The ClimEd 1st Online Training on “Competency-Based Approach to Curriculum Development for Climate Education” took place during 19 April – 12 May 2021. The ClimEd project trainings are focused on training the faculty staff at the ClimEd partner institutions and collaborating organizations in advanced educational and information-and-communication technologies for building a flexible multi-level integrated practice-based education system in the field of Climate Services, Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation.

From about 60 applicants, 46 persons (including 36 female, 14 young teachers/researchers) were accepted to participate in this online training. These were from the Ukrainian ClimEd partners and associated partners Universities such as the Odessa State Environmental University (OSENU, Odessa), Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture (KNUCA, Kyiv), O. Beketov National University of Urban Economy (Kharkiv), Lviv Polytechnic National University (Lviv, LNPU), Bila Tserkva National Agrarian University (Bila Tserkva), Odessa National Medical University (Odessa), Kherson State Agrarian and Economic University (Kherson) and T. Schevchenko National University of Kyiv (Kyiv).

The training started from a series of lectures by Prof. Yuri Rashkevych (Lviv Polytechnic National University, Lviv, Ukraine) and Prof. Marek Frankowicz (Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Krakow, Poland) during 19-20 April. The presented lectures covered the following topics: basic terms of competency training, formulation of learning outcomes, educational and professional standards, building and description of educational program, competency-based learning – qualifications, competences, learning outcomes, curriculum design, student-centred learning, teaching and learning methods, and assessment. On 21st April, presentations with discussions on preparatory exercises on learning outcomes, constructive alignment, etc. took place, followed by introduction into homework assignments, HWAs for 12 Groups (so-called Groups A1-A12, each mixed group included up to 4 persons – from different Universities, gender, age).

During followed weeks of April and beginning of May 2021, the Groups have established horizontal communication within/between groups and worked on own ClimEd related HWAs as thematic modules “Towards climate-smart policy in the economic sector” and “The economic sector transformation: changes, challenges and governance” for selected directions such as Agriculture, Energy, Technical Design and Construction, Urban Economy, Water Management, and Health-care. Such work was done actively using the Moodle system of the Estonian University of Life Sciences (EULS) with all materials (lectures, working documents, presentations, etc.) uploaded there.

On 12th May 2021, during the last day of the training, each Group presented (in English and national languages) 3 own elaborated modules. The presentations were constructively criticized and commented as well as overall evaluated on a scale (1-10). As the result of the evaluation, all Groups got the ClimEd training certificates (corresponding to 3 ECTS) as recognition of their achieved learning outcomes.

In the concluding words, it was stressed that participants of the training have obtained new/ upgraded (virtual learning environment, pedagogical, team work, presentation, etc.) skills. Moreover, further own work/developments are needed in improving teaching and learning methods, formulation of learning outcomes, assessment, and individualized approaches. For ClimEd project participants several areas of importance are remained such as climate and healthcare, climate and energy sector, climate and water management, climate and urban problems, climate and construction sector, climate and agriculture, climate and economical factors.

Special thanks to the key lecturers of the training – Prof. Marek Frankowicz and Prof. Yuri Rashkevych for their professionalism, enthusiasm and commitment to the training, and to Dr. Veljo Kabin, EULS for continuous technical support (EULS Moodle system, Zoom-hosting, e-evaluations, etc.) during the entire period of the training. Special thanks to the OSENU team members (Dr. Oleg Shabliy and Dr. Inna Khomenko) for support with ClimEd relevant modules development and continuous web-update of the training materials.

All materials of the training (slides and videos of lectures, presentations of exercises and homework-assignments as group projects, etc.) are available at http://climed.network/events/climed-training-1-online/