Ariadne EU

Latest Archelogical Discoveries In Europe

Europe is one of the richest archeological sites in the world as it was the home of thousands of civilizations for thousands of years. From time to time, some of the remains of these ancient empires come to the light and shake what we believe about the world and the past.

Lucky Humpers – A Sign Of Times

Lucky Lil Humpers is not a recent idea. Sexual relations between generations of people are a old as Europe. But having a digital world of today we can be sure as soon as some studio catch up the idea it’s going to be made.

https://luckyhumpers.comThis is the case with Lucky Humpers – where young males are set with older women, called MILFs. During real-life routines they end up having an intercourse and it’s where the magic happens. The difference in stamina, the difference in experience. Can it work? It surely does. More video content of this at https://luckyhumpers.com (for free).

Solid Copper Ancient Roman Hand Discovered Close To The Hadrian´s Wall

As The Independent informed, a 2.3 kg solid bronze severed hand was found covered in mud near the wall of the Hadrian Sea. According to experts, the hand was a gift by the Romans to the captains of the army that led one of the bloodiest campaigns in the history of the empire involving a 50,000-solider invasion force. It also believed that the hand was buried in a ritual by the receiving military man.

Skeleton With A Pair Of Leather Boots Was Found In The River Thames

London´s super sewer was the place experts found this skeleton of a man wearing thigh-high leather boots lying down with his face looking down with an arm over his head. Because of this strange positioning, experts believe he fell down and drowned in the river. Studies are still being carried on with the bones, but it is believed to be a 500-year-old skeleton.

This discovery implies a big change in what experts thought they knew about the Pitted Ware Culture. Because they found grains in areas that were inhabited by this civilization, the experts conclude that agriculture in a small scale was adopted by them during the Stone Age. This discovery of grains of 5,000 years ago is revolutionary for archeologists all over the world.

The tunnel in the highway that was planned for 3km after Stonehenge by Highways England could be cancelled because of some conditions that Sir Cecil Chubb added to the deeds when he gifted the site to the government. This Neolithic circle of stones is one of England´s most iconic locations in terms of archeology and is protected by European initiatives.

Viking Ship Found In Norway With GPR Technology

A Viking ship came out from the Ground-Penetrating Radar session carried out in Oslo on March 25th. The experts that distinguished the round shape of the ship are inclined to think that it is a Viking vessel because the region is very rich in Viking-era treasures. Results were shared with other specialists and further investigation to determine size and other variables started in the discovery place.

Wooly mammoths and ancient Neanderthals could share some DNA according to experts´ new findings. Although it has been extinct for thousands of years, it is still being a matter of study. Neanderthals and the wooly mammoths shared thousands of years in the Ice Age and in fact, their proteins helped the development and adaptation of Neanderthals. These new findings could be revolutionary to what we think about human evolution. Experts are still working on the findings before releasing any more information about it.

According to specialists, the two stone circles that surround Stonehenge could be related to a single house for an elite Neolithic family. This finding was made with Ground-Penetration Radars that discovered that the circles of forty kilometers that are North of Stonehenge were made around a small house. Also, the circles and the house are said to be placed before any of the megalithic monument of Stonehenge just nearby. Experts believe that both were started by the elite family in care of the center house.

Conclusion

Europe is a very rich archeological field in which it is possible to encounter pieces from various lost civilizations. The understanding of the present world that is given by examining where we come from is very valuable for the scientific world. All these discoveries take us a step closer to knowing and understanding where we come from and from there try to comprehend where we are going. Archeology´s role in understanding the present and the future is crucial to try living in a better world.

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China-EU Technology Relations In The New Era

President Xi Jinping gave a very powerful speech about four years ago at the College of Europe. In his speech, he described what present day China was like and where it had come from.

President Jinping said that his country together with the EU needed to establish four partnerships for progress of civilization, growth, reform and most importantly peace.

In addition, the President said in order for the two nations to move their relationship forward they needed to know more about each other. He further explained that the main reason for his visit was to help Europe know more about China, as well as the China-EU relations in the new era.

The Era Of Deep Lush

Deep Lush Project

Deep Lush Project

The project of Deep Lush is surely going to strengthen bonds between EU and China. Deep Lush is porn project with only one thing in aim – to show surfers that having sex in front of cameras can be done in a very sensual fashion with lots of chemistry and affection. While it might sound unrealistic you need to see free video previews that are available at the project’s website.

Will it make a difference in EU-China relations? We are not sure yet, but there is a great chance!

The Things China Promises To Do In The New Era

Since China is the world’s second largest economy, when this country’s development is at its optimum the entire world will profit. China’s first agenda in the new era is to attain high quality development then bring huge opportunities to the rest of the world from high speed-growth to high-quality growth.

