International collaboration project creates outdoors MOOC to inspire the use of technology outdoors

Staff and students from the University of Northampton joined over 40 other lecturers, students and local teachers at Østfold University College in Norway to collaboratively create an online course on the theme of Technology Outdoors. The MOOC is one element of a three year Erasmus+ project, Digital Learning across Boundaries.

The Erasmus+ project, ‘Digital Learning across Boundaries’ (DLaB), led by four academics from the University of Northampton’s Faculty of Education and Humanities connects educators from partner organisations in Denmark, Norway, Belgium and England as they explore the use of technology within education.

Technology and digital innovations are the forefront of ways to transform cross curricular learning for pupils from around the world as children increasingly embrace technology within their everyday lives and develop computational thinking skills within their educational setting. The DLaB project will unite student teachers, teachers, pupils, lecturers and cultural partners across four European countries to experiment and develop their technology skills for education.  The four week MOOC covers episodes based on Creating Trails, Art in the Environment, Wild Writing and Science Outdoors.

Charlotte Bennett, first year, Initial Teacher Training student from the University of Northampton said: “I had an amazing time in Norway. I have learnt so many new skills and met lots of amazing people. I have loved being part of the project so far, can’t wait to start next year’s project!”

Senior Lecturer in Education at the University of Northampton, Helen Caldwell said: “The visit gave us a chance meet the people we’ve been working with digitally all year and to bring this year’s projects to a conclusion via our online course so that we can share our resources with the rest of the world. It was rewarding to see such a large and varied group of people work together to create the online course.

“Next year the DLaB project will focus on STEM to STEAM; bridging the disconnect between Science and the Arts. We will look at ways in which creativity, wonder and imagination which lie at the heart of the arts can be blended with the critical thought and enquiry of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths.”

Join the MOOC to find out how technology can support outdoor learning and facilitate international collaboration. The course is designed to take around two hours per week.