Multiplier Event in Austria (Wiener Neustadt)

The Austrian Multiplier Event of the project took place in Wiener Neustadt in the Hotel Zentral (April 26^th, 2022).

The audience was well mixed: entrepreneurs, representatives of associations as well as directors and teachers from various schools took part in the event. Franz Dinhobl, Member of Parliament for Lower Austria, came from the group of policymakers.

The keynote speaker was HR. Dr. Johann Hagenhofer spoke about his experiences with the digital world. He is a representative of the 80+ age group and works successfully as a historian and book author. His message was clear: digital skills are extremely important in our time, and you have to acquire them in a learning process. Some of what he needed in his current work as an author he learned from acquaintances and friends. The fact is: that nothing works without learning.

Peter Mazohl, President of the European Foundation for Quality in Blended Learning, then presented the main contents of the project and the achieved project results. This covered areas such as the creation of the competence map, the type and structure of the course modules, and the free use of the materials as OERs. He also explained the possibilities of using the materials in the classroom (in Austria, the subject “digital basic competencies” is currently being introduced in schools as a compulsory subject in Secondary Schools), especially for the people from the school sector who were present.

The event concluded with a panel discussion in dialogue with the audience. The panel included Dr. Johann Hagenhofer (representing the older generation), BEd Firdevs Mercan (representing the young adults), Mrs. Heidi Mühlendorfer (she is the president of the Kneippbund Wiener Neustadt, course participant), and Mag. Harald Makl (representing the target group for the transfer of the project results into the school sector). In an interesting discussion with the audience, project results were discussed, questioned, and also put into the light of today through contributions: Post-Covid-19.

After the event, the participants enjoyed a small buffet and used some time for networking and experience exchange. The final evaluation of the event (by questionnaires) showed excellent feedback from the listeners.