All this will be made possible by the continued improvement of the country’s economic structure. For instance, take 2017 when investment and consumption were a major driver in China’s growth totalling 59% of its economic growth. Emerging sectors such as new energy and digital economy did exceptionally well, while retail sales accounted for over one trillion US dollars.

As the economic structure of China continues to improve it will result in global recovery getting stronger and global economy becoming more balanced.

Taking The China-EU Relations To New Levels

When both the EU and China are combined they account for one third of the world’s GDP, 10% of its land area and 25% of the population. This relationship is said to make a great impact considering we are living in an age of greatness.

The China-EU technology relations in the new era focuses on the interest of people from both sides as well as have a profound impact on economy and global politics. In order for this relations to advance it is paramount that both parties think big. Failure to think big or get the big things done right, it will be difficult to handle small things as well.

China’s Contribution To Green Development

Since China is the world’s largest producer and seller of new energy vehicles, the country is set to contribute more in regards to green development.

China has already started developing the largest emissions trading systems in the world and they will continue to promote low- carbon and green development which will lead to economic growth by using less. The country aims at protecting the environment and assisting in tackling climate change.

China’s Contribution To Innovation

Since the country is already a global innovation frontrunner it is no surprise that China aims to contribute even more to innovation. As of 2010 over 25% of new unicorn companies have been established in China. Productivity is getting higher with the advancement of both science and technology. With the emergence of new sources of consumption the market demand gets stronger thus the global economy becomes more robust.

The China-EU relations are not only deeper but wider than most people think. Each year the EU and China trade almost $600 billion US dollars or more than $1 million every minute. Therefore it is important that both parties overlook the differences they have on specified issues and focus on the big picture. Both China’s technological and economic support is more powerful than any other EU’s major member country. Even though the EU was having a hard time a few years ago China has never been less powerful.

Therefore, all we can do is sit back and wait for all the innovations that will come out of the China-EU technology relations in the new era.

 

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Studying Educational Science And Technology At The University Of Twente

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tudying Educational Science And Technology At The University Of Twente EST – Short for Educational Science Technology, is a Master’s programme at the University of Twente that aims to reach anyone who is interested in the design and evaluation of meaning and development in schools and organizations. The school tackles different subjects, such as the professionalization of teachers, e-learning or development of employees. Some people may face anxiety while being in front of a class. They may, however, learn about people development – how people react and how people think – in various other contexts.

University Of Twente

This university regroups many different people: from workers to international students and a whole lot more. Groups of students would work on small scale science projects with the guidance of consecrated teachers.

Students love the idea that this university allows them to study part time and work part time.

1. The Programme’s Profiles

The programme has two profile:

  • The first one is referred to as EDD, the profile education effectiveness, which is all about learning to systematically design a learning environment and to understand how to measure their effectiveness on learners.
  • The second one is called HRD or New Resource Development which is about learning and the development of teams in the context of the day to day work environment.

“I chose the HRD program because I like the context of the organizations. Seeing people grow and develop, getting the best out of themselves and becoming happier also helps me grow and also makes me happy. My touch is helping people get the best out of themselves.”

Anna, Student at the University of Twente

2. How And When To Join?

If you are interested in designing and evaluating teaching and learning programmes in schools and organizations, or keen to find out more about the learning and development of company employees, the one-year Master’s programme in Educational Science and Technology is the right programme for you. You can start in September or February. They can also offer some excellent research programs. This year, an assessment was made of the research programs in pedagogics and educational sciences in the Netherlands. The faculty of Behavioural sciences of the University of Twente submitted the program Educational Design and Evaluation, with the subthemes Inquiry learning in powerful learning environments, Educational design and effectiveness and Computerized testing of knowledge and skills. The program obtained excellent marks, that is, 4,5 for quality, productively and relevance, and a 4 for vitality. As a result, the program gained a place in the top of Dutch educational research.

3. The Educational Design and Evaluation Programme

The Educational Design and Evaluation is a very high quality programme with several elements of international excellence as its first subtheme. The major challenges for the future are probable to be the development of an integrated programme in terms of research goals, outcomes, policy and culture, and further development of the recently established local PhD programme and the installation approach can be recognized as an original and promising way in which to organize research, so as to respond to the real-life questions which may be answered through traditional, mono-disciplinary approaches.

4. The Educational Science And Technology Programme

The focus of Educational Science and Technology programme is the design and evaluation of teaching and learning programmes in schools and organizations.

Educational Science and Technology Programme

The scope is wide: from the instruction of young children in primary school to developing interactive materials for vocational education, and from assessing the quality of schooling and school performance to talent and leadership development, and in-company re-training. If you’re an Educational Science and Technology student, you will probably take a high-tech approach to your studies while being expected to never lose sight of the human dimension. As an addition, you will learn all about theories of learning and assessment, instructional design and implementation, theoretical foundations and practical applications of learning environments and interventions. The programme also includes to learn to discover how to design different learning scenarios and curriculums, and how to translate your designs into recommendations and solutions to practical problems.

