BOOST project

«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 the granting authority can be held responsible for them».

Project name: Bringing Opportunities and Organizational Success to Small Local Universities in Ukraine

Project acronym: BOOST

Project number: 101083203
Project lifetime: 1 March 2023 – 28 February 2025
Grant amount: 399 997 EUR

Target groups: Ukrainian and EU universities, university students.

Project website: https://boost.mspu.edu.ua/&nbsp
Project Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/boostUkraine/

Project international coordinator: Oleksanda GOLOVKO (Narva College of the University of Tartu, Estonia)

e-mail: nt@ut.ее">grаnt@ut.ее

Project partners:

Narva College of the University of Tartu, Estonia
University of Primorska, Slovenia
State University of Applied Sciences, Poland
Poltava V. G. Korolenko National Pedagogical University, Ukraine
Donbas National Academy of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Ukraine
Bogdan Khmelnitsky Melitopol State Pedagogical University, Ukraine
Izmail State University of Humanities, Ukraine
Kremenets Taras Shevchenko Regional Academy of Humanities and Pedagogy, Ukraine
Mukachevo State University, Ukraine
Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine (Associated partner)

The goal of the BOOST:

to enhance the capacity of six Ukrainian higher education institutions by introducing innovative practices in teaching and learning approaches.

Three key areas:

- strengthening IT and technical capacity;

- introduction of digital and student-centred teaching methods;

- support for international cooperation and development of grant management skills.

Project objectives:

1. Hold regular kick-off meetings.

2. Offline trainings in the EU countries (Estonia, Poland and Slovenia).

3. Professional development of Ukrainian teachers.

4. Strategies for the development of IT technologies of Ukrainian universities and cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine.

5. Training on grant writing and joint submission.

6. Trainings on the use of digital technologies and organisation of personality-oriented learning on the Moodle platform of the University of Tartu (Tartu, Estonia).

3 days of online conferences were a success!

During the first day of our conference «DIGITAL TOOLS FOR INTERACTIVE LEARNING» (18 November 2024), organised within the framework of the Erasmus+ BOOOST project:

Beata Barchi (Mukachevo State University, Ukraine) shared valuable insights on developing educators’ digital literacy and introduced various digital tools for online teaching.

Alesia Golovko (BOOST Project Coordinator, University of Tartu, Estonia) provided a fascinating overview of the development of digital skills in Estonia and shared the experiences of educators at the University of Tartu.

During the second day, Lesya Lysenko and Mykhailo Rakhno (Poltava V. G. Korolenko National Pedagogical University) and Viktoriia Miziuk (Izmail State University of Humanities) have been sharing invaluable insights on:

Using digital tools for searching, creating, and verifying educational visual content.

Implementing effective methods to engage students in active collaboration and boost the learning process.

The third day of the conference was packed with innovative ideas and engaging discussions on integrating AI, digital tools, and applications such as Kahoot, Prezi, eTwinning, Padlet, Canva, and more into education.

Our incredible speakers, Magdalena Szyk-Wojtkiewicz (Lecturer, Akademia Nauk Stosowanych w Elblągu, Poland) and Kateryna Osadcha (Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Professor, Bogdan Khmelnitsky Melitopol State Pedagogical University, Ukraine), shared practical insights and facilitated engaging activities with participants.

Together, we:

Played interactive games on Kahoot with Magdalena Szyk-Wojtkiewicz.

Explored Copilot’s potential in education with Kateryna Osadcha.

Enjoyed an informative and fun learning experience!

Let's continue to explore the potential of digital tools together!

Many thanks to our incredible speakers for their contribution!

More information on the website https://boost.mspu.edu.ua/results

Alesia Golovko, Svitlana Shytikova, National Erasmus+ Office in Ukraine & HERE team

#ErasmusPLus, #ErasmusUA, #BOOST

Dear Colleagues!

We warmly invite you to join the online conference "DIGITAL TOOLS FOR INTERACTIVE LEARNING" (November 18-29, 2024), organized within the Erasmus+ project BOOST.

During this practical conference, we will share insights on using digital tools to implement interactive teaching methods and discuss current techniques for applying technology in face-to-face, blended, and online learning formats. All participants will get certificates and have the opportunity to ask questions to the speakers and engage in discussions.

Participation in the event is free of charge.

The conference sessions will be held online on November 18, 19, 21, and 29, 2024. You can view the conference program below.

Conference Programme

November 18, 2024

14:00-15:00 – "Teachers’ digital literacy skills in education" (in Ukrainian) by Beata Barchi, Associate Professor, Mukachevo State University (Ukraine).
15:00-16:00 – "Digital Skills in Estonia" (in Ukrainian) by Alesia Golovko, BOOST Project Coordinator, PhD, Narva College, University of Tartu (Estonia).

