This became possible as part of the planned work of the Consortium of Kazakh universities-partners of the ALLVET 609952-EPP project-1-2019-1-RS-EPPKA2-CBHE-JP "HE and VET alliance establishment according to Bologna Principals implementation via VET teachers capacity building" of the Erasmus +program. This project is aimed at reforming educational programs and plans, training modules. The training modules will be developed as part of the ALLVET project, and all materials will be uploaded to a web platform created specifically for this project.
Thus, even before the official launch of the ALLVET project, the Kazakhstan consortium of universities is joining the partnership within the framework of the Digital school project to start establishing communications and creating a network of colleges where the ALLVET project will be implemented.
Creating a network of colleges interested in the ALLVET project and training students and teachers of digital literacy colleges is an important part of the preparatory process before the project starts. This is also due to the fact that the dissemination of information about the project, the creation of a network of interested colleges in Kazakhstan and abroad allows you to maximize the coverage of the project results.
Narxoz University has attracted as partners the Suleiman Demirel University, as well as the College operating under SDU, as well as AUCA and the AUCA Innovation College. By attracting colleges from Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan to participate in the Digital school project, the following tasks will be solved: training students and teachers of colleges in digital literacy, involving colleges in project activity and preparing a platform for future training under the ALLVET project.
On November 18 and 19, 2019, international speakers such as Oksana Tikhina, Alexey Lysenko, Ekaterina Borisova and Maria Grin gave guest lectures and master classes at Narxoz University. Speakers presented the project and held guest lectures for Narxoz Economic College students. The lecture was attended by 532 College students. For two days, speakers held interactive classes in computer halls on the basics of coding and creating software products, using digital capabilities to enhance cybersecurity in various fields of activity. Speaker Alexey Lysenko raised issues such as:
- the impact of the fourth industrial revolution on the transformation of industry and the emergence of "smart" enterprises;
- assessment of the implementation of distributed technologies and their impact on transparency and cybersecurity;
- discussed with the participants what information is, how to structure information, ways to visualize information, and also talked about how to generate ideas for an IT project, make a business plan and present your projects, as well as much more.
The main idea of the project of the International network "Digital school" is to increase digital literacy among schools and colleges students, as well as to provide opportunities for young talents to participate in the competition of IT projects. The subject and geography of the project is quite wide. It should be noted that prior to this, the project organizers conducted training in Uzbekistan, China, and Spain, which further confirms the international status of the project.
Let's add that the Digital school project consists of several blocks:
- first block: distance and remote learning, i.e. online educational technologies at the level of schools, colleges and universities;
- the second block: the possibility of obtaining training material and access to it in IT technologies, digitalization, programming. Moreover, the program levels are aimed at different categories of students;
- the third block: the opportunity to listen to guest speakers, take part in seminars and trainings on current areas of digitalization;
- the fourth block: informing College students and schoolchildren about the future competition of IT projects "Digital school", which is organized within the framework of the current project.
Equal opportunities are created for all participants of the competition, and tasks are ranked according to different categories and levels. The finalists will be provided with flights, accommodation and food.
Gaini Mukhanova, chief coordinator of the consortium of universities-partners of the ALLVET project of the Erasmus+ program of Kazakhstan, highly appreciates the involvement of Kazakhstani educational institutions in the project. The competition jury consists of experts from Australia, China, Russia and Kazakhstan. Gaini Mukhanova is a member of the international jury of the contest from the Republic of Kazakhstan, the final of which will be held in December 2019 in Rostov-on-Don.
It should be noted that according to the ALLVET project, the target audience is the system of technical and vocational secondary education in the Republic of Kazakhstan and building competence at all levels and training standards in accordance with the tuning methodology. In its work, the Consortium adheres to the vector of involvement in all modern educational technologies of the College system, as well as providing opportunities for training, before training, retraining of teachers in-service with the industry.
A consortium of Kazakh universities, including Suleiman Demirel University and Narxoz University, implemented the FIRST single unique case for publicizing the project until its official launch (January 15, 2020). At this stage, the Digital school project involves colleges and educational institutions in Kazakhstan, China, Uzbekistan, Spain, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan and Russia. Pre-training of teachers of schools and colleges is carried out, and most importantly - high-quality content from guest speakers is provided. Gaini Mukhanova concluded that this experience will be broadcast not only among the partner universities of the ALLVET project, but also across Kazakhstan and beyond.