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Learning More About The European Institute Of Innovation & Technology

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nnovation is hungry for big ideas, great materials and, crucially, the right people with the right know-how. The introduction of innovation into the market is essential for the prosperity of our society; as the world changes at an increasing speed, we need an increasing amount of it. So what exactly brings one to be a source of innovation? Well, there are three theories. The first one is referred to as the Eureka Moment, when an idea appears as if from nowhere. The second one emphasizes the idea that one should keep trying until she or he gets to her or his final result. Of course, sometimes, there can be a bit of luck, which brings us to our third theory: pure coincidence! That is when just the right person happens to be at the right place and time.

In reality though, for a great idea to get out into the wild, a bit of all three is needed. The right people are needed in the right environment to make the right coincidences in everyday occurrences. That’s where the EIT comes in. Since 2008, this project of the European Union has been bringing together talented people from excellent businesses, research institutes and universities from around Europe and providing them with supports and opportunities that allow innovation to happen. The number of EIT innovation hearts is growing, as the EIT continues to train a new generation of entrepreneurs and support a multitude of business ideas and young ventures.

The EIT’s concept is based on the knowledge triangle, which consists of research centers, universities and companies. Its goal is to form an efficient partnership between these three actors to ensure the best outcome and to contribute to Europe’s competitiveness in innovation and technology. It is willing to create an environment in which creative thinking would allow innovation and entrepreneurship to flourish in the Union.

1. EIT’s Values

There are several values proposed by the EIT in order for their organization to work efficiently. These are:

Inspiration

Passion

Engagement

Openness

Excellence

Dynamism

They act as a source of Inspiration for entrepreneurs and innovators to create future solutions through their knowledge and experiences. In order to boost Europe both economically and socially, the EIT is Passionate about the idea of bringing the previously mentioned actors together. This Institute Engages with plenty of stakeholders in order to ensure that ideas become a reality through an Open interaction. The EIT emphasizes Excellence in their work by having a results-oriented approach through their work with professionals. In order to help all these actors, the EIT presents itself as a Dynamic community, willing to help future innovators and entrepreneurs live up to their potential.

2. The KICS (Knowledge And Innovation Communities)

The KICs are a series of cross-border group projects aimed to increase Europe’s role in sustainable growth and competitiveness in the fields of innovation and technology. This programme focuses on the development of innovative products and services, the start-up of new companies as well as the training of a new generation of entrepreneurs.

The European Institute of Innovation and Technology is part of the Horizon 2020 programme, a case we will study in the following paragraphs.

3. The EIT In Horizion 2020

A single common strategic framework was created in 2011 by the European Commission. It brought together all of the previous research and innovation funding in the Union. Horizon 2020 started in 2014 nad has since then been a major factor in Europe’s technological and innovative advancements.

With nearly 80 billion euros of funding, Horizon 2020 is undeniably the biggest EU Research and Innovation programme. Its idea is based on the fact that Europe must invest in its research and innovation filed in order to gain a global competitive position. It does so by promoting economic growth and creating jobs.

Objectives such as societal challenges are strongly addressed by the EIT. This kind of initiative directly contributes to the Horizon 2020 programme.

By bringing together the best people from the best institutes all across the Union, the EIT stands out as a model to reinforce Europe’s competitive position in Innovation and Technology. It clearly serves as a dynamic way to bring together entrepreneurs and innovators in order to create the jobs of tomorrow.

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Masters Degrees In Education Technology In Europe

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ith the importance of  technology and its almost mandatory presence in every aspect of today’s world, it is no wonder why one would chose to study this contemporary subject. With Europe integrating a digital approach to education and businesses, there is without any doubt, quite a few places one can choose to pursue her or his studies. We are going to look at the most renowned Universities where you can obtain a master’s degree in Education Technology in Europe.

1. University Of Oulu, Finland

University Of Oulu, Finland

This University offers a two-year international Master’s programme called Learning, Education and Technology, or LET for short. Studies are based on three theoretical pillars:

  • Self-regulation,
  • Collaboration and
  • Technology enhancement.

LET programme seeks to develop knowledge and skills in fields such as designing, conducting, analyzing and assessing tools needed for modern technology-based education.

Once they have graduated, LET students are able to work collaboratively in educational communities by making use of learning theories, evaluate the pedagogical potential of different technologies, understand the process of self-regulated learning as well as design their own technology-enhanced learning platforms.
Career opportunities a LET graduate gets go from educators to human resource developers and even as far as administrators.

