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Innovative elements of the Soulbus project

The project produces an innovative way of doing cooperation with higher education institutions and labour market by design, pilote and implement a 100 % virtual based Multicultural coaching progamme together with multiprofessional and multicultural group of teachers and working life mentors. The programme is based  on an iterative development cycle where it will be developed through repeated cycles and increments.

The iterative development offers a platform for dialogue and reflection to teachers and working life mentors in order to strengthen mutual trust and enhance communication between the parties. The main  aim is to build social capital between HE and labour market. Strong social capital between HE and labour  market supports cooperation in curriculum development and promotes transfer knowledge between mentors and teachers. Active collaboration between teachers and mentors through the iterative development cycles is transferable method and can be utilized in different degree programmes of HEIs and also in many fields of labour market. Since the Multicultural coaching programme is developed within EQF and based on an open access E-learning pedagogy, it can be developed and exploited broadly in European countries and incorporated easily as a part of curriculum.

Methodology

The methodological framework is based on an iterative development cycle where the idea is to develop the Multicultural coaching programme through repeated cycles. The developers (mentors and teachers) take advantage of what was learned during the development of earlier stages. The key steps in the process start with an analysis of the present situation and iteratively enhance the evolving programme until it is ready to be disseminated and exploited through Europe. .


 

1. MILESTONE
The case study method is used by partners to define their current situation in relation to multicultural competence. Cases are analyzed by the partner panel and a case repository is produced to describe the nationally representative cases.
Output: Repository of six cases submitted to WordPress.

2. MILESTONE
Through exploitation of the case repository the Multicultural coaching program is designed. The common E-learning module (pilot x2) of the program is produced and shared by the partners through the use of  existing EDU2.0 virtual platform. The final modification of the common module will be carried out by collective evaluation of feedback.  The USA will give their expertise on planning the E-learning module for multicultural and multiprofessional target group.
Output: The Multicultural coaching programme’s common E-learning module is ready to be submitted to EDU2.0 with a link to WordPress. 30 teachers and working life mentors participated in the first pilot and 50 the second pilot.  Feedback was evaluated and the common E-learning module is ready to be disseminated.

3. MILESTONE
The tailored pilot will be designed as a part of the programme. Partners conduct a pilot intervention using the tailored element for its focused target group. The feedback and experiences are gathered and evaluated by each partner country and share with the whole project team. Peer-learning of the tailored pilots are conducted by the partners.
Output: HEI partner with working life partner has planned and piloted the tailored element on national level. Feedback has collected and peer-learning has carried out by the partners.

4. MILESTONE
Dissemination and exploitation of the Multicultural coaching program is ensured by active
communication.
Outputs:
• Working life institutions in Estonia, Croatia and Slovenia express their readiness to offer more placements for foreign exchange students.
• Working life institutions in Finland and the Netherlands express their readiness to offer more placements for foreign degree students.
• 34 mentors and teachers, who could not participate in the pilots due to lack of capacity in the project, will participate the programme in autumn 2015.
• Development of the practical placement is now part of the HEIs’ regular curriculum development.  Soulbus partners’ cultural awareness has increased as a result of the project activities.

5. MILESTONE
Soulbus partners have planned how to continue strengthen mutual trust and deepen communication between HE and labour market.
Output: Consortium has created a strong learning community to continue educational collaboration after the project.


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