[publication] Should Universities partner with NGOs? A Case Study of a University of Technology and a Coding School for Refugees #research

At this years‘ EDEN conference we made a publication titled „Should Universities partner with NGOs? A Case Study of a University of Technology and a Coding School for Refugees

Abstract:
This paper explores the advantages of a University-NGO Partnership between the Faculty of Informatics at Vienna University of Technology (TU Vienna) and the NGO „refugees{code}-, a coding school for refugees in Vienna, Austria. The goal of this collaboration is twofold: Firstly, to help students apply coding skills practically and enhance their proficiency through teaching experiences with underrepresented groups; and secondly, to provide refugees with meaningful activities that match their profession, education, and personal interests, which might have been interrupted in their home countries. The study evaluates the perspectives of the stakeholders involved. To do so, written surveys and interviews with computer science students, refugees and team members of the NGO were conducted. The results indicate that meaningful educational benefits for computer science students can be created within such partnerships, such as enhanced teaching abilities, dispelled prejudices, insights into the factors affecting refugees‘ educational and career trajectories, as well as improved communication and empathy skills. However, challenges for such partnerships also exist, including giving student teachers more time for meetings and discussions, empowering them to make decisions, providing access to counseling psychologists and interpreters, and offering support in managing participants‘ expectations. The findings shed light on the potential benefits from participating in campus-community partnerships and suggest several measures to improve them, such as providing additional ECTS credits, intensifying promotional activities to encourage greater student participation, providing alumni support, and issuing official certificates.

[article @ proceeding’s homepage]
[article @ ResearchGate]

Citation: Wolf, D. and Ebner, M. (2024) ‘Should Universities partner with NGOs? A Case Study of a University of Technology and a Coding School for Refugees’, Ubiquity Proceedings, 4(1), p. 36. Available at: https://doi.org/10.5334/uproc.158.

[publication] Usage of (federated) Learning Management Systems in European University Alliances #tugraz

We made a contribution about our outcomes of the European alliance titled „Usage of (federated) Learning Management Systems in European University Alliances

Abstract:
In today’s rapidly evolving educational landscape, European universities are increasingly relying on digital technologies for collaboration and learning. European Universities, as transnational alliances, aim to reshape higher education by fostering academic exchange and innovation across borders. With over 40 alliances in existence, enhancing virtual mobility and exchange through interconnected learning infrastructures has become imperative. This paper provides insights into Learning Management System (LMS) adoption within European alliances, focusing on the Unite! alliance as a case study. While Unite! demonstrates successful implementation of Moodle as its central LMS, challenges persist in achieving uniformity across all partners. A desktop analysis of European alliances reveals that Moodle might be the most often used LMS in February 2023. A description of the LMS implementation within the Unite! analysis shows as well that a majority uses Moodle – at least as a second LMS. So, although the decision for a federated LMS based on Moodle might be the right one, these results as well indicate the need for tailored technical solutions for future developments for some partners and disparities in lecturers‘ and students‘ concerning a Moodle so that pre-emptive measures to ensure equitable participation are important. Despite these challenges, Unite!’s experience underscores the potential of Moodle as a widely adopted platform, prompting further exploration into solutions like LTI integration.

[article @ proceeding’s homepage]
[article @ ResearchGate]

Citation: Ebner, M., Schön, S., Alcober, J., Bertonasco, R., Herczak-Ciara, A., Hoppe, C., Martikainen, J., Muchitsch, M., Petersson, J. and da Silva, F.M. (2024) ‘Usage of (federated) Learning Management Systems in European University Alliances’, Ubiquity Proceedings, 4(1), p. 37. Available at: https://doi.org/10.5334/uproc.159.