2. Far Eastern Federal University, Russia

Far Eastern Federal University, Russia

This University, based in Vladivostok, offers a programme that combines fundamental, theoretical and practical training in the field of information systems and technologies. Its aim is to train professionals in the design, development and maintenance of new information technologies as well as the introduction of IT products in modern enterprises.

Graduates earn a set of acquired competences, ranging from the ability to solve problems in various classes – using modern methods and automation tool – to fundamental skills in the conduct and organization of scientific research.

The faculty boasts its use of modern computing technics as well as its high qualification in the involvement of leading researches and industry practitioners. Students are invited to learn everything needed in the fields of technology and innovation, giving them abilities that will allow them a future position in the ever-growing digital presence in education.

Russian and the EU have collaborated on several occasions in the field of Innovative Projects. Be sure to check our article titled The EU-Russia Collaborative Innovation Project.

3. University Of The Laguna, Spain

University Of The Laguna, Spain

The general goal of this Master’s Degree in Education and ICT could be defined, in a broad sense, as the training of experts with advanced knowledge and skills to investigate in: teaching-learning processes supported by ICT and developed through virtual environments programs training and educational innovation projects on ICT in formal education institutions (both school and university) and non-formal design and development of educational software, online teaching materials, digital content and educational applications distributed through digital media and technologies.

Through this Master’s degree, graduates in degrees such as Pedagogy, Social Educator, Psychology, Communication or Computer Engineer may specialize in the academic and research field of education and ICT.

ICT, or Information and Communication Technologies, has broken into all areas of our lives that imposes new forms and processes of communication and cultural expression.
In parallel, educational activities are also affected by the expansion of ICT. Nowadays, concepts such as multimedia educational material, digital content, virtual campus, edublogs, e-learning, virtual learning environment, educational apps, educational social networks, e-portfolios, personal learning environments, among many others, are evidence that digital technologies are already a reality in the practice of education.

Various e-learning platforms are available for teachers and students alike. For more information, check our article on this widget based project called ROLE.

4. Viseu School Of Education, Portugal

Viseu School Of Education, Portugal

The cycle of studies leading to the Master’s Degree in Education and Multimedia, in this University, aims to train specialists in the area of ​​Information and Communication Technologies and multimedia applied to Education and Training.

Studies are focused on ICT integration in Educational Design and students learn to develop knowledge and skills to design, implement and evaluate learning environments with ICT in a curricular context. School project management is also a competence that this University wants their students to master.

Once they graduate, students will be able to manage ICT projects for schools, develop their own educational programmes, assists students and teachers alike in the effective use of a variety of digital resources in education as well as evaluate the processes used and eventually suggest improvements.

A Master’s degree in Education and Multimedia aims to qualify education professionals the area of ​​Educational Sciences / Educational Technology – educational communication and the use of teaching resources in learning processes.

5. University Of Geneva, Switzerland

University of Geneva, Switzerland.

This University proposes a Master’s degree in Science and Technology of Learning and Training. It trains its students to use technologies in the field of education, while focusing on the analysis and design of computer based learning environments, as well as on the management of e-learning projects.

The particularity in this University is the availability of a subject called Educational Video Games. Other subjects in which students are trained are ICT, meditated communication and e-learning, user centered design and ergonomics and methodology of research in educational technologies

One may work as a consultant responsible for training educators in the use of ICT learning resources, even though the University focuses on multimedia development and design.
Teachers have reportedly been using various interactive digital resources such as educational video games. To learn more about that, be sure to read our article on the Learning Resource Exchange Platform.

6. Center For Research And Interdisciplinary, France

CRI offers AIRE EdTech Master’s programme that focuses on the digital transformation that currently takes place in education.

Based in Paris, the AIRE EdTech Master’s programme focuses on the digital transformation that currently takes place in education. It trains teachers, researcher and entrepreneurs to design projects for the school of tomorrow. It emphasizes the idea that education is now globalized and that learning resources should be available everywhere.

In their first year of studies in a Master’s degree, students will learn the basics of computer languages and the use of technology in educational purposes. Students are advised to pick five of these courses during their first semester:

  • Cognitive science
  • Educational games
  • Learning by doing
  • New technologies to create and share knowledge
  • Open Science and Open Innovation
  • Pedagogical innovation
  • Scientific communication

During their second semester, they will attend a five months internship but will have to attend to lectures once a week.

During their second year, students will be introduced to project building, after which they will do three internships of three months each. Courses on innovation, analysis and the design of educational project will be held every week.

7. Northern (Arctic) Federal University, Russia

Northern (Arctic) Federal University, Russia

Information Technologies In Education is a Master’s degree that is aimed at training highly qualified specialists in the field of computerization of education, capable of developing, implementing and supporting information systems for various purposes in educational institutions that have the necessary competencies capable of generating and implementing innovative ideas in their professional activities.

