The Project objective was to develop a new approach, that would combine Augmented Reality (AR)/Mixed Reality (MR) technologies with Remote and/or Local Laboratories, for encouraging 12-18 year-old students’ STEM engagement. In particular, via targeting students of lower and upper secondary schools and irrespective of the expected varying individual inclination to STEM subjects, we aimed to: (a) attract students who currently might not be interested in STEM related studies/careers and enhance the interest of those who have already chosen this field of studies/careers, and (b) improve students’ performance in courses related to STEM education. Inspired by emerging technologies of IoT (Internet of Things) and AR (Augmented Reality), we managed to connect the physical and/or the remote laboratory to the digital world and turn it into an “Enlivened Laboratory”. We explored various digital solutions to “immerse“ students within STEM laboratories while implementing experiments and managed to attract students to STEM related studies through intense hands-on experiences, where they actually participated, transformed and augmented what they were implementing. By developing and applying various digital competences and via collaborations with peers they were increasingly more engaged in STEM education. The EL STEM approach was supported at school as well as at home through the involvement of appropriate online tools offering the capability to experiment with simulated remote laboratories. Acknowledging the crucial role of teachers in any effort to bring about change and innovation, our project made available the necessary knowledge, indicative tools, and introduced underlying dynamics in teaching cultures to enable STEM education obtain the full benefits of AR/MR. This was achieved by providing teachers with high quality professional development opportunities to acquire knowledge and skills to effectively embed AR/MR in teaching and learning. More specifically, we created a comprehensive teaching and learning framework for providing teachers with innovative digital tools to enrich their laboratory-based courses, in order to not only attract students’ attention towards STEM education but also to achieve better performance in STEM related subjects. Project outputs included AR/MR educational scenarios expressed in Lesson Plans (LPs) and implemented using technologies that explored the utilization of AR/MR Remote and Local Laboratories. Mobile Technologies (e.g. smartphones and/or tablets) and associated hardware (e.g. AR glasses) were extensively used in the teaching and learning of STEM courses.

Context/backgroundImmersive technologies such as augmented and virtual reality or digital games expand the way humans can interact with computers significantly. These technologies also offer a wide range of possibilities for educational use. However, their uptake in education is so far very limited.Among the reasons for this is in the mono-disciplinary education in fields that would need to collaborate to deliver widely usable immersive educational solutions. Relevant fields comprise: game design, where immersive and interactive solutions are designed and developed; computer Science, where the technological foundations for immersive technologies and for scalable architectures for these are created; and teacher education, where future teachers are educated.Currently, these fields have only little connection to each other. The students in each field are educated separately and do not experience interdisciplinary collaboration. However, truly useful and widely usable immersive educational solutions can only be created by combining educational, technological, and design-oriented perspectives in order to conceptualise and develop good solutions.ObjectivesImTech4Ed aims at creating interdisciplinary and international collaboration among students, educators, and researchers from the participating disciplines in order to- Deliver creative and valuable prototypes for immersive educational solutions- Strengthen interdisciplinary thinking and approaches across students from various disciplines- Strengthen interdisciplinary and international cooperation- Evaluate prototypes in real teaching situations at connected schools- Establish a network of connected/interested partnersParticipantsThe ImTech4Ed consortium is coordinated by the Cologne Game Lab of TH Köln (CGL) where researchers, educators, and game design students contribute to design aspects of immersive solutions. The International Hellenic University contributes the computer science perspective with students, educators and researchers connected to the Advanced Educational Technologies and Mobile Applications Lab (AETMA). The Open University of Cyprus (OUC) and the European University of Cyprus (EUC) represent two different educational approaches towards teacher education as either distance university (OUC) or campus university (EUC). Both partners contribute students, educators and researchers into the project. Two schools from Greece (Ellinogermaniki Agogi, EA)and Cyprus (The English School, Nicosia, ES) contribute the practical educational perspective to the project and support conceptualisation and evaluation of prototypes through the involvement of teachers and school students. Finally, Humance AG (HUM) contributes to the project’s technical infrastructures (web site, repository, development infrastructure).ActivitiesFive intellectual outputs are delivered by the project: ImTech4Ed Methodological Guidelines (O1), Authorware Tools (O2), ImTech4Ed University student and in-service STEAM Teacher training program (O3), ImTech4Ed Immersive Game Prototypes (O4), ImTech4Ed STEAM Educational Scenarios (O5). These are supported through four learning, teaching, training