Presentation of the VISIR+ project at the European University Foundation (EUF) OpenSpace, at the University of Aveiro, Portugal, on June 16, 2016.

1. Sharing one successful
Erasmus+ project proposal
Gustavo R. Alves - Polytechnic of Porto
gca@isep.ipp.pt

2. Presentation goal(s)
Testemunho de um caso real de sucesso, em 20 minutos
Como é que surgiu o projeto?
Como é que foram identificados os parceiros?
Que conselhos poderia deixar a futuros candidatos a esta ação ERASMUS
+?

3. Educational Modules for Electric and Electronic Circuits
Theory and Practice following an Enquiry-based
Teaching and Learning Methodology supported by VISIR

4. It’s all in the title!
One idea - one project - one team
To develop Educational Modules
for Electric and Electronic Circuits Theory and Practice
following an Enquiry-based Teaching and Learning Methodology
supported by VISIR (Virtual Instrument Systems in Reality)
VISIR+ | EACEA project: 561735-EPP-1-2015-1-PT-EPPKA2-CBHE-JP

5. Project Objectives
VISIR+ | EACEA project: 561735-EPP-1-2015-1-PT-EPPKA2-CBHE-JP
O1. Allow teachers enriching course curricula on electric and electronic circuit
theory and practice including hands-on, simulations and remote labs
O2. Scaffold students’ learning and foster their autonomy
O3. Increase students’ meaningful knowledge acquisition and retention by
enabling them to compare results from calculus, simulation and real
experimentation (hands-on and remote)
O4. Increase students’ success rates in continuous assessment modalities
O5. Allow partner institutions to use ICT tools to attract students to STEM careers

6. Project Aims
VISIR+ | EACEA project: 561735-EPP-1-2015-1-PT-EPPKA2-CBHE-JP
A1. Provide the labour market with high-skilled professionals in the area of
Electric and Electronics Engineering (O1, O3)
A2. Reduce the number of dropouts from initial years in higher education, in
particular in science and engineering degrees (O2, O4)
A3. Increase the number of students that opt for STEM careers, when applying to
higher education (O5)

7. Project Consortium
VISIR+ | EACEA project: 561735-EPP-1-2015-1-PT-EPPKA2-CBHE-JP

8. A few tips (aka a piece of advice) to write a good proposal
Study
the
proposal
document
-­‐
plan
your
work
Gather
a
team
and
distribute
work
Read
the
ques:ons
…
answer
the
ques:ons!
In
other
words,
do
follow
the
*ps
that
are
part
of
the
proposal
document
Don’t
underes:mate
bureaucracy!
Mandate
leCers
can
take
more
:me
than
ini:ally
planned
For
some
partners
you
may
need
to
provide
informa:on
that
evolves
in
:me

9. Proposal document - structure

10. A few tips (aka a piece of advice) to write a good proposal
Study
the
proposal
document
-­‐
plan
your
work
Gather
a
team
and
distribute
work
Read
the
ques:ons
…
answer
the
ques:ons!
In
other
words,
do
follow
the
*ps
that
are
part
of
the
proposal
document
Don’t
underes:mate
bureaucracy!
Mandate
leCers
can
take
more
:me
than
ini:ally
planned
For
some
partners
you
may
need
to
provide
informa:on
that
evolves
in
:me

11. Follow the tips that are part of the proposal document
Two motivational dimensions support VISIR+: a top-level, strategic one corresponding to ...; and a low-level,
operational one corresponding to …
The partner countries (Argentina & Brazil) are currently facing an increased demand for high-skilled
professionals in science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM). This fact combined with …
The consortium selected these problems because ...

12. A few tips (aka a piece of advice) to write a good proposal
Study
the
proposal
document
-­‐
plan
your
work
Gather
a
team
and
distribute
work
Read
the
ques:ons
…
answer
the
ques:ons!
In
other
words,
do
follow
the
*ps
that
are
part
of
the
proposal
document
Don’t
underes:mate
bureaucracy!
Mandate
leCers
can
take
more
:me
than
ini:ally
planned
For
some
partners
you
may
need
to
provide
informa:on
that
evolves
in
:me

13. A few tips (aka a piece of advice) to write a good proposal
Study
the
proposal
document
-­‐
plan
your
work
Gather
a
team
and
distribute
work
Read
the
ques:ons
…
answer
the
ques:ons!
In
other
words,
do
follow
the
*ps
that
are
part
of
the
proposal
document
Don’t
underes:mate
bureaucracy!
Mandate
leCers
can
take
more
:me
than
ini:ally
planned
For
some
partners
you
may
need
to
provide
informa:on
that
evolves
in
:me
Luck
is
always
a
good
ingredient
in
any
proposal!

