Ventspils University of Applied Sciences interactive digital classroom opened

July 3, 2020
On Friday, June 26, Ventspils University of Applied Sciences (VUAS) held a formal opening of the interactive digital classroom (IDC) that was created within the framework of the projects “Next Generation Micro Cities of Europe (No. UIA03-250)” (NextGen) and “Modernization of Ventspils University of Applied Sciences STEM Study Programmes” (No. 8.1.1.0/17/I/ 007). The event was attended by VUAS management, lecturers and students, as well as representatives of Ventspils City Council.

VUAS Rector Kārlis Krēsliņš opened the event and expressed satisfaction with the work done within the project and the opportunities that will be available to both lecturers and students in this classroom. After that VUAS lecturer and project coordinator Gints Dreifogels told the participants about the technological possibilities that are provided by the new IDC classroom and the purchased equipment. One of the graduates and current VUAS lecturer Juris Kļonovs, who currently works in Italy and conducts lectures to university students remotely, also joined the event online, demonstrating that lecturers at VUAS will now be able to conduct lectures from anywhere in the world, where the Internet is available. J. Kļonovs also told that VUAS themselves have made a great contribution to the creation and programming of IDC. 

The participants of the event had the opportunity to try out the new touch pads. Educational technology expert Toms Urdze had taken care of the task − each visitor created a drawing of a bird on their computer, and the lecturer from the control panel was able to display these drawings on the big class screens. At the end of the event, the Chairman of the Ventspils City Council Aivars Lembergs also praised him, mentioning that he has had had a vision of such a class for quite some time, where students and lecturers could connect remotely and participate in the learning process, and now it can be tested in practice.
The new IDC has been established as a result of two projects implemented at VUAS. From project No. 8.1.1.0/17/I/007 “Modernization of Ventspils University of Applied Sciences STEM Study Programmes” 25 sets of computers and screens were purchased for the total amount of 17 225 EUR, but from the project No. UIA03-250 “Next Generation Micro Cities of Europe” the IDC was equipped with 2 PTZ (decoded as pan-tilt-zoom) cameras with very high resolution quality, with them it is possible to follow the activities of students and lecturers in the classroom by connecting remotely; interactive smart board, 2 LED screens, screen and computer communication control unit, speaker system and wireless microphones, 25 Wacom Intuos Pro (paper edition) touch pads and 25 webcams. Within the project No. UIA03-250 the initial cost of classroom was estimated at EUR 100 240, however, with a slight change in the concept of the classroom and the digital solution development context, the actual cost of the classroom was EUR 32 405. Thanks to the savings created, VUAS will also be able to create a video recording class, where lecturers will be able to remotely record learning courses that are available to a very wide range of listeners (similar to Udemy or Coursera training courses). It will also be possible to purchase new additional solutions to expand the functionality of the digital classroom, as technological development is happening very fast nowadays.

The installation of the IDC coincided exactly with the occurrence of the emergency situation in the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the class was ready to perform its basic functions (for remote communications) already on March 11th of this year. However, the full functionality still needs to be worked on by the university IT specialists, lecturers and education experts in order to install all the necessary software, add all the purchased equipment and allow the classroom to work fully as planned.

Both projects still foresee significant improvements at VUAS: within the framework of the project No. 8.1.1.0/17/I/007 VUAS building A currently is undergoing extensive repairs in order to make it better suited and more accessible to people with reduced mobility. Additional purchases will be made to provide STEM study programmes (infrastructure replenishment), while project’s No. UIA03-250 main goal is to support University’s teaching staff digital skills and STEM study programmes content development by digitising and modernising them.

Also until by the end of the project No. UIA03-250 in October 2021, the following works will be completed: a digital tool/application will be developed and published to help lecturers and students easily plan and review their study schedule, statistically analyze the exploitation of the premises, and ensure information flow between lecturers, students and administration; existing and new modern training courses will be modernized, in which lecturers will use the latest educational technology methodologies, as well as the university common distance learning strategy will be developed and content for a new IT distance learning program will be developed, which can be acquired anywhere in the world.

Project No.UIA03-250 "Next Generation Micro Cities of Europe" the total budget is € 6 246 405.15, including ERDF co-financing of € 4 997 124.12. The total project costs of the activities implemented at Ventspils University of Applied Sciences are 720 059 euros, of which 576 047.20 euros are European Regional Development Fund funding, 144 011.80 euros are State budget co-financing and 12 557.00 euros are Ventspils University of Applied Sciences funding. The project will be implemented from November 1, 2018 to October 31, 2021.


Project No. 8.1.1.0/17/I/007 “Modernization of Ventspils University of Applied Sciences STEM Study Programmes” total project costs are 1 767 572.31 EUR, which consists of ERDF funding - 1 150 235.96 EUR and State budget funding - 617 318.35 EUR. The project implementation period is from November 1, 2017 to December 31, 2020.

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One of the main objectives of the project is to develop a practical tool that would help assess the effectiveness of transferring knowledge gained through adult professional development into practice. This tool would enable companies and government institutions to determine whether the training provided equips employees with the necessary skills and is applicable in the job market. In the long term, the project's desired outcome would be closer and better cooperation between educational institutions, entrepreneurs, and government agencies, with company representatives actively involved as guest lecturers, telling students about real problems and needs in the job market. The offer is there, but information is lacking Zane Zonberga shared one of her observations from the research process, acknowledging that "There is fragmentation in communication between the institutions involved – employees, employers, local governments, the state, and, accordingly, educational institutions and state-level institutions. Fragmented communication between these parties has created obstacles to better cooperation." She emphasizes the importance of employers identifying their employees' needs, but notes that some companies struggle to do so effectively without consuming excessive human resources time. It is in the interest of local governments to ensure that companies in their municipalities have the opportunity to develop and provide support as needed. The industry expert council is responsible for obtaining information about the needs of all industries – the knowledge, skills and competencies that need to be developed. The state is responsible for providing not only projects, but also further professional development courses, training, etc., which would be offered to both industries and residents. Zane Zonberga cites the example of the courses provided by the State Employment Agency, emphasizing: "After communicating with entrepreneurs and industry representatives, it was concluded that this offer, which usually comes from the state, does not always match the knowledge, skills or competencies they need. Similarly, various projects are currently challenging for a specific company to implement, as they often do not meet one or two criteria and are therefore not eligible for funding. These communication issues need to be resolved so that all parties understand what is needed and how to implement it." Zane Zonberga acknowledges that the current range of professional development opportunities is sufficient. Still, some shortcomings need to be addressed: "I would say that the range of professional development opportunities as such is sufficient, but at the moment the public is not sufficiently informed about the possibilities." For example, at Ventspils University of Applied Sciences, anyone who is interested can take courses and earn credits for a fee, receiving a certificate upon completion. This can be done over several years, combining work with study and gradually acquiring knowledge. Similar offers are also available at other educational institutions and lifelong learning centres, including free courses, but their availability often depends on the initiative of the teachers themselves. Sanita Lasmane highlights the inequality between regions: "Opportunities exist, but they are mainly concentrated in the more economically developed areas. The biggest structural gaps in the labor market are precisely in the regions where professional development opportunities are much more limited." Zane Zonberga agrees: "There are many more opportunities for professional development in Riga, and they are more diverse. For example, Ventspils University of Applied Sciences is unable to provide professional development in medicine, but such opportunities are available in Riga." Cooperation with entrepreneurs must be expanded. The researchers particularly emphasize the importance of cooperation with businesses. Ventspils University currently cooperates with Bucher Municipal, where, in addition to the scholarship, students are also provided with the opportunity to gain experience at the company by familiarizing themselves with all work processes: "I think it is necessary to establish broader cooperation so that it is not just two or three companies and so that entrepreneurs themselves want to give guest lectures to students on current labor market issues. Ventspils University is already succeeding in this because some of the representatives of Ventspils companies are graduates of Ventspils University of Applied Sciences, and better communication has been established with them, so their desire to get involved in the process is noticeable," says Zane Zonberga. " Ventspils University of Applied Sciences already attracts various industry experts and company representatives for guest lectures and practical classes, but I believe that cooperation should be even broader." The project Development of Evidence-Based Solutions for Effective Professional Competence Improvement for Adults and Assessment of the Transfer of Results into Practice in Latvia was launched in December 2023 and is scheduled to be completed in December 2026. The results of the project will be used in dialogue with the Ministry of Education and Science, which is the primary end user and client of the project. Source: https://www.ventasbalss.lv/zinas/izglitiba/52693-kad-zinasanas-noveco-petijuma-mekle-risinajumus-efektivai-muzizglitibai Photo: Krists Kūla
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