DIGITAL TRAININIG TOOLS IN STEEL STRUCTURE INTEGRITY

"<< Background >>ALLIES was initiated in response to the challenges faced by project partners in the education process. The COVID-19 highlighted significant gaps in digital skills, connectivity, and the use of technology in education. According to IDES, 42% of Europeans lack basic digital skills, and the European labor market suffers from a shortage of digital experts. In Europe, the pandemic shifted education practices from face-to-face to online, emphasizing the need for high-quality, accessible, and inclusive digital education. ALLIES targets teachers and engineering professionals, focusing on ITC and steel structure integrity. The consortium aims to boost digital education in the engineering sciences. The project addresses insufficiently developed digital skills, especially in producing digital materials for engineering. The Digital Education Action Plan calls for closer cooperation among EU Member States to adapt education systems to the digital age. The transformation is driven by connectivity, digital device use, individual flexibility, and growing demand for digital skills. ALLIES aligns with this vision and aims to address the digital skills gap in engineering. According to IDES, only 65% of engineers possess basic digital skills.<< Objectives >>The ALLIES project was launched with specific objectives: to address critical challenges in education and enhance digital skills for teachers and postgraduates. Here’s what we aimed to achieve:1.Enhancing Digital Education for Teachers: oMicro-Credentials: We provided micro-credentials to HE teachers, focusing on ITC and innovative methodologies for distance and blended teaching.oDigital Environment: Our project created a conducive digital environment for teaching, learning, and assessment.2.Empowering Postgraduates for Job Opportunities: oMicro-Credentials for Engineers: We equipped postgraduates, especially civil and mechanical engineers, with specialized skills: designing and inspecting steel structures.oFast, Distance, and Blended Learning: Our approach emphasized efficient and flexible learning methods in a digital environment.3.Harmonizing Education Across Europe: oInteractions Across Borders: ALLIES facilitated cross-cultural exchange among HE institutions, allowing teachers to interact with students and teachers from other countries.oDeployment of ALLIES Program: We ensured consistent, high-quality education across Europe by implementing the ALLIES program at participating universities.<< Implementation >>As PM, I meticulously executed a comprehensive set of activities. These activities were strategically designed to achieve our project goals and enhance digital education in engineering.1.Management and Implementation Activities:oConsortium Management: I oversaw the coordination and collaboration among consortium members and partner institutions.oTechnical Coordination: Ensured seamless technical integration and alignment across all project components.oFinancial Coordination: Managed project finances, budget allocations, and financial reporting.oProject Reporting: Regularly documented and reported project progress, outcomes, and challenges.oDissemination and Follow-Up: Strategically disseminated project results, engaged stakeholders, and followed up on impact.2.Activities for Production of Project Results:oImplementation of Designated Tasks: Collaborated with partners to execute specific tasks outlined in the project plan.oAnalysis Reports and Methodologies: Developed analytical reports, research methodologies and best practices.oLesson Materials and Study Cases: Created educational content, case studies, and lesson materials.oDigital Tools and Layouts: Designed user-friendly layouts and digital tools for educational resources.oTransnational Action Plan: Formulated a cohesive plan for cross-border collaboration and knowledge exchange.3.Activities for Learning, Teaching, and Training:oOn-Site LTTA: Organized 3 LTTA courses on-site.oOn-line LTTA: Offered one virtual LTTA course, leveraging digital platforms for remote learning.By diligently implementing these activities, we empowered educators, bridged digital skill gaps, and fostered a collaborative learning environment across Europe. The success of the ALLIES project reflects our commitment to excellence and innovation.<< Results >>The ALLIES project, funded under the Erasmus+HE program, has produced several concrete outputs and results. These include:1.Development of new digital tools: The project has developed new digital tools to offset the lack of skills of engineering professionals in the use of digital tools for design, analysis, and inspection of metal structures.2.Research analysis on digital training methodologies: The project has conducted a comprehensive research analysis on digital training methodologies, providing valuable insights into the current state of digital training and areas for improvement.3.New steel structures integrity curricula: The project has elaborated new steel structures integrity curricula based on competencies units. This new curricula is designed to equip students with the necessary skills and knowledge to excel in theiractual or future careers.4.Transnational plan for deployment of the postgraduate program study: The project has made a transnational plan for the deployment of the postgraduate program study in the Higher Education (HE) community.5.Microcredentials and new methodologies for distance and blended teaching: The project offers microcredentials and new methodologies for distance and blended teaching to the teachers from HE.6.Digital environment for teaching, learning, and assessment: The project provides a digital environment (more precise, an LMS platform dedicated to ALLIES Project) for teaching, learning, and assessment in the education process.These outputs and results have not only met the original objectives of the project but also contributed significantly to the digital transformation of education.""Nr.crt""Results/output/outcome""Obtained value""""Target Value""""Indicator percentage""11 Quality Management Plan11100,00%21 Dissemination and Valorisation Plan11100,00%31 Interim Report (first year)11100,00%41 Final Report (second year)11100,00%51 post-graduate programme study11100,00%61 technical report related to teacher needs and perception analysis on digital education11100,00%71 curricula for steel structure integrity11100,00%81 set of methodologies for digital teaching 11100,00%91complete set of lessons materials related to steel structure integrity 11100,00%101 complete set of study cases, provided by industry, related to steel structure integrity11100,00%111 battery with tests for assessment11100,00%121 set of digital layouts for online e-learning platform11100,00%131 set of digital study cases provided by industry for online e-learning platform 11100,00%141 set of digital tests for assessment for online e-learning platform11100,00%151 offline software application for users without internet connection11100,00%161 report on survey related to quality of products11100,00%171 set of questionnaires for survey among ALLIES partners related quality of the outputs11100,00%181 set questionnaires for survey among ALLIES partners related to quality management 11100,00%192 annual reports related to quality management22100,00%204 transnational project meetings54125,00%218 certificates of attendance to transnational project meeting708875,00%223 learning teaching training activities53166,67%2324 certificates of attendance to learning teaching training activities4824200,00%2414 multiplier events with at least 20 participants/event or 7 with 40 participants/event76116,67%25140 certificates of attendance to multiplier events219140156,43%2614 dissemination activities at conferences with at least 20 participants/event91464,29%271 project logo11100,00%281 project website 11100,00%29700 flyers in national languages910700130,00%307 posters107142,86%311 social media account21200,00%3216 scientific articles in journals indexed in international databases121675,00%337 roll-ups87114,29%344 newsletters 44100,00%TOTAL PROJECT134,30%"