Enhancing Techno-Pedagogical Competences for Virtual Education

Partnership
Initiative

Background

The Universitat de Girona (Girona University - UdG), in Spain, is a renowned public higher education institution with a long history of participating in university development cooperation projects. Following the devastating earthquake in Haiti in 2010, when the UdG chaired the Development Cooperation Working Group of the Conference of Rectors of Spanish Universities (CRUE), it also led a delegation of several Spanish universities that conducted a needs analysis of the university community in Haiti. Following this assessment, a number of cooperation projects were developed together with different Spanish universities to improve libraries and university management, as well as a scholarship programme to enable Haitian students to complete their studies in Spain. As a result of these cooperation projects, the UdG and the Université d’État d’Haïti (State University of Haiti - UEH) have strengthened their ties, continuing to collaborate throughout the most tumultuous times in recent years.

The Corporación Universitaria Minuto de Dios (University Corporation ‘Minuto de Dios’ - UNIMINUTO), in Colombia, is one of the most prestigious higher education institutions specialising in distance and virtual education in the country, collaborating in various international cooperation projects for the transfer of its virtual education model. UNIMINUTO and the UdG have a collaboration agreement that promotes the use of the COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning) methodology, which connects the classrooms of both entities, promoting the sharing of an online classroom between teachers and students from both countries. This methodology creates learning environments in which teachers from two cultures work together to develop a shared curriculum, with an emphasis on experiential and collaborative student learning.

As a result of these bilateral cooperation experiences, the UdG and UEH seized the opportunity to form a Triangular Cooperation Partnership with UNIMINUTO, in order to contribute to the modernisation of teaching processes, implementing methodological virtual teaching practices and improving competences among its teaching staff. To this end, they will receive support from two partners, the Académie de Recherche et d'Enseignement Supérieur (Academy for Research and Higher Education - ARES) in Belgium, and the think-tank KAIRÓS in Spain.

Entities and roles

Beneficiary entities

Université d'Haïti - UEH

Haiti

First provider entities

Corporación Universitaria Minuto de Dios - UNIMINUTO

Colombia

Second provider entities

Universitat de Girona

Spain

Collaborating entities

Académie de Recherche et d’Enseignement Supérieur - ARES, Belgium

Equipo de líderes educativos a nivel mundial comprometidos con la transformación educativa y social sostenible - KAIRÓS, Spain

Development challenges

The Université d’État d’Haïti has been severely affected by the economic crisis and widespread insecurity in the country, which has led to a significant loss of academic and non-academic staff, as well as disruptions in training, research and community service activities. In the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis, hybrid and online training has been promoted, which has helped to reduce the talent drain and retain more students. However, it is still necessary to strengthen the UEH's pedagogical capacities in order to deliver its programmes virtually with full quality guarantees. To this end, the expertise of the University of Girona and UNIMINUTO will be made available to improve the techno-pedagogical skills of teachers and the technical skills of administrators, thus increasing virtual academic opportunities, which in turn will allow the university to expand its geographical scope.

This Triangular Cooperation Initiative will allow the Beneficiary entity of the Partnership to harness the knowledge of the Provider entities in distance and virtual education models, with a strong emphasis on technical and pedagogical quality to promote access to lifelong learning and social inclusion.

Triangular approach

This Triangular Cooperation Initiative offers Partnership entities the opportunity to build an academic relationship based on the exchange of competencies, with the objective of developing long-term outreach activities. With the support of UNIMINUTO and the UdG, the UEH seeks to implement e-learning methodological practices and improve the competencies of its teaching staff in order to offer quality education and achieve its strategic objectives.

UNIMINUTO aims to support the Université d’État d’Haïti by transferring its virtual education methodology, strengthening the technical competencies of teachers and administrative staff of the UEH.

In turn, the University of Girona will lend pedagogical support for online training developed before, during and after the pandemic. Through its Institute of Education Sciences (ICE), the university will share its experience with lifelong training for its teaching staff, as well as its experience in managing innovative teaching groups and networks.

The UEH is at a critical juncture due to the widespread insecurity in Haiti, which has brought academic life to a standstill. However, while distance education is becoming increasingly effective, there is a need to strengthen the capacities of teaching staff to make use of modern distance and e-learning tools. The expertise of the partner universities will contribute to the UEH's goal of continuing to offer quality training programmes that are accessible to the widest possible audience, in particular to the most vulnerable populations.

This Initiative is aligned with the European Union's priority to promote lifelong learning, providing individuals and businesses with the means to move towards the digital transition and support competitiveness and innovation.

Sectoral approach - Contribution to the 2030 Agenda

Primary SDG

Goal 4.3 By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university

Goal 4.C By 2030, substantially increase the supply of qualified teachers, including through international cooperation for teacher training in developing countries, especially least developed countries and small island developing states

Secondary SDG

Goal 8.6 By 2020, substantially reduce the proportion of youth not in employment, education or training

ADELANTE SDG

Goal 10.2 By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status

Goal 17.16 Enhance the global partnership for sustainable development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilize and share knowledge, expertise, technology and financial resources, to support the achievement of the sustainable development goals in all countries, in particular developing countries

Territorial approach

Intervention methodology

The Initiative's work plan is based on eight activities that aim to identify training and institutional strengthening needs, as well as create opportunities to strengthen the techno-pedagogical competences of academic and administrative staff of the Université d’État d’Haïti.

The Initiative kicks off with a study to assess the technical and pedagogical state of UEH's academic capacities. This assessment will identify the existing technological infrastructure and specialised technical staff, as well as the curricular and pedagogical capacity of the university and its teaching staff.

Through this assessment, a ‘training of trainers’ programme will be developed and delivered during two study visits, one to Spain and the other to Colombia, where the entities will share their technical and pedagogical expertise to prepare the selected academic and administrative staff, who will then be in charge of replicating the training in Haiti.

Following this, four face-to-face workshops will be held in prioritised locations in Haiti, where the trainers, with the virtual support of the Provider entities, will replicate the techno-pedagogical training programme for the academic staff of the UEH.

In parallel, a consultancy will be carried out to support the design of virtual classrooms and the use of digital tools, providing the UEH with guidelines to identify investment needs for the improvement of the University's technical capacities.

Direct beneficiaries (individuals)

According to Rule 9 of the Guidelines for Applicants: all persons participating in the activities of the Initiative.

This Initiative aims to reach more than 300 direct beneficiaries; primarily faculty and administrative staff of the Université d’État d’Haïti. In addition, through improved virtual learning capabilities and the addition of new academic programmes, countless Haitian students will benefit, potentially aiding the entire Haitian population.

Budget

EU contribution: 137,812.00 €

Co-financing - Triangular Cooperation Partnership: 108,366.00 €

Total budget: 246,178.00 €

Download PDF