INTEMIS

IN.TE.M.I.S. has introduced in the Institutes and vocational training centers the teaching methodology of the ‘Flipped Classroom’, based on ICT and on an innovative pedagogical approach and focused on the student, in order to: increase the quality of teaching and learning, reduce the school drop-out, supporting the modernization of education and training systems.

The project idea was born from the desire to respond to the challenges faced by the staff employed in schools and VET institutions in Italy and other European countries: the adoption of innovative pedagogical approaches, the introduction of new information technologies in learning, the demotivation of some student categories that – in extreme cases – has the consequence of school leaving.

This phenomenon affects many Italian and European VET schools, which therefore require teachers who adopt innovative methodologies and use new technologies to: modernize student’s learning; to help increase the attractiveness of the study, especially for the less motivated students; create inclusive learning environments, open and ready to meet the needs of all students. Moreover, Italian VET institutes have to deal with another problem: the poor level of English knowledge of their students compared to the European ones.

Through the project, teachers and trainers of schools and VET institutions have been trained on how to integrate innovative teaching strategies and implement the Flipped Classroom learning methodology, applied to the learning of English.

The project partnership consists of 7 organizations from 5 European countries: the ‘IIS Leonardo da Vinci’ professional school in Piazza Armerina, project coordinator; Essenia UETP, Center VET Salerno, ‘Keilir Atlantic Center of Excellence’ and ‘Menntaskólinn á Tröllaskaga’, both Icelandic Institutes experts in the application of the Flipped Classroom Method; ‘Inercia Digital’ and ‘Action Synergy’, organizations expert in new technologies and digital and innovative training, located – respectively – in Spain and in Greece; the Portuguese University ‘Universidad Portucalense’.

The following activities were carried out: n. 3 Project management meetings (in Italy, Portugal and Iceland); n. 2 Staff training activities on the topics: “Innovative teaching: pedagogical and technological aspects” (October 2017, Spain) and “Implementation and evaluation methods of the Flipped Classroom” (May 2018, Greece); Mobility activities of Italian and Icelandic students (carried out at the same time as staff training activities) and focusing on learning through new methodologies and technologies: 1 Final meeting and a final project conference in Italy. The products created thanks to the project are : Research on innovative teaching and training needs of teachers and students in Italy, Comparative research on innovative education in Europe, Guide for the implementation of mixed learning environments, the website (www.intemis-project.eu); Facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1618374755123010/?ref=br_rs), a repository of materials for learning English.

Results and impacts are envisaged in terms of: a greater knowledge of the state of the art on the adoption of innovative teaching methodologies and on the Flipped Classroom method in Italy and in Europe; a fruitful exchange of materials, experiences and good practices between partner organizations and participants in staff training activities; the acquisition, by the teachers, of skills related to the implementation and evaluation of mixed learning environments based on the inverted class methodology; the increase, in the students participating in the mobility, of the motivation to study thanks to the use of IT tools and participatory approaches, and of the inclusion within the training environment; strengthening, in all subjects involved, linguistic skills in English, intercultural, social, IT and pedagogical skills; the enhancement by the partnership of the ability to operate at a transnational level and to cooperate with European organizations active in the field of education and training. The project has helped to: increase the exchange of good educational practices in Europe, experiment with innovative models of learning, and improve the educational offer of the organizations involved.

The long-term benefits can be seen in the further experimentation and application of the Flipped Classroom model not only inside, but also outside the Partnership organizations, a process already successfully started by them, also through the provision of courses to on the methodology of the Flipped Classroom.