Video-based learning can be effective and collaborative. The ViSuAL knowledge alliance with Swiss participation demonstrates how to do it.
Frank de Jong, Professor at Aeres University of Applied Sciences Wageningen, and Alberto Cattaneo, Professor at the Swiss Federal University for Vocational Education and Training (SFUVET), met at a European conference and realised quickly that they both agreed that video-based learning is too often done in an ineffective way, as it frequently does not go beyond teachers simply showing videos. They decided to join forces to study and promote how video-based educational technologies can be combined with collaborative learning approaches. This is how the ViSuAL project started. ViSuAL stands for ‘video-supported educational alliance’ and was funded as a knowledge alliance by the Erasmus+ programme of the EU.
The alliance brings together six higher education institutions (HEIs) in the field of teacher education from Estonia, Finland, the Netherlands, Portugal and Switzerland as well as six educational technology companies from Finland, Switzerland, Portugal and the UK. This combination of HEIs and business enables the alliance to bring together pedagogical and IT expertise in order to co-create a new evidence-based pedagogical model for video-supported collaborative learning. The unique aspect of the Swiss partner SFUVET is that they not only participate in the consortium as an established national university but also as an edtech provider with iVideo.education, a product of SFUVET and the Vocational Education and Training Division of the Canton of Ticino.
The project consisted of multiple elements to create this pedagogical model: First, a literature review and the publication of research papers was undertaken, second, practise-oriented outcomes, such as a Teacher’s Manual, a MOOC and a MESH Guide were created, lastly, concrete principles were elaborated.
The participation of a Swiss partner in the consortium was special as SFUVET became a full member in the project alliance and was therefore eligible to receive funding from the Erasmus+ programme. The programme action of knowledge alliances does allow for institutions from non-associated countries to participate as full members as long as they bring “an essential added value to the Alliance”. In the case of ViSuAL, the added value and the quality of SFUVET’s contribution to the project was unchallenged. Alternatively, Swiss institutions could also participate in Erasmus+ cooperation projects as associated partners, and thereby receive funding from Movetia’s Swiss programme for Erasmus+.
The participation in the alliance had a lasting impact on the Swiss partner. According to the project coordinator and SFUVET, the participation in such a project strongly supports the internationalisation of all partners and increases the knowledge of best practises and concrete methods to improve the teaching provision. Moreover, the network of the partners is strengthened: SFUVET for example is still in contact with a number of the ViSuAL partners and follow-up projects with the Dutch and other partners are being discussed. On the system-wide level, Switzerland can benefit in many ways through projects such as ViSuAL: Firstly, it is a great occasion to highlight the Swiss expertise and strong practical perspective of its vocational education and training (VET) system. Secondly, by being a full member the Swiss institution could demonstrate its commitment and reliability in contributing to all work packages. Lastly, the alliance coordinator appreciated the Swiss institution’s role as intermediary and balance between the more Northern European and the more Mediterranean approaches and education systems.
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