Beyond Zoom

The project was initiated in response to the rapidly evolving demands in the teaching professions, necessitated by the Digital Competence Framework for Educators, requiring a broader and more sophisticated set of digital skills. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted existing vulnerabilities and inequalities across various sectors, including education, where the need to enhance digital skills and competencies for digital transformation became crucial. Particularly in the vocational, education, and training (VET) sector, the transition to 'remote' and 'online' training posed significant challenges. Almost 60% of respondents to the Digital Education Action Plan for 2021-2027 had not used distance and online learning before the crisis, revealing the inadequacy and lack of interactivity in current online learning resources . The project aimed to address these challenges by developing digital resources and creating pedagogical approaches for online and hybrid educational environments. The focus was on supporting educators to adapt to the new learning environments dominated by digital technologies, ensuring accessibility and inclusion for learners with additional needs, thus enabling uninterrupted learning processes .

The primary objectives of the project aim to enhance digital education skills within vocational education and training (VET) and civic society settings. This involves partnering with seven organizations across different countries to pool resources, exploring existing expertise, conduct research, and engage stakeholders. The project intends to develop several key outcomes, including: A comprehensive report on existing online and hybrid delivery approaches, presenting key findings and case studies. A eries of 14 webinars with insights on how hybrid education is practiced across Europe A training-the-trainer curriculum and designed for VET educators to build proficiency in online and hybrid facilitation skills. Digital and e-learning resources on a knowledge wall to help VET educators develop digital competencies necessary for delivering training in online and hybrid environments. Six Position papers on pan-European core competencies in hybrid education Five online courses, focusing on how to teach hybrid BEYZO aims to improve skill development, innovative hybrid practices beyond Zoom, leading to stronger educational frameworks and a smoother digital transformation in VET education.