideas. Collaborate on projects, exchange insights, and join a dynamic network that values collective creativity.
Access to Webinars
Participate in the GREELCO Webinar to gain essential knowledge, guidelines, and technical instructions for creating videos of pedagogical practices. These webinars cater to the needs of kindergarten teachers, educators, preschool managers, and ECEC professionals across Europe.
Exclusive Opportunities
Enjoy exclusive access to events and opportunities. Stay informed about the latest trends, participate in online study visits, and lead in innovation. Attendees can access both live and on-demand study visits and stay updated on future events.
Learn About Diverse ECEC Systems
Gain insights into various preschool and early childhood education systems, including teacher profiles, department sizes, organizational structures, funding, national curricula, and more.
Explore Pedagogical Practices
Learn about daily routines, quality interactions, inspiring learning environments, and inclusive practices from kindergartens in different countries.
Enhance Reflective Competence
Increase your ability to reflect on pedagogical practices, improving your professional competence in evaluating and refining educational methods.
Raise ECEC Practice Quality
Improve your competencies in ensuring high-quality ECEC practices, with a special emphasis on inclusion.
More precisely, registering to the GREELCO platform is a pre-requisite for accessing it, and creating a private account. Verifying a private email address, allows the launch of collaborating and innovating in the GREELCO forums. Evaluating the platform by completing an anonymous questionnaire, is precious since, it provides the users with the possibility to suggest improvements.
As we enter a new era of collaborative possibilities, every professional in early childhood education is encouraged to join by registering on the platform and becoming a part of the dynamic GREELCO community!
The GREELCO is a two-year project, co-funded by the ERASMUS+/ KA220-HED programme of the European Union. Its consortium includes three (3) main partners from three (3) EU member-states, namely the: Educational Research Institute-ERI (Slovenia), the International Step by Step Association-ISSA (Netherlands), and the Hellenic Open University-HOU (Greece). In addition, it involves eight (8) Kindergartens, from eight (8) European countries (Belgium, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Slovenia, Serbia). The DAISSy Research Group of the HOU is involved in all project deliverables, having the responsibility for the design, development and the effective operation of the GREELCO platform, ensuring active collaboration of the participants and providing technical support (whenever needed).
For more information on the GREELCO project and other activities of the DAISSy-HOU:
- Website : http://daissy.eap.gr/en and https://www.greelco.eu/
- Facebook : @DAISSyResearchGroup
- Linkedin : https://www.linkedin.com/in/daissyresearchgroup/
- X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/daissy_research
- Instagram : @daissy_researchgroup
- Email : info@daissy.eap.gr
Call for proposals about Online Courses and Video Lectures within “Learn.Inc” project, by DAISSy-HOU
The DAISSy Research Group of the Hellenic Open University (HOU) invites you to participate in the creative redesign of new course content, conducted in the framework of the “Learning Incubator for Project-based Teaching and Training through Research (Learn.Inc)” European project, currently undergoing by DAISSy-HOU, as the Greek partner, which aims at advancing teaching and learning innovation in the partner HEIs in Bulgaria, Greece, Romania and Turkey. This will be achieved through cross-institutional collaboration, knowledge sharing and networking which extends beyond academia.
More specifically, Learn.Inc focuses on fostering creativity and redesigning learning spaces through Challenge-Based Learning (CBL) for graduate-level students (MA and PhDs). Therefore, it will promote innovation in student-centered learning and teaching, with students co-designing flexible and modular e-learning formats that are developed in response to pertinent societal issues.
Within this concept, Learn.Inc seeks to transform the way that University courses are developed and taught, ensuring the course content responds to societal needs and that it encourages active learning, recognizes students’ own research and excellence in the co-design and delivery of teaching. A Knowledge database was developed in the previous stages of the project, containing a list with societal challenges, identified based on the discussions with stakeholders from partner countries and also results of the projects proposed and developed by students with support from project teams.
Currently, the Learn.Inc call is addressed to faculty and students, inviting them to creatively redesign and conceptualize the research and results from the experimentations in the previous steps of the project, in order to develop new course content (short online courses, seminars, workshops) and pilot new learning resources.
Participation is open to all, by completing a respective form, using the following link. Important dates:
- 22 – 25 July 2024: collecting applicants’ proposals
- 26 July 2024: proposal evaluation
- 29 July 2024: final results
The Learn.Inc is a three-year project, co-funded by the European Union, in the framework of the “ERASMUS+/Key Program Action 2 Sector: Partnerships for Cooperation in a field of Higher Education” program. It is implemented by a consortium of five (5) partners from four (4) countries (Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey, Greece) with the DAISSy Research Group of the HOU being the Greek partner, responsible for the implementation of all actions at national level and participating in all project intellectual outputs.
For more information about the Learn.Inc project and other activities of DAISSy-HOU:
- Websites : http://daissy.eap.gr/en and https://learn-inc.eu/
- Facebook : @DAISSyResearchGroup
- Linkedin : https://www.linkedin.com/in/daissyresearchgroup/
- Twitter : https://twitter.com/daissy_research
- Instagram: @daissy_researchgroup
- Email : info@daissy.eap.gr