21st Century Digital Pedagogies for Building Better and Sustainable Development in Higher Education
▶Summary
The Digi-Peda project aimed to enhance digital pedagogy in higher education by improving the digital competencies of both students and academic staff. Its main goal was to develop innovative tools...
▶Objectives
The Digi-Peda project aimed to enhance digital pedagogy in higher education by improving the digital competencies of both students and academic staff. Its main goal was to develop innovative tools, methodologies, and resources that support effective online and blended learning. The project sought to empower university students—particularly future tutors, mentors, and educators—to use digital technologies as tools and means for meaningful teaching, learning, and collaboration, while also fostering creativity and engagement. Three key objectives guided the project implementation: (1) to develop an innovative modular digital pedagogy curriculum that combines theory with hands-on practice, and is adaptable across universities and disciplines; (2) to create an open-access e-learning platform (www.digipeda.eu) hosting the curriculum, instructional videos, and interactive learning resources; and (3) to produce a scenario-based visual pedagogy guide with practical examples of effective digital teaching. Collectively, these objectives fostered institutional cooperation, advanced the European Education Area’s digital transformation goals, and contributed to the promotion of a lasting and sustainable digital culture in higher education.
▶Activities
The implementation of the Digi-Peda project followed a clear and structured plan based on five interrelated work packages. The project activities were coordinated by SNSPA in close collaboration with partner institutions from Türkiye, Lithuania, Latvia, and Greece. WP1 ensured efficient project management through regular online meetings, shared documentation, and 5 face-to-face consortium meetingss. Under WP2, partners conducted research activities to theoretically and empirically ground the project outputs, that were then feeded into co-creating a 10 module digital pedagogy curriculum, which was subsequently piloted in all partner countries. WP3 focused on the development of the e-learning platform www.digipeda.eu, and on scenarios used to produce the videos. The videos illustrate effective digital teaching practices and are designed to complement the curriculum. WP4 than focused on developing the Scenario-Based Visual Digital Pedagogy Guide for Educators, aimed to complement the videos with practical instructions and theory. WP5 focused on dissemination and sustainability through organizing 5 seminars, an international conference and disseminating projects results, events and updates via newsletters(4) and social media.
▶Impact
The projects’ outputs are interrelated and were completed by the consortium: The WP2’s output, a Modular Digital Pedagogy Curriculum included 10 modules on current themes in digital pedagogy. The curriculum was tested through 5 pilot studies (a total of 106 students and teaching staff participated) from all partners. Under WP3 key outputs were: The Digi-Peda e-learning platform - digipeda.eu functions as an open-access educational hub, providing centralised access to the project’s outputs and a set of scenario-based and animated videos. Each partner produced a set of videos and animated video, based on the modular curriculum. This resulted in, 141 videos uploaded on the platform, generatung over 600 views. To ensure accessibility, videos are translated into the national languages of the universities. The main WP4 output, the Scenario-Based Visual Digital Pedagogy Guide - elaborated in English and translated in five languages (Romanian, Turkish, Lithuanian, Latvian, and Greek) promoting linguistic accessibility. The WP5 outputs focused on disseminating the project results and included 5 national seminars locally organised, one international conference, 4 newsletters, more than 200 social media posts and one academic paper.