Erasmus+ KA2 «dComFra»

Digital competence framework for Ukrainian teachers and other citizens

The project contributes to the goals of modernization of methods and methodology (didactic approaches, gamification, etc.), internationalization and cooperation between the EU and Ukraine (DigComp framework, EU trainings and training materials, international certification, etc.)

Consortium

The dComFra consortium consists of 15 partners with the necessary expertise and sufficient business and educational connections. The team demonstrates a dynamic and powerful association of 12 higher education institutions – 5 from the European Union (Lithuania, Austria, Czech Republic, Poland, Romania) and 7 from Ukraine.

The experience of the EU partners covers the entire spectrum and all levels of necessary knowledge and skills in this area – from the development of digital competence (DC) curricula with the subsequent implementation of DC trainings to DC testing and DC certification of internally displaced persons.

The participation of Ukrainian universities is important for the integration of new methodologies, training materials, defining requirements and improving results, taking into account the specifics and realities in different regions of Ukraine.

Project Coordinator:

  • Vytautas the Great University (VMU).
  • Project partners:
  • Carinthian University of Applied Sciences (CUAS),
  • Czech University of Life Sciences (CULS),
  • Krakow University of Education (UP),
  • Polytechnic University of Bucharest (UPB-CAMIS),
  • Kyiv National University of Culture and Arts (KNUCA),
  • Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (TSNUK),
  • National Technical University “Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute” (NTU “KhPI”),
  • Donetsk National Technical University (DonNTU),
  • Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University (CHNU),
  • Kharkiv National University of Radio Electronics (KNURE),
  • Kremenchuk Mykhailo Ostrohradskyi National University (KrNU),
  • Ukrainian Association of IT Professionals (UAITP),
  • Institute of Information Technologies (ITI),
  • Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine (MESU).

Objectives and activities

This project aims to:

  • improve the situation with the development of Digital Competences (DC) in Ukraine (UA),
  • harmonize it with the European direction of development by adapting the Digital Competence Framework for Citizens and Educators,
  • create the Ukrainian National Digital Coalition (UNDC);

Reform in-service training for teachers and provide “best practices” on how Digital Competencies can be developed in general and adapted to the challenges of the higher education sector within society at large.

The motivation for this stems from the goal set by the European Commission for the Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition, the DigComp framework and the Digital Agenda for Europe (DAE).

The following activities will be implemented to achieve the project objectives:

  • analysis of the EU DigComp framework;
  • detailed analytical report on DC needs for Ukraine;
  • development and implementation of the dComFra concept, structure and technical tools;
  • development of DC offices with an electronic platform (DC offices & DC e-Platform) and 14 training modules with practical tasks for different groups of citizens and educators;
  • conducting pilot trainings for 210 teachers/ 140 internally displaced persons and ATO veterans to increase the level of DC competencies in the target groups;
  • organization by Ukrainian partners of various seminars and other events for target groups and the general public to raise awareness, creation of the Ukrainian National Digital Coalition UNDC to increase the impact on this process;
  • presenting the project’s findings and results through various channels of information dissemination, including by engaging professional societies and UNDC stakeholders, and organizing a conference on DC in Ukraine as part of the project.

Impact

DComFra promotes the exchange of experience and best practices in the field of information and communication technologies and digital competences through the participation of EU higher education institutions and Ukrainian higher education institutions and research organizations.

The project will support the linkage of higher education institutions with labor markets within the EU-Ukraine area, and thus strengthen its impact on the EU landscape.

In addition, the added value of the project for the EU is in:

  • creation of new Ukrainian DC-products by engaging leading digital literacy experts in the EU. The developed modules can be used by EU partners in their training, and new knowledge can be added to EU educational sources and further improved;
  • equivalent, voluntary convergence of higher education institutions in the EU and Ukraine will allow business and society to work on improving the quality of life in our countries;
  • social integration of the population, development of the e-society in Ukraine promises new opportunities for European society and business in the long term;
  • Digital competencies acquired by target groups in Ukraine will require EU testing and certification systems, which will increase the EU’s influence in Ukraine and provide new opportunities for EU businesses;
  • Joint work on educational modules will promote intercultural understanding and awareness, and expand networking and mobility activities of EU and Ukrainian educators.

Target groups

The target groups during the life cycle of the project are:

  • University teachers (full-time or part-time) will gain additional knowledge and digital competencies. During the project, they will learn how to teach digital competence subjects to any adult; how to develop these learning resources and courses, how to use digital competence offices, including relevant software and equipment.
  • teachers of schools and vocational educational institutions will receive general and specialized digital competence for their professional field; will be provided with digital competence for electronic social engagement of the population; will be able to use their professional level of digital competence based on the Digital Competence Framework for Educators, thus ensuring their high qualification and self-sustainability;
  • internally displaced persons will have access to a modern set of trainings and seminars on digital competencies, which will increase their employment opportunities and adaptation in a new place;
  • ATO veterans: To accelerate social adaptation to civilian life, veterans will receive new competencies required in the Ukrainian labor market and around the world. Thanks to the possibilities of a virtual mechanism for organizing work using digital competencies by eliminating digital inequality in their minds, this target group, especially those with amputated limbs, will be able to keep themselves busy by doing work remotely at home, for example, as freelancers, which will ensure a high quality of life and the opportunity to actively participate in building Ukrainian society;
  • Other stakeholders: any academic staff, students, and any citizens will have opportunities to improve their digital competencies using the created infrastructure and developed system of open educational resources (OER).