VOICE Developing Citizens
VOICE Developing Citizens – Paths to core competencies through a problem- based learning project in civic education
Grant Agreement number: 2010-4193/001-001
Project number: 510806-LLP-1-2010-1-DE-COMENIUS-CMP
Duration: 01.01.2011 to 31.12.2012
http://www.voice-comenius.org
VOICE is a Comenius multilateral project funded by the European Commission.. Representatives from different institutions from Turkey, Slovenia, Estonia (Tallinn English College), Austria and Germany are collaborating in the VOICE project. The consortium will develop
(1) an innovative strategy for education in secondary schools, in which both civic engagement and learning-to-learn competences shall be improved and enhanced.
(2) a teacher training course which focuses on necessary background knowledge and methodological tools for teachers to realize competence-orientated civic education.
Final products of the project will be
(a) four thematic modules for school teaching on the subjects Democracy, Europe, Human Rights and Migration
(b) ‘key modules’, which focus on the enhancement of social, learning and methodological competences. Moreover, the learning modules can be related to current political debates in the European and national public. Related to educational theory it means that three central didactic principles are effectively intertwined: activity-based learning, problem-based learning and discourse-orientated learning.
In order to meet the actual requirements of both teachers and pupils regarding the enhancement of civic participation and of key competences for lifelong learning, the project starts with Needs Analyses in every collaborating country. The results of the Needs Analyses will be considered in the development of the teaching and learning material to meet the concrete needs of both pupils and teachers. Furthermore, the project will run several trial courses to ensure that the project’s targets have been fulfilled. On this basis, the developed material for both target groups, pupils and teachers, will be evaluated and optionally optimized.