Located in Arkhangelsk in northern Russia, this educational facility provides graduates with the following skills:

  • Using softwares for educational purposes,
  • Implementing digital technology in learning,
  • Developing an educational programme,
  • Forming a relationship between ICT and the educational environment and
  • Designing a project using information technology

This broad offer of Master’s degree will satisfy any student, whether she or he is willing to focus on the design of educational programmes, the training of future educators in facilities that use digital technology or an entrepreneur-oriented career. There is a couple of decisions to make when advancing to the digital area, be sure to check our article about Strategic Principles For Competing In Digital Age.

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Mckinsey & Company Strategic Principles For Competing In Digital Age

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very company today, in order to be competitive, must acknowledge the importance of digitization. According to McKinsey’s, there are six critical decisions a company must make in order to address the issue of digitization.

1. Modeling Your Portfolio – To Buy Or To Sell?

Buy or Sell?

In a digital world, a company’s growth and income become smaller and competitive strategies have other rules. This is why it is important for a business to alter the way it models its portfolio if it is willing to achieve its goals.

Many famous companies have acquired the digital services of other digital companies. The best example would be the cosmetics and perfume retailer – Sephora. They bought Sentsa, a software developer who produces apps and online services specially designed for this kind of company. Their goal was to keep the technology away from competitors.

It often occurs to companies to decrease their spending in order to reinvest the money in digitization. Home depot, for instance, shifted its initial investment strategy away from opening new stores to actually acquiring new warehouses meant for online selling as well as buying Blinds.com.

2. The Digitized Model – Adapt Or Abandon Altogether?

Adapt or Abandon?

Some companies decide to remodel their business entirely in order to adapt to digitization. A European brokerage group that deals in real-estate decided to create an online platform that would open to even its competitors. Their goal was to become the leading online real-estate marketplace. Some businesses are, however, better off abandoning digital moves altogether.

This type of decision is a risk to take in both paths. On one hand, digital effort may erode margins and cannibalize products and services, while on the other hand, it may stock data on existing buyers ultimately helping incumbents in their efforts to create large customer bases.

3. Attackers – Compete Or Cooperate?

Compete or Cooperate?

Large companies, regardless of how influential and powerful they are, can truly succumb to the threat of losing to competitors who do a better job at embracing digital trends. The question here is whether you should always attack your competitor or, in some cases, cooperate with them.

Santander formed a partnership with Funding Circle. Seeing that their clients wanted a peer-to-peer lending service, they thought it would be a much more practical idea to use the technology of a competitor by cooperating with him, rather than creating a system from scratch.

Some companies start by cooperating between each other before eventually creating their own digital services. That was the case for many British banks when they wanted to build a mobile-payment utility.

In the case of CapitalOne, it was a better decision for them to open their own software called CapitalOneLabs. They managed to defend their space without expending their own capital.

4. Invest In Various Initiatives Or Focus On A Single One?

One or Many?

Some digital opportunities might not be worth investing in as they are easily replicated by competitors. An answer to this issue would be to seed multiple initiatives all while identifying the ones that need to be killed off and those that have a genuine potential. Merck’s Global Health, for instance, has invested in more than 20 start-ups in various areas.

Another way to invest would be in one single area. A global pharmaceutical incumbent chose this method by making significant investments in a pooling data with health insurers that would provide rates of adherence to drug regimes. It also uses data that can identify patients in order to produce medicine more quickly with the help of a program that they encourage their patients to use for monitoring purposes.

5. Integrate Digital Operations Into Physical Businesses Or Separate Them?

Integrate or Separate?

An additional value can be the outcome of an integration of digital operations into physical businesses. On the other hand, a coexistence of these two practices may lead to a conflict and, thus, hinder the business’ ability to adapt to the challenges of digitization.

John Lewis, a UK department store chain, acquired Buy.com and combined it with its core business.

Wal-Mart chose a different strategy by establishing its digital business away from its corporate headquarters, thus allowing a new culture and new skills to grow.

Companies that have a diverse portfolio may opt for the hybrid model, combining both the stand-alone and well-integrated form of digital organization.

6. The Digital Agenda – Hire An Agent Or Own The Business?

Hire or Own?

Considering how quickly competitive situations evolve and customer behavior changes, updating the digital agenda is a task that requires the attention and time of high positioned managers. The embracement of an effective digital strategy may even require CEO involvement in larger companies.

To tackle the ever-growing issue, companies hire what is referred to as a chief digital officer. The officer in question reports directly to the CEO, proving the importance of the practice in businesses. An example here would be Walgreens, a company that successfully bought their competitors, having a better position since they have created a role equivalent to the digital chief officer. However, a focus on this role may also be a risk. Since digital chief officers lack a CEO’s strategic knowledge, influence and authority, they may narrow their focus on marketing and social media.

