Project Context
The project “Digital Competences for Improving Security and Defence Education (DIGICODE)” (2020-1-PL01-KA226-096192) is funded by the European Commission in the framework of the Erasmus+ Programme, KA226 Partnerships for Digital Education Readiness. The project consortium consists of the following institutions:
– Military University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland (MUT: coordinator);
– Military Technical Academy „Ferdinand I”, Romania (MTA);
– “Vasil Levski“ National Military University, Bulgaria (NMU);
– University of Turin, Italy (UNITO);
The idea of the DIGICODE project was born during the meetings of representatives of MUT Warsaw, MTA Bucharest, UniTO Turin and of the “Artillery, AD and CIS” Faculty from Shumen of NMU, as well as in connection with the emergence of an unexpected situation, which is the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. On their basis, at the beginning of September 2020, decisions were made on the need to prepare a system of education and training for teachers, which will be a response to the challenges related to remote learning in the area of Security and Defense. Based on the proposals presented by the partners, i.e. MUT, MTA, NMU, and UniTO, at the end of September 2020, an outline of activities necessary for the project was presented, a draft title of the project, its acronym, and possible intellectual results were proposed. Also, international meetings and events disseminating the project, necessary for the success of the project, were proposed. MUT was identified as the project leader, while partners in the consortium are MTA Romania, NMU Bulgaria, and UniTo Italy. Then, in a remote mode, in October, meetings of the representatives of the above universities were held, aimed at detailing the goals to be achieved and description of activities, indicating target groups, innovative elements, expected impact, and the possibility of using the developed tools.
Project Objectives
The aim of the Digital Competences for Improving Security and Defence Education DIGICODE project is to improve the security and defence education quality by using digital tools in didactic activities and by developing digital competences of teachers. The main objectives of the project area:
– to conduct a survey and collect detailed information in a group of students and lecturers from international universities and to conduct a comparative analysis in order to compare,
– the processes, strategies, and methods used by the respondents and to identify the best practices and competencies ensuring safe and effective online teaching in Security and Defence,
– to develop a Best Practices Handbook, including a collection of best practices and solutions used by universities in the times of COVID-19,
– to develop a teacher tool-kit including a toolkit for digital competences for teachers in the Security and Defence field and open online training courses to support teachers and trainers in using specific digital learning environments for education, different kinds of digital tools, and in adopting innovative and adaptive methodologies like problem-solving, problem-based teaching, learning by doing, formative and data-driven automatic assessment with interactive and immediate feedback, collaborative learning, team working,
to design and develop a curriculum for a summer school “Systems for Command and Control in Security and Defence Field” which plays a critical role in helping teachers to have an integrated vision of the security and defence education system,
– to apply the teacher toolkit prepared especially for digital education in order to explain the functionality of the system, replacing the classic laboratory activities,
– to improve the digital competences and to improve communication skills in online environment of at least 16 teachers and 16 students from security and defence education institutions,
– to build the critical mass of knowledge and resources in partner institutions in order to foster the use of digital education in military academies.
Project Design
The implementation of the Digital Competences for Improving Security and Defence Education DIGICODE project consists of the following activities:
– 5 transnational project meetings;
– 5 intellectual outputs;
– 2 short-term joint staff training events;
– 2 intensive study programmes for students;
– 2 intensive study programmes for teachers;
– 2 multiplier events;
– 8 work packages.
T5. Final meeting, June 2023
The meeting within the framework of the DIGICODE (Digital Competences for Improving Security and Defense Education) project was held at the headquarters of the Military University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland. Present at the meeting were representatives of the universities participating in the project:
– Military Technical Academy, Bucharest, Romania;
– University of Turin, Turin, Italy
– Vasil Levski National Military University, Shumen, Bulgaria (online)
– Military University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland
The meeting discussed the stages of finalization of the DIGICODE project and related meetings and undertakings:
– conducting a survey on digital competence of students ;
– presentation of the survey results at the Dissemination Events;
– development of evaluation reports from the workshops conducted as part of the project.
Promotion of the project, including the publication of scientific articles resulting from the development of the research team, was also part of the discussion.
The discussion ended with a joint declaration by the participants of the project to use the experience and network of researchers created within the project to continue the work in a new project related to the use of digital platforms in education related to the application of mathematics in security and defense sciences.
