Speakers for eCon2020

Graduated in international law at the Catholic University of Milan, she’s a Master in Diplomatic Studies and in International Trade. She works as Project Manager at Eprojectconsult, managing the implementation of European Projects in Sicily. At the same time, she is Partnership Manager for Ucam University, in Spain.

Online TVET: the Challenges are Opportunities

A VET organization used to function by monitoring and training approximately 1000 TVET students per year.  Because of the COVID-19 pandemic situation, this year, they have barely reached 100 students.

For most organisations, this sudden and unpredictable loss of business could be considered a disaster.

However, could we think positively, be creative and build something else..?

Georgios Zisimos is working since March 2014 at the European Training Foundation (ETF) in Turin holding a senior’s officer position on EU Education and Training Policies. On February 2010, he was appointed in Brussels member of the Cabinet of the EU Commissioner responsible for education, culture, multilingualism, youth and sport. He was in charge of the education portfolio within the cabinet. In the ETF he focuses on the role of the EU policies in Education and Training to the partner countries. He is currently in charge of the team on Centres of Vocational Excellence.

Georgios taught in public schools both in the UK and Cyprus. In 2005, he was elected Secretary General of the Cypriot Secondary Teacher's Union and became member of the Executive Committee of the ETUCE. Later he was appointed Member of the Scientific Committee on Curriculum Reform in Cyprus.

Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVEs) in Times of Crisis

Vocational excellence has a variety of connotations. Excellence in the context of vocational education and training (VET) usually refers to high quality of training and education but also to relevance in relation to the world of work and to the attractiveness of the educational offer to learners and to employers. Vocational excellence may also imply an enlarged, more comprehensive and inclusive conceptualisation of skills provision – addressing innovation, pedagogy, social inclusion, organisational and professional learning and community needs.

Sometimes, the term vocational excellence is instrumentalised in policy-making and made to serve as a euphemism for other reforms: rationalisation, restructuring of governance, cost-reduction, heightened accountability or greater competition. Centres of vocational excellence (CoVEs) can be understood as the institution that embodies vocational excellence. However, the purpose, structure and functions of CoVEs vary greatly from one context to another. Differences and similarities are often disguised by the use of specific terminology and nomenclature. CoVEs are assigned different roles in policy-making and enjoy different levels of political commitment and prioritisation of resources. Quite often, CoVEs exist in isolation and in the absence of partnerships at national and international level. Sometimes CoVEs are fundamentally skills providers – vocational schools or training centres – but sometimes they are coordination or development centres or networks rather than providers.

At EU level, CoVEs is an emerging priority associated to VET, for which the European Commission currently runs pilot projects and foresees funding via the new Erasmus programme post -2020. The EU is aiming to support the development of Platforms of Centres of Vocational Excellence at transnational level within common sectors or across common issues while also supporting at national level the development of new centres of vocational excellence.

Within this background, the ETF has done a mapping exercise in partner countries aiming to identify the perceptions on CoVEs and identify good examples. The findings of mapping together with desk research and analysis are recorded in the ETF paper Centres of Vocational Excellence – An engine for VET development?. In the current times of crisis due to the outbreak of Covid19, the ETF focused attention on the special elements of CoVES that make them more resilient in times of crisis. Elements like autonomy of CoVEs, infrastructure and competences of teachers have had a special importance in supporting learning and training in these conditions. Furthermore, these elements among others, formed the basis of partnerships and cooperation among institutions.

The ETF has launched in 2020 an international Network of CoVEs which aims to support CoVEs and offer a platform for continuous exchange of practices and partnerships among new and existing CoVEs at local, national or international level. Thus, the Network is becoming the tool to identify needs, provide opportunities for exchange of knowledge and good practices and facilitate international partnerships. In particular, it can help open up opportunities for funding and help drive VET change towards better quality and excellence of VET provision.

 

Markus Feichter is the Founder and Acting Director of WOB Bolzano, South Tyrol, Italy.

Markus Feichter is the founder of the Waldorf Oberschule Bolzano in South Tyrol, Italy, and is still the managing director, pedagogical expert and teacher for sustainable creative learning. In this role, he also set up a teacher training institute and set himself the goal of sustainable pedagogy with a strong connection to life and nature. He attaches great importance to alternative pedagogical methods, such as the pedagogy of Rudolf Steiner, Maria Montessori, Peter Persen and others. He further developed this pedagogy in his school and put it into practice. In this way, he not only supports students but also the teachers and parents involved. In this activity, he has given practical and project learning a large part in his curriculum. Alternative checks with a portfolio should also integrate more human-friendly quality checks and assessments.

Best Practices and Learning from Internship and Practical Projects for TVET

The use of practical learning in internships, in projects, and in practical work is crucial for sustainable learning in TVET and in online TVET. Using real examples from WOB alumni, Markus Feichter presents the school careers of alumni over the past few years. How do young people develop from school into life and how can they be successful at work.

