Context/background of the project:Although the concept has been described for long, multimodality is not systematically used in Education and Training and some teachers still limit the number of pedagogic approaches they use in the classroom. Objectives:The objective is to provide a definition of what is multimodality and how to use it for education and training, create related pedagogic content and integrate it into a gamified digital tool for teachers.Number and profile of participating organisations:The consortium gathered 5 European organisations with complementary expertise:- The coordinator of the project is Manzalab, a French SME specialised in the development of digital experience and games for training purpose.- The Serious Game Institute of the University of Coventry participated to design evaluation tools and conduct the evaluation activities, with the end users and with an external validation board.- In addition, the consortium involved 3 European VET and adult education organisation: AFBB in Germany, VUC Storstrom in Denmark and SEDU in Finland. These organisations provided end users to contribute to the definition of the needs and for testing the developed game.Description of undertaken main activities:The approach used in the project was user centred and evidence based, to ensure consistency of the development with the end users needs.We have started with a literature analysis and end users survey to define the needs and the specifications of the game. We have then developed and tested the pedagogical content and the game with end user through an iterative process. An external Validation Board was also involved in the evaluation of the project progression. In parallel, dissemination and communication activities were conducted to promote the project and its results outside the consortium, mainly through the organisation of 2 multiplier events in Dresden (Game Based Learning Conference) and in Paris (in collaboration with Paris School of Business) and the participation to several conferences in Europe.Results and impact attained:The literature analysis revealed that there is an increasing body of evidence, which suggests that multimodality in learning is an active, student-centred approach in which students select the resources mostly relevant to them. This means that students are responsible for organising learning content such as words and images into coherent verbal and visual models, which comprise their mental schemata and conceptual structures. The essence of multimodality therefore is to provide different types of resources to the student for stimulating learning in meaningful ways within and across disciplines. To this end, multimodality is described as an inter-disciplinary approach drawn from social semiotics with an emphasis on communication and representation as means to meaning making. This is directly relevant to teachers in terms of doing more than simply using current theories of learning to engage students with novel forms of modes and resources of learning. To achieve this, teacher’s need to understand how multimodality engender new teaching and learning processes, strategies and methods as well as new roles for the student and the teacher. Multimodality in today’s classrooms refers to ‘multiple’ modes of representation, with combined elements of print, visual images and design. This transitional shift from print-based education to multimodal education indicates the need to rethink how teaching and learning is conceived, approached and practiced. This is conducive to the way pedagogies, content and technology is designed and utilised for allowing multimodality to take place within contexts and social relations.The pedagogical content and the game were designed from these observations and aimed at increasing the awareness of teachers to this new approach. Through an iterative process with the end users, the game was improved and the contribution to increasing multimodality awareness was measured. If relevant, longer-term benefits:Increasing the use of multimodality in the classroom will support the development of active and student-centred approach, expected to increase the learning efficiency. This is particularly relevant in the current context of Education and Learning and the challenges the sector has to face: needs for personalisation of the learning paths and reduction of the resources.

The project '3Es for youths in VET: Engagement, Empowerment, Employability' focused on providing adequate programmes and courses for students who were disengaged by compulsory education and for whom vocational education can be a 'second chance' opportunity. The programmes of study compiled were various in nature tackling both soft skills that would help them in their studies but also other skills directly linked to employment. A total of five organisations took part in this project. These institutions from Malta, Scotland, Germany and the Netherlands have a profile of 'School/Institute/Educational centre – Vocational Training (secondary level)' while the fifth participant is an Institution from England (U.K.) with a profile of 'School/Institute/Educational centre – Adult education'. The project had three main Intellectual Outputs:1. Distinctive Characteristics: Development of customised Communication Programme and Pastoral Care Programme. Indeed this output involved producing the above mentioned programmes targeting soft skills of students. Once produced these programmes were reviewed within the partnership piloted twice and also reviewed to produce the final outcome 2. Curriculum Development: Development of curricula and key competences for specialist programmes related to vocational fields according to the local context, following research and identification of skills gaps, developing of learning content for potential students & lecturing staff and assessment strategies. Through the partnership the following programmes were produced and reviewed within the partnership; MCAST: Three new awards of study in the following areas: (Retail, Hospitality, gardening & pet-care) It can be proudly said that two of these programmes have already been implemented in the scholastic year 2018/19Havering College: One new programme of study called the LINKS programme which deals directly with disengaged students being given a taster of other vocational areas in different parts of the scholastic year within the college to help decide what they would like to study in the futureAFBB: No new programmes were produced but they did give input in the review of the programmes for all colleges and also translated the mcast programmes as well. They also started adopting credit system in place at other colleges.Forth Valley College developed new units in the correct format as highlighted by the partnership3. Development/Upgrade of MOODLE system for students & staff at the Learning Support Unit at MCAST. Through review, design, development and testing & implementation, a MOODLE system was setup to help organise administrative work, facilitate sharing of resources and improve student access. In this case Havering College acted as a consultant to MCAST throughout the project due to its vast experience in using this system.Apart from the above mentioned methods, training events for staff on Attitudes, Teaching Methods & Techniques as well as Design & Evaluation of Curricula were organised. This project is expected to improve student retention rate especially at lower levels, help students develop stronger citizenship skills, multicultural awareness and employability skills hence increasing students' chances of full employment and/or further education. Indeed this project has served as a very good learning curve for staff of the five institutions involved. It has also improved the learning support offered by these institutions and through this project a very good working relationship has developed.

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