An alternative would be that CEOs themselves direct the digital agenda. This method may be necessary if digitization is a top priority in the company’s agenda or if digital businesses require an amount of resources for the entire organization’s functioning.

Whatever model a CEO chooses or decision he makes, it is important to understand that digitization is an ever-growing and moving phenomena.  Harnessing the trend demands relentless leadership but provides companies with great competitive positions and growth.

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Digital Technology In Cambridge International Examinations

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ambridge is without any doubt one of the most renowned Universities in the world hence their motto: Excellence in Education.  But no education comes without results and results need to be examined. We are going to look at how Cambridge’s International Examination, or CIE, works and explore the role of digital technology in this University.

1. CIE Direct

The Cambridge International Examination Direct platform is a secure online tool which supports the University’s exams officers throughout exams cycles. They would use it to complete key administrative tasks associated with exams. We are going to look at a series of tools used on this platform.

Timetables: Exams officers would have access to uploaded Timetables which would help them for their preparations.  They can download specific Timetables which only show academic documents that are relevant to their work. This makes it easier for them to organize their documents and safely store what is important.

Dashboard: To submit final entries, exams officers use the Administer Exams Dashboard. From here, they add candidates by entering details individually or by importing a spread sheet. They can, then, submit entries by candidate or academic document. Exams officers can download a number of reports to check that the entry details for their centre are correct, such as timetable class report.   They are asked to use the Dashboard to submit an internally assessed mark for every candidate entered for a course work or a speaking task component. Exams officers also need to submit forecast grades for all candidates before a particular exams series, either at the same time or in batches.

Online Results Service: Results are released online through CIE Direct. Exams officers can download results in a variety of formats such as individual statements of results and files containing results for the centre as PDFs or Microsoft Excel spread sheets. CIE direct allows exams officer to give candidates access to their results through the Candidate Results Service.  Inquiries may, then, be submitted.

Bulletin Section:  Cambridge uses CIE Direct to communicate with exams officers. They would post important messages to the Bulletin Section and upload documents such as fees lists.

All schools offering Cambridge qualification will be set up with access to CIE Direct and login details after they registered. Further support for Cambridge exams officers such as video tutorials is available for the exams officer on the website.

At the end of an exam, students put down their pens and get their results a couple of months later. But what happens in between?

 2. CIE’s Marking System

Cambridge International Examinations receives over 8 million answer scripts from all over the world. Every script needs the correct ark so that everybody gets the correct grade.

The first step for making marks is scanning one’s exam script, ready to be reviewed by examiners on a computer. Some exams are marked on paper and some, such as multiple choice, are marked automatically by a computer. For any exam, any student’s work is marked in the same way.

Cambridge examiners are teachers or experts in their subject. It’s really important that they all mark to the same standard. This means that they mark according to the mark scheme and they all apply the mark scheme in the same way. To make sure this happens, a team of experienced senior examiners get together once the exam is done. They will mark a sample set of scripts using the scheme and will agree on the marks.

The script marked by the senior team is the standard for all other examiners. Every examiner practices by marking the same scripts as the senior team to make sure they understand how to mark to the same standard. They, then, mark another set of scripts as a test in order to ensure they readiness to mark actual exams. Senior examiners check the marking of every examiner to make sure that they keep marking correctly; if one examiner is not able to mark consistently, they’re asked to stop and are replaced by other examiners.

3. Transforming Marks Into Grades

Now we have marks for every script how do we work out the grades? The script has been marked, but this isn’t a final result. Cambridge turns marks into a grade by using Grade Boundaries.

Grade boundaries are the minimum marks one needs to achieve a grade. A mixture of statistical evidence and expert judgment is used to agree on the Grade Boundary. This system allows a student not to get a weaker grade just because the paper she or he sat on was more difficult than the previous one. Cambridge tries to make question papers of the same level of difficulty every year but they can vary slightly – Grade Boundaries are used to manage this. Senior examiners carry out final checks on the marking leading to the results.

Digital Technology is not only an efficient and sustainable way of taking care of grades. Teachers also use various programs for their lessons. Be sure to read our article on “The Learning Resource Exchange Service Centre”.

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Things You Need To Know About The Learning Resource Exchange Service Centre

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he Learning Resource Exchange, or LRE, is an educational online platform which provides learning content from many different European countries. Both teachers and students can access this database easily and resources may be used during class and for preparations. LRE’s platform contains videos, experiment practices, education games and a lot more.

This multilateral project is managed by Euroschool.net and its goal is to alleviate the access to the content for both ministries of education and other partners in order to ensure that the exchange between learners and teachers is improved while providing a modern and sustainable education system.

