BIOTALENT: Talent in Biodiversity. Innovative education and new skills to increase engagement in Science.
BIOTALENT tackles biodiversity challenges through innovative e-learning.
BIOTALENT is a project funded in the framework of ERAMUS+ Strategic Partnerships for VET.
BIOTALENT responds to major targets and the common objectives identified under the EU Strategy for Education and Training. The project is also aligned with the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2020, where biodiversity and its conservation flags many actions and programmes, along with meeting societal needs and challenges, mainly employment and growth.
BIOTALENT develops a multilingual blended e-learning biodiversity training programme. Biodiversity and its protection are tightly linked to a societal change which can only be achieved by strong investment in environmental education. The right training and capacity building need to be provided today to improve teachers’ competences in the sector of biodiversity education, so as to raise the level of biodiversity literacy for teachers and students, motivating both to learn about biodiversity and engage in conserving Europe’s biodiversity and igniting their passion for science.
BIOTALENT’s objectives to achieve this challenging aim are the following:
- to establish an Open Source virtual learning platform to deliver the e-content of the course;
- to deliver a pilot action for a multilingual blended e-learning course on biodiversity;
- to develop a blended learning model for adaptable modular training courses;
- to train tutors and project partners in the use of blended and e-learning techniques.
The blended e-learning course is specifically targeted at practising biology teachers and trainee teachers in secondary education and educators in educational services in science museums, botanical gardens, science centres and nature organisations.
BIOTALENT may be considered the matrix and test bed from which a broader range of e-learning courses can be built beyond the project’s lifetime in the wider sector of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
Basic information
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS) – Belgium
- EduFor Teacher Training Centre (EduFor) – Portugal
- Hungarian Natural History Museum (HNHM) – Hungary
- University of Crete (UOC) & Natural History Museum of Crete (NHMC) University of Crete – Greece
- Consortium of European Taxonomic Facilities (CETAF) – Belgium
One of the core objectives of the BIOTALENT project is to deliver an innovative educational tool based on an Open Source virtual learning platform offering a blended e-learning course to improve science teaching for target groups operating outside academia: in education, administration or business.
The pilot action for a blended e-learning course delivers essential information for defining strategies and improving learning mechanisms and teaching methods:
- it provides collation of data on best practices for e-learning performance and information about the competences needed in order to improve science teaching;
- it contributes to the identification of jobs related to the biodiversity labour market;
- it provides information on stakeholders’ needs as well as on learning experiences of the Community of Interest, as defined by the project;
BIOTALENT’s transnational learning activity provides learners with a unique first-hand experience at a research centre with access to collections and human expertise.
In addition, a blended e-learning model for adaptable modular training courses is developed to serve as a model for best practices in future training courses, not only in the natural science sector, but also in the wider sector of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
BIOTALENT develops a multilingual blended e-learning biodiversity training programme. Biodiversity and its protection are tightly linked to a societal change which can only be achieved by a strong investment in environmental education. The right training and capacity building need to be provided today to improve teachers’ competences of in the sector of biodiversity education, so as to raise the level of biodiversity literacy for teachers and students, motivating both to learn about biodiversity and engage in conserving Europe’s biodiversity and igniting their passion for science
The blended course is specifically targeted at practising biology teachers and trainee teachers in secondary education as well as educators in science museums, botanical gardens, science centres and nature organisations. Other professionals, such as biologists, rangers and conservation managers at nature reserves, national parks and civil organisations in the field of biodiversity conservation seeking to improve their competences on the topic, will also benefit. It is also of relevance to young unemployed professionals of the above-mentioned categories to provide them with the necessary competences to be successful in finding employment or to improve their position in the labour market. In addition, the course is open to anyone interested in the topic wanting to take part in continuing professional development.
The blended e-learning course enhances the target audience with knowledge and understanding of biodiversity and how global environmental change challenges diversity of life and the future of human well-being. It will provide them with a resource to help improve the quality, didactic approaches and pedagogic strategies of biodiversity curricula for students.