T4. Management team meeting, April 2023
The meeting within the framework of the DIGICODE (Digital Competences for Improving Security and Defense Education) project was held at the headquarters of the Military Technical Academy in Bucharest, Romania. Present at the meeting were representatives of the universities participating in the project:
– Military Technical Academy, Bucharest, Romania;
– University of Turin, Turin, Italy
– Vasil Levski National Military University, Shumen, Bulgaria
– Military University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland
The meeting discussed the next stages of finalizing the DIGICODE project and related meetings and undertakings:
– conducting a survey on digital competence of students ;
– presentation of the survey results at the Dissemination Events;
– development of evaluation reports from workshops conducted within the project;
– Closing meeting of the project May-June 2023 in WAT, Warsaw (depending on the decision to extend the project for several months).
Promotion of the project, including the publication of scientific articles resulting from the development of the research team, was also part of the discussion. So far, four articles have been published in foreign journals, and 2 more articles are planned to be published jointly.
The discussion ended with a joint declaration by the participants of the project to use the experience and network of researchers created within the project to continue the work in a new project related to the use of digital platforms in education related to the application of mathematics in security and defense sciences.
C5/6. Intensive Study Programme Summer school in digital education for staff teaching “Integrated Technical Systems for Command and Control in Security and Defence Field” – 2nd Edition
A summmer school for students and teachers as part of the DIGICODE (Digital Competences for Improving Security and Defense Education) project was held at the University of Turin in Turin, Italy. Representatives of the universities participating in the project were present at the workshop:
– Military Technical Academy, Bucharest, Romania;
– University of Turin, Turin, Italy;
– Vasil Levski National Military University, Shumen, Bulgaria;
– Military University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland.
The initial part of the workshop included: a presentation of the goals and results already achieved in the project, intellectual results to be produced, common interdisciplinary lesson plans for students and teachers in the workshop. This was followed by the implementation of workshops for students led by individual teachers, particularly in areas related to the application of mathematics in security and defense education, mechanics and mechanical engineering in defense, logistical security of operations and cyber security.
The workshop included activities based on 2 lesson plans together. Class topics:
1) Securing the transportation of goods in logistics for military purposes;
2) Securing data transmission when transporting vehicles from the battlefield for evacuation.
In addition, the promotion of the project was discussed and it was agreed that 2 more scientific articles would be written, among others. Each partner was given the task of disseminating the developed questionnaire to students entitled Survey of digital competencies of students before and during the Covid-19 pandemic. The meeting ended with a joint declaration by the project participants to use the experience and network of scientists created within the framework of the project to continue work within the framework of a new project related to the use of digital platforms in education related to the application of mathematics in security and defense sciences.
C4. Short-term joint staff training events „Staff training for improvement the technical competences and communication skills for digital education – 2nd Edition”
The intensive staff training for teachers within the framework of the DIGICODE (Digital Competences for Improving Security and Defense Education) project was held at the headquarters of the Vasil Levski National Military University’s Faculty of Foreign Affairs in Shumen, Bulgaria. Representatives of the universities participating in the project were present at the training:
– Military Technical Academy, Bucharest, Romania;
– University of Turin, Turin, Italy;
– Vasil Levski National Military University, Shumen, Bulgaria;
– Military University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland.
The initial part of the meeting included: a presentation of the objectives and results already achieved by the project; administrative issues related to the proper accounting of the project; a presentation of the results of the National Agency’s inspection of the project implementation. This was followed by a discussion of the qualitative and quantitative results of the project and the risks involved in the project. After discussing organizational issues, the merit of the meeting, i.e. teacher training, was proceeded. The goal of the C4 training was to improve teachers’ teaching based on online resources. The results of the first edition of the summer school for students (held in November 2022 in Bucharest, Romania) were discussed, the problems encountered were discussed, and the results of student surveys before and after the summer school were presented. Then, after analyzing the results and discussion among the trainees, a proposal was made to improve teaching. The training jointly developed 2 lesson plans that will be used during the summer school for students (2 editions) at the University of Turin (Italy). Each partner will deal with the area specified in the scenario. Class topics:
1) Securing the transportation of goods in terms of logistics for military purposes;
2) Securing data transmission when transporting vehicles from the battlefield for evacuation.
In addition, the promotion of the project was discussed and it was agreed that 3 scientific articles, among others, would be written. Each partner was given the task of disseminating the developed questionnaire to students entitled Survey of digital competencies of students before and during the Covid-19 pandemic. The meeting ended with a joint declaration by the project participants to use the experience and network of scientists created within the framework of the project to continue work within the framework of a new project related to the use of digital platforms in education related to the application of mathematics in security and defense sciences.
