**3. University teaching and learning enhancement through Erasmus+ UniTeLE Project**

The experience of European universities shows that students need to be actively involved in the learning process. Therefore, speaking about approaches to conducting training sessions, one should pay attention, first of all, to interactive educational technologies and widely used active teaching methods.

Thus, the most important areas for improving the quality of education in Belarusian universities are as follows: the development of a system of advanced training for teaching staff, assessment of the quality of teaching and learning. In addition to that, it is advisable to train teachers in modern interactive methods, educational technologies, etc.

The European Union Program ERASMUS+ project "University Teaching and Learning Enhancement/UniTeLE" is dedicated to solving this problem and the team of our university also actively participated in it

The members of the UniTeLE consortium are Linnaeus University (project coordinator, Sweden), University of Genoa (Italy), Heidelberg University of Education (Germany), Nevsehir Haci Bektas Veli University (Turkey) and the following Belarussian universities: Belarussian State University (BSU, Minsk), Polotsk State University (PSU, Polotsk, Vitebsk region), Sukhoi State Technical University of Gomel

*The Implementation of Best Practices of International Projects as the Way of Enhancement… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.111403*

#### **Figure 7.**

*Video lesson on aerators usage of the course "Energy saving in everyday life."*


#### **Table 2.**

*Progress of students of the course "Household Energy Saving."*

**Figure 8.**

*Post-project sustainability ideas for distance learning courses.*

(GSTU, Gomel), Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno (YKSUG, Grodno), Belarusian State Agricultural Academy (BSAA, Gorki, Mogilev region), Brest State Technical University (BrSTU, Brest).

The wider objective of this project is development of an internal Quality Assurance (QA) system at Belarusian (BY) partner universities for their academic development with in-service teacher-training program for structural improvement of the employment and pedagogical performance of teaching staff and students' participation in quality assurance at BY Universities.

Participation in this project made it possible to study active teaching methods, the system of academic development of teachers and approaches to assessing the quality of teaching and learning at partner universities.

For example, at Heidelberg University of Education (Germany), the staff from Belarussian universities studied the approaches to the educational process organization. They are implemented in a way that guides students towards a learning model in which they:


Heidelberg University of Education teachers apply active learning methods, create video lessons, use ergonomic and transformable furniture for the learning process, and develop social and personal competencies of both teachers and students.

In addition, various courses and subject at the university can be enhanced by using the modern VR technologies in education (**Figure 9**).

Based on the experience of Linnaeus University, Heidelberg University of Education and University of Genoa, Belarussian universities have proposed a studentcentered approach, which that is implemented at Lifelong Learning Institute at Sukhoi State Technical University of Gomel (**Figure 10**).

#### **Figure 9.**

*Studying the experience of using VR-technologies in the educational process at the Heidelberg Pedagogical University (Germany) and at the Nevsehir Haci Bektas Veli University (Turkey).*

#### **Figure 10.**

*Suggestions to improve the quality of education.*

In developing the university's QA strategy, the following principles were considered:


During the UniTeLE project, the experience of the University of Genoa (Italy) in applying active learning methods and assessing the quality of education, as well as the development of lifelong learning was studied, disseminated and implemented by the beneficiary universities [12, 13].

By the same way, the analysis of the quality of education should be carried out in two directions [14]:

1.analysis of the quality of education provided;

2.analysis of the quality of education received.

Due to the knowledge gained during the visit to Italy and Germany, the following active learning methods have become effectively applied at the Lifelong Learning Institute at Sukhoi State Technical University of Gomel.

• **Buzz groups—**is a method of collaborative learning. It involves the formation of small discussion groups in order to work on a specific task (generation of ideas, problem solving, etc.).

One problem is preliminarily discussed in small groups, and then the general discussion of the problem begins (**Figure 11**).

This technique makes it possible to improve the quality of the result, and, if desired, to discuss the problem in more detail from different angles. To get more detailed review, the lecturer can give an appropriate individual task to each small group at the preliminary stage). Students learn to prepare solutions to problems in a short time using effective team interaction.

• **Critical debate**—the method of critical debate involves dividing students into two teams for giving a particular solution to a problem. One team prepares a speech and arguments in support of the decision (the "For" group). The other team prepares to challenge the solution proposed in the task (group "Against"). After the preliminary stage of group discussion, general discussion takes place within a predetermined format (speech, questions and answers to them, discussion) (**Figure 12**).

By this experience, students learn to consider different points of view, to choose arguments, to convince others that they are right. Along with improving the quality of the acquired knowledge, students develop important communicative competencies: the ability to persuade, speak in public and lead a discussion.

