Technodiversity: Harmonising European education in forest engineering by implementing an e-learning platform to support adaptation and evaluation of forest operations

Modern machines and devices for harvesting and transporting wood are largely similar internationally, and the options are manageable. But the options for which they are used locally, differ greatly depending on the local conditions, social environment and market situation. This is related to the natural site and stand conditions, but also to local traditions, historical roots, and economic circumstances. Technology has to regard this diversity; this should be a yardstick for the competent and responsible use of technology in the sensitive forest areas. But educational programs on professional school and university level very often stick on economic maximation and underestimate the relevance of ecological risks and side effects, societal needs, and ergonomics. Under these conditions, it is likely that knowledge about tools and machines as well as harvesting and transport methods and their impact on environment and society is not well developed. The consequence will be that foresters’ technological knowledge will be restricted, in terms of the ability to optimize their actions on local environmental and societal needs.

TECHNODIVERSITY addresses these challenges by building a common basis of technological knowledge and increasing the sensitivity for diversity in this field. The aim was to bring together existing knowledge in forest operations that is scattered across Europe and to develop a common understanding in forest operations to improve the forest actions while reducing environmental impact and diminishing ergonomic harms and risks. In detail, the aim of the project was to show and explain the technological diversity in harvesting operations and to promote it through targeted training. For this purpose, four project results were planned: (i) Facts and methods: Develop a glossary on forest operations and tutorials about research methods on forest engineering (ii) Scientific audiovisuals: Provide video strings to illustrate typical harvesting methods under regional forest situations (iii) Knowledge platform: Develop a platform to allow the access to this complex knowledge base in a didactically easy and barrier-free way (iv) E-learning course: Implement an e-learning course on forest operations with the task to develop optimal harvesting methods that can be included in existing master programs.

The following activities are implemented by the project: PR1: Facts and methods: During the first half of the project, the project partners have jointly created a teaching module that explains scientific principles, defines terms, introduces methods and presents optimization tools. Based on an initial draft presented jointly by the CNR and TUD, a common understanding was developed in several iteration steps. This was executed very quickly for most of the teaching content; but the agreement on one sub-module as an extreme example took more than one year. This content-related work on a common product, in which all project partners took part, represents a significant benefit to the entire project. PR2: All project partners have provided video material demonstrating local practices. With the support of SLU, UNITBV reviewed the material and designed a uniform structure for educational films. Using this structure, 47 educational films were then put together and provided with an explanatory soundtrack in English. In contrast to usual short videos, these films only contain scientific information, so that they can be used directly as teaching material. PR3: A learning platform was created under the leadership of CNR. The Moodle software was chosen from various options because it is widely used and is therefore already known to users and has already proven itself very well in other projects with its detailed management of roles and rights. After three workshops (LTT1, LTT3 and LTT4), in which the use of the learning platform was tested by students and lecturers, the fourth, continually improved version is finally available. PR4: In order to ensure barrier-free use of the learning platform and recognition of learning success for the learner's own studies, the module was included in the PULS Erasmus+ learning catalog. Various levels of the university had to be convinced to do this; new agreements had to be made and the teaching module had to be integrated into the university's accreditation procedures. At an online conference (LTT2), the heads of the participating faculties were informed with the aim of recommending the module to their students. To harmonize the contents and the form, PULS was responsible for the teaching contents of LTT3 and LTT4. The project was presented publicly at two European conferences: The presentation at the EUROFOREST 2023 forestry trade fair in France was aimed at decision making staff in forestry management in order to build up demand from the professional environment. The presentation at the international forest mechanization conference FORMEC, on the other hand, was aimed at scientists in the field of forest operations in order to make the product known as a platform for further scientific exchange.

The following concrete outputs are given by the project: (i) E-learning module: A complete teaching module consisting of 7 chapters, each with 5 to 7 sections, in which the scientific principles are explained, terms are defined, methods are introduced, and optimization tools are presented. (ii) Online glossary: An extensive glossary was created as an independent product, which is linked to the teaching modules and the audiovisuals. (iii) Short portraits: Sub-processes that are introduced in practice are described with a uniform pattern and assessed in all three dimensions (economic, ecological, and social). (iv) Scientific audiovisuals: Short films with a length of 5 to 10 minutes were produced for 47 different sub-processes according to a uniform, scientific scheme, which are suitable for self-study but can also be used in present teaching. (v) Platform: The various products are arranged on a Moodle platform as a teaching module, where users have different roles and rights. (vi) E-learning procedures: With the beginning of the 2024 summer semester, the sub-modules will be freely available for everybody and can also be completed with an exam as an Erasmus+ course available in the curriculum of Faculty of Forestry and Wood technology, based in Poznan University of Life Sciences. (vii) Different publications that point to the project on different levels, starting with students over scientific colleagues for forest operations to practicioneers who as well are interested in the new information als further education.