Welcome to Terra FM, live from the studio in the Hoema street, with very interesting
guests today again and it is an international broadcast, so we will switch to another language
in language, to a common language that we have.
In this case it is English.
I am from Babeswe University, from Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
I was very lucky now because you pronounced it.
Very good.
Very welcome, Andrea.
Thank you for having us here today with you.
Thank you for coming.
Yeah, and I am Thomas.
I am from the Pedagogische Hochschule here, so I am kind of the local guy here.
Yes, Thomas, maybe we start with you, because you can give us, you are probably the right
guy to give us the reason here why we are sitting here and what is actually going on.
What brought Fiorina and Andrea to Linz?
Yeah, well it started kind of with a crazy idea a while ago.
I applied for a CIPAS scholarship for a winter school and right now we have 40 people, students
and teachers from 8 countries here in Linz, working on the subject of social impact of
distance learning.
We have to get back a little bit to the CIPAS thing, because many probably of our listeners
and viewers will not know what CIPAS is and that is also interesting, but we can do that
later on.
Maybe we can hand over to you, Andrea, and you tell us a little bit what brought you
into this project, what is your background?
I mean, allow a little bit, but our viewers and listeners won't.
Of course.
Let me just start with saying that we have a very strong partnership and cooperation
with our dearest colleagues from Linz and it started a very, very long time ago, so
whenever they reach out to us with various programs, we are trying to attend, to participate
and to make a valuable contribution.
We have been in European intensive programs 10 years ago, so we were more than happy then
now Thomas reached out to us and invited in this CIPAS program.
We are from a special education department at the Faculty of Education in Cluj.
We always feel welcome here with regards to teacher training, international programs,
student's mobility, teacher mobility, so thank you again for the opportunity and all of you
are always welcome, warmly welcome to our beautiful city and university.
And you, Andrea, you are a teacher, but Fiorina is a student as far as I know, isn't it?
Yeah.
And how do you connect with your students?
How is it that you came into this project?
Firstly, we had the best opportunity from Thomas and our professors in our university.
We had the chance to promote our education in Kosovo, who was promoted and who was during
COVID-19.
And we had the chance to show to all other nationalities how we went through COVID-19,
how we worked, how we learned and how our teachers teach.
Maybe we can hand over the microphone to Thomas again.
We always say it's the police, but that we have to use cable microphones.
I hope the police is not listening and watching because they are very close by in the building
and we had some disturbance on the wireless microphones, so now we're using those.
Thomas, the topic is SIMPLE.
It's a very interesting name because when you, I saw yesterday, I saw the name tag SIMPLE
on Maria, here it is as well.
Yeah, SIMPLE on the other side.
That's a funny name, yeah, but can you say again, what does it stand for?
Impact of distance learning.
Okay, so give us a little bit of more background of why you chose that topic.
What is the background reason?
Well, it's quite simple because as we all know, a couple of years ago, the education
looked different because most of us were going to school, to the building physically or to
the university and then corona came and everything changed a little bit.
And well, that's already a couple of years ago and I thought it's a good time to look
a little bit back, so what kind of social impact this distance learning had because
our life changed, our way of learning changed a little bit and probably it left a lot of
impact and traces in our lives.
And I was thinking it would be extremely interesting to see in an international area how that affected
people.
Fiorina, can you tell us a little bit what you're actually doing?
I mean, how are you doing this, what Thomas just mentioned?
Okay, we started one month to complete all the information, all the statistics that we
take from...
Before you came to Austria?
Yeah, before we come to here in Linz.
We, with our professors, we try to make a conclusion...
Fiorina, it's very important that you take the microphone with you when you look to me.
...with conclusion about how was the teaching and learning during COVID-19 in Kosovo.
With this one, we tried our best to collect all the interesting things or challenges or
advantages and disadvantages of online learning.
And next day, tomorrow, we will have the presentation.
Also, we had some other activities that we organized by coordinator, like country evening
that we not only present online learning in our country, but we also have the chance to
present our country traditional things, traditional from food, from our culture.
Andrea, if we speak about distance learning in Romania, how is it done and is it very
strong?
I mean, here in Austria, definitely COVID made a big boost.
Yeah, so before it was kind of...
It was here, but no comparison to what I know, for instance, from the Baltic countries or
Scandinavia.
Yeah.
Okay, so I wanted just to make the difference between the distance education in that way.
So, at the university, there are many specializations that run also distance education programs,
meaning that they focus on individual study mainly and some meetings that became, of course,
after the pandemic online meetings.
