Digital Futures

<< Background >>We applied for this project to build a partnership between the two participating organizations; when we were introduced to each other, we wanted to find areas where we would like to work together. The needs of the Finnish partner were mainly to explore the potential of digital international co-operation as a tool for internationalization at home, and to develop such a model of it that would be motivating for both teachers and students, and easy implement as an integral part of the teaching henceforth.The needs of the Irish partner were mainly linked to staff training, particularly linked to teachers’ digital competences.Both partners were also interested in pedagogical exchange and some form of mobility co-operation, but it was difficult to plan more exactly, as the partners had only met online.A small-scale partnership, focusing on digital international co-operation, was a perfect match to all of these needs.<< Objectives >>1.To create a model for digital international co-operation projects that would•be well integrated in the curricula and everyday life of both organisations•enrich the teaching •be learner-centred•be transferrable (= can be used with other partners and in different fields) and viable on a long-term 2.To create a strategic partnership between the two organisations so as to continue the digital co-operation yearly and exchange good practices later in KA1 projects 3.To enhance the teachers’ and students’ digital and international competences << Implementation >>The core activity was carrying out digital co-operation projects in three fields: Tourism, Hair and Beauty and Catering. The contents of those projects were linked to the everyday teaching of those fields, e.g. the tourism students made presentations of the tourist attractions of their own country and region.In addition, we had two live meetings: the digital co-operation projects were planned during the kick-off meeting in Finland and evaluated during the final meeting in Ireland. Both meetings also had significant value in allowing the participants to create personal contacts, to get to know each other’s organisations and operational environments and in facilitating the rich pedagogical exchange.Other activities included project management tasks, dissemination activities and online meetings.<< Results >>As concrete outputs we produced:1)Model of Digital Co-operation 2)Check-list for Digital International ProjectsIn these outputs, we have summed up our advice for teachers/organisations who want to start digital international co-operation: how to get started and what to take into consideration. In addition, we have gained significant learning outcomes related to digital international co-operation; about the ways it can be used as a very effective tool in internationalization-at-home activities, in teaching linguistic and digital competences and in supporting the inclusion of students. These learning outcomes, as well as the outputs, are shared at the website of the project: Digital Futures, en | Sasky and in Finnish: https://sasky.fi/sasky/hankkeet/digitalfutures/Other results include the pedagogical exchange between the teachers, the enhanced digital and international competences of the participants – both teachers and students - and the partnership between the organisations. An extremely valuable result was also the teachers’ experience that digital international co-operation was indeed easy, motivating and enriching – and that they want to continue it.