The WOB is a middle and high school that accompanies its graduates into vocational training and university courses worldwide. The school is a real international school, which teaches in three languages in the upper level: German, Italian and English.  Online learning is used in all fields of the school as well, especially after the lockdown. All teachers have made various experiences with online learning.

Over the years, the WOB has also managed to work with physically and intellectually impaired children and young people. These children and young people are fully integrated in the class. How was it with online learning?

Teacher training and parenting are just as important in the WOB as teaching children and young people. Unless other curricula and other methods of teaching are used, the desired goals cannot be achieved. How was it online during the lockdown and what can be taken from these experiences to the next future.

The COVID-19 pandemic also has financial consequences for WOB. A big drop in income forces WOB to break new ground and to think about new ideas in the area of financing.

All in all, the WOB aims to rethink schools and to put them into practice. Over the years, the international school WOB has developed a model now during the lockdown widened with online learning that could be successfully set up and implemented in many places around the world. Questions about online and homeschooling are also associated with this and will be integrated into the WOB system in the future.

 

Tutik Rachmawati, PhD holds a bachelor’s degree in public administration from Gadjah Mada University, a master’s degree in development studies from the Institute of Social Studies Erasmus University The Netherlands and a Ph.D. degree in Local Government Studies from Birmingham University United Kingdom. After completing her position as the Head of Public Administration Department, Parahyangan Catholic University from 2014-2020, she is now the director of the Center for Public Policy and Management Studies (CPMS). She is a research fellow in the Center of Excellence in Small and Medium Enterprise Development Parahyangan Catholic. She has won several fellowships such as STUNED – the Netherlands Government, Japan-Indonesian Presidential Scholarship (JIPS), Summer University – Central European University, IATSS Japan and Mesopartner-Germany. She is an active member of the Indonesian Association of Public Administration (IAPA). She is an active reviewer for both national and international academic journals such as Sustinere: Journal of Environment and Sustainability and Jurnal Ilmu Administrasi – Lembaga Administrasi Negara, Commonwealth Journal of Local Governance. She has done research and published articles in national and international journals and popular media on the topics of public management, public ethic, Information Communication & Technology for public administration, development studies, public entrepreneurship and local economic development. She is currently conducting research on Public Procurement Governance particularly looking at how socially responsible public procurement can improve governance. This research is fully funded by Kemenristek/BRIN under the NUSANTARA-BOPTN-SAME scheme.

Harnessing the Awakening Force of Change: the Barriers to Distance Online Learning and Alternatives Responses

The greatest challenge for any organization is change and adapting to change. Any changes will create resistance. This is true, particularly for the government as its form of organization is bureaucracy. However, COVID-19 Pandemic has become the awakening force for the government to make changes. For any government in the world, a change starts with a policy.

In Indonesia, the quality of education has been heavily criticized as a failure. The general public’s view is that education policies are swiftly changed whenever a new ministry appointed. However, a new ministry issuing new policies does not necessarily mean a better quality of education. This is regarded as the absence of a clear long term plan to achieve high-quality human resources in Indonesia. In response to pandemic COVID-19, Joko Widodo, the President of Indonesia gave a national address on the COVID-19 outbreak. He called all Indonesians to ‘work from home, learn from home, and worship at home’. Following this presidential call, the Ministry of Education and Culture scrapped the nationwide exam dreaded by students across the country. Many had called for this national exam to end, before, but in vain. This is only one of many decisions (or policies) resulting from the COVID 19 Pandemic. Distance Online Learning at every level of education has been initiated in Indonesia. However, there are many barriers to the implementation of online learning. The main challenge is overcoming the geographical spread of Indonesia. Indonesia consists of more than seventeen thousand islands covering not only very large and densely populated islands but also other small and uninhabited islands. This has worsened the digital divide and impeded online learning.

In this paper, I will discuss the government policies of Indonesia in education in general and also in vocational education and training as the response to COVID-19 Pandemic. This will then be followed by a discussion on the barriers for implementation of these policies and what initiatives have been taken to overcome these barriers from the government and also other actors.

Dr. Urs Hauenstein is the President of the International Council of Education and Management (ICEM), the Association of Swiss Quality Competencies and Qualifications (SQCQ), the Institute of Competencies and Qualifications in Switzerland (I-C-Q) and the International Network for Accreditation, Recognition and Dissemination in the UK (INARD). He serves as Honorary Professor for the University Agora Oradea Romania and as Visiting Professor for a range of other Universities in Europe and Eastern Europe. He is an Honorary Fellow at Leeds Beckett University, an Advisory Board Member for Internationalisation to the University of Lincoln and a Senior Fellow of Globethics Geneva.

New Key Areas for the Methodology and Didactics in Online TVET for a Post-Pandemic World

The COVID-19 pandemic only allowed lessons from the home office for weeks. Teachers were confronted overnight with new methodological and didactic challenges. The students in the TVET area, who were still allowed to learn practically in internships or regularly in the company, were also banished to the home office. Practical learning had to pause and give way to theoretical exercises and homework.

