On 6-7 April 2017, within the Educational Center PRO DIDACTICA was carried out a training program with the topic Open Educational Resources for the second group, in the framework of the project “Open Education in Moldova: Here and Now!” – phase II, with the aim to promote an adequate understanding of the rationale and processes of OER policy development through awareness raising, advocacy, resource development for the promotion of access and quality education for all by enhancing capacity building of educators to effectively and fully harness the potential of OER to expand access to lifelong learning opportunities and achieve quality education.

The training was attended by 21 teachers from the primary and general secondary education institutions, who discussed the following topics: the concept of OER; the OER access; OER application in education in certain school subjects; methodology of elaboration and development of OER; politics and actualities in Moldova; conceptual benchmarks and international challenges in OER; ethics in correspondence; basic aspects to capitalize digital competence of applicative manner.

The trainers involved Valeriu Gorincioi and Viorica Goraş-Postica, provided a consistent educational support and have facilitated the interactive training sessions, responding as much as possible to the needs and expectations of beneficiaries. It was insisted on motivating the learners to further explore the subject, on the future opportunities to make the educational process more efficient by using, but especially, to develop OER, including through the collaboration of the teachers from several schools, with the involvement of the students. Thus, the learners’ pedagogic vision has been expanded by adding new concepts, developing digital skills and beyond, including through interaction in groups.

In conclusion, the trainers concluded that although the subject is a new one, however, it awakens the interest of the trainees through its usefulness, the perspective of the creative involvement of the teaching staff, the managers and the students in the creation of a OER, that could cover, to a certain extent, the almost total absence of qualitative educational software, but the main, accessible. Also, it would be good to develop a project for carrying out similar workshops in any district in the Republic of Moldova.

The following group of participants will be trained in the periods 4-5  May 2017 and after that, the evaluation and certification seminars will be organized, including the Contest on development of the Open Educational Resources  for all the school subjects, which will be placed for free access on the website http://red.prodidactica.md/resurse-red/red-nationale/

The project Open Education in Moldova: Here and Now!, phase II,  implemented by the Educational Center PRO DIDACTICA,  with the financial support of the Foundation Open Society Institute, in cooperation with the Support Program in Education of the Open Society Foundations.

Viorica GORAŞ-POSTICĂ, expert trainer
Cristina BUJAC, project coordinator