<< Objectives >>Four universities want to implement a joint new master programme about e-wellbeing and mental health in older adults. Due to increased life expectancy, the share of elderly people is increasing. However, many older people suffer from mental problems. The programme teaches how the mental health of elderly people can be affected positively by offering new, virtual interaction points to stimulate, inform and entertain them and thus increasing their mental health status positively.<< Implementation >>The project aims at implementing a new joint virtual master programme. This requires the definition of course content, decision on preparation of virtual teaching methods, decisions an implementation on joint interaction and quality assurance processes, preparation of the required documentation to start this programme and the preparation of the programme accreditation. All these deliverables need to reflect the nature of the programme: a virtual study course offered jointly by four universities.<< Results >>The main result is the implementation of a virtual master course on e-wellbeing and mental health in older adults offered jointly by four universities. The unique aspects of this project lie in the cross-European implementation of a new study course about a major issue in European societies, which can be studied virtually in its main parts. This allows a unique programme with high accessibility and a very inclusive teaching approach, while additionally avoiding travel to reduce emissions.

<< Background >>The COVID-19 pandemic put universities in an unprecedented situation, which led to the cancellation of face-to-face courses and their relocation to the online environment, generating major changes in teacher’s work. The rapid digitalization required teachers and students to use more complex technologies, generating stress related to a lesser-known working and learning environment involving unfamiliar teaching rules. Negative emotions, loneliness, uncertainty, and stress exacerbated the effects of the need to rapidly adjust to emergency remote teaching in the context of the lack of substantial prior experience of using technologies. The COVID-19 crisis heavily impacted education and accelerated the digital transformation of HEI sector.Our project answer the following needs of the target group: the need for support, overcoming digital fatigue, pressure to learn new things, uncertainty, low work engagement. Therefore, the rationale of this project is to help universities to find a balance between digital and nondigital tools in teaching:-The end of crisis will offer information about digital skills which could be integrated and further developed to sustain the teachers use of digital tools with direct impact on the quality of education-Lack of systematic training for the development of digital skills and the use of online teaching methods in neither of the partners’ countries-Unawareness of HEI’s about the consequences of the inefficient use of technology on their own wellbeing and on student well-being and engagementThe target group are university teachers who struggle with the need to adjust to digitalization which become more accentuated during the pandemic, leading to negative emotions, low institutional attachment, digital fatigue, technostress and low well-being. By supporting them to develop their competences to self-regulate their well-being, the project will enhance the quality of the university education and the preoccupation for continuous teacher training. The positive effects will be visible also on the students’ engagement.<< Objectives >>Teacher well-being is highlighted as a topic of concern in education. The use of digital technologies is considered and important aspect of the teaching profession but the link between the use of technologies and their influence on teacher well-being has received limited attention to date. The main target group of the project will be the university teachers working in a more and more complex and digitally challenging environment. The specific objectives of the project are the following: - Raise the awareness of HEIs about the need to implement strategies increasing the well-being of teachers with direct impact on student learning engagement and performances and sustaining an efficient adjustment to the digital era.- Provide teachers tools supporting both work and learning engagement, and digital well-being and resilience.- Develop teachers’ digital competences in the context of the emerging trends of integrating technologies in teaching and learning.The objectives contribute to the development of a healthy and sustainable learning and working environments. Promoting digital well-being eases the inclusion of digitalization in HEI’s more as a job resource than a negative effect. The lessons learned lead to positive effects such as the inclusion of digital skills in the teaching routines, increased collaboration teachers-students or between teachers, increased productivity, and satisfaction.<< Implementation >>Teacher well-being and the use of digital technologies to support teaching and learning) represent one of the main priorities of the European funding programs in education – digitalisation. Therefore, it is crucial to develop instruments and programs able to positively support teacher well-being. The activities in the project will focus on the need of HEI’s to enhance academics’ digital skills and competences for the digital transformation and also to help them cope with the increasing technostress. Teachers need the confidence and skills to use technology effectively to support student learning, to ensure access to learning resources (Digital Education Action Plan, 2021-2027). The specific activities implemented will be: - a quantitative research study on the factors affecting digital well-being of teachers in different European countries; - a transnational training activity for the mentors in each university; - the implementation of a mentoring program for university teachers and the development of a Virtual Centre for Academic Well-being. Mentoring programs will include workload support, coping with negative emotions, disengagement and burnout, dark side of digitalization affecting well-being. The project will focus on solutions to support teachers who experience digital fatigue and those waiting for a return to the “normal”. The results of the project focus on strategies to encourage to use digital tools even after the pandemic;- the development of useful tools to use in the mentoring program and in different teacher training programs ad support activities;- national dissemination activities.<< Results >>The main aim of this project is to enhance teachers digital skills both in the teaching activity and in coping with uncertainty, negative emotions, digital fatigue and stress given the prolonged online remote activity during the COVID 19 pandemic. To achieve this aim, the following results will be developed: -A research report - Quantitative study on the factors affecting digital well-being – An international perspective. -A mentoring program including relevant results such as a workbook for the mentors and a Booklet - Digital Wellbeing: A guide for teachers. These would be relevant outputs which will be used during and after the project, as an innovative approach for handling digital fatigue and challenges in the digital transition era. -Online tools and resources and an e-Learning course for teachers at university level (The Virtual Centre of Digital Well-Being) – as an important supporting tool for teachers.The project will be developed in close cooperation of 4 university partners from 4 countries. All the partners involved in this proposal because their key experts have identified the pressing need for support for university teachers on how to work effectively & efficiently in the digital transition era.

