The year 2023 was significant in the life of the EDIFY-EDU project. We worked to achieve all the deadlines and milestones, not an easy feat but made possible with the positive and dynamic relationships forged with our European partners.
The year 2023 started with the consortium agreeing the Research Methodology for Work Package 2. This kickstarted the planning phase for conducting and analysing interviews, focus groups, coaching circles and video interviews; analysing existing undergraduate business management degrees and continuous professional development for EDI competencies in relation to the European Competency Frameworks; carrying out a social impact assessment; and creating five best practice videos per partnering country.
The results of the analysis highlighted the discrepancies between European Directives, national legislation and what was happening on the ground. We used data from national and European reports to derive that a gap exists between legislation and practice in the workplace. To further determine actual lived experience, across the five countries, we held 20 focus groups and coaching circles and 32 in-depth interviews. The participants included undergraduate business students, professionals, female entrepreneurs and senior managers. Additionally, as part of the EDIFY-EDU deliverables, we interviewed, recorded and edited 28 best practice videos across the five partnering countries. These videos are used for dissemination and educational purposes.
The results of the analysis across all five partnering countries were documented in a European Report and presented in Aalto, Finland on the 13th September 2023, with in-person and online EDI experts and delegates.
Throughout 2023, in Ireland we sought out dissemination activities that involved presenting the project at numerous events such as: presenting the findings of the Social Impact Report to undergraduate business students; an overview of the project to the Menopause Colloquium; an overview of the project to the members of the Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Chamber; the results of the desk research findings in the IADT Teaching and Learning event; our colleagues in the Hellenic Open University organised the submission and presentation at the EADTU ’23 conference and organised the submission of an abstract of a paper presentation and publication in the online proceedings of the ICERI ’23 conference.
As 2023 draws to a close, the EDIFY-EDU project continues to thrive as we embrace the curriculum development for 40 modules, 20 of which will be Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCS) and 20 will form part of a Specialisation Course that is specific to each partnering country. It is envisioned that the Specialisation Course will be accredited in at least one partnering country, as a micro credential at EQF level 6. With a deadline of September, we will be running the MOOCs with at least 500 registered students.
If you think that 2023 was fascinating and challenging, brace yourself for the ride that 2024 promises to be ..