In the second half since the lockdown, many companies have now re-opened and the apprentices are also allowed to work and learn in the training company again – with the necessary waste and the necessary hygiene measures. The vocational schools have also started the new school year again in many places after the summer holidays and have again enabled hygiene and distance-adapted 1: 1-lessons.

But what have we learned from this pandemic in terms of methodology and didactics and where are online adjustments in teacher training called for if new disruptions affect teaching and training in the near future?

In this situation in teacher training, it is also hip to ask yourself what role practical learning has in vocational training and how we can still give this learning approach sufficient space in a disrupted time in the future.

So, what are new key areas for the methodology and didactics in TVET teacher training for a post-pandemic world or for a disrupted time?

Sabrina Sailer is a Business and Economics Education graduate of the University of Bamberg, currently working as a Research Associate at the University of Bamberg, Institute of Business Education. Main fields of research and interests center about the digitalized view towards education, gamification, vocational education of teachers and university development.

Following the second-chance education, she pursued both a Bachelor of Science at the University of Munich in 2018 and a Master of Science at the University of Bamberg in 2020 in the field of Business and Economics Education with German as a second subject. Being a new member to research society, she aims for a deeper understanding within the fields of interest at the University of Bamberg where she started working last May after gaining some experience while working as a student at the lab for the last two years.

Relations between communication strategies of universities and governmental guidelines during the Covid-19 pandemic – Potential transferability for VET providers?

Co-presented with Dr Silvia Annen.

The Covid-19 pandemic forced universities to change their communication in a unique way and to switch towards online communication within a few days, missing a prior period to prepare both technically and pedagogically. Especially the government policies regarding both health issues and the support towards online studying caused a gap (see. Akram et al. 2020, 2f). To close this gap, universities used tools like their homepages or social media to inform their students. This contribution analyses to which extend they responded according to the government guidelines by comparing the following three countries:

• Italy, one of the most affected countries in Europe which shut down the whole country
• Germany, one of the medium affected countries which still shut down the country partly
• Sweden, which was affected with a delay and declined to shut down the country.

The different government policies form a reference point to compare the universities’ communication strategies. Taking the communication via homepages of the 10 best universities per country (chosen by the university ranking Times Higher Education (THE) 2019) into consideration, the information given will be analysed regarding the alignment with the government regulations (tightness of pursuing), the quantity of information (frequency of updates as steady updates of information is important, see. Schubert 2017; Casanova et al. 2011 ) and the quality of information (complexity, balance of medical information and information regarding the university life).

Within the presentation, the results will be discussed and the different approaches will be evaluated with the audience involved. A digital interacting tool (mentimeter) will therefore be used.

The comparative results will be reflected regarding their potential transferability for VET providers. In this context, the different institutional settings of VET and higher education will be discussed and their impact on the possible paradigmatic pedagogical change the Covid-19 pandemic potentially initiates.

Dr Silvia Annen studied Business and Economics Education at the University of Cologne. She holds a Ph.D. in Economics and Social Sciences from the University of Cologne (dissertation topic: Recognition of competences – comparison of selected approaches in Europe). Her main research fields are comparative research in vocational education and training, recognition of competences and qualifications as well as occupational research in the commerce sector.

After her graduation in 2005, she worked as a researcher at the Chair for Business Education of the University of Cologne and within a research-project on recognition of vocational qualifications and competences in a higher educational context. Since 2007, she is a research associate at the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training, Bonn, Germany. Besides the development, implementation and evaluation of commercial and business service curricula for vocational education and training in the dual system and in further education, she gained experience within different research-projects especially on the topic ‘recognition of qualifications and competences’. From April 2017 until March 2019 she conducted a comparative research project on the integration of foreign-trained workers in the labor market as a visiting scholar at the University of Toronto (Ontario Institute for Studies in Education), Canada. She is a member of the German-French expert commission for vocational education and training.

Relations between communication strategies of universities and governmental guidelines during the Covid-19 pandemic – Potential transferability for VET providers?

Co-presented with Sabrina Sailer.

The Covid-19 pandemic forced universities to change their communication in a unique way and to switch towards online communication within a few days, missing a prior period to prepare both technically and pedagogically. Especially the government policies regarding both health issues and the support towards online studying caused a gap (see. Akram et al. 2020, 2f). To close this gap, universities used tools like their homepages or social media to inform their students. This contribution analyses to which extend they responded according to the government guidelines by comparing the following three countries:

• Italy, one of the most affected countries in Europe which shut down the whole country
• Germany, one of the medium affected countries which still shut down the country partly
• Sweden, which was affected with a delay and declined to shut down the country.

The different government policies form a reference point to compare the universities’ communication strategies. Taking the communication via homepages of the 10 best universities per country (chosen by the university ranking Times Higher Education (THE) 2019) into consideration, the information given will be analysed regarding the alignment with the government regulations (tightness of pursuing), the quantity of information (frequency of updates as steady updates of information is important, see. Schubert 2017; Casanova et al. 2011 ) and the quality of information (complexity, balance of medical information and information regarding the university life).