• **Sequence chains**. This method is used if it is requisite to study the essence, patterns, sequences in relatively complex systems. To give such a lesson, it is necessary to prepare the material in advance and determine the number of groups (equal to the number of prepared logical chains). The material can be handed out on a sheet of paper separately for each predetermined group. There is an alternative solution—to give each student a card with a part of the problem so that

**Figure 11.** *Buzz groups discussion.*

*The Implementation of Best Practices of International Projects as the Way of Enhancement… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.111403*

**Figure 12.** *"Critical debate" in the educational process of the LLL Institute at GSTU.*

they themselves find their groups in the process of mutual active communication. After that, each group assembles the problem from its constituent parts, and then looks for ways of solving it, putting the elements of the structure in order and creating chains of sequences. The group fixes the chains graphically. Thus, in addition to basic knowledge, students develop the ability of logical thinking, teamwork and also use various methods of memorizing material.

• **Send-A-Problem**. While preparing for the lesson, the task for students is divided into problems. At the beginning of the lesson, students are divided into teams (preferably 2–4 people each).

Each team is given one of the problems of the task. The duration of the round for discussion and proposal of ideas is set. During the discussion, any ideas can be expressed and recorded by each team member. At the end of the time of the next round, the team passes on its proposals for solving the problem to the neighboring group, which in the next round also contributes to the solution and then passes the problem on. Thus, the solution to each of the problems during the lesson is discussed and improved by each student group. In the last round, each team prepares one problem for presentation, summarizing all the best ideas developed by the groups during the session. This method forms students' readiness for joint problem solving. The process encourages creativity in problem solving and emphasizes the value of different points of view. The Send-A-Problem method can be applied both for classical learning, for example, in practical classes, and for distance, online learning using online forums.

In the process of active learning, a number of rules should be followed: it is necessary to ensure the active participation of everyone. So, students should listen carefully, study different points of view and put away mobile phones, computers, tablets.

Particularization of Intervention Areas research was applied to achieve the aim of the UniTeLE project [15]. To carry out this kind of research, a consortium of Belarusian universities used:


This approach was chosen at an initial meeting at LNU (Sweden).

Questionnaire survey on the quality of higher education processes and its development priorities was taken as a basis of the survey, along with the interviewing the expert community and stakeholders.

The major principle of the UniTeLE project is a student-centered higher education system. It means, that student's needs and abilities is the core of the higher institution management. The authors of the article have suggested a research process which includes the following 7 steps:


The suggested steps lead to:


Questionnaire was used as the basic methodological tool of sociological research, with 27 common and 4 supplementary questions in it.

Questionnaire options made it possible to take a look at the wide range of opinions on the problems of higher education as well as on the factors which regulate its quality.

*The Implementation of Best Practices of International Projects as the Way of Enhancement… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.111403*

The following areas were covered:


There also were questions, which were used to identify the most important characteristics of a highly competitive university on the educational market. The following recommendations were given as a conclusion:


Realization of such steps as development of methodological and information support of educational process, employment of highly qualified teachers who are able to use modern educational technologies and have necessary social and personal competencies is supposed to lead to the permanent motivation of students to perfect their key skills following the principles of Lifelong Learning. The matrix of SWOT-proposals for improving the system of higher education in Belarus is presented in **Table 3**.


Information and methodological support

of the educational process quality and effectiveness, of the lecturers and structural

9. Creation and improvement of electronic interactive training courses for students,

university departments work.

applicants, adult student. 10. Distance learning development.

6. Involvement of employers and basic enterprises specialists in the educational process. Cooperation for determining the principles of training, develop

7. Organization of comprehensive assessment system

8. Creation of university departments branches at the

educational technologies.

in demand in the region.

of learning design, etc.

the region.

development.

enterprises.

#### **Activities that use strengths to avoid threats**

	- 3. Development of non-material motivation system for lecturers, e.g., the opportunities to participate in international projects.
	- 4. The use of basic enterprises equipment during practice and laboratory studies and for student research laboratories organization.
	- 5. Development of unique educational and vocational guidance projects for applicants to involve them in higher education.
	- 6.Making contracts with basic enterprises for upgrading and retraining of their employees on the universities.
	- 7. Enhancement of applied educational projects related to the development of lifelong education and learning of foreign languages.

**Necessary activities to overcome weaknesses and to use the opportunities provided Activities that minimize weaknesses to avoid threats**


#### **Table 3.**

*SWOT-proposal matrix for the UniTeLE project.*

One more important point is to keep international cooperation and networking among universities to improve the quality and competitiveness of Belarusian education.