activities, three of which contribute to the interdisciplinary education of students by organizing interdisciplinary hackathons (C1, C2, C4) and one contributes to educate teachers about the use of immersive educational solutions. Four multiplier events (three national, one international) are organised.MethodologyImTech4Ed builds upon interdisciplinary and international cooperation among different connected higher education institutions to create quick, student-driven, creative hackathons as initiator for immersive educational technologies to be prototyped and further developed in intellectual outputs. O2 and O4 as technological IOs collaborate closely with C1, C2, and C4 to deliver usable prototypes, which can be explored in educational practice. Short development cycles ensure the possibility to quickly react to feedback; the interdisciplinary collaboration ensures that relevant perspectives are considered.Results and impactImTech4Ed delivers methodological guidelines together with a set of immersive educational prototypes evaluated in educational practice. These are accompanied by supporting authoring tools, a teacher training program and concrete STEAM-oriented educational scenarios.The direct impact of ImTech4Ed is on participating students, pupils, teachers, educators, and researchers in broadening their view and understanding of interdisciplinary approaches and collaborative international work towards the creation of immersive educational technologies.Long-term benefitsThe long-term benefit goes beyond their mere outputs: interdisciplinary thinking towards the envisioning, design, and creation of immersive educational technologies aims at improving the way these technologies are created and brought into educational practice in a sustainable way.

Water is the most valuable and rare resource in the Middle East. The potential climate change impacts in the region require the new generation of water managers to learn and utilize new and innovative methods and techniques to achieve sustainability. In addition there is a significant gap between the learning skills of graduates from the HEIs and what the companies and enterprises want. To alleviate this gap, firstly a Network with water professionals (HEIS and enterprises) will be established for the Middle East. This network will provide feedback on the new state of the art courses that will be developed and taught in Partner Country HEIs to enhance the knowledge, tools and skills of the graduates and increase their attractiveness to enterprises. These courses will incorporate the latest and newest technologies on water management. Enterprises will be integrated in the courses by having students solve real-life water case studies provided by enterprises, with seminars by water professionals and practical placement to promote entrepreneurship. The courses will utilize new pedagogical approaches with interactive exercises, use of videos, social networks, flexible learning path, blended courses etc. to enhance learning capacities. The courses will be available on a virtual learning portal thus providing them also by distance learning and enhancing their accessibility. Establishing a distance-learning program is essential for this region because of the frequent instability that makes it impossible to always attend classes. The languages of the courses will be Arabic and English so they could be adopted by other Mediterranean countries. The project is very collaborative and international since it has 13 partners from 6 countries. The new teaching approaches and state of the art courses will train science-based water management graduates with the necessary tools to significantly increase their employability leading to more sustainable water management in the region.

GREEN TALENT addresses gaps in knowledge, skills and competences in research and innovation (R&I) in 4 Widening Countries, supporting the green transition by contributing to halting biodiversity loss and advancing climate mitigation and adaptation through capacity-building, networking and knowledge exchange in four demonstration hubs. Academic and SME partners in each Widening Country provide expertise, support secondments, establish demonstration hubs, and connect to international R&I. Non-Widening partners catalyse GREEN TALENT by enhancing capacity-building, international cooperation, and joint R&I outcomes. GREEN TALENT develops 5 open-access (OA) training modules on R&I support, covering themes such as grant management, communication, entrepreneurship, and intellectual property rights. Additionally, 5 interdisciplinary OA modules focus on nature-based and integrative solutions that address the biodiversity-climate nexus. A programme of 45 secondments is established, providing R&I talents with hands-on learning through job shadowing, peer mentoring, workshops, and networking events. Personalised career plans and comprehensive reintegration strategies ensure secondees’ professional development, enabling them to apply their newly acquired skills within their home organisations. Ongoing follow-up and assessment guarantee the continued use and refinement of these competencies. The 4 Demonstration Pilots in Widening Countries deliver practical, scalable solutions to climate and biodiversity challenges, acting as collaboration hubs between academic and non-academic sectors. These hubs provide secondees with real-world experience and foster partnerships across sectors. All training materials are openly accessible via the GREEN TALENT Capacity-Building Platform, which also shares case-studies of best practices of cross-sectoral R&I, facilitates knowledge exchange and development, and includes an Exchange Forum furthering interdisciplinary dialogue and peer learning.

"Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is common in children, adolescents and persists into adulthood. Despite this, access to adult ADHD services is often poor, resulting in frequent gaps in care during transition. Several barriers to successful transition can be identified. Although discussed here in the context of ADHD, these issues are broadly applicable to other mental health conditions:– Timing of the transition from Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) to Adult Mental Health Service.– (Non) Availability of care - efficient support for Adults with ADHD in Serbia, Greece, Belgium and Turkey– Differences in practices and culture between Child, Adolescent and adult Mental Health Service in Europe.– Poor adherence to medication and quality of care in the transition process.– Social stigma of mental health issues for people living with ADHD and their caregivers.The main mission of the Erasmus+ KA2 ""ADHD-CARE"" project is to offer knowledge for the psychoeducation for people with ADHD and highlight the importance of increasing the support to carers of people with ADHD with the ultimate goal of improving the lives of adult Europeans living with a brain disorder, such as ADHD. We aim to facilitate also the exchange of good practices on successful ADHD Campaigns in Belgium, Cyprus, Greece, Serbia, Turkey and beyond. The leading partner, “SrBC” will emphasize that the collaboration on education about ADHD is important not only between EU Member states (Belgium, Cyprus and Greece) but also by including emerging Associated countries and regions such as Serbia and Turkey. The project accommodates adults with ADHD by the utilisation of a Patient Advisory Board (PAB). We will encourage the members of the PAB who are patients living with ADHD to participate in this project. Our aim is to draw the attention of the general public, as well as relevant state institutions, to the importance of psychoeducation for patients and their caregivers, as well as to ensure, by integrating all levels of research, better prevention, diagnosis and treatment of ADHD. During the project, the Strategic Partnership will carry out two main activities:1) Activities that strengthen cooperation between organizations / institutions that support Adults with ADHD aiming at establishing an exchange of good practices for National ADHD Campaigns.2) Activities facilitating the recognition of the need for more support of adults with ADHD and their caregivers In Europe and Turkey.Activities, tasks and responsibilities are equally distributed among the partners IN Serbia, Greece, Cyprus, Belgium and Turkey, and are consistent with the budget allocated, as evaluated by the partners as adequate to cover expected costs.During the first year of the project, two focus groups will be evaluated and completed by target groups. During the second year, a third focus groups will be evaluated and we will make a report about the successful awareness campaigns and strategies for treating ADHD in each of the partner countries. The European Brain Council (EBC) will share results at a European level. The Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience of Kings College will share results in UK. The Open University of Cyprus will contribute mainly to the development of methodologies and practices that will support health caregivers of adults with ADHD to develop themselves professionally, obtain knowledge and become familiar with new practices that will support their demanding profession. EPIONI, in the framework of the project, will implement a pilot program of a free of charge, monthly support group for adults with ADHD.At the end of the project, each country will present their good practices in supporting Adults with ADHD and Caregivers of people with ADHD in a ""Practical Guide"". In addition the Pilot Program of the self help group of adults with ADHD in Greece will continue to function after the completion of the project. Planned dissemination activities will continue for the lifespan of the project, and will include the following: The creation of a project website in WordPress platform, linking to the partners’ own websites, where all project outcomes will be uploaded and contact details will be made available in March 2020 from the Serbian Brain Council. Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn accounts will be created for the project from the Greek partner EPIONI. Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn posts of Partners Associations."