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DIGITAL SECOND CHANCE OPPORTUNITIES
Start date: Sep 1, 2014, End date: Aug 31, 2016 PROJECT  FINISHED 

DISCO focussed on the quality improvement of second chance education, targeted at the NEET-group. The development of an online knowledge and quality centre was positioned centrally. In this centre digital assessment tools, good practices and trainings are made available. In that way DISCO focussed on the quality of curricula/tools, the quality of teachers/trainers and the organizational setting in which the NEET-group education takes place. Via a state-of-the-art European wide online platform for second chance education a knowledge and quality centre was set-up. In this knowledge centre all experience and expertise is bundled gathered from previous projects and updated to online available tools to invest in trainers, teachers and beneficiaries themselves on a European level. The developed tools (user-driven, online grading system for good practices; self- and peer-assessment system for organisations; tailor-made e-portfolio tool for (international) placements; self-assessment tool for teachers/trainers) created the opportunity to think and act borderless in European second chance education and upgrade national development to a European, transversal, setting. Next to the development of the online knowledge and quality centre it is important that those involved in (the development of) training and teaching processes contributed themselves and share ideas, knowledge and experiences. An online and offline European community of teachers/trainers in second chance education was targeted and built. In this community teachers and trainers can share, discuss, develop and value their practices and ideas. In this way a bottom-up movement is started based on social network activity and user involvement. The continuous education of teachers and trainers is fostered making all teacher trainings in the second chance network visible (connecting supply and demand) and by exploring good practices for joint (European) curriculum design and international guest lectures. In that way DISCO impacted beneficiaries of the NEET-group, the organizational/educational settings involved and the trainers/teachers active: local expertise and experiences was transferred to open digital European quality tools. Partners from UK, PL, IT, BE and NL cooperated in DISCO. The diversity in the partnership proved highly effective as mutual learning was possible: partners with strong management skills, with strong educational experience, with strong networks and partners with direct access to teachers//trainers and learners were active. Not only their specific skills and experience concerning the content contributed, but also the cross-cultural learning over teaching/learning systems and personal strengths were visible. All tools/outputs on secondchanceeducation.eu are will be used in the framework of the sustainable development of the European quality centre in second chance education. This centre is developed under the auspices of E2C-Europe: all tools (and the centre itself) will be exploited by the members of E2C-Europe. Both content and community of www.secondchanceeducation.eu will be further developed via projects: the community is still growing and is expected to grow by at least 50 members per year. E2C-Europe is expected to be a driving force behind this development: this is relevant as the European quality centre in second chance education needs to be dynamic, so continuously more community members, more services and tools need to feed in. Currently the follow-up project EPODS will start in November; In E-PODS focus is put on the elements of resources and trainings in secondchanceeducation.eu. These elements will be further developed for teachers/trainers working in second chance education. E-PODS will promote European integration of professional development of teachers/trainers in second chance education and set up an organic / growing database connecting tools, schools, teachers/trainers and beneficiaries. DISCO targeted three out of five objectives of the Europe2020-strategy: • In terms of employment (EU2020: 75% of the 20-64 year-olds to be employed (now youth unemployment over 25%) increases employment opportunities for youngsters at risk by offering them international work experience and making it possible to evidence this experience digitally. • Looking at education (EU2020: Reducing school drop-out rates below 10% (now 15,3%) and at least 40% of 30-34–year-olds completing third level education) DISCO invests in a vulnerable target group, who is at the highest risk of drop out and has the lowest chances in completing third level education. • In fighting poverty and social exclusion ((EU2020: at least 20 million fewer people in or at risk of poverty and social exclusion) DISCO offers concrete opportunities and develops tools for teaching and training in a community and network based integrated environment to avoid exclusion and to promote their chances in the European society and labour market.
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