In just five days, we were supposed to create an online course on a drawn topic in international teams…
The training I attended was really intense. In just five days, we were supposed to create an online course on a drawn topic in international teams. Luckily, each team finished their project on time thanks to the great commitment of all the participants.
I fondly remember all the energizers, which allowed me to get to know the other participants better. Despite the tight schedule, we managed to create a great atmosphere thanks to them. The organizers also took care of an evening trip around Targu Jiu, where our project took place.
Particularly memorable was the cultural evening, where I had the opportunity to taste a variety of local foods from the participants’ countries, such as Spanish sangria, Romanian palinka and delicious sweets. The evening’s program also included presentations about the countries and quizzes, and the Czechs taught us how to dance polka.
I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to participate in this project. I met many amazing people, thanks to whom I will have wonderful memories from this training.I would tell about my experience to encourage my peers to participate in such trips. I would also show them pictures and videos from my trip.
Amelia, 19 years old,, Mastering MOOCs : Creating Engaging Online Learning Experiences
The “Mastering MOOCs” training equipped me with new digital skills…
The project took place in the small Romanian town of Targu Jiu, where the participants were trained to design MOOCs – open online courses that make large-scale education accessible, usually free of charge, to participants from around the world. On the first two days, the organisers introduced us to the theory needed to create our own training courses, and in the remaining three days, we worked on our own courses in groups. My team drew the topic “Gamification”, which was a lucky coincidence since two people among us were professionally connected with gamification. Naturally, we created our project in the form of a game on the Genially platform. We addressed this project to young teachers who want to introduce game elements into their lessons with children. The process of creating the course itself was very intense. The time allocated to work on the project, according to all participants, was far too short. Nevertheless, we rose to the challenge in our team and completed the training. It was recognized by the organizers and the rest of the participants by winning first place during the voting for the best project.
The “Mastering MOOCs” training equipped me with new digital skills, such as operating Genially or WordPress and processing short videos. Besides, it was a very enriching experience to meet people from other countries. I got along best with Bulgarian women, and we often talked about the cultural differences between Poland and Bulgaria. What surprised me most was their lack of familiarity with spit coffee – they were shocked by the concept. On the other hand, I sipped with disgust their local beverage with the taste and appearance of mouthwash, which they served us during the cultural afternoon.
I remember the entire stay in Romania very positively, but certainly, the seven days of the project were not enough and the intensity of the activities took a toll on the amount of free time needed to integrate with other participants. Nevertheless, I gained a lot from the project – knowledge to create my own MOOC course in the future and international friendships!
Take part in Erasmus+ exchanges where there is such an opportunity. These are unique experiences and a great way to gain knowledge on a variety of topics.
Hania, 19 years old, Mastering MOOCs : Creating Engaging Online Learning Experiences
This training also inspired me to participate in other MOOCs…
This training gave me the opportunity to expand my knowledge on a subject I had never dealt with before.
Its goal was to give us theory on MOOCs training, which are open online courses available to a large number of participants, offering flexible and often free learning opportunities on a variety of topics, in order for us to try our hand at creating them ourselves. During this training, we were divided into 6 permanent teams in which we worked for the whole duration of the project. Facilitators prepared 6 different topics for us. These topics were: ecology, gamification, enterprise, social media, digital skills and non-formal education. My team was assigned a topic about digital skills. We decided to introduce the ChatGPT tool and how those working in education can use it. Our task was to do research, create video materials and prepare the visuals for our MOOC on WordPress.
This was a huge challenge because although a lot of knowledge was transferred to us, we had relatively little time to refine our training. However, I’m very proud of my team because we made it!
I’m very thankful that during this training I learned so much about training platforms and creating trainings from scratch, and developed my skills using various digital tools. This training also inspired me to participate in other MOOCs.
International trips are a great opportunity to gain skills to develop your professional career.
Kinga, 19 years old, Mastering MOOCs : Creating Engaging Online Learning Experiences
People were nice and outgoing, and the time passed quickly for us…
During this training, the participants worked in international groups to create their online course on the topic set by the organizers. My team was given a topic called “digital skills”, and after brainstorming, we decided to create a course on the basics of ChatGPT for educators.
Together we agreed on the course content and divided the tasks, and my task was to prepare the video on how to use ChatGPT to increase productivity. The creation of this course taught me a lot. I saw how difficult it is to create the course from scratch, what to pay attention to, and how to work effectively in a group. The work on the course was very intensive as we had very little time to do it. However, I’m very happy with the obtained results. I believe that our course is high quality and can be useful for many people. A big thank you goes to my entire team, without whom this would have not been possible!
After intensive work on the course, we had some free time each day. We usually went out somewhere or stayed at the hotel to talk or play board games. I will remember these evenings very well. People were nice and outgoing, and the time passed quickly for us.
I really recommend taking part in diverse types of training! You can learn a lot and have fun as well!
Monika, 18 years old, Mastering MOOCs : Creating Engaging Online Learning Experiences
