On Friday, November 18, 2022, as part of the start of the implementation of the Jean Monnet Module (JMM), Astana IT University hosted a presentation on the project “Development of Digital Culture in Higher Education: The European Experience” (DigCEE), a project created via the successful proposal for an Erasmus grant by Astana IT University (ERASMUS-JMO-2022-HEI-TCH-RSCH). The project coordinators for the JMM are Zh.K.Tleshova, Director of the Department of General Educational Disciplines and E.F.Gerfanova, Assistant Professor of the Department of General Educational Disciplines. At the meeting, the objectives, course organization, and expected results of the project were presented and discussed.
The JMM (DigCEE) is a part of the Erasmus study programs that promote excellence in teaching. Students in the AITU undergraduate educational programs “Media Technologies”, “Digital Journalism”, “IT Management”, “IT Entrepreneurship”, “Software Engineering” and “Cyber Security” will be able to participate in this module. The JMM (DigCEE) will offer students perspectives on how modern information technologies and digitalization of learning have informed contemporary European higher education, including a consideration of the broader impact of these technologies on society in general. It is hoped that this case study will allow students to consider the potentials of these developments for future application in the educational systems of Kazakhstan.
Project name: Digital Culture in Higher Education: European Perspective (DigCEE)
Program name: ERASMUS-JEAN MONNET MODULE-2022-HEI-TCH-RSCH
Granting authority: European Education and Culture Executive Agency
Project Summary: The aim of the proposed module is to promote theoretical understanding of how culture is developing within the EU digital domain of education by bringing forward relevant theories, approaches and policy documents.
The Module “Digital Culture in Higher Education: European Perspective” includes the next main activities: teaching (lectures and practical classes), deliverables, events (roundtable discussions, seminars, workshops, a summer school, a conference). The teaching course will cover Bachelor students enrolled for the following educational programs at AITU “Media Technologies”, “Digital Journalism”, “IT Management”. “IT Entrepreneurship”, “Soft Engineering” and “Cyber Security”.
The primary outcomes are the students’ knowledge, skills and competences. The Module will provide students with the ability to use technology creatively and analyze the effects of technological change on cultural relations. After the completion of the course students are expected to have in-depth knowledge of EU policy in digital transformation, understanding the impact of technology and the ways in which digital technologies can be used to improve society, as well as an ability to analytically apply such theories to empirical cases.
The proposed module will enhance interest in EU affairs, encourage and promote diversification of EU studies on local and national levels. Furthermore, all developed study materials after the project implementation can be used as a basis for forming the European trajectory within any educational program, as the issues under study are essential for the current context.
Period of Implementation: 36 months.
Start date: October 1, 2022. End Date: October 1, 2025.
Work packages:
WP 1. Preparation, Project management and Coordination
WP 2. Implementation, Dissemination and Communication
Project Team:
Zhibek Tleshova – PhD in Pedagogical Sciences, Director of the Department of General Educational Disciplines, Astana IT University
Elmira Gerfanova – PhD in Foreign Language Education, Assistant Professor at the Department of General Educational Disciplines, Astana IT University