1. Resources

LRE is all about its resources. What are resources? They are a more modern and sustainable version of your traditional lessons. There are over 260.000 of them. What makes them practical is the fact that they are provided by 18 Ministries of Education. It allows different cultures to provide their own material and, thus, makes lessons more complete. The ministries in question are:

  • Austria
  • Flanders (Belgium)
  • Catalonia (Spain)
  • Czechia
  • Estonia
  • Finland
  • France
  • Hungary
  • Germany
  • Iceland
  • Israel
  • Ireland
  • Italy
  • Lithuania
  • Norway
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Slovenia
  • Spain
  • Sweden

Anyone, regardless of where she or he is from, is able to browse LRE’s content. Now, the question is: how can one understand a resource that is in a foreign language? That is where Travel Well resources come in.

2. The Travel Well Criteria

Using developed criteria, teachers from different countries may review the portal’s content, which acts as a quality management feature for LRE. The quality assurance is guaranteed by the Travel Well criteria which states that no specific language skills are needed and that the resources tackle transnational topics.

Travel Well is related to the reuse of resources in a new linguistic or national context

Travel Well is related to the reuse of resources in a new linguistic or national context. Travel Well resources are the ones that cross country or language borders easily. These resources usually include few words and phrases and focus on visual material that can be adapted to anyone’s needs.

It isn’t uncommon for teachers from many countries to use a resource that comes from abroad. By looking at an example from Estonia, the diagram shows that the resource has been used by teachers from Finland, Belgium and Hungary, thus proving the lack of language barrier. Things obviously become easier when the resource is in English; however, teachers have reportedly used various interesting pedagogical ways in cases where the resource’s language would be unintelligible. There are plenty of ways to become creative using LRE and anyone seeking for inspiration may use what the portal calls Tags.

In order to face language barrier issues, this European project includes several widgets that are meant to be used in educational purposes. Find out more about ROLE.

3. Tags And How Teachers Use Them

LRE’s database and content is open to the public. Registered teachers can, however, use their Tagging Tool to evaluate content, create a list of favorites, share material with friends and colleagues and give ideas on how to use it. Tags help the teaching community. It makes it easier to find appropriate resources. A teacher may connect key words to certain resources in order for the community to be able to find it according to their needs. Users can also attach their mentions and include ideas on how to use a certain resource and for what purpose.

“What is cool about Tags is that there are no rules on how they could be used. We’re just waiting for teachers to come up with new ways that they can share, not only in terms of resources but also in terms of good pedagogical ideas.”

V

In the following paragraph, we will be seeing what the pros and the cons of using LRE are.

4. Benefits And Barriers

The LRE portal is a modern and sustainable way to educate pupils

Both teachers and students can highly benefit from LRE.  There are different approaches to different subjects, giving an increase of student activity in class, through various programs. The students benefit from using interactive practices, experiments and educational games. By using the portal, any student is more active and able to learn new content at his or her own pace; being given feedback to ensure nothing wrong is learned.

The LRE portal is a modern and sustainable way to educate pupils, given that the classroom possesses proper equipment. However, according to —- a teacher from Hungary, some Learning Resources aren’t suitable for group working. To possessing suitable equipment is also a barrier some teachers tend to mention. Of course, we are also given some details about what teachers think constitutes a successful resource.

5. Successful Resources

Interactivity is key in order to keep pupils’ attention. An animation where they can participate would be a good example. Students must feel a connection between them and Learning Resources. Interesting questions must be raised during the lesson and the content must appeal to both the teacher and the student, all while being user-friendly.

Europe is not only willing to modernize lessons by making them interactive and web-based. Their goal is also to adapt whole classrooms in their project titled: Future Classroom.

Ariadne ProjectThings You Need To Know About The Learning Resource Exchange Service Centre
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Discussing The ASPECT Best Practice Network (BPN)

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est Practice focuses on developing children’s education by training education professionals and adapting their skills.

Best Practice is a network, which means it is connected to many other platforms and stakeholders. Stakeholders include universities, colleges school staff and other forms of educators while the platforms Best Practice works with are Teaching School Alliances, Multi-Academy Trusts and Early Years Providers.

The network emphasizes professional training for school leaders, hence the names of their flagship programmes: National Professional Qualifications for School Leaders and Governor Leadership, Early Years Initial Teacher Training, National Award for SEN Coordination, Evolve Whole-school Transformation and Higher Level Teaching.

Best Practice has worked with over 3,500 schools and has trained their leaders. They believe a constant education is mandatory in order to improve pupil outcomes. It is also a founding member of the Outstanding Leaders Partnership, an effective professional development platform between leaders, teachers and providers.

