Ukrainian-German Teaching Network for a Digital Transformation of Environmental Education (Consolidation and Expansion Phase 2024)

Building on the 2022-2023 collaboration, Ukrainian and German HEIs, with the DAAD support, the follow-up project aims to continue consolidation and expansion of the Ukrainian-German Teaching Network, promoting professionalisation of digital teaching and learning at UKR HEIs.

Starting from January 2024 we continue to expand our Teaching Network, welcoming two new Ukrainian partner universities, totalling eight partner universities – Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development (Eberswalde, Germany), National Transport University (Kyiv, Ukraine), Ukrainian National Forestry University (Lviv, Ukraine), Zhytomyr

Polytechnic State University (Zhytomyr, Ukraine), Odesa State Environmental University (Odesa, Ukraine), Lviv State University of Physical Culture (Lviv, Ukraine), National University «Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic» (Poltava, Ukraine) and The National University of Water and Environmental Engineering (Rivne, Ukraine).

The uniqueness of this follow-up project lies in the engagement of lecturers from partnering universities in the development and piloting of e-courses. This empowers them to act as multipliers for digital professionalisation at Ukrainian HEIs, utilising knowledge, skills, and experience from projects in 2022 and 2023. To provide access to a wide array of e-courses, the project team implements a model whereby all developed courses will be open to students as elective courses across partnering universities, promoting broadening of academic and professional competencies beyond their study programs (student-centred approach).

The objective of the project is to consolidate and expand the Ukrainian-German Teaching Network, promoting the professionalisation of digital teaching and learning at Ukrainian HEIs. This enhances access to quality education for students regardless of location, facilitates ongoing professional development for educators, and contributes to the growth of Ukrainian-German cooperation, emphasising the development of a digital teaching network and internationalisation in higher education. HNEE provides technical, infrastructural, and human resources support. This involves the engagement of HNEE lecturers in content and methodology supervision, contributing to e-courses design. The HNEE DiLeLa team brings its expertise in digital didactics and teaching to the project, enhancing its overall impact.

Main Tasks

• Virtual courses for students are expanded, offered, and used by students of the partnering Ukrainian higher education institutions.
• Lecturers of the partnering Ukrainian higher education institutions, especially those who have fled, are involved in the courses
• The expertise for further digitalisation of the participating German and Ukrainian higher education institutions and the professionalisation of digital teaching are available and can be used for the development of further (joint) virtual courses.

Key Acvtivities

• Diversifying e-courses portfolio in the e-course expanding and development, aligning with the academic needs and professional preferences of students.
• Implementing the developed digital courses across all partnering universities. Providing partners with online access to all e-courses via HNEE LMS (Moodle).
• Promoting the exchange of knowledge and competencies concerning digital didactic concepts, use of digital applications and tools for online lecturing.
• Continous strengthening of the project team competences involving the HNEE DILeLa team.
• Advancing the Ukrainian-German Teaching Network with a focus on sharing knowledge and fostering collaboration for continued progress in and beyond the project.
• Enhancing interdisciplinary and international collaboration among partner institutions at various levels regarding the subject of digital transformation in higher education.