Students from disadvantaged and/or migrant backgrounds have fewer opportunities in accessing digital technologies (first level of digital divide) and in the ways they use these technologies (second level of digital divide). In turn, this situation leads to students’ less participation in several aspects of society such as economic, social, political, cultural, spatial and institutional (van Dijk,2012). Especially by taking into account the online-offline blend of our society it is suggested that blended learning can help students to develop their digital skills. However, students need help from digitally competent teachers in using DT. According to the European Commission’s Action Plan for digital education, EU needs more digitally competent educators. Having digitally competent educators means that teachers are required to develop their digital skills but, at the same time, to revise their pedagogy (OECD,2016b). In this era, revising their pedagogy is related to being able to use digital technologies for including all children in the learning process, particularly those coming from disadvantaged backgrounds. Thus, the aim of the project is to empower educators in using blended learning in schools, in an attempt to deal with the social and educational exclusion of students from disadvantaged backgrounds.The project has been designed for addressing specific national and European needs, regarding the project’s target groups, namely students and teachers, as follows:- To develop an innovative practical digital toolkit and a blended training course that will help teachers in using blended learning in schools based on the principles of inclusive education.- To foster the digital skills of teachers based on the European Framework for the Digital Competence of Educators- To empower students in expressing their views about their learning in a digital pedagogical context, enhancing in this way the collaboration between teachers and students in digital environments. - To contribute to the effective and permanent inclusion of all students, supporting their right for education, equality and self-realization.Regarding the target groups, at least 75 primary and secondary school teachers will participate into the project’s activities. Approximately 1300 students (including students from disadvantaged, migrant backgrounds, students with educational difficulties) will participate into the project’s activities.The BLENDI approach involves a combination of the BLENDI platform, the BLENDI toolkit, a blended training course for teachers, guidelines for creating dialectical-synergic blended lessons plans (co-creation of lesson plans between teachers and students) and the creation of such lessons plans. Teachers will be trained in using the BLENDI approach which focuses on the use of blended learning in schools based on logic of inclusion while students will be supported in decision-making regarding their learning process in digital educational contexts.The results of the project include: BLENDI methodological guidelines, BLENDI platform and toolkit, BLENDI curriculum and blended training course for teachers, the dialogical-synergic blended lesson plans, and the BLENDI set of standards. These results are bound to have an impact on the further implementation of practices towards inclusive education for all students in Europe, especially those coming from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The RURAL MENTAL HEALTH (RMH) project will aim to redress the imbalance and inequality between mental health care provision in rural areas compared to urban ones. Considering that those suffering from mental health disorders in rural areas are substantially more likely to commit suicide than their urban counterparts, it is crucial that awareness of mental health issues is raised across rural communities; increased and improved mental health care provision is made available; and stigmatization around these issues is reduced. In this context, the project will develop informational, contextual and background information on mental health issues in rural areas and the need for basic care provision via a number of different community-led avenues. It will also develop training modules on basic care provision, in a bid to help rural educators, volunteers, employers and other actors to at least understand the incidence of mental health disorders better and be able to identify them, and reach out to those involved. The target users of these materials will therefore be those involved in working with vulnerable teenagers, farming advisors and agricultural educators, employers, and job counsellors to name but a few. Other open educational resources developed by the project will include a checklist to identify concerns; a promotion video attempting to reduce stigmatization; and an information pack aimed directly at end-users and vulnerable groups in rural areas to help them seek help for themselves or others. The combination of these elements should help a two-pronged approach to a sensitive issue, by addressing the target group directly but also via trusted community leaders. Ultimately, this project aims to improve the quality of life for those suffering from mental health issues in rural areas, improve awareness and prevention of serious mental health issue occurrences, and, fundamentally, reduce the suicide rate in rural areas across Europe, particularly of disadvantaged youth and rural workers including farmers.