Within the presentation, the results will be discussed and the different approaches will be evaluated with the audience involved. A digital interacting tool (mentimeter) will therefore be used.

The comparative results will be reflected regarding their potential transferability for VET providers. In this context, the different institutional settings of VET and higher education will be discussed and their impact on the possible paradigmatic pedagogical change the Covid-19 pandemic potentially initiates.

Dipl.-Ing. Hans Bernd „Ben“ Richter, Oberstudiendirektor a. D.  (TVET SOLUTION – Germany)

More than 40 working years in the field of vocational training as a student at a vocational school, trainee, engineer, vocational school teacher at a vocational school, head of department at a vocational school and finally headmaster of a vocational school.

More than 30 years of experience in IT technology, computer program development, computer networking and computer-assisted learning.

More than 20 years of school development and leadership experience through the establishment of an independent school with an ISO certified quality management system committed to learning. Successful school development experience based on the 4 pillar model. Close and successful cooperation with the training industry and its associations as well as regional and superordinate political institutions.

Great commitment to sustainable and successful learning in all its dimensions in vocational education and training. Very extensive experience in personnel development measures in a teacher context through intensive feedback during classroom visits.

More than 10 years experience in international education training for teachers and school managers from Indonesia, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam. Most recently team leader, coordinator and trainer in a comprehensive 2-year TVET-teachers training program in Palestine together with Dr. Busaina Nazzal (national long term expert).

“Teachers have something in common with snakes: snakes regularly shed their skin to grow – but always remain snakes. Teachers should transform themselves in the same way in order to further adapt the learning process that makes learning a success and keep on teaching.“

Pedagogical and Didactical Teacher-Training

Presented with Busaina Nazzal.

This presentation is all about the learning principals and strategies. Learning is learning where ever it occurs, in the classroom, or in the workshops. This presentation will focus on the relevant elements of learning and how these elements could be applied by blended or distant learning.

These elements will be presented through a lesson learnt which were achieved in the projects which were conducted in Palestine.

More than 500 teachers were involved in a pedagogical and didactic ToT Training in West bank and Gaza.

From TVET Solution, Palestine.

Extensive experiences in Palestine, Cyprus, and Turkey, in Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MELP), Strategic Planning, inclusive Education, proposal writing, Specialist with more than 15 years of experience working for various international Organizations and local Palestinian NGO’s. Extensive Technical, Operational working for donors including USAID, Save the Children.

Working in different organizations, local and international help her be an accomplished communicator, with excellent organizational, decision making, and time management skills, and has a proven track record of consistently meeting and regularly surpassing demanding performance goals.

Pedagogical and Didactical Teacher-Training

Presented with Bernd Richter.

This presentation is all about the learning principals and strategies. Learning is learning where ever it occurs, in the classroom, or in the workshops. This presentation will focus on the relevant elements of learning and how these elements could be applied by blended or distant learning.

These elements will be presented through a lesson learnt which were achieved in the projects which were conducted in Palestine.

More than 500 teachers were involved in a pedagogical and didactic ToT Training in West bank and Gaza.

Igberadja Serumu is a youth leader and civil society advocate from Sapele, Nigeria. He has special interest in good governance, non-violence, community development, quality education, vocational skills development, sustainable livelihood, and economic development.

Igberadja Serumu is an Alumnus of Delta State University, Abraka, Nigeria with B.Sc (Ed) and M.Sc in Technical Education and Industrial Technology respectively. As well, Igberadja Serumu is an Alumnus of the Prestigious International Visitors Leadership Program (IVLP) of the United States Department of State Bureau for Educational and Cultural Affairs. He has an interest in contributing his expertise to the growth and development of Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) for sustainable development across the globe.

Igberadja Serumu is the Director of TVET Nexus Exchange Ltd, He is the Correspondence Officer to the Regional Vice President IVETA Eastern and Western Africa. He is a member of the UNESCO UNEVOC Forum, as well as an Assistant Journalist in the Lucubrate Magazine and the Coordinator for the Lucubrate Project Nigeria.

COVID-19 Pandemic and Global Lockdown: New Challenges for TVET Teachers, Students and Parents in Sub-Saharan Africa

This presentation will discuss COVID-19, its causes, spread and global lockdown and what new challenges TVET teachers, students, and parents in Sub Sahara Africa faced (with special emphasis on Nigeria).  The integration of e-learning is a big problem due to poor e-learning infrastructure in TVET Institutions, and the lack of technical skills by TVET teachers to competently use e-learning facilities to teach students. Other challenges include the poor internet and electric power supply faced by various countries in Sub Saharan Africa. From the students’ perspective, challenges include having and affording the right learning facilities, necessary motivation, and non-conducive learning environments.

