"Video is ubiquitous, two thirds of knowledge on the internet is now in video format and YouTube statistics (“Statistics”, 2015) reveal that, since March 2014, there has been a 40% increase in the number of people engaging with video - either producing it or viewing the content. Videographics (the use of visual images) and infographics (the visual representations of data) are areas of increasing importance. Forbes Insights (“Executives embrace non-text world”, 2010) highlight that executives and business people prefer using non-text formats for a wide range of goals. Visual thinking strategies, video storytelling and Vlogs (video diaries/blogs) for reflection are also on the rise. The National Commission on Writing (2006, p.15) says ""Thinking on the screen"" is as important as ""thinking on paper"" in the 21st century. This under researched area is rising in importance and competence in video and visual thinking is crucial for communication in education and business. In Higher Education (HE), video technologies are being increasingly used in online learning and particularly in MOOCs. MOOCs have great potential for opening up education and making it accessible to all irrespective of institutional boundaries, national borders, or educational context. The need for competences in video/visual thinking (or visual literacy) is increasing and especially useful for supporting dyslexic learners in an inclusive manner alongside other learners without special support.The objectives were to improve the performance and efficiency of education and training in a sustainable way by (a) developing the competences of educators in visual literacy in a technology-rich environment, by delivering a MOOC that is open to all in e.g. vocational training, business and further education, (b) supporting the Opening Up Education policy by providing pedagogical materials and open educational resources (OERs) developed and evaluated through two MOOCs on visual literacy.First, using Informed Grounded Theory (Thornberg 2012) methodology we developed an innovative theory of visual literacy in a technology-rich environment. Data was gathered from interviewing 21 experienced online educators from multiple disciplines (from Europe, USA, Mexico, Turkey, Malaysia) about their use of visual media and visual technologies in teaching practice). The participants were recruited through relevant social media sites, professional associations, associated organisations and partner organisations including the project website, FaceBook page, Twitter, and LinkedIn group. The data was analysed using Informed Grounded Theory and combined with a literature review to create a new theory of visual literacy in a digital age. Secondly, we developed pedagogical materials (OERs) with a mosaic of case studies that show how to exploit the potential of visual media aimed at educators in HE but open to all. Using a design-based research methodology we developed, delivered and evaluated two iterations of a MOOC (5 weeks beginning on 23 April and on 8 Oct 2018). E.g. 8 webinars were added to the 2nd MOOC as a result of feedback from the 1st MOOC with 1 webinar. Qualitative/quantitative data was gathered from 5 surveys on learning experience, 2 impact surveys and a focus group.The impact on people/organisations in HE, vocational training and business can been seen in the enhanced competences, motivation and knowledge of 745 MOOC participants (mainly from second language teaching and higher education). The MOOCs illustrate how to teach online using the pedagogy of Networked Learning which emphasises the social concept of community, and discussion, as a support for peer learning and exchange of practical experience. This resulted in high levels of participation between weeks 1 and 4 and high levels of social presence. The impact on practice can be seen in exchanges within the supportive learning community where participants shared a wide range of case studies, lessons learned from experience, useful technologies and theoretical frameworks that they found useful as reported in survey and focus group feedback. The pedagogical materials and OERs are still available and can be freely reused by educators, e.g. webinars, videos, infographics, WIKI, and presentations of case studies. The impact on policy is seen in stimulating lifelong learning and business communication, enhancing competitiveness of Europe and 2011 EU Modernisation of HE, and promoting 2013 Communication on Opening Up Education. Research papers encourage further research on visual literacies, educational technologies and online pedagogy. The project was led by Dr. Julie-Ann Sime, Centre for Technology-Enhanced Learning, LANCASTER UNIVERSITY (UK), with DANUBE UNIVERSITY KREMS (Austria); WIDE Services (Greece); and CARDET (Cyprus). The project team also collaborated with EUROPALSO (Greece), Louisiana Tech University (USA), LearnBrite (USA) and American College of Greece."

