The partners of the European e-diploma project coordinated by the UJI meet in Castelló to transform online training

The partners of the European e-diploma project coordinated by the UJI meet in Castelló to transform online training

The Horizon Europe e-diploma project on e-learning, coordinated by Inmaculada Remolar, director of the Institute of New Imaging Technologies (INIT) of the Universitat Jaume I of Castelló through the research group “Interactive Visualisation”, has started its activity with the first meeting of the international consortium, formed by nine international entities that have met at the UJI during this week.

The vice-rector for Research, Jesús Lancis, who welcomed the attendees to the meeting, highlighted the great research work carried out by the INIT in the international field: “The INIT has played a very important role in the last two years, in which the public university of Castelló has achieved 11 European projects funded with 4.5 million euros by the European Commission, including e-diploma”.

For her part, the project coordinator, Inmaculada Remolar, thanked the partners for their involvement in the project. As she explained, “e-diploma was born as an idea in the lockdown a few years ago and has matured into a real project thanks to the work, support and collaboration of all the partners and participants”.

The e-diploma project, endowed with 3 million euros for the next three years, is divided into four phases. In the first phase, e-diploma will examine the current e-learning ecosystem at European level. After identifying strengths and weaknesses, it will consider which innovative technologies can support this e-learning system, both at the pre-university practical training and higher education levels.

The second phase of the project will involve the co-creation of the most appropriate technologies for the different types of educational methodologies, while the third phase will develop the e-diploma platform, which will have three educational modules comprising the themes Artificial Intelligence, Virtual and Augmented Reality, Interactive Technologies and Gamification Techniques. This platform and its training content will be tested through pilot tests in the different partner countries of the project.

Finally, in the fourth phase of the project, the e-learning platform will be redesigned and redefined based on the results obtained in the pilot tests. Inclusion, accessibility and sustainability are key in the e-diploma project, which will create an e-learning environment always taking into account the potential, opportunities, barriers, accessibility and risks of using emerging technologies for learning. In this way, a safe and inclusive space will be created for the educational community.

The European Commission also participated in the project launch meeting through Ángel M. Fuentes Mateos, research programme officer, who will be in charge of the technical monitoring of the project. The other participants in the meeting were the members of the consortium: the University of Tallinn (Estonia), the Delft University of Technology (The Netherlands), the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (Hungary), the Universitat Politècnica de València (Spain), INNOGROWTH- European Association for Innovation and Growth (Bulgaria), the CSI centre for social innovation (Cyprus), the training and research cooperative ARIS (Italy) and the company Brainstorm Multimedia (Spain). The Universitat Jaume I-Business Foundation also participates in the project as a partner entity of the UJI, to support the dissemination and communication activities of the project.

The international expert committee has also been present virtually, composed of Vladislav Slavov, vice-dean of the Sofia University of Technology (Bulgaria); Marini Catiuscia, head of the European Office of the Department of Policy, Training, Employment and International at Legacoop Umbria (Italy); Ülle Must, director of Development at the Estonian Board of Education and Youth; Tobias Ley, lecturer at the Danube University Krems and Tallinn University; and Frédéric Mertens de Wilmars, expert and lecturer in European and Gender Issues with extensive experience in higher education.

Finally, partners such as Diputación Provincial de Castelló (Spain), CECAP Valencia-Asociación Empresarial de Centros de Formación de Valencia (Spain), Finnovaregio (Belgium), RESET-Research and Education for Empowerment and Social Transformation (Cyprus), Florida Centre de Formació (Spain), Estonian Board of Education and Youth, IES Álvaro Falomir (Spain), Regional League of Cooperatives and Mutuals of Umbria (Italy), Satori Labs (France), János Neumann Computer Science Society (Hungary), Sofia University of Technology (Bulgaria), Professor Doctor Asen Zlatarov University (Bulgaria), Bulgarian-German Vocational Training Centre (Bulgaria) and the company Senseglove (The Netherlands) were also able to convey their full support to e-diploma at this first consortium meeting.