DISSEMINATION DIGICODE PROJECT
6 December 2022 dissemination DIGICODE Project during Implementation Group meeting in Gdynia, Poland
THIRD INTERNATIONAL MEETING
The meeting as part of the DIGICODE project was held at the headquarters of the Vasil Levski National Military University in Shumen, Bulgaria. The meeting was attended by representatives of the universities participating in the project:
– Military Technical Academy, Bucharest, Romania;
– University of Turin, Turin, Italy
– Vasil Levski National Military University in Shumen, Bulgaria
– Military University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland
The meeting discussed the next stages of finalizing the DIGICODE project, as well as related meetings and training:
– Training for lecturers – February 2023 in Shumen, Bulgaria (2 lecturers);
– Training for students and lecturers in March 2023 in Turin, Italy (2 lecturers and 2 students);
– Project promotion meeting in April 2023 in Bucharest, Romania;
– Project closing meeting May – June 2023 at the Military University of Technology, Warsaw (depending on the decision to extend the project by several months).
Another element of the discussion was the promotion of the project, including the publication of scientific articles resulting from the work of the research team. So far, two articles have been published in foreign magazines, and three joint articles are planned.
The discussion ended with a joint declaration of the project participants on the use of the experience and network of scientists created as part of the project to continue the work under a new project related to the use of digital platforms in education related to the use of mathematics in security and defense sciences.
C2/3. Intensive Study Programme Summer school in digital education for staff teaching “Integrated Technical Systems for Command and Control in Security and Defence Field” – 1st Edition
On 13-19 November 2022, the first edition of the Summer School in digital education “Systems for Command and Control in Security and Defense Field” was held at the Military Technical Academy “Ferdinand I” in Bucharest as part of the DIGICODE. The event was attended by 10 students from Partner Universities, i.e. Military Technical Academy “Ferdinand I” – Romania, Military Technical Academy (Faculty of Security, Logistics and Management), National Military University “Vasil Levski” – Bulgaria and the University of Turin. The training was conducted by academic teachers from the above institutions. The main objective of the training was to improve the digital competences of teachers and students in the education process in the field of security and defence. The classes were conducted on the basis of the “Teacher toolkit” manual, which was developed as one of the intellectual results of the project, and on the basis of a dedicated training platform created for the needs of the project. As part of the summer school, classes were held in the following areas:
- Methodology for digital education;
- Mathematical problem-solving in the field of security and defence;
- Cybersecurity awareness for online platforms usage;
- Logistic support for military operations – case study;
- Technical systems for defense and security – case study.
The training ended with an evaluation survey among students, the results of which will enable the introduction of changes and improvement of the quality of the training during the second edition of the event planned for March 2023.
MULTIPLIER EVENT
On October 25-27, 2022, the Multiplier Event “Best digital practices for Security and Defense Education” – 1st Edition took place, as part of which the results of the project financed by the ERASMUS PLUS program entitled Digital Competences for Improving Security and Defense Education (DIGICODE). The event was organized by the employees of the Institute of Logistics of the Military University of Technology in cooperation with the International Cooperation Department of the Military University of Technology and the Department of Foreign Languages of the Military University of Technology. The event disseminated the results of the DIGICODE project with the following presentations:
– Mjr Eng. PhD Małgorzata Grzelak “DIGICODE project – Summer school in digital education for teachers”
– Cpt. cdr. Assoc. Prof. Eng. PhD Cristian-Emil MOLDOVEANU “Systems for Command and Control in Security and Defense Field”.
– Col Eng. PhD Mariusz Gontarczyk “SWOT analysis on digital competences of academic teachers”
– Eng. PhD Paulina Owczarek “Benchmarking of e-learning models in partner countries and elsewhere in Europe”
– MSc Magdalena Rykała “Results of survey on digital competences of academic teacher before and during COVID-19”
– PhD Fabio Roman “Teachers’ digital competences in the security and defense contexts in the new scenarios”
The aim of the Digital Competences for Improving Security and Defense Education DIGICODE project is to improve the quality of education in the field of security and defense by using digital tools in teaching activities and by developing digital competences of academic teachers. It is funded by the ERASMUS PLUS program as part of Action 2 – Strategic Partnerships for Digital Education in the Higher Education Sector KA 226. The Project Consortium includes Partners from the Military University of Technology, University of Turin, Vasil Levski National Military University and the Military Technical Academy .