Promoting entrepreneurship in Europe has been a core objective of the European Union ever since the Lisbon European Council decided in March 2000 to improve the EU’s performance in the areas of employment, economic reform and social cohesion.The development of entrepreneurship has important benefits, both economically and socially. Entrepreneurship is not only a driving force for job creation, competitiveness and growth; it also contributes to personal fulfillment and the achievement of social objectives. Moreover, numerous factors play a role in the decision to start up a business: for example, the existence of a suitable opportunity or market; the perception that starting a company might be difficult due to red tape; financial obstacles; or the need to acquire new skills. That is why the EU considers that it has a duty to encourage entrepreneurial initiatives and unlock the growth potential of its businesses and citizens. Europe’s economic growth and jobs depend on its ability to support the growth of enterprises. Entrepreneurship creates new companies, opens up new markets, and nurtures new skills. The most important sources of employment in the EU are Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). The Commission’s objective is to encourage people to become entrepreneurs and also make it easier for them to set up and grow their businesses.Entrepreneurship is an individual’s ability to turn ideas into action. It includes creativity, innovation, risk taking, ability to plan and manage projects in order to achieve objectives. Only 37% of Europeans would like to be self-employed, compared to 51% of people in the US and China. Some of the challenges to be tackled to increase the rate of entrepreneurial activity include: providing education that offers the right foundation for an entrepreneurial career; building core skils to overcome the difficulty in accessing finance and markets; mitigating the fear of ‘punitive’ sanctions in case of failure. The European Commission’s initiatives promoting entrepreneurship were summarised in an Entrepreneurship Action Plan adopted in January 2013. These initiatives aimed to reignite Europe’s entrepreneurial spirit by educating young people about entrepreneurship; highlighting opportunities for women and other groups; easing administrative requirements for entrepreneurs and making it easier to attract investors. The proliferation of mobile technology devices and the habits and preferences of the young digital natives who use them on a daily basis for the widest possible range of activities presents both an opportunity and a challenge for educators. If these devices can be successfully harnessed to deliver entrepreneurship learning resources in formats that are coherent and attractive to today's digital natives then the growth of the entrepreneurial spirit which is of considerable importance to all local economies may be achieved. The AppHop project consortium takes up the challenge to develop and test a completely new entrepreneurship curriculum, based on the EntreComp Framework, but presented as a series of randomized breakout challenges for access on smartphones.There are three intellectual outputs foreseen and task allocation for their development is as follows:IO1 – AppHop Compendium of Digital Breakout Entrepreneurship Resources - Digital Breakout learning resources will address 3 competence areas identified in the EntreComp Framework and resources will be provided to develop each of the 5 competences under each key competence area. In total 15 digital breakout resources will be developed by each of the 8 project partnersIO2 – AppHop In-service training programme – In-service training to support the CPD of VET tutors will also be provided. this training will enable tutors to develop their own digital breakout resourcesIO3 – AppHop Online Interactive Portal – a bespoke online interactive portal will be developed to provide access to the new resources

CHECK IT HE aims to enhance HE response to hate and extremism on HEI campuses, by building capacity, knowledge and skills, bringing together innovative projects and practices in the field. CHECKIT HE, will help HE educators, wider HE staff, policy makers and students unions, as our key target groups, to enhance inclusion, challenge hate and extremism and make campuses safer and better places for all. Tertiary education has a vital role to play in supporting tolerant, civically engaged societies. The CHECKIT HE consortium is made up of teams from: Birmingham City University, UK; Necmettin Erbakan Üniversitesi, Turkey; the Western Balkans Institute, Serbia; Minho University, Portugal: the Centre for Advancement of Research and Development in Educational Technology, Cyprus and Turku University of Applied Sciences, Finland. These partners represent a strong geographical reach and engagement in networks across Europe and also are from countries that experience diverse HE student demographics and campus based hate and extremism. We are a dedicated team who want CHECKIT HE to positively support change in relation to identify, preventing and acting against hate and extremism in all its forms. Studenthood should be a time of academic, personal/skills growth, development and positive change, but, sadly, Student Union Reports across Europe, show that students face increasing hate-based abuse, hate speech, risks from radicalisation and extremism on campuses. Some students are more likely to be targets of hate and extremism than others, such as those from BAME groups (including refugees and migrants), women, LGBT communities, people of various religions and disabled people. Examples of hate on campus, can include hate speech, cyber abuse, physical abuse and violence, gendered abuse, bullying and active exclusion. Extremism can be seen in patterns of formal, organised extremist organisation activity on campuses, radicalisation and violence, especially around right wing hate hate, Islamaphobia and antisemitism. These are challenging issues for higher education and societies. CHECKIT HE responds and innovates by addressing the issues of hate practices/behaviour and extremism within HEI communities and providing tools for HEI staff to identify, challenge and counter these when exhibited on campus. HEIs should be leading the way in addressing these important issues, which impact upon wider societies too. Indeed, some are, but practices and innovations are not being shared effectively. Collated and broadly disseminated innovative mechanisms by which HEIs can counter hate and exclusion, and provision of pan-European easy access training resources, are not currently available. CHECKIT directly addresses this contemporary issue, which is vital for the