November 19, 2024

14:00-15:00 – "Digital Tools for Searching, Creating, and Verifying Educational Visual Content" (in Ukrainian) by Lesya Lysenko, Mykhailo Rakhno, Associate Professors, Полтавський національний педагогічний університет імені В.Г.Короленка /Poltava V. G. Korolenko National Pedagogical University (Ukraine).
15:00-16:00 – "Effective Methods for Engaging Students in Active Collaboration to Enhance Learning Efficiency" (in Ukrainian) by Viktoriia Miziuk, Associate Professor, Izmail State University of Humanities (Ukraine).

November 21, 2024

14:00-15:00 – "Modern Teaching with ICT Tools" (in English) by Magdalena Szyk-Wojtkiewicz, lecturer, Akademia Nauk Stosowanych w Elblągu / University of Applied Sciences in Elblag (Poland).
15:00-16:00 – "Artificial Intelligence in Education" (in Ukrainian) by Kateryna Osadcha, Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Professor, МДПУ імені Богдана Хмельницького Офіційна сторінка /Bogdan Khmelnitsky Melitopol State Pedagogical University (Ukraine).

November 29, 2024

14:00-15:00 – "Using Digital Tools in Peer Assessment" (in English) by Sonja Čotar Konrad, PhD, Full Professor of Pedagogy, and Karmen Drljić, PhD; Assistant professor of Inclusive Education, Univerza na Primorskem / University of Primorska (Slovenia).
15:00-16:00 – "Mobile Learning in a Digital Society" (in Ukrainian) by Nadiia Babii and Olena Furman, Associate Professors, Кременецька обласна гуманітарно-педагогічна академія ім. Тараса Шевченка / Kremenets Taras Shevchenko Regional Academy of Humanities and Pedagogy (Ukraine).

Participants will be able to ask questions to the speakers and join in discussions.

See you at the conference! More information on our website https://boost.mspu.edu.ua/results

Alesia Golovko, Svitlana Shytikova, National Erasmus+ Office in Ukraine & HERE team

#ErasmusPLus, #ErasmusUA, #BOOST

BOOST project managers, together with coordinator Alesia Holovko, are holding regular meetings to prepare for multiple dissemination events between October and December 2024:

📅 Q&A Webinar: «University Digitalization Plan»,

💻 Online Conference: «Digital Tools for Interactive Learning»,

👩‍🏫 Blended Course for In-service Teachers: «Student-centered Approaches for Blended Learning»,

🌍 International Week: «University International Cooperation and Grant Activity».

We aim to reach an audience of 370 people with these events.

We hope that these efforts will broaden the impact of the BOOST project and draw more attention to the challenges faced by smaller Ukrainian universities in integrating into the European education area and facilitating cooperation with EU colleagues.

Alesia Golovko, Svitlana Shytikova, National Erasmus+ Office in Ukraine & HERE team

https://boost.mspu.edu.ua/results

#ErasmusPLus, #ErasmusUA, #BOOST

On 30 October 2024, as part of the Erasmus+ BOOST project (Bringing Opportunities and Organizational Success To Small Local Universities in Ukraine), an online webinar ‘University Digitalisation Plan’ was organised and held on the platform of the University of Tartu, bringing together more than 220 participants: educators and IT specialists from educational institutions of different levels, as well as anyone interested in the digitalisation of education.

The event was aimed at sharing the achievements of European and Ukrainian universities in the field of digitalisation and development of the digital infrastructure of a modern university and discussing the current directions of digitalisation of higher education in Ukraine in the context of war.

The webinar started with a welcome speech by the moderator of the event and project coordinator Olesia Holovko, PhD, Narva college of the University of Tartu.

The programme included a presentation by Yurii Sitsylitsyn, PhD, Bogdan Khmelnitsky Melitopol State Pedagogical University (Ukraine), on the topic ‘The Content of the Digitalisation Strategy of a Displaced HEI’; Ihor Halahan, PhD and Dmytro Klak, lecturer, Kremenets Taras Shevchenko Regional Academy of Humanities and Pedagogy (Ukraine) on the topic ‘Implementation of Robotics in the Educational Process’; Andreja Klančar, PhD and Sonja Rutar, Prof., University of Primorska (Slovenia) on the topic ‘Ways to improve the quality of higher education through the strategic integration of digital technologies into the educational process’.