Financed by the European Union. However, the views and opinions expressed are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Executive Agency (ERA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

e-DIPLOMA, the Horizon Europe project coordinated by the UJI, will transform the current European e-learning ecosystem

e-DIPLOMA, the Horizon Europe project coordinated by the UJI, will transform the current European e-learning ecosystem

The Universitat Jaume I, through the research group ” Visualización Interactiva” [Interactive Visualisation] of the Institute of New Imaging Technologies (INIT), coordinates the e-DIPLOMA project approved by the European Commission within the framework of the European Union’s top research and innovation programme, Horizon Europe. e-DIPLOMA, which will be directed by Dr. Inmaculada Remolar, director of the INIT, has the main objective of developing a new e-learning platform that will combine virtual reality, artificial intelligence, interactive technologies, chatbots and gamification. This project is the result of the Research Promotion Plan of the Universitat Jaume I launched by the Vice-Rector’s Office for Research and Transfer of the UJI.

The e-DIPLOMA project, formed by nine international entities, is endowed with 3 million euros for the next three years and will start from 1 September 2022. The UJI leads the international consortium formed by the University of Tallinn (Estonia), the Delft University of Technology (Netherlands), the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (Hungary), the Polytechnic University of Valencia (Spain), Innogrowth-European Association for Innovation and Growth (Bulgaria), the CSI Centre for Social Innovation (Cyprus), the training and research cooperative ARIS (Italy) and the company Brainstorm Multimedia (Spain). The Universitat Jaume I-Business Foundation of the Valencian Community also participates in the project as a partner entity of the UJI, to support the dissemination and communication activities of the project.

In the first phase, the Horizon Europe e-DIPLOMA project will examine the strengths and weaknesses of the current European e-learning ecosystem, as well as the benefits of the latest technologies for online training, especially in experiential learning. e-DIPLOMA will analyse the usefulness of disruptive technologies to support education and training systems, specifically in practical distance learning and, therefore, the project focuses its analysis on the training levels of practical pre-university education and higher education.

In the second phase of the project, following a co-creation methodology, it will be determined which technologies are the most suitable for dealing with different types of educational methodologies.

In the third phase, the platform to be developed in e-DIPLOMA will host three educational modules that will integrate artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality, interactive technologies and gamification techniques, and pilot experiences will be carried out in different countries so that cultural aspects can be taken into account when assessing the results obtained.

Finally, in the fourth phase of the project, based on the results obtained previously, the e-learning platform developed will be redesigned and redefined.

In a transversal way, the use of these new technologies and the digitalisation of training will also be studied in terms of inclusion, accessibility and sustainability. To this end, an e-learning environment will be created that will avoid raising new inequalities between people and even countries. e-DIPLOMA will investigate the potential, opportunities, barriers, accessibility and risks of the use of emerging technologies for education, in order to support the digital transformation from the understanding of the social, ethical, political and economic impacts of digital practices. Another of the fundamental pillars of the project is the adequate training of teaching staff in relation to new educational technologies.

The e-DIPLOMA project is supported by partners such as Castelló Provincial Council (Spain), CECAP Valencia-Asociación Empresarial de Centros de Formación de Valencia (Spain), Finnovaregio (Belgium), RESET-Research and Education for Empowerment and Social Transformation (Cyprus), Florida Centro de Formación (Spain), Estonian Board of Education and Youth, IES Álvaro Falomir (Spain), Regional League of Cooperatives and Mutuals of Umbria (Italy), Satori Labs (France), János Neumann Computer Science Society (Hungary), Sofia University of Technology (Bulgaria), Professor Doctor Asen Zlatarov University (Bulgaria), Bulgarian-German Vocational Training Centre (Bulgaria) and the company Senseglove (The Netherlands).

In addition, the study and results of the e-DIPLOMA project will be supported by the international expert committee composed of Vladislav Slavov, vice-dean of the Sofia University of Technology (Bulgaria), Marini Catiuscia, head of the European Office of the Department of Policy, Training, Employment and International at Legacoop Umbria (Italy), Ülle Must, director of Development at the Estonian Board of Education and Youth, Dr Tobias Ley, professor at the Danube University Krems and the University of Tallinn and Dr Frédéric Mertens de Wilmars, expert and lecturer in European and Gender Issues with extensive experience in higher education. It brings together leading professionals who will work to create a new paradigm for online learning, and to increase the resilience of the educational world linked to the digital transformation.

Funded by the European Union. However, the views and opinions expressed are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Executive Agency (ERA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.