development, diversity, skills capacity building of all HEIs. HE staff need to be able to understand, identify, check, challenge and take action against hate and exclusions and this is what the outputs, outcomes and impact of the CHECKIT HE project are designed to support. The project outputs build to help HE and other stakeholders to challenge hate and extremism and these include: a report, six up-to-the-minute training toolkits on addressing diverse forms of hate and extremism and an app that can be used to identify and then select strategies and activities to counter these. The outputs are free and open access, enabling a wide variety of groups and individuals outside HEIs, Students organisations and policy makers, to use them to enhance their own work countering hate and extremism (this might include a wide range of NGOs, criminal justice practitioners, public authorities, schools, colleges, other non-degree level educational institutions and the broad-ranging EU youth workforce). CHECKIT HE aims to directly engage 135,000 people, as target groups and stakeholders, across the three years of the project, making a high impact contribution to helping to challenge hate and extremism in HE and beyond.The tolerance of hate and extremism on campus for HEIs can lead to social exclusion, distress and mental health issues, lower attainment in targeted groups, drop out of education and inequality in life chances post-graduation, which is bad for students and for HEIs. However, these negative impacts are also a problem for the health and sustainability of wider society, in preventing the spread of hate and extremism and ensuring public safety. CHECKIT HE will deliver longer term benefits for all, in relation to helping prevent hate, radicalisation and terrorism and by HEIs leading in the positive promotion of societal inclusion and tolerance.

<< Background >>Due to COVID 19 epidemic, tourism industry has been hit extremely hard as restrictions to international travel have caused a decline of the tourism economy at least between 45 and 70% (OCDE). While this can be seen as unprecedented economic crisis of our era, especially to countries that rely on tourism as a drive for economic development, it also represents an opportunity to shift tendencies and to strength economic resilience, especially in local areas.“Blue Tourism” refers to all tourism activities developed around any watercourse (rivers, lakes, seas). If in one hand, tourism is highly dependent on the natural ecosystems to attract visitors, on the other hand, it produces critical environmental and social impacts on natural resources and local communities. The Blue Economy concept must go beyond seeing the water economy only as a mechanism for economic growth, it must improve human wellbeing, social equity and reduce environmental risks and ecological disasters.Sustainable tourism must make appropriate use of environmental resources, respect the socio-cultural authenticity of communities and ensure that economic activities are viable in the long term. It also requires the informed participation of stakeholders, constant monitoring of its impacts, maintaining a high level of satisfaction among tourists (UNMTO).The “BLUE TOURISM – Build a network of local advisors to put small tourism providers in watercourse regions on a more sustainable path” project represents an opportunity to rethink tourism as a whole, by shifting more decisively from over tourism models to existing sustainable tourism models. In this context, watercourses are the common link between the eight countries – Portugal, Spain, Slovenia, Romania and Ireland – that integrate the project consortium. The BLUE TOURISM consortium aims at contributing to local sustainable tourism development through the capacity building of small tourism providers.<< Objectives >>The aim is to equip a network of future local advisors with the necessary competences so they can support and advice small tourism providers in watercourse regions to be more sustainable and competitive, with a strategic focus on: 1. Sustainable Tourism and SDGs; 2 Ethics and Social Responsibility; 3. Natural and Cultural Heritage; 4. Competitiveness and Sustainable Local Business Development; 5. Innovation and Digital Transformation; 6. Networking and Local Partnerships. 7. Branding and Digital Marketing; 8. Internationalisation Strategy.<< Implementation >>To achieve this goal, the BLUE TOURISM consortium will:1. develop one methodological framework.2. map eight case studies and eight best practices ofsustainable tourism initiatives in watercourse regions.3. design and produce one a training curriculum in eight competence areas, referencing a new competence model for the profile of the sustainable tourism advisor/provider. This curriculum will comprise an explicit set of learning outcomes aligned with EU frameworks (EQF, ECVET and EQAVET).4. develop a package with a set of tailored e-learning training materials to equip and enhance the BLUE TOURISM advisor green skills.5. deliver a training pilot addressed to train 70 new sustainable tourism advisors and 35 small tourism providers in watercourse regions.6. design and develop an digital portal (in OER format) providing instant and free access to the full suite of learning resources produced.7. produce 14 into-action videos, a set of inspirational and awareness raising short presenting the target groups experience in the project and to also promote these local regions as environmental sustainability promoters and sustainable touristic destinations.<< Results >>During the project life-cycle, partners are expecting to develop the following project results:Result 1 - BLUE TOURISM e-portfolio: methodological framework to map sustainable tourism initiatives in watercourse regions to be used as case studies, strategies and best practices examples in the development of the BLUE TOURISM training curriculum. This conceptual framework will be designed and presented as an interactive e-portfolio (electronic portfolio). Result 2 - BLUE TOURISM advisor profile and resources package: a blended learning training curriculum, mainly addressed at small tourism providers, on sustainable tourism and local development, oriented to promote the sustainable and efficient use of natural, cultural, and economic resources in watercourse regions.Result 3 - BLUE TOURISM digital space and into-action videos: a multilingual digital space as a single window offering open and instant access to the BLUE TOURISM learning materials and into-action a set of inspirational and awareness raising short films emerging from the different implementation phases of the project (reflections, lessons learned, local activities and specific projects, workshops, etc.).

The Europe 2020 strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth acknowledges lifelong learning and skills development as key elements in response to the current economic crisis, to demographic ageing and to the broader economic and social strategy of the EU. The crisis has highlighted the major role which adult learning can play in achieving the Europe 2020 goals, by enabling adults - in particular the low-skilled and older workers - to improve their ability to adapt to changes in the labor market and society. Participation in adult learning has continued to fall, from 9,8 % of the 25-64 year-old population in 2005 to only 9,1 % in 2010, thus making the increased ‘ET2020’ target of 15 % by 2020 an even greater challenge. One of the challenges faced today is the fact that some MS do not have comprehensive strategies on Adult Education, whilst, where they exist no measures are taken for updating and monitoring them, identifying gaps and being at the same time in line with the ET2020 strategy. The development of a comprehensive strategy on Adult Education will enable local and national authorities to contribute towards the achievement of the above EU target and increase adults’ participation in education and training in a lifelong learning perspective. The strategy will be in line with other EU tools such as the EQF and NQF as well as the mechanisms for validating non-formal and in-formal learning. What are the effective policies to be taken into account for the development of an effective strategy, who are the major stakeholders to participate in the development of the strategy, how the strategy can be put into practice, what are some practical tools needed to facilitated these processes, are some of the questions that will seek answer during the project lifespan.The project objectives are fully align with the EU priorities and are the following: - Designing and implementing effective strategies for enhancing basic skills for specific adult target groups, increasing incentives for adult training- Stimulating the development and use of innovative approaches and tools to assess and increase the efficiency of public expenditure and the investment in education, training and youth, including through new funding models such as public-private partnerships, cost-sharing, etc. (Erasmus + , horizontal priority) - Evaluating the effectiveness of adult education policies at national, regional and local levels level (Erasmus +, field specific priority).- EU benchmark referring to the Adult Participation in lifelong learning (15% until 2020)- Priorities of the EU Agenda on Adult Learning 2014-15The consortium consist of 6 partners, from 5 European countries which cover a wide range of expertise related to the aims of the DIMA project, as well they have a Pan-European outreach in their activities:1.MOEC has extensive experience in working with cross-discipline and cross-sector project teams and developed educational activities2.CARDET is an international education research center with global expertise in Adult Education strategies3.Maynooth University is composed by experts and professionals, who were involved in various EU Adult Education projects4.Slovenian Institute for Adult Education is the main national institution for research, education, validation & promotional informative activities in the field of adult education5.The National Lifelong Learning Institute set up for the provision and fulfillment of tasks within the area of lifelong learning and further education in Slovakia6.The European Association for the Education of Adults is the voice of non-formal and informal adult education in Europe. EAEA is a transnational, non-profit association with 126 members in 42 countries.The selection of partners has been based on the needs and matching of abilities identified for the successful implantation of the project and the delivery of high quality outcomes, reflected in their profiles, presented in the previous section. MOEC has endeavored to bring together partners from countries at different stages of development relevant to the project target groups and development activities. The consortium has all the skills necessary to support the successful development, implementation and dissemination of the project and the following project activities.1. State of the art on literature and best practices on how strategies are developed and monitored in the adult education2. Needs assessment for collecting research data and empirical information to assess target group needs 3. Development of a practical and innovative toolkit4. Curriculum development and training material5. Online development for further dissemination and exploitation of DIMA toolkit and training material6. E-learning modules and OER7. Pilot implementations in each country with stakeholders. Case studies of implementation will be show-cased in order to convince more stakeholders to utilize project products.