DISSEMINATION DIGICODE PROJECT
23 Febuary 2022 dissemination DIGICODE Project during Implementation Group meeting in Brussels, Belgium
C1. Short-term joint staff training events „Staff training for improvement the technical competences and communication skills for digital education – 1st Edition”
On 20-24 June 2022, the “Staff training for improvement of the technical competences and communication skills for digital education” took place at the Military University of Technology in Warsaw, Poland. The purpose of the C1 activity was to enable teachers to understand how to use online resources (based on the Teacher-toolkit), whether online resources are important in the teaching process, how to improve digital skills and to test solutions that can be used in case of problems. The content of the first activity included: an initial presentation of the goals and results already achieved during the project, a discussion on Internet resources, their attractiveness, ease of access, etc., a discussion on the goals achieved, expected new results and further work, a discussion on the effectiveness of the created methodologies, workbooks .
SECOND INTERNATIONAL MEETING
The 2nd International Management Meeting TPM-2 was held on 23-26 May 2022 at the University of Turin as part of the “Digital Competences for Improving Security and Defense Education – DIGICODE” project. The meeting was attended by representatives of the partners of the consortium implementing the project, who represented:
– the Military University of Technology in Warsaw – 2 people,
– the University of Turin – 5 people,
– the Military Technical Academy in Bucharest – 2 people
– the Vasil Levski National Military University in Shumen – 2 people.
In the first part of the meeting, the Universities that are part of the project consortium were presented. The profile of the University’s activity, laboratory base, and conducted fields of study were described. Possibilities of joint international cooperation in further scientific research were also presented. The next part of the meeting was devoted to summarizing the completed stages of the project, discussing the documentation regarding the completed stages, and indicating further directions of research work.
The first part presents the “Best Practice Handbook” developed as part of the first stage. The results of the survey conducted as part of the project on “Research on digital competencies of academic teachers before and during the Covid-19 pandemic” were discussed in detail. The results of the statistical analysis of the conducted study on basic information were also presented, mathematical analyzes of digital competencies held by teachers before and during the pandemic were shown, as well as the results of statistical inference related to the significance of differences in digital competences before and during the pandemic were characterized. In the next step, the results of benchmarking the education process during the Covid-19 pandemic in Europe were discussed and the best solutions in this regard were indicated. Finally, the methodology used in the SWOT analysis of the education process in Europe during the Covid-19 pandemic was presented and its results were discussed.
In the next part of the meeting, the characteristics of the “Teacher toolkit” handbook developed as part of the second stage of the project were presented and the e-learning platform was developed, the purpose of which is to improve the digital competencies of academic teachers in the implementation of the teaching process in the field of Defense and Security, was presented. All the elements on the platform related to the modules were discussed in detail: introduction to the course, announcements, cooperation, Digital Learning Environment, Advanced Computing Environment, Automatic Assessment System, Instructional Design, Problem Solving, Formative Assessment, Ready-to-use materials, Course Evaluation, Cybersecurity Guidelines.
The third part of the meeting was devoted to administrative issues related to the proper management and settlement of the project and the development of an interim report. Templates for quarterly reports were developed and the correctness of the settlement of the first two stages of the project was checked.
During the second day of the meeting, the goals and tasks for the next stages of the project were discussed. The dates of subsequent international meetings (necessary for proper project management) were set, as well as the dates of further mobilities, such as intensive training for teachers in the field of improving digital competencies and Summer Schools for students and teachers. Dates for the organization of Dissemination Events were also agreed upon. Detailed tasks were also set for individual project partners in accordance with the division of responsibility for the subsequent stages of the project.
DISSEMINATION DIGICODE PROJECT
22 September 2021 dissemination DIGICODE Project during International Military Academic Forum in Lisbon, Portugal.
8 September 2021 dissemination DIGICODE Project during Implementation Group meeting in Brussels, Belgium
21-25 June 2021 dissemination DIGICODE Project during Implementation Group meeting in Brasov, Romania
FIRST INTERNATIONAL MEETING
On 31 May 2021 the first international meeting of partners took place – the opening of the project – Digital Competences for Improving Security and Defense Education (DIGICODE). The meeting was organized by representatives of the Institute of Logistics, the Department of Security, Logistics and Management, who on behalf of the Military University of Technology, being the Project Leader, are responsible for its proper implementation.
The meeting, taking place in the on-line formula, was attended by 25 scientists representing strategic partners from the following research centers: Military University of Technology from Poland, Military Technical Academy from Romania, Vasil Levski National Military University (Faculty of Artillery, Air Defense and Communication and Information Systems, Shumen) from Bulgaria and the University of Turin from Italy.