The experts shared invaluable insights into creating digitalisation plans for relocated universities, incorporating robotics into education, and improving the quality of higher education through the integration of digitalisation of the educational process.

https://boost.mspu.edu.ua/results

Alesia Golovko, Svitlana Shytikova, National Erasmus+ Office in Ukraine & HERE team

#ErasmusPLus, #ErasmusUA, #BOOST

Within the framework of participation in the grant project „Bringing Opportunities and Organizational Success to Regional Universities in Ukraine” (101083203 - BOOST - ERASMUS-EDU-2022-CBHE), the Blended Learning Laboratory, equipped with funds from the European Union (total cost is 10,400 Euros), was inaugurated on the basis of our Academy. Now, students and teachers can freely use the new technology and equipment, namely:

- 2 SMART Board SBID-MX265-V4 interactive panels;

- 2 personal computers Acer Aspire C24-1300 (DQ.BL0ME.00H);

- Konica Minolta bizhub 4020i multifunctional device;

- server for storing multimedia data Impression NetNavigator S;

- Grammarly Premium software with a 24-month license.

This modern equipment has been accepted on the balance sheet of KOGPA and will be actively used in the educational process. We are grateful to the European Union and all project partners for their support and cooperation, which open up new horizons for our students and teachers.

#ErasmusPLus, #ErasmusUA, #BOOST

Participation in the 101083203 BOOST (Bringing Opportunities and Organisational Success To Small Local Universities in Ukraine) project, funded by the European Union's Erasmus+KA2 programme, is a great opportunity to network with international partners and share a range of development and networking activities. The initiative, led by the BOOST in Ukraine - Erasmus+ project coordinator Alesia Golovko, promotes synergies between the two projects ‘Small Local Universities in Ukraine’ (101083203 - BOOST) and ‘Estonia-Ukraine: Cooperation in Multilingual Education’ (158-2019 - EstDev) within the framework of a study visit to the University of Tartu, Estonia (17-21 June 2024).
The focus of the event was to provide participants with some insights into the internationalisation of education and research in Estonia and to encourage UA partners to modernise the internationalisation strategy of their home universities.

The first day of the study visit included two incredible sessions:

- Session 1 with Omari Loid on the idea of an international project;

- Session 2 with Siim Lepik and speakers from the Estonian Research Agency on international research and international cooperation in Estonia.

Academic staff of the Academy (Mykola Kurach – Vice-Rector for Strategic Planning and Research, Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Professor of the Department of Theory and Methods of Labour Training and Technologies; Vasyl Kucher – Candidate of Philology, Associate Professor, Head of the Department of Foreign Languages and Methods of Their Teaching; Natalia Yanus – Candidate of Philology, Associate Professor) had the honour to attend several insightful sessions led by respected experts:

- Silva Bratoz (Professor, Faculty of Education, University of Primorska) demonstrated a comprehensive roadmap to an internationalisation strategy;

- Lauri Randveer (Senior Specialist of International Cooperation, University of Tartu) presented the Office of International Cooperation;

- Aliis Liin (Legal Counsel, University of Tartu) gave an in-depth overview of the organisation of the International Cooperation Office;

- Katrin Pajuste-Kuul (Research and Development Adviser, University of Tartu) discussed the strategic planning initiatives at the University of Tartu;

- Karoliina Vilimaa-Pennarun (University of Tartu) shared insights into the host university's international cooperation strategies;

- Eveli Soo (Head of International Marketing, University of Tartu) analysed the international cooperation strategies of the university.

The discussions focused on the topics of open science, research and entrepreneurship as powerful tools for internationalisation. We learnt a lot from the distinguished lecturers who shared their insights on various topics:

- Ülle Jagomägi (Head of Business Relations) spoke about the functioning of the Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and its crucial role in the University of Tartu's internationalisation efforts;

- Kristofer Jürisoo (Community Manager) emphasised the importance of the Science Park in internationalisation research;

- Krista Aru delivered a fascinating session on open science and its impact on the internationalisation of universities and research.

One of the focuses of the events was to understand the vital role of the Grants Office and its activities at the University of Tartu. BOOST in Ukraine - Erasmus+ project partners had the opportunity to discuss various aspects with the experts:

- Siret Rutiku (Head of the Grant Office) shared information about international projects at the University of Tartu;

- Laura Tomson (Foreign Funds Coordinator) and Tene Viiburg (Head of Cooperation Processes) spoke about the work of coordinators and the use of digital tools;

- Dorota Zarek presented the internationalisation strategy of the University of Applied Sciences in Elbląg.

The discussion was concluded with a reflective session led by our international coordinator Alesia Golovko, where participants reflected on the question: ‘What am I taking with me today?’