14. Thanks for your attention!
Any question or doubt?

15. Work Packages [name]
VISIR+ | EACEA project: 561735-EPP-1-2015-1-PT-EPPKA2-CBHE-JP
WP1
[Prepara*on]
1st
training
ac:on
Installing
VISIR
in
all
LA
IHEs,
plus
local
workshops
for
training
technical
staff
in
VISIR
configura:on
issues.
WP2
[Development]
2nd
and
3rd
training
ac:ons
the
educa:onal
modules
development
1st
midterm
checkpoint
(TAEE’16)
WP3
[Quality
monitoring]
Data
collec:on
and
analysis
of
learning
gains
2nd
midterm
checkpoint
(EDUCON’17)
WP4
[Dissemina*on]
Local
and
regional
dissemina:on
&
exploita:on
WP5
[Management]
KOM
and
final
project
mee:ng
Pool
of
missions
allocated
to
the
project
coordinator

16. Work Packages [name] [leader]
VISIR+ | EACEA project: 561735-EPP-1-2015-1-PT-EPPKA2-CBHE-JP
WP1
[Prepara:on]
[BTH]
1st
training
ac:on;
Installing
VISIR
in
all
LA
IHEs,
plus
local
workshops
for
training
technical
staff
in
VISIR
configura:on
issues.
WP2
[Development]
[UFSC]
2nd
and
3rd
training
ac:ons;
the
educa:onal
modules
development;
1st
midterm
checkpoint
(TAEE’16).
WP3
[Quality
monitoring]
[IRICE-­‐CONICET]
Data
collec:on
and
analysis
of
learning
gains;
2nd
midterm
checkpoint
(EDUCON’17).
WP4
[Dissemina:on]
[ABENGE]
Local
and
regional
dissemina:on
&
exploita:on.
WP5
[Management]
[IPP-­‐ISEP]
KOM
and
final
project
mee:ng;
Pool
of
missions
allocated
to
the
project
coordinator.

17. Work Packages [name] [leader] [period]
VISIR+ | EACEA project: 561735-EPP-1-2015-1-PT-EPPKA2-CBHE-JP
WP1
[Prepara:on]
[BTH]
[M1:M5]
1st
training
ac:on;
Installing
VISIR
in
all
LA
IHEs,
plus
local
workshops
for
training
technical
staff
in
VISIR
configura:on
issues.
WP2
[Development]
[UFSC]
[M2:M14]
2nd
and
3rd
training
ac:ons;
the
educa:onal
modules
development;
1st
midterm
checkpoint
(TAEE’16).
WP3
[Quality
monitoring]
[IRICE]
[M6:M24]
Data
collec:on
and
analysis
of
learning
gains;
2nd
midterm
checkpoint
(EDUCON’17).
WP4
[Dissemina:on]
[ABENGE]
[M5:M24]
Local
and
regional
dissemina:on
&
exploita:on.
WP5
[Management]
[IPP-­‐ISEP]
[M2:M24]
KOM
and
final
project
mee:ng;
Pool
of
missions
allocated
to
the
project
coordinator.

18. Project Summary 1/3
VISIR+ | EACEA project: 561735-EPP-1-2015-1-PT-EPPKA2-CBHE-JP
There has been an increased interest in science and engineering education due to:
1) the shortage of professionals required in scientific and technical areas;
2) the considerable low ratio of students opting for science- and engineering-
related degrees, when entering higher education; and
3) the number of dropouts exhibited in the initial years of undergraduate studies.
All stakeholders have devoted a great deal of attention and concern to this problem,
considering the high number of reports published about and initiatives taken in
recent years. In sum, the solutions have been dealing with: raising the society
awareness for such a problem (1); increasing the interest for STEM (1, 2); and,
promoting new teaching & learning methodologies, especially student-centred ones
involving the use of ICT-tools, for coping with a new generation of digital natives (3).

19. Project Summary 2/3
VISIR+ | EACEA project: 561735-EPP-1-2015-1-PT-EPPKA2-CBHE-JP
This project targets the broad area of Electrical & Electronics Engineering, and,
within it, the subject of circuit theory & practice. It aims to define, develop and
evaluate a set of educational modules comprising hands-on, virtual, and remote
experiments, the later supported by a remote lab named VISIR.
The nature of each experiment (hands-on, virtual, real-remote) has an impact on the
students’ perception of circuits’ behaviour, being therefore mandatory to understand
how these different learning objects can be arranged together in order to scaffold
their understanding and increase their laboratory-based skills.
This is the concern of the underpinning teaching and learning methodology,
favouring in particular the students’ autonomy for discovering how circuits work,
through an enquiry-based approach.

20. Project Summary 3/3
VISIR+ | EACEA project: 561735-EPP-1-2015-1-PT-EPPKA2-CBHE-JP
VISIR+ brings together the power of the best remote lab for experiments with
electrical and electronics circuits and the long history of collaboration among the
consortium partners from Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden.