Case Studies

The main task of this project is to develop a research based concept of advanced training in the fields of language acquisition, multilingualism and creative language learning. This concept, developed from the personal experience of teachers who teach according to the principles of Progressive Education, is based on the latest research results and approaches, including modern technical aids that promote the learning of foreign languages and multilingualism.
The partners that participate in VISEUS consist of schools with classes at primary and /or lower secondary level from six countries and one academic institution working in the field of teacher training and teacher in-service training from each of these countries take part in VISEUS.
This project is one of many activities designed under the aim of promoting children’s abilities to learn foreign languages as early as at primary school level, and to develop intercultural competences. In particular the programme addresses those pupils who already speak several languages (some of the schools that participate in our project show a high percentage of pupils from migrant families, sometimes of up to 80 % or a high percentage share of pupils with ethnic minority background, Roma etc.). This diversity of languages is seen and used as highly valuable resource.

Major goals of the project are
 To encourage the acquisition of foreign languages and an increasing interest in linguistic diversity. The learners communicate in the languages of the project.
 To encourage the development of innovative, ICT-based curricular contents, services, pedagogical ideas and teaching methods under the aspect of life-long learning
 To encourage the best implementation of results, innovative products and processes as well as an exchange of reliable methods in those fields that are covered by the programme for life-long learning to enhance the quality of general education and vocational training
 To encourage the learning of modern foreign languages
 To gain knowledge about and insight into the diversity of the European cultures and languages, and to help young people and teachers to acknowledge their value
 To apply a holistic approach to the teaching of foreign languages
 To disseminate adequate instruments for teaching and learning foreign languages
 To develop concepts for the support of teachers in their effort of using new methods for promoting the motivation of their students
Our target is to set up language workshops in all participating schools and to connect them through a virtual communication platform. The participants can thus communicate with each other and share materials and experience.
The main activity in the language workshops consists of the work with the interactive children’s encyclopedia “Euroklex”. Within this project the software for Euroklex was extended to eight languages (Dutch, English, Finnish, German, Hungarian, Italian, Romani, Turkish). The pupils themselves who develop the software for the language programme.
The experience gained in the different schools as well as the results of the accompanying research is part of the general concept of advanced training.
All these activities in the field of language learning and multilingualism help to increase the general attention and importance attributed to the linguistic diversity that exists in Europe.
The new proved and tested methods allow creative work in the language classes and to enhance pupils’ motivation for language acquisition.
The partners that participate in VISEUS consist of schools with classes at primary and/or lower secondary level from six countries and one academic institution working in the field of teacher training and teacher in-service training from each of these countries take part in VISEUS.

VISEUS – Virtually Connected Language Workshops at European Schools. The target of project focussed on the design of a concept of advanced training in the fields of language acquisition, multilingualism and creative language learning. The concept was developed in cooperation with nine project schools and seven academic
institutes of higher education in the field of teacher training from
different European countries such as Germany, Finland, Italy, the
Netherlands, Austria and Hungary.
The pupils who participated in the project produced their own
dictionaries and texts in the so-called language workshops by means
of the on-line dictionary „My Own Dictionary“ and the virtual language workshop „Vis@Vis“.
Cognitive load theory, self determination theory and neuropsychology were presented, together with new developments in the field of new literacies.Using “My own dictionary” as an example, students got an idea how these grounding theories can be used to construct multimedia and ICT programs.

The analysis of the results obtained during these processes formed part of the academic support and monitoring.
The project was coordinated and organised to a large extent by the Institute of Educational Science at the University of Osnabrück which also offered academic support and monitoring. Major focus of
analysis was put on the following areas:
- Inventory of profiles of schools and classes of language teaching
- Initial survey amongst teachers on their didactical concepts and
methods of teaching
- Data analysis: teaching materials in classes of language teaching
- Data analysis: texts produced by pupils
- Final survey amongst teachers on their work within the projects and on the instruments developed during the course of the project.
The external experts of the Executive Agency evaluated the project results of VISEUS with “very good”. The experts highlighted the innovative outcomes of high quality, the efficient process evaluation and a balanced and experienced partner network.
special feature of this children’s dictionary was the focus
on the independent work of pupils who developed in accordance
with their teachers their own definitions, illustrations and exemplary
sentences and applied them accordingly. During this cross-border
work with the European children’s dictionary, children were to be
encouraged to know more about the similarities and differences of
European languages and cultures, to learn foreign languages, and to
acquire multi-linguistic competences.

To gain recognition for an already successful European Project

Mentions in a book - “Working with language education, using intermediate goals and ICT.” with scientific contributions assessing the work of Viseus.
Presentations in different countries - Portugal for example, where the topic was - How can we construct multimedia and ICT on a well grounded basis? What theories are useful and easy to adopt? Is it possible to show VISEUS and “My own dictionary” as an example of good practice?
A collection of papers on the scientific background to the project was presented in a colloquium in Hungary and subsequently published. - http://www.viseus.eu/downloads/accompanyingresearch.pdf

Enabled the project to be better disseminated.

Full presentation of the project; clear assessment of outcomes

Contains many factors related to EU policy - the development of ITC in education; contribution to the integration of migrants; support for language diversity etc.

See above - the emphasis in 2009 was on multilingualism as a major asset for Europe.

The jury emphasised the innovative nature of the project, and the way it combined ITC with plurilingualism. It gave a lot of responsibility to learners, who developed their own software, and it was backed by solid theoretical research.