Dr Chinyere Shirley Ayonmike is a Nigerian TVET Expert and a Senior Lecturer at Delta State University, in Abraka, Nigeria. She has special interest in Industrial Technology Education research, with over 30 research works published in national and international journals. She is a member of many academic and professional bodies, with distinctive contributions. As the current IVETA Regional Vice President for Eastern and Western Africa, she has won the 2018 IVETA Joel Magisos Exceptional Service Award. She has presented papers at many national and international TVET conferences. She is the Music Director and Conductor of the Warri Choral Society (WCS), a Classical Music ensemble.

Effects of Classroom versus Online Mode of Instruction on Students’ Psychomotor Performance in Woodwork Technology

The purpose of this study was to compare the psychomotor performance of students taught woodwork technology with classroom as against online mode of instruction in Nigerian Universities. Two research questions guided the study, as well, one (1) hypothesis was formulated and tested at .05 level of significance. The quasi-experimental design was used and the population of the study was 67 Undergraduate Students from the Department of Technical Education, Ebonyi State University Abakiliki. The sample of the study was 48 students comprising of 30 and 18 students from 100level and 200level respectively. The instrument for data collection was the Woodwork Technology Practical Skills Assessment Instrument (WTPSAI) for measuring the psycho-performance of Woodwork Technology students in the manufacturing of stool, office chairs, door frame, panel door, and brace and batten door. The instrument was developed by the researcher which was content and face validated by 3 research experts from Delta State University Abraka, one from Measurement and Evaluation and the other two from Technical Education. Treatment was administered to the two experimental groups using two different modes of instruction, after which data were collected by the researcher through the administration of WTPSAI by lecturers from the institution selected for the study. Data collected were analysed using T-test to test the hypothesis. The study revealed that classroom and online mode of instruction for teaching and learning woodwork technology have significant effects on students’ psychomotor performance in Woodwork Technology. Furthermore, unlike the Classroom mode of instruction, Online Mode of Instruction appears to be more effective in terms of the acquisition of psychomotor skills. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended among others that Woodwork Technology lecturers and instructors should integrate online mode of instruction in the implementation of Woodwork Technology curriculum which will aid in the production of competent woodwork Technology graduates that will be useful to him/her self and to the society.

Dr. Tulio Barrios Bulling is a pedagogue, consultant, educational researcher and administrator. During his professional career, he has held different positions (Headmaster, Deputy Director and Professor) at diverse educational levels. Currently, he is the Secretary of Studies at Universidad San Sebastián Faculty of Education in Santiago de Chile. His many interests include teachers’ leadership and performance assessment, skills and competencies development, quality standards and educational management.

How has the pandemic affected TVET? First findings and challenges.

The pandemic has stricken the world affecting every sphere of society creating high degrees of uncertainty. Many of its consequences are still immeasurable and its negative effects will accompany us for years to come. Education, just like the other areas of society, has been forced to adapt to the new circumstances rapidly and TVET is no exception. The first visible change is the swift transition from face-to-face to virtual teaching and assessment. There is evidence within the Chilean reality that this change has lowered the quality standards, mainly due to the lack of preparation of students and teachers. However, times of crisis are also times of great opportunities. Society will need more digital technicians, online TVET education will consolidate its position, and financing will have to be reconsidered in terms of equity and accessibility, the curriculum will need to become more flexible, learning communities will have to adapt, and the focus will have to be placed on quality.

Dr Julian Ng is Vice-President of Warnborough College (UK and Ireland) and also the current Vice-President for the European region of IVETA.

Online TVET: Access and Inclusivity

As online education rightly gets more priority from all the educational stakeholders, care should be given to the issues of access and inclusivity. TVET by its very nature is different from an academic pathway, and this presentation will discuss areas that stakeholders should consider when implementing an online provision for TVET.

Dr. Furst-Bowe is the Academic Vice President at Chippewa Valley Technical College, Wisconsin Technical College System. Julie holds a doctorate in Work, Family and Community Education from the University of Minnesota. Prior to her current position, Julie served as Vice Chancellor and Provost at the University of Wisconsin-Stout and Chancellor at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

Moving a Technical College Online: Successes and Lessons Learned

When Wisconsin went into “lockdown” due to the Covid 19 pandemic in March of 2020, Chippewa Valley Technical College began immediately delivering instruction remotely. The college, located in northern Wisconsin, serves more than 18,000 students annually through its programs.

Remote instruction, supplemented by open laboratories in specialty areas, has continued throughout the summer and into the fall semester at the college. Over the past six months, the college has learned a great deal about remote teaching and learning and retaining students and faculty members in a virtual learning environment. Important factors include student and faculty access to appropriate technology, student and faculty training, and appropriate policies to support the new learning environment. Prior to the pandemic, about half of the college’s degree programs required each student to have a device, typically a laptop or i-Pad; there were no technology requirements for the remaining programs. Because the college serves students from rural areas, often internet access was lacking. Faculty also had issues relative to having appropriate hardware, software and internet access in their homes. The college addressed these issues through purchasing devices for faculty and students (through special government funding and donations), providing devices that could be checked out of the learning center,  providing mobile “hot spots,” and expanding internet access in parking lots and public areas. In addition, each program director identified a required device for every degree program beginning in the fall semester.