And they were, as I said, focusing more on getting the same competencies in these programs,
but through individual study, mentoring, exams, handouts, syllabus, and then also students
who were at the other programs became online students.
And this is why I say that it was different because those who were on site became online,
meaning that they had to participate using the platforms that we had to implement and
start using at the university level, where we had to have a very high level of knowledge
and content, start using at the university level with the accounts and with having access
to materials and during the pandemic, also having the exams online at that time.
And then in time, after we reopened the university in that way, we had during the semester,
two or three weeks online.
So it was gradually re-adapting to this form of being in the university.
And just I remembered that we were talking with my colleagues that when we started,
there were students at the third year of their study who would come for the first time to see the faculty,
to enter the halls, the amphitheater, the rooms.
So it was quite interesting in a way that challenging as well for everybody,
but also trying to adapt to what it was about education,
not neglecting the importance of what online education became.
And that is a reality that it will not be possible to annul it,
meaning that many universities are offering more open courses, more and more open courses.
The conferences are online, you can attend.
So this was the benefit of this online education or online way of organizing the activities
was that this huge expansion and development of professional communities that happened,
and this cannot be neglected or we must take it into consideration.
And I think this will remain in time more and more.
I mean, for me, let's say it would be very difficult to attend a conference in Japan, let's say, or Australia,
but I may attend it.
So even for students, it became a possibility to attend.
And we noticed that the number of master's students increased because at that time
we were offering the online courses, which made them much more easier from various parts of Romania
to attend the courses at Babescoa University.
Fiorina, as a student, how did you perceive that?
Did you like it? Was that handy?
I mean, sometimes, of course, it was handy because I remember the time
when I saw, I don't know, 20 black boxes and probably 15 of them lying in bed with a gin tonic, you know.
So did you enjoy that online learning?
Not at all. It was very difficult and hard times.
Firstly, we had problems and technical problems because we haven't experienced it before.
It was new for us as a country.
And when the Covid started, we were afraid for our health, for our family
and how we are going to continue our road in schools, in learning, university.
It was really hard time, but somehow we managed it.
Firstly, as I told, it was like very difficult, but with time we adopted it.
With the case, with the Covid, I hope it will not repeat it again, but it will happen.
Hope not. But with time we experienced a lot and we were more strong to face all challenges that we had.
But one thing that maybe I would like to specify, trying a lot of teachers, they tried to and they did create platforms, used them for their best.
Also, teachers worked a lot. They maybe they worked it over the time that they used it to work.
They recorded a video that they posted. It was on platform e-learning. We call it in Albanian e-Masimi.
They were teachers recorded while explaining the subject.
It was really hard for us as students, also as for teachers, but we did it.
You also brought some music from Kosovo. Can you say what it is?
I chose Rita Ora, Shiner Light. She is from Kosovo and I wanted to share with you all to hear Albanian music, even the song is in English, but from Albanian.
We have the technical team out there, Daniel and Didi, as usual, as often. Thank you very much for that. I ask you to play this piece from Kosovo.
Shining star, no matter where you are.
Oh, Shiner light, set the world on fire.
We go, we go, we shine. We go, we go, we shine.
We going so loud. Push up your light, fast.
Faster and faster. The sun rising higher.
Shining star, no matter where you are.
Oh, Shiner light, set the world on fire.
Yeah, we don't give up, no, we run out of desire. Race to the finish, no, we never get tired.
We are the winners, cause we hold the world title. We start slow, but we beat you in the final.
Shining star, no matter where you are.
Oh, Shiner light, set the world on fire.
We go, we go, we shine. We go, we go, we shine.
Terra FM PH TV live from the studio in the Hoemerstrasse, today in English, because we have guests from Kosovo and Romania.
We have Fiorina, Andrea and Thomas, from our university.
Yes, we have this program in English and it's about simple. Simple is the social impact of distance learning.
And I think that sounds a little bit critical aspect in the title, which surprises me a bit, because the guy on the other side of this couch here is for me actually the symbol for mobile learning, the Mr. Mobile Learning of Pedagogische Hochschule in Austria.
So how do you see this contradiction?
Well, you know, I always think that you have to look at things and to criticize them in a good way.
You know, you have to analyze things, you have to look at data and then you have to interpret the results.
And it's not that I'm critical in a bad meaning.
I still think and I always repeat it while the winter school.
It's a wonderful opportunity that we have 40 people from all over Europe here in Linz in the face to face meeting.
But it's also very nice sometimes when you have the opportunity to just start an online session and meet online.
So everything has pluses and minuses.
And we just have to be aware for what kind of intention we are using, which tool.
So I wouldn't say that's in general critical, but at least not in a bad meaning.