"""At the moment, Europe faces a shortfall in science-knowledgeable people at all levels of society and the economy. Over the last decades, there has been an increase in the numbers of students leaving formal education with science qualifications. But, there has not been a parallel rise in the numbers interested in pursuing science related careers nor have we witnessed enhanced science-based innovation or any increase in entrepreneurship. Science education research, innovation and practices must become more responsive to the needs and ambitions of society and reflect its values. They should reflect the science that citizens and society need and support people of all ages and talents in developing positive attitudes to science. ""(REPORT EU COMMISSION 2015)The I-Stem project is created to combat early drop-outs and social exclusion. Through innovative approaches, students and teachers will have the opportunity to explore and experience a programme that can advance the innovation of teaching STEM and modernise STEM education in post-primary schools . The performing arts technique of playful thinking allows one to step outside the box of logical thinking and create alternative logic that can assist in creativity. This teaching mechanism provides students with the opportunity to engage the mind and body into a collaborative expression. The project will allow students to discover their own voices, grow in confidence, and develop curiosity and ethical insight into the contradictions and paradoxes of the human condition (science identity).I-STEM is based on the professional collaboration between universities, science experts, performing arts industry professionals, post-primary school teachers and young people. This project will offer innovative ways to make education in these subjects more engaging to students of post-primary schools. It will develop novel concepts to actively integrate young students in science education using a contest -based approach, creating self-produced digital animations, from young people for young people. The educational approaches will contribute to fostering students’ motivation towards science learning and strengthen the transversal competences they will need for STEM and other careers. They will also reflect on their own roles in the interaction between science and society, and the values embedded in Responsible Research and Innovation . For teachers the I-STEM project will offer a range of teaching techniques, tools and tips on how to support inclusive teaching in STEM Disciplines.The overall aim of the Outputs is to provide appropriate tools to science teachers that will allow them to develop cross-disciplinary skills such as communication and engagement skills, team working, and a more holistic and interdisciplinary understanding of research, including Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) values and social inclusion. Responsible Research and Innovation is an approach that anticipates and assesses potential implications and societal expectations with regard to research and innovation, with the aim of fostering the design of inclusive and sustainable research and innovation.Objectives:1. To develop E-Book - will offer an overview of aspects identified as innovative and creative in improving Inclusive Teaching in STEM Disciplines.2. To create Byte- Size Masterclasses for teachers on improving communication skills in teaching STEM subjects - The statistics show a historical problem with the way STEM subjects have been taught with 52% of students agreeing that the way the subjects were taught was off-putting to them. The aim is to transform both the teachers’ and learners’ experiences with STEM and to create an inclusive atmosphere in the classroom. The humorous-discourse techniques will equip teachers with innovative teaching approaches.3. To design and develop teaching scenarios on how to implement the “I-STEM” educational programme. The handbook will provide step-by-step guidelines on how to use improvisation techniques and techniques to support the learning of STEM subjects. The core aim for scenarios will be to promote:Gender equality (LGBTQI+)CollaborationInclusionCivic competences (active citizenship)Combating early school dropoutsBoosting skills and employabilityModernising education4. The digital element (animation) will represent a form of celebration and self-promotion for students. It will promote the importance of collaboration and inclusion in schools.The project will offer mobility for partnering schools to collaborate on creating these student animations.5. Sharing Knowledge will combine all the research and evaluations of all the Outputs developed. It will serve as the platform for teachers/educators/researchers for accessing evaluation tools developed specifically to measure the products of these cross-disciplinary projects developed for the purpose of modernising education."