Prior to the pandemic, each faculty had been trained in the use of the LMS (Canvas). Further virtual training was provided during the spring and summer, and the number of e-learning specialists was expanded so all students could receive training and assistance. College policies that addressed issues ranging from remote work to the use of open educational resources were developed or updated to support the new environment. The college’s course success rate for the spring term of 2020 was 84 percent compared to 83 percent in the spring term of 2019.

Phd Candidate in the field of Human Cognition and Evolution with 11 years of experience in the development and management of EU projects. Former Evaluator and Expert for the Erasmus + Programme he is focused on the KA2 and KA3 Projects development and coordinationa as well as other EU Programmes like Horizon and Creative Europe. As part of his current research he is specialised in Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, AR and VR projects. He has an extensive experience in e-learning development, creation of virtual educational environments and online communities.

The Rise of TVET in a 4.0 Skills-Driven World

As the globe progresses into the realm of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and on to all complementary distortions that come with it, TVET is up against the challenge to provide the new skills spectrum and stabilise the gap between the rapid AI expansion on the side, and the unprecedented skills illiteracy on the other side. As predicted in the third series of the masterpieces- The sovereign Individual- ‘The challenge it will pose will be all the greater because it will happen with incredible speed compared with anything seen in the past’. This revolution(stage) in humanity will (is) progressing unlike any previous cycle of human evolution. As traditional centres of power face existential crisis, traditional education faces a challenge of its own. The latest COVID-19 crises confirmed the failure of the system,’ the shadow of the past’- the way that is organised and the way knowledge is delivered,  and the failure of its essence (the education itself) in a form of skill mismatch, confirmed by the skills forecasts (Cedefop, UNESCO). This paper, will engage the reader in a brief journey throughout the paradigm of the 4IR and focus on the role of TVET providers in this reality. Chapter one will discuss the update of humanity 4.0, chapter two will go through the role of TVET in providing the ‘new’ skills, and the final chapter will briefly suggest a new place of TVET in AI-driven economies.

 

Dr Olga Shmurygina, PhD, Associate Professor at the Department of Law of the Russian State Vocational Pedagogical University. She is a member of few research projects dealing with the evolution and development of HE/VET in Russia, their institutional perspectives, and practice of development and implementation of educational policy in accordance with Bologna and Torino processes at various levels of VET teachers education. She is a developer of the concept of distance learning and e-learning in the RSVPU for VET teachers and trainers. Since 2010, she has been a developer of several curricula and courses for professional development of vocational teachers and trainers at workplaces. Now she is a university team member of four Erasmus+ projects. Olga Shmurygina is one of the authors of the module ‘European policy and practice of Work-Based Learning in Vocational Education and Training’. The expertise areas are Law, Social Protection, VET teachers’ education.

 

Digital transformation of vocational pedagogical education and training: experience and practice of the Russian State Vocational Pedagogical University

Presented together with Dr Natalya Lomovtseva and Dr Vitaly Kopnov.

The report examines the experience of conducting and the impact of the RSVPU on the digital transformation of vocational pedagogical education and training in the Russian Federation, including the teaching experience in the era of the coronavirus pandemic. RSVPU in its research relies on international, federal, and regional projects developing models of digital competencies/skills. Currently, the most widespread in the Russian education are models, coupled with global trends: the Digital Skills in Vocational Education and Training proposed at the G20 Summit (2017); “Target Competency Model 2025”, prepared based on the results of BCG research “Russia 2025. From Human Resources to Talents”, and DigCompEdu adopted in 2017, which confirms that teachers need a set of special digital skills specific to their profession.

The report describes how the teacher’s roles change, transform, and expand significantly. A number of requirements are also put forward for the skills of the teacher, for the digital literacy and ability to create and apply content through digital technologies, including the skills of computer programming, search, information exchange, communication. In particular, the teacher must be willing to work in an ever-changing digital learning environment.

In Russia, government interest in teachers’ digital training is supported by several priority national projects. However, they place more emphasis on schoolteachers and university academics, and rarely mentions the digital competence of VET teachers. This is confirmed also by the peculiarities of the implementation of the educational process in the current situation. On the basis of European and Russian data obtained in the Pro-VET project, the RSVPU defined an algorithm for the digital transformation of the process of vocational pedagogical education and training, and also carried out a research, in which the readiness of teachers to use digital technologies in the educational process was analyzed.

