An ‘App’ a day keeps students healthy
South West College and Austrian college HTBLA Weiz are linking up as part of an EU scheme to foster closer partnerships and improve education standards, across Europe. They will be working collaboratively to promote healthier lifestyles, through the medium of “new media”.
Students and teachers from both colleges will visit their partners and work on joint projects over the next two years through the Comenius programme, which is funded by the European Commission and managed, in the UK, by the British Council. The programme provides funding and professional development to enable students and teachers across Europe to work together and learn about each other’s culture and education methods.
Dr John Moore, Curriculum Manager for Technology at South West College said: “This project allows us to use our ‘leading expertise’ in computing, web development, and web apps, from the Foundation Degrees in Web Technology and Computing to develop materials, which could be used, by the students, to promote healthier lifestyles”.
Students following the BTEC Computing or Media Production (Games Development) Level 3 courses will be developing and testing the app. The app they will be developing will be unique, as it will be created by the students themselves.
The programme aims to develop knowledge and understanding of different European cultures and languages, and help young people gain skills to enhance their lifestyles and career opportunities. As well as learning about their partners’ society, the programme also helps young people learn more about their own culture and to build links within their local community.
Head of EU Programmes at the British Council, Simon Williams said: “We have a responsibility to prepare young people for life and work in our global society”. He continued, “Partnerships like this one not only help to build trust and understanding between people of different cultures, but also broaden pupils’ horizons, bring languages and other subjects to life in the classroom, and equip young people with the skills and understanding they need to become global citizens.”