Andrea, you sounded very positive.
You saw strongly at the advantages is that I can go I can participate in the conference in Japan or in Australia now.
And you kind of had at least the impression happy that it's less than it was.
So you didn't like it that much.
I mean, of course, there's usually when you when you are here like in Linz, there's a lot beside the normal program.
And this lot beside the normal program probably is missing.
So what do we actually miss when that is missing?
I think we we miss this exposure to to other cultures, to other linguistic identities, to as Florina said, in the CIPUS programs,
we have the cultural evenings, which bring a great joy to all the participants.
Not also not only in receiving but sharing, you know, our identities are very important to each of us.
And we we need to feel proud of our identities and we need to feel aware of our identities.
So these cultural evenings, that is an example of how we share, you know, traditions, as Florina said, traditions, food, places that we may visit.
We launch invitations to the other participants.
So this is very important, this exposure to other cultures, other traditions to to to find out to.
And this is also the possibility for us to develop this eagerness and curiosity to visit those those places.
So I think these being together these days in Lienz is about this, but it is also about connection.
It is very much about because it's also in the title about emotions sharing, you know,
having positive feelings when we are together, laughing together, thinking together about different topics that the students and the teachers are presenting.
Having debates, having reflections is very important.
I think that the online education, but that I don't want this is my my view.
I think this the online education misses this strong connection between people.
We are connected through technology.
And as I said, we can connect even we have even if there is a longer distances or things like that.
But, you know, sharing this experience, the feeling of being together, I think it's missing when it is online.
We do not have to forget that having a coffee together, having lunch together is something that also defines us.
Talking about new ideas, personal issues in a way that our families, children, interests, hobbies for the students, partners or it is defines who we are.
And then in online, you I don't think that you feel the same way to share this information in an online environment.
So I strongly support online for with the specific aim of the online education.
But I also strongly support being together.
And I think this program, the CIPAS program, which is for higher education institutions in Central Europe, has this really as an aim, a strong aim to to support that.
And that that is great.
Yeah, Thomas, because CIPAS is mentioned again, we have to go a little bit more into detail about CIPAS.
Yeah, well, it's a very interesting and nice program.
And from my point of view, in comparison to Erasmus, Erasmus is also an exchange program, way bigger than CIPAS.
CIPAS has much less countries than Erasmus.
For me, CIPAS is a very nice and very effective way of working together and having some exchange, students exchange, stuff exchange.
So, yeah, it's a very nice program and I have very good impressions and good feelings about it.
Who funds it?
European countries. So all participating countries also put the money in the pocket and then it will be.
But it's not an EU thing.
No, it's not an EU thing.
So is it Council of Europe or is it what is who is behind?
What organization is behind?
Is it just an organization in itself?
Yeah, in fact, it is.
OK.
They have their own leading board.
And in fact, for us, Austria, it's quite simple because it's located, the headquarters located in Vienna.
OK.
So, yeah.
Well, they also have a national agency as Erasmus.
In fact, they use the same institution like the ERD, which is also responsible for CIPAS.
But generally, it's its own organization.
And we are the most westerly participating country, aren't we?
Yeah, well, we are more or less.
So how many countries, what countries do participate?
Well, we have countries like Austria, obviously.
We have Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Slovenia, Romania, obviously, Serbia, Kosovo, Montenegro.
Croatia.
Croatia, thank you.
So, yeah.
But that's it.
I would have to check.
Probably I missed some of them, but like the East, South European countries.
And I think you told me once, maybe we have listeners and viewers who actually get interested and hadn't known before.
So what do you do when you have an idea?
Well, the best idea is either to contact the national agency or just go on the CIPAS website, CIPAS.info.
And you can find the technical part.
Maybe is it possible to just give us the link or give our viewers the link?
CIPAS.info.
It's C-E-E-C-E-E-P-U-S.
I think.
Was that correct?
Yes.
Because it is an, I think it's also an opportunity that is not so well known and maybe could be even more used.
Of course, of course.
And they are extremely efficient.
So they really try to give all the money away that they have.
And that's really nice.
So if you are already behind the deadline, but you still like would make a mobility, then you just call them and ask if some money is left.
And then they say yes or no.
Do we get the link or maybe later on?
We can also play some maybe this time Serbian music and then give the link.
Oh, here's the link.
CIPAS.info.
Here we have the link.
Here we go.
It's C for our radio listeners.
C-E-E-P-U-S.info.
CIPAS.info.
And it's Central European.
I don't know if it's Central European educational pedagogy, whatever.
OK, we play some Serbian music.
OK.