Education and Pedagogical Innovation

Introduction

The world is changing, and the speed of change defies the education system. Hence, key skill development and lifelong learning (LLL) have become the two main challenges that our education systems need to address. In a rapidly evolving world, traditional education must adapt to provide students with all the required skills. As higher education institutions, it is our responsibility towards our graduates, the economy, the society and the academic world to deliver appropriate and effective teaching. New technologies, global challenges, and the shifting nature of work require constantly developing and using new skills. In a continually evolving environment, LLL is no longer a choice but a requirement. UNITA offers keys and tools to face the global trends surrounding us. According to the UNITA Mission statement, LLL is a core commitment, particularly through the development of innovative approaches in education with micro-credentials. Obviously, ambition can only be achieved with others, and working together is mandatory. We have to develop innovative solutions to facilitate the recognition of our common educational perspective. UNITA's strength lies in its diversity. By working together, we are creating a unified approach for LLL. With the UNITA LLL strategy, we will address the question of future skills and the way to learn them. We need to shift our focus from merely delivering education to developing key skills and competences that enable our students to thrive in this ever-changing landscape. The key skills are the ability to think critically, solve problems, develop creativity, collaborate, and adapt, to name only a few. These skills are transversal and can be developed throughout a person's life. To promote LLL, European higher education institutions must offer flexible educational pathways, such as UNITA à la Carte. We will strategically support LLL for four years (2024-2027). The main aim is to provide quality training for lifelong learners, those who wish to upskill or reskill, to diversify their current set of skills to gain a strategic advantage for their personal or professional growth, and to create an ecosystem where learning is a continuous process with the right level of recognition. In this process, the fluent consultation of needs and concerns about LLL to our stakeholders, UNITA associated partners, employers, and socio-cultural partners of a diverse nature is also a methodological line of our strategy. Furthermore, we must foster a culture of innovation within our educational institutions. This means using innovation in our teaching methods as well as preparing our students for future innovations. It means encouraging, for instance, interdisciplinary learning, project-based learning, and artificial intelligence. And finally, it means promoting research and entrepreneurship as a key component of higher education. Regarding other kinds of hubs of success in UNITA, promoting all kinds of mobility, especially rural mobilities, identifying tailored and flexible study paths (blended intensive programs or micro-credentials), and supporting the recognition of transversal skills, such as intercomprehension, are some cornerstones of our LLL strategy.

Definition of the LLL withing UNITA

In UNITA, the LLL embodies a vision that transcends traditional educational boundaries, emphasizing the continuous acquisition of knowledge, skills, and competencies throughout one's lifetime. This vision advocates for a dynamic educational ecosystem where individuals are empowered to adapt themselves to technological advancements, digital and green transitions, economic shifts, and societal changes. This fosters resilience and innovation and contributes to key SDGs, particularly SDGs 4 (Quality education) and 8 (Decent work and economic growth).

Objectives of the LLL Strategy within UNITA

At its core, the UNITA LLL Strategy is guided by fundamental principles such as relevance, accessibility, flexibility, inclusivity, and quality assurance, ensuring that LLL opportunities are available to a large panel of people from regular students to individuals looking for a quick development of competences. UNITA LLL aims to provide quality training for lifelong learners, those who wish to upskill or reskill, to diversify their current set of skills to gain a strategic advantage for their personal or professional growth and create an environment where learning is a continuous process with the right level of recognition.

Objective 1. To offer a qualitative educational experience

UNITA envisions establishing a common space for recognizing learning pathways, where diverse educational experiences and achievements are acknowledged and valued across member institutions. By offering flexible learning options, LLL institutions accommodate diverse learner schedules, preferences, and life commitments, fostering an environment where individuals can engage in continuous learning without constraints, no matter if their residences are in rural or urban areas, keeping in mind especially the first ones, since rural mobility is one of the pillars of UNITA philosophy.

Objective 2. To ensure flexibility and inclusiveness?

UNITA, as a common area of recognition, catalyzes facilitating seamless transitions between formal, non-formal, and informal learning contexts, providing a flexible framework that accommodates various learning styles, needs, and preferences, encouraging inclusive and accessible educational opportunities that cater to diverse learner needs and aspirations. UNITA LLL offers tailored educational opportunities that empower individuals to continuously develop and enhance their knowledge, skills, and competences throughout their lives. Developing a gender-responsive environment that encourages the equal participation of women and men in LLL education is also a key point in our LLL strategy. The possibility of developing a curriculum needs to develop guidance and counseling services for individuals who aim to navigate their educational experiences within UNITA. Thus, UNITA services will offer personalized support and advice, helping learners identify their goals, explore learning pathways, and make thoughtful decisions about their educational and career trajectories. For students, this kind of service is based on the development of the Hub of Success in the initial phase of the development of the alliance. The Hub of Success is set up to support students in the definition of tailored curricula. In complement to the Hub of Success, UNITA is now working on «UNITA à la carte,» which promotes the possibility of taking courses at any UNITA university and having the courses recognized in the home institution. Furthermore, flexibility is one of the main concepts supporting LLL in UNITA, allowing individuals to tailor their educational experiences to meet their unique needs and circumstances. This flexibility manifests itself in various forms, including adaptable curricula, alternative learning formats, micro-credentials, customizable learning pathways, and different ways to access the higher education offers.

Objective 3. To foster collaboration among UNITA members and the stakeholders

Through collaborative efforts among the member universities of UNITA, LLL promotes new opportunities for personal and professional growth. UNITA envisions LLL as a transformative process that enhances individual capacities and contributes to the development of our regional communities and sustainable educational paths. By providing guidance and counseling services, LLL institutions ensure that learners receive the necessary tools and assistance based on collaboration with UNITA stakeholders, employers, and socio-cultural partners to maximize their learning potential and achieve their personal and professional objectives.

Objective 4. To contribute to the success of UNITA and its priority themes

Defined by the task on the Thematic research hubs and within the work-package in charge of the research, the contribution of the LLL Strategy goes in the direction of the six research Hubs defined by UNITA . It will contribute to the link between research and education to give more coherence to the actions and activities of UNITA. These general objectives are part of the global UNITA proposal and actions. Related to the application submitted to the European Commission, we can foresee a general contribution of the LLL Strategy to the main points of UNITA:

• development of a gender-responsive environment that encourages the equal participation of women and men in LLL education and the development of inclusivity. (Objectives 1 & 2)
• promotion of the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics STEM disciplines among the general public. (Objective 3)
• contribution to the UNITA Financial Sustainability Plan (Objective 4)