Four European projects team up to ignite synergy on the field of learning

The European Distance and E-learning Network – EDEN hosts the
SYNERGY Workshop – Transnational Learning Forum for Exchanging Practices and Ideas

to take place on 19-21 October 2013 in Budapest, Hungary at the premises of the Budapest University of Economy and Technology (BME). The workshop is the result of the collaboration of 4 European Projects: eLene2learn, DigiSkills, POERUP and Open Discovery Space. The Workshop is targeting stakeholders representing higher education and (secondary) school level education in the following themes: (i) ICT and digital media use; (ii) Developing and improving learning to learn competences; (iii) Learner support (with the use of ICT); (iv) Open Educational Resources and their use in education; (v) ICT enhanced language teaching and learning; (vi) Teacher training (communities of practice).

The Event
The Synergy Workshop, as its title suggests, will be focusing on

•  the identification of basic points of synergy (meaning overlapping areas of activity and targeted goals and objectives) amongst a broad palette of presenting initiatives (including EU funded projects and national or institutional cases/practices)
•  and the elaboration of future collaboration plans based on these points.

To maximise the potential for effective collaboration, registration to the event is free of charge. The workshop programme aims to provide a platform for semi-informal, so-called
"Project Fairground" activities. During a number of dedicated sessions (divided into 4 specific fora based on the most popular themes) all the project promoters can briefly introduce themselves and their "products and services" and then talk and interact with each other at will. The event will be supported by ICT and online collaboration, to maximise
accessibility from onsite and remote locations at the same time.

Collaboration and Inspiration
To allow appropriate preparation for these "Project Fairground" sessions, the timely submission of short, structured written descriptions of initiatives and online registration is strongly encouraged. The to boost the efficiency of collaborations, a thorough online preparatory and follow-up phase is planned to precede and conclude the conference. All submitted projects will be published in the "Book of Projects" (a more detailed and structured/formated version of the collection on the website), but in addition to that all
registered participants are also invited and encouraged to bring promotional posters and leaflets to Budapest.

EDEN has set up an online collaboration space on the NAP Members Area, where the organisers and the representatives of the presenting projects/initiatives can share their deliverables and results, provide links to (or upload) documents and media and engage in discussions. Leading up to and during the conference days the event will be intensively supported and accompanied by online social networking.
Contribution of projects

The eLene2learn’s Transnational Workshop (with a particular focus on the implications for secondary education) aims to bring together participants from several Member States to
exchange ideas and experience relating to the approaches they are implementing or planning to implement, based on experiences in (A) learning to learn with social networks, (B) learning to learn with digital media, serious games and virtual worlds and (C) learning to learn with ePortfolios and blogs.

The DigiSkills’ Best Practice Exchange Forum, on the other hand, is going to facilitate the collection of case studies and best practices that effectively promote innovative teaching
and learning good practices. This part of the Workshop, open to SE, HE and AE teachers from the European countries, shall operate as the frame for the collection and formation of exceptional teaching and learning approaches, offering the opportunity to teachers from different countries to interact, discuss and exchange. The overall findings will be published
in a collective report on best practices.

Headline: SYNERGY Workshop – Transnational Learning Forum for Exchanging Practices and Ideas
Type of event: Workshop
Date: 19-21 October 2013
Place: Budapest University of Economics and Technology – BUTE, Budapest, Hungary
Further information: http://www.eden-online.org/online/2013_synergy/index.html

Press contact:
Eva Suba, Communication Officer
suba@eden-online.org
http://www.eden-online.org

More:
elearn2learn project
Digiskills project
POERUP project
Open Discovery Space project
The online collaboration group on the EDEN NAP
The event on Facebook