This work package aims to combine project-based learning, digital tools and XR technologies to enable engaging, collaborative and intercultural learning experiences, contributing to the project’s goal of enhancing digital competence and innovative teaching practices.
It focuses on the co-design and development of innovative eTwinning resources for Initial Teacher Education (ITE) and in-service teacher professional development. It includes:
The eTwinning ITE courses are designed to integrate innovative digital pedagogies into initial teacher education by combining Project-Based Learning (PBL) with collaborative online international learning (COIL). Within these courses, teacher students and educators engage in the development of eTwinning project kits focused on cultural heritage, using digital tools and immersive technologies such as VR to create meaningful, cross-cultural learning experiences.
The courses link theory and practice by enabling participants to design, implement and reflect on their own projects, which are later applied in school contexts and shared as open educational resources (OER). In this way, they contribute to the development of digital competences, intercultural understanding and innovative teaching practices in line with the objectives of the eTACCHE project
Within the eTACCHE ITE courses, eTwinning is implemented through a Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) approach that connects student teachers across countries, for instance between Ludwigsburg (Germany) and Tallinn (Estonia). Student teachers engage in a virtual exchange, where they collaborate with international peers to explore and discuss aspects of cultural heritage. This exchange is embedded directly into the course and runs alongside seminar activities. Working in small teams (2–3 students), participants jointly develop an eTwinning project kit focusing on cultural heritage, whether tangible, intangible, or a combination of both. These project kits are designed as open educational resources (OER) and published on the eTwinning platform, making them accessible for schools across Europe.
A key element of each project is the creation of an immersive VR learning environment (e.g. using tools such as ThingLink), which enhances the project kit and allows for interactive exploration of cultural heritage. These environments are also shared, discussed, and refined through transnational collaboration. This approach reflects the principles of virtual exchange (VE): students do not simply learn about cultural heritage, they learn through intercultural collaboration, developing digital, pedagogical, and intercultural competences in an authentic, practice-oriented setting.
This Padlet below is part of the eTwinning ITE courses for teacher educators and serves as an introductory resource on virtual reality (XR) in education. It provides a structured overview of relevant tools, platforms and hardware, supporting participants in understanding how immersive technologies can be used pedagogically and how to create their own XR learning environments.
The Padlet supports the development of eTwinning project kits and immersive learning scenarios by linking theoretical input with practical exploration, thereby fostering digital competences and innovative teaching practices.
DISCLAIMER
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or Erasmus+ National Agency for Higher Education (German Academic Exchange Service). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