Additionally, some of the interesting approaches to the organization of the educational process could be found at Nevsehir Haci Bektas Veli University (Turkey), where the Belarussian partners attended the workshops and trainings within the UniTeLE project.

*The Implementation of Best Practices of International Projects as the Way of Enhancement… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.111403*

The University of Haji Bektash-i Veli was founded in 2007. It currently has about 20,000 students, about 700 teachers and 500 employees.

At this university a lot of attention is paid to the involvement of students into the learning process and to the development of their skills to study independently. Various methods are used to increase interest in learning and make students interested in independent work:


There is also a creative approach to the balance between learning and relaxation during special lessons conducted in the form of dancing and singing, and short active breaks, so called **BRAİN-BREAKS,** which adds to the activization of learning [16].

The approaches of **Nevsehir Haci Bektas Veli University** to the organization of the system of advanced training of teachers have already been applied at the Sukhoi State Technical University of Gomel when creating the Center for Advanced Training of Teachers (**Figure 13**):

The experience of Nevsehir Haci Bektas Veli University in assessing knowledge during distance learning process seems to be good for application in Belarus. Students not only complete assignments on the learning portal, but they also record video responses to prevent cheating.

Participation in the UniTeLE project made it possible to establish new contacts and friendly relations with universities in the European educational space (Sweden, Turkey, Germany, Italy). Moreover, due to the results of internships for teachers at the universities of the consortium, the beneficiary higher education institutions were able

**Figure 13.** *System of advanced training for teachers.*

to introduce modern educational technologies at their courses and educational programs, including conducting training using network technology (**Figure 14**).

For example, to develop a curriculum "Learning Design" and improve the skills of our university teachers (**Table 4**).

As a result, six Belarussian universities established Centers for Academic Development of Teachers (CADTs) that promotes and disseminates the gained experience and know-how.

One of the key modules of the course **"Learning Design"** is the module **"Innovative teaching methods and technologies**.**"** This module reveals of active learning methods, and is especially devoted to the development of the most relevant digital competencies of academic staff [17, 18]. The fact that the learning design of this module was developed as a syllabus and as a guideline for a student and for a teacher makes this approach highly appreciated by both teachers and students [19, 20].

Purchased within the project, the technical equipment of the Centers for Academic Development allows for to enhance the trainings using information, communication and network educational technologies, with the possibility of online participation of specialists from other universities and countries (**Figure 15**).

Thus, the described pilot experience in conducting professional development courses for teachers of technical universities has shown good results in the use of network educational technologies and online participation of Belarusian universities (GSTU, Gomel; PSU, Polotsk; YKSUG, Grodno; BSAA, Gorki; BrSTU, Brest), European universities (LNU, Sweden; UniGe, Italy; PH Heidelberg, Germany). We also organized an interesting seminar **"Psychology of Creativity and Innovation for Students of Economics and Technology"** for the teachers with online participation of colleagues from Colorado Mesa University (USA).

**Figure 14.** *Improve the qualifications of GSTU teachers.*


#### **Table 4.**

*The first BY University course "Learning Design" to improve the skills of university teachers.*

*The Implementation of Best Practices of International Projects as the Way of Enhancement… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.111403*

**Figure 15.** *Project of e-learning classroom—Academic Development Center at Sukhoi State Technical University of Gomel.*

Speaking about the implementation of the European experience in GSTU, we would like to emphasize the following positive aspects. In the classroom, teachers use interactive platforms to test knowledge and present new information in a form game. Active learning methods, interactive platforms where students can answer questions, take part in quizzes, create discussions and polls using their mobile phones, have received good feedback from our students and teachers.

On the basis of the Center for Academic Development of Teachers (CADT), Sukhoi State Technical University of Gomel is currently performing advanced training programs, internships, training courses for faculty staff, as well as for students. Moreover, it creates more accessible opportunities to use the information and communication educational technologies and networking with partners (**Figure 16**).

The teachers are able to use electronic educational Internet-resources, develop distance and blended learning courses, apply elements of gamification and active learning methods.

Also, good results are shown by educational activities, which are aimed at developing of social and personal competencies.

Today, students of Lifelong Learning Institute at Sukhoi State Technical University of Gomel, within the framework of academic disciplines, master European time management techniques, anti-stress practices and trainings, communication trainings (the ability to establish contacts and make connections, to be persuasive and speak in public), develop communication and mediation skills in conflicts, performance management, self-motivation, business planning, job search, etc.

Thus, the best practices of European universities have been applied in the Republic of Belarus and are contributing, in particular, to:

**Figure 16.** *Report on the TV channel about the BY CADTs.*