Participants had the opportunity to visit the Institute of Computer Science in the Delta building of the University of Tartu, had a tour of the University of Tartu Library and were extremely impressed by its modern and innovative spaces. They also visited the Tartu College of Health Care, where they had the honour of meeting with the rector, Ulla Põder. She shared the college's initiatives to support Ukrainian healthcare professionals in these difficult times.

The BOOST in Ukraine - Erasmus+ project sessions were followed by fruitful discussions that provided us with valuable perspectives and motivating ideas. We are excited to apply them to our own internationalisation efforts.

This experience is inspiring and motivating!

Many thanks to all the speakers and organisers! We look forward to fruitful cooperation.

As part of the BOOST in Ukraine-Erasmus+project implementation, the Academy's lecturers made a study tour to the Academy of Sciences in Elbląg / University of Applied Sciences in Elbląg, Poland. The Ukrainian partners visited the Gdańsk data centre, the Immersive 3D Visualization Lab – a mathematical escape room Gdańsk University of Technology and were impressed by the laboratory's capabilities in displaying visual detail and realism of space. Taking part in the workshops by Dorota Żarek and Jerzy Buriak, the participants learnt how to create courses of Moodle–Comenius courses using Latex and Geogebra, digital tools, and quizzes. Together with Robert Fidytek and Robert Turlej, the Ukrainian partners practiced their skills in working with the local Moodle environment (XAMPP), installing Linux, a database, and administering a web server. At the end of the working week, the Ukrainian partners presented and discussed SWOT analyses and digitalisation strategies for higher education institutions.
The Ukrainian team was pleasantly surprised by the latest technological capabilities, received valuable insights and practical advice on the digitalisation of educational institutions, and exchanged ideas and experiences on modern teaching using ICT tools and online platforms.

AlesiaGolovko, SvitlanaShytikova, NationalErasmus+ Office inUkraine& HERE team
#ErasmusPLus, #ErasmusUA, #BOOST

During December, 18-22 Poltava V.G. Korolenko National Pedagogical University was hosting a training course «Project Writing Course» in the framework of «Bringing Opportunities and Organizational Success To Small Local Universities in Ukraine» ERASMUS+. Participants from 7 Universities-partners formed skills and studied methods of effective design and implementation of projects.
Some lecturers of Kremenets Taras Shevchenko Regional Academy of Humanities and Pedagogy took part in the Marketplace of ideas, discussed prospective Erasmus+ project ideas, identified overlapping areas, merged ideas together with BOOST international coordinator Alesia Golovko and formed working groups. The participants worked on the concept and methodology of project development, project management, quality assurance. They got acquainted with the concept of budget, what its parts are and how to approach it in the project, summarized the ideas. Lecturers mentioned that the course met their expectations.
National Erasmus+ Office in Ukraine & HERE team
Svitlana Shytikova
Alesia Golovko
https://boost.mspu.edu.ua/
#BOOST #ErasmusPlus #ErasmusUA

On 27 November - 1 December, the BOOST project partners met at the University of Primorska (Koper, Slovenia). During the 5 working days of the visit, teachers of Ukrainian higher education institutions effectively improved their skills in organising student-centred blended learning and digital competencies. The partner universities from Slovenia, Estonia and Ukraine shared their experience of using the Moodle platform. Thanks to fruitful group work during informative and engaging lectures by Slovenian colleagues, Ukrainian teachers gained new knowledge on the use of digital tools in teaching, creating a virtual environment and organising virtual student mobility, developing and improving courses.
The implementation of the two-year project 101083203 BOOST continues....

National Erasmus+ Office in Ukraine & HERE team, Svitlana Shytikova, Alesia Golovko

https://boost.mspu.edu.ua/
#BOOST #ErasmusPlus #ErasmusUA

The implementation of the BOOST project is ongoing.
The implementation of the two-year project 101083203 BOOST (Providing opportunities and organizational success to small universities in Ukraine) funded by the European Union Erasmus+ program continues. As part of the implementation of this project, 31 scientific and pedagogical workers of the Taras Shevchenko Taras Shevchenko Regional Humanitarian and Pedagogical Academy are trained in the following courses:
1) International and Grant Office Duties in the EU Universities
2) Workshops on IT and Tech Support
3) Learner-centered methodologies and techniques
4) Digital learning tools and platforms.
The teachers and trainers of these courses are scientific and pedagogical workers and specialists (technical support and international activities) of the main coordinator of the project - Tartu University (Tartu, Estonia), as well as partners - Primorsky University (Koper, Slovenia), Academy of Applied Sciences in Elblong (city of Elblong, Poland).
The training is not limited to working on the Moodle platform of the University of Tartu and Zoom-conferences, but will also find its practical implementation in a face-to-face meeting on November 27-December 1 at Primorskyi University (Koper, Slovenia).