1. Best Practice Values

In short, BP’s seven values are related to:

Working Together

Excellence

Individuality

Integrity

Honesty and Openness

Innovation

Leading by Example

Each value is defined by the aim to Work with Other Partners in order for each member to fulfill their goals. Each member is supposed to bring out his best in order to create successful and strong relationships.  Through continuous improvements in all their work, the network emphasizes on excellence. People in this network are seen as individuals and are treated in a way in which they can demonstrate their skills, knowledge and experience. Honesty and Openness is key in BP’s communication, as tough situations have to be handled with courage and information, insight and advises must be shared. Their will to uphold the highest professional standards is what they refer to as their Integrity. As opposed to replication, Innovation is a mandatory tool in order to tackle tomorrow’s challenges. Best partner leads by Example, which means that they exemplify everything between each other and for the clients.

2. What Are The Programmes?

Best Practice offers programmes for those willing to achieve an Early Years Teacher Status. A full range of courses are delivered that also include Teacher Standards Intro, Childcare and Advanced Practitioner trainings. Governors and chairs of governor also get their share of training with programmes such as Governor Leadership and Clerk Development respectively. Certificates are also available for school leaders and support staff.

3. The Network’s Policies

Best Practice is committed to the preservation of their practices’ transparency and fairness. They are conducted under set policies. There also is an appeals and complaints policy that ensure that no user shall be disadvantaged if she or he decides to use this option. The first level of management would deal with written complaint, while the next level will only receive notice of the issue if it hasn’t been resolved accordingly. The issue is usually solved within 3 working days; however, some may take up to 20.

Best Practice emphasizes on privacy. Information is stored in a non-personally identifiable form online. Storing information indefinitely makes it easier to monitor online traffic. Reports are reviewed regularly and are the basis of any improvement the platform fulfills.

Ariadne ProjectDiscussing The ASPECT Best Practice Network (BPN)
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The EU-Russia Collaborative Innovation Project

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ven though political tensions between Russia and the European Union are high due to recent events, the two entities still maintain collaborative projects – mostly in innovation, science and technology. Horizon 2020 is an EU-funded project and is the world’s largest publically funded initiative. The project is open to non-EU applicants, amongst which Russia has received the most amount of funding.

1. Russia’s Position In Horizon 2020

“Horizon 2020 is a key actor in helping further establish Russia as a center of innovation, develop its international scientific position and improve international cooperation with the EU.”

Leonid Bobylev, Nansen Environmental and Remote Sensing Center.

Three separate programmes will be focused on: research, innovation and societal challenges such as health, clean energy and transport. There will, however, be an emphasis on climate change.

Horizon 2020 is the biggest EU Research and Innovation programme

Horizon is also one of the major instruments to tackle economic and financial issues that both the EU and Russia face. It does so through investing in research, development and innovation. Additional problems the regions are facing would include sustainable development and global warming – whose consequences have been critically underestimated. The world has seen extreme events due to global warming, making the adoption of measures to combat the process a priority in Horizon 2020’s programme.

Russia owes its science base heritage to the former Soviet Union. Today, however, the Federation’s funding of science is a mere 1.1% of its GDP and hasn’t seen any stable growth.

The Russian Federation inherited a strong science base from the former Soviet Union. However, federal funding of science in Russia until now was only about 1.1% of GDP and has not shown stable growth.

2. EU-Russia Cooperation

The European Union and the Russian Federation have a strong history of cooperation in science and technology, based on common interests and mutual benefit.

The Common Space in Research, Education and Cultural Matters was created in 2003 by both the EU and Russia. It aims to reinforce their cooperation in research and development on the basis of common values and shared interests.

The Joint Science and Technology Cooperation Committee are working groups that meet regularly to discuss potential research topics where both sides can benefit. Areas of research include aeronautics, energy, environment, agriculture, health, infrastructures, nanotechnologies and space.

Another programme called The EU-Russia Science and Technology Cooperation Roadmap sets out potential new actions in order to strengthen and build a strategic partnership between the two entities in the fields of research and innovation.

Russia continues to be the most successful international cooperation partner country when it comes to the amount of EU financial compensations, the number of participants as well as collaborative actions they participate in. We will next discuss about three collaborative programmes between Russia and the EU in the fields of science, technology and innovation

3. EU-Russia Collaborative Programmes

ERA.NET RUS Plus is a programme that involves 28 consortium members. It focuses on research projects in the fields of technology, health, social sciences, innovations and the environment. Its major objective is to deepen the transnational collaboration between the Russian Federation and the European Union as well as reduce the impact of national borders on cooperative research.

The International Center on Environment and Remote Sensing is a Russian non-profit scientific foundation. It was established by the General Assembly of Founders. It aims to implement scientific activities and goals.

BILAT-RUS-Advanced is yet another collaborative project between the EU and Russia. Based on mutual interest and benefit, this programme aims to increase the two entities’ competitiveness through strategic partnership in scientific, innovative and technologic fields.

The European Union also benefits from partners like Japan. Find out more in our article about Japan-EU Partnership In Innovation, Science And Technology

Ariadne ProjectThe EU-Russia Collaborative Innovation Project
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