Natalya Lomovtseva is a PhD in pedagogy, defended her doctoral thesis “How to make higher education teachers use e-learning“ in 2009. She was a member of the team developing “Distance educational technologies for VET teachers” supported by regional authorities in 2010. Now she is the Director of the Institute for Lifelong Learning RSVPU and supervisor of online courses developed by university teachers. Natalya Lomovtseva is a developer of the concept of distance and e-learning in the RSVPU for VET teachers and trainers. She is a co-author of a patent for the computer programme «Electronic information-educational environment of the Russian State Vocational Pedagogical University». She is a member of research projects dealing with the European & Russian VET education, evolution, and development of HE/VET in Russia, professional and competence development. Member of the research group of the Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Education (Ural Branch): subdivision “Professional and educational development pathways”.

 

Digital transformation of vocational pedagogical education and training: experience and practice of the Russian State Vocational Pedagogical University

Presented together with Dr Vitaly Kopnov and Dr Olga Shmurygina.

The report examines the experience of conducting and the impact of the RSVPU on the digital transformation of vocational pedagogical education and training in the Russian Federation, including the teaching experience in the era of the coronavirus pandemic. RSVPU in its research relies on international, federal, and regional projects developing models of digital competencies/skills. Currently, the most widespread in the Russian education are models, coupled with global trends: the Digital Skills in Vocational Education and Training proposed at the G20 Summit (2017); “Target Competency Model 2025”, prepared based on the results of BCG research “Russia 2025. From Human Resources to Talents”, and DigCompEdu adopted in 2017, which confirms that teachers need a set of special digital skills specific to their profession.

The report describes how the teacher’s roles change, transform, and expand significantly. A number of requirements are also put forward for the skills of the teacher, for the digital literacy and ability to create and apply content through digital technologies, including the skills of computer programming, search, information exchange, communication. In particular, the teacher must be willing to work in an ever-changing digital learning environment.

In Russia, government interest in teachers’ digital training is supported by several priority national projects. However, they place more emphasis on schoolteachers and university academics, and rarely mentions the digital competence of VET teachers. This is confirmed also by the peculiarities of the implementation of the educational process in the current situation. On the basis of European and Russian data obtained in the Pro-VET project, the RSVPU defined an algorithm for the digital transformation of the process of vocational pedagogical education and training, and also carried out a research, in which the readiness of teachers to use digital technologies in the educational process was analyzed.

Prof. Vitaly Kopnov is Advisor at the Russian State Vocational Pedagogical University (RSVPU), Yekaterinburg, Russian Federation, where he has been since 2013. He received Doctor of Engineering in Reliability and Quality Control from the Ural State Forest Engineering University in 1999 where he worked as the Director of the Quality of Life Institute. His research interests span both Vocational Education and Training (VET) and Higher Education (HE) in college-university-enterprise cooperation. Much of his work is on improving the understanding, design, and performance of professional development courses for HE and VET teachers on developing learning outcomes, work-based learning, lifelong learning, opportunity recognition, and transdisciplinarity. He provides assistance, consulting services, and constructive feedback to potential applicants interested to apply for EU-funded programmes in the field of higher education (partner’s search, application writing, project management, and coordination, financial reporting). He serves also as an ETF correspondent in Russia.

Digital transformation of vocational pedagogical education and training: experience and practice of the Russian State Vocational Pedagogical University

Presented together with Dr Natalya Lomovtseva and Dr Olga Shmurygina.

The report examines the experience of conducting and the impact of the RSVPU on the digital transformation of vocational pedagogical education and training in the Russian Federation, including the teaching experience in the era of the coronavirus pandemic. RSVPU in its research relies on international, federal, and regional projects developing models of digital competencies/skills. Currently, the most widespread in the Russian education are models, coupled with global trends: the Digital Skills in Vocational Education and Training proposed at the G20 Summit (2017); “Target Competency Model 2025”, prepared based on the results of BCG research “Russia 2025. From Human Resources to Talents”, and DigCompEdu adopted in 2017, which confirms that teachers need a set of special digital skills specific to their profession.

The report describes how the teacher’s roles change, transform, and expand significantly. A number of requirements are also put forward for the skills of the teacher, for the digital literacy and ability to create and apply content through digital technologies, including the skills of computer programming, search, information exchange, communication. In particular, the teacher must be willing to work in an ever-changing digital learning environment.

In Russia, government interest in teachers’ digital training is supported by several priority national projects. However, they place more emphasis on schoolteachers and university academics, and rarely mentions the digital competence of VET teachers. This is confirmed also by the peculiarities of the implementation of the educational process in the current situation. On the basis of European and Russian data obtained in the Pro-VET project, the RSVPU defined an algorithm for the digital transformation of the process of vocational pedagogical education and training, and also carried out a research, in which the readiness of teachers to use digital technologies in the educational process was analyzed.

Gouhar Pirzada, CEO and TVET Trainer at STEP, Pakistan.

21 years of experience in the TVET sector and backed up with experience, training and exposure of the VET sector from UK, Australia, Pakistan, and the Philippines, I feel privileged and humbled to contribute by working with prestigious organizations including Pearson (Edexcel), GIZ, GFA, TVET Asia. Nominated as High Achiever Alumni by the British Council under Social Impact category in 2019, won the QUT Australia Impact Stories Award in 2018, and won the 2020 country-level success storytelling competition at the Australia Awards Regional Alumni Conference in Colombo, Srilanka. In the capacity of TVET trainer, I am proud to have trained more than 4000 professionals, teachers and administrators only during the last 3 years. As part of the qualification development panel, DACUM facilitator and Consultant at the national level of Pakistan, I contributed in the development of more than 8 qualifications and developing TLGs (Trainer Learners’ Guides). As CEO of the first international TVET provider of country, STEP, we became pioneers to bring global qualifications and the first Institute in Pakistan to initiate Competency-Based Training (CBT). Research (Qualitative and Quantitative) has always been my major forte. I have written papers for TVET Asia on Work Process-Based TVET qualifications, and Technical Didactics for CBT approach, and recently got published in the International Journal of Latest Research in Humanities & Social Sciences (IJLRHSC) on Outcome Based Education. I am currently pursuing my MPhil in Education Leadership & Management, to prospect my Doctorate in TVET systems and applications.

Online TVET Assessments: A case of construct validity at STEP Institute of Art, Design & Management

The TVET sector in Pakistan is currently going through a massive reformation and despite the shift to contemporary instructional and assessment practices, it still requires capacity building of teachers and assessors. This research study aims to evaluate assessment processes for effectively meeting Art & Design qualifications’ outcomes by comparing the results of online TVET assessments conducted recently during the global pandemic of Covid-19 with the traditional face to face assessments, conducted previously. The term Validity refers to the degree to which results or test scores obtained by learners, can be interpreted and used for its intended purpose. Of great importance to assessors, is the test items or rubrics to match the learning outcomes that the assessment is measuring and that the instruction given also matches the outcomes and what is assessed. Online learning technologies are being adopted widely in different TVET institutes in Pakistan but the critical issue remains if these effectively help in meeting desired students’ learning outcomes. This study is conducted at STEP Institute of Art, Design and Management (IADM) Pakistan, which is the first TVET institute to offer CBT (Competency-Based Training) and international vocational qualifications in Pakistan up to level 7 of the UK NVQF. Perceptions and opinions of students, faculty members, and assessors regarding online assessments will be gathered to evaluate the existing online assessment process and recommend areas for a sustainable and futuristic assessment strategy. A mixed-method approach will be used to collect data. The quantitative data will be collected from students, using the questionnaire and an online focus group will be conducted to gather experiences, ideas, and thoughts from assessors and faculty members, as part of qualitative data collection. The research findings will help in further establishing the existing TVET system in the context of online TVET learning, training, and assessing.

Attorney Michael R. Polin is a United States and International Business and Entertainment attorney and entrepreneur with more than 32 years of international and domestic business dealings, legal experience, project deal negotiations, and entrepreneurialism.

Over the course of his career, Michael has represented many private and government entities worldwide and engaged in business and representation in many European Union countries with a strong focus on training and education development.

The International Law Firm of Michael R. Polin has been retained by numerous global companies in China, Europe, and in the United States, and has acted in the capacity of chief legal counsel, trial attorney, executive management/CEO, business and financial consultant, deal-maker, investor, distributor, and entertainment producer.

The Polin Law Firm can provide integration advice concerning branding, advertising, distribution, sales, technical services, and customer relationship management.

Attorney Polin is an internationally recognized keynote speaker and sought after expert with a strategic focus on his China knowledge of culture, business development, and entertainment/media matters. He has acted as Special Counsel to government and private companies in China as well as Counsel to the CEO’s and Executive Vice Presidents of companies in Singapore, France, Belgium, Hong Kong, Switzerland, and the Philippines.

Michael has advised, invested, and consulted on many vocational institutions and careers in order to make those entities the best they can be with international aspirations.

Attorney Polin is the author and creator of the JUST RELEASED “TEACH ME CHINA” brand and comprehensive educational product series (CDs, DVDs, workbooks, etc.) on the “How to’s” of doing business inside China from an entrepreneurial, investor, and legal point of view.

The combination of Attorney Polin’s legal, business, and entrepreneurial experience, with a background of strategic relationships developed throughout many years of doing business in the international markets, makes Michael one of the most highly sought after keynote speakers in the United States, Europe, and China.

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How TVET Providers can Protect Their Skillsets and Maximize Revenue during a Pandemic and Beyond

The TVET programs around the world are truly in high demand and needing reformation to be beneficial to the students and professional learners in the 21 st century.

There needs to be an additional focus on the students and assessment practices that will make them in high demand as employees and professional which means there needs to be a focus on risks they face in the business world and how best to be protected and successful.

In America, Asia, and South America, we are creating online learning technologies to effectively help in meeting desired students’ learning outcomes in the business world. We are creating environments for the students that enhance their studies and prepare them for real-world demands and expectations.

This presentation looks at “vocational training MUST-HAVES” concerning culture, business development, and financing/capital considerations.

The methodologies employed can vary but the results will be the same for the benefit of the students and future employees.