The opening meeting of the LEARNITECT – Meeting of Innovative Learning Design and Inclusive Learning Spaces project was held by the partners in the framework of a two-day programme that was both very enjoyable and yet dense and focused.

About the programme

The first evening began with an informal dinner and a team-building “human bingo” game that set the tone for joint thinking. The participants highlighted that the project is not only a professional cooperation, but also a human connection, which they are happy to build on over the next two years.
The professional blocks of the second day focused on clarifying common goals and strengthening the operational framework. During the project review, the planned timeframe of the 2024 international partner visits was fixed (Italy – spring, Portugal – early summer, Hungary – early autumn), as well as the schedule for monthly online status meetings. In the area of management and coordination, the partners agreed on the timetable of partnership contracts and payments (advance–interim–final), performance and quality indicators, mandatory reporting elements, and document retention rules. Decisions were also made on the communication channels: group messaging for quick coordination, a shared cloud storage for document sharing, and an e-mail list.

The following main topics were placed on the agenda in the preparation of the professional content:

• Diagnosis: the content framework of the questionnaire (school space usage, inclusion, community learning, digital tools, STEM), target numbers, translation and dissemination process.
• School visits: common templates and diaries, interview questions, photo documentation; selection criteria for mapping innovative learning and community spaces.
• Knowledge management and dissemination: podcast series and articles, interview booklet, study based on the results of the diagnosis and visits; web and social media presence.
• Architectural work: preliminary national studies (regulatory and typological frameworks), followed by at least three final architectural studies with visual designs, tool schemes and technical descriptions; the focus remains on classrooms and learning spaces.
• Risk management: scheduling conflicts, travel costs, cooperation risks and the corresponding responses.

Project leaders’ summary

The coordinator association (Association for Hungarian Digital Education) would like to grow in this field and address teachers, school leaders and schools more effectively. MDOE always aims to implement projects that can bring new professional knowledge to teachers and schools; thus, through the teachers, children and school leaders can also gain new knowledge. STEM education and digitalisation are key topics across Europe, which are equally in the focus of the project and of current educational developments across the continent.

For us, this project is a tool to support teachers and schools with data-based feedback and practical examples in digital and STEM development.

– highlighted Tibor Dőri, President of the Hungarian Association for Digital Education.

IAL Toscana set two further objectives. As a secondary school, they are constantly looking for innovative solutions not only in methodology but also in how to shape the physical space of the school. They are convinced that schools must adopt a holistic approach to the learning process: not only the content and methods must be attractive and adapted to students’ needs, but also the space in which they are applied. On the other hand, with strong networks and collaborations with other schools and organisations representing teachers’ interests, they believe that innovative solutions in school architecture must be developed and systematised. Although some schools are making progress in improving physical spaces, this is not yet systematic, and knowledge is not systematically collected and organised. This project can provide an opportunity to create a “community of practice” at local and European level, mapping good practices and offering a forum to exchange them. It can also mark the beginning of a theoretical and practical dialogue on the topic.

Gabriella Pusztai (IAL Toscana) emphasised:

In Tuscany we already have many good examples; now we have the chance to share and further develop them in a systematised way and in international dialogue.

Lisa Gomes, project leader of Previform, stated:

The quality of inclusive, well-designed learning spaces has a direct impact on the learning experience – we will bring home knowledge that will also strengthen the local ecosystem.

Previform (P3) defined three specific goals:

• Sensitising local actors: the project offers an opportunity for European partners to provide new insights through their country-specific knowledge and skills.
• Promoting the information and training of local actors and developing synergies among the various European partners. Information will be disseminated through the specific circuits of project organisations and community sites such as EPALE.
• Placing the European dimension into a territorial perspective. This territorial dimension allows actions to be recorded as close as possible to actors and decision-makers. Inclusion often suffers from a lack of consultation between different partners.

According to Bertalan Péter Farkas, managing director of Learnitect Design:

The integration of pedagogical and architectural knowledge provides tangible, adaptable solutions for schools – this is what we will demonstrate together.

Together with Ádám Tihanyi, the company’s other managing director and architect, they set goals that would be ambitious even for a large corporation:

• In education: designing innovative learning spaces that meet the needs of the target group, satisfy local, regional and European demands, and serve as good practice in education.
• Implementing constructive, creative and innovative knowledge management activities and promoting them in the local and European media space, bringing together diverse actors and initiating professional dialogue.
• Directly addressing and involving school leaders and teachers, and through dialogue with them, developing and delivering services that best fit their needs.

After the Budapest kick-off, the partners start their joint work with a clear roadmap and strong commitment: the aim of LEARNITECT is to support the renewal of European school spaces over the next two years with tangible, adaptable models and accessible knowledge resources – in the spirit of community learning, inclusion and digital-pedagogical innovation.

Project partners

• Magyar Digitális Oktatásért Egyesület (Hungary – co-ordinator)
• IAL Toscana Innovazione Apprendimento Lavoro srl. Impresa Sociale (Italy)
• Previform – Laboratório, Formação, Higiene e Segurança do Trabalho, Lda (Portugal)
• Learnitect Design Kft. (Hungary)

Project duration: 1 September 2023 – 31 August 2025

Grant amount: EUR 60,000

Grant Agreement No.: 2023-1-HU01-KA210-SCH-000152699

Partners

LEARNITECT – Az innovatív tanulási tervezés és inkluzív tanulási terek találkozása c. projekt (Hungarian)

LEARNITECT – Meeting of innovative learning design and inclusive learning spaces (ENG)

Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

GA Nr.: 2023-1-HU01-KA210-SCH-000152699.

With the main partner of the project, the Hungarian Association for Hungarian Digital Education, and with partners Learnitect Design Ltd (Hungary),  Previform Lda (Portugal) IAL Toscana carries out the project activities, financed by Erasmus Plus programme.