From this academic year, children attend Digital Culture lessons, an enhanced version of the subject formerly known as Information Technology as part of the National Curriculum. The two-semester accredited vocational higher education program developed by the experts of the University of Debrecen and supported by ProSuli aims to support the teaching of this new subject. As the first pillar of the partnership to develop teachers’ digital competences, 10 teachers will participate in a 480-hour training course granting them a university degree. The course launched in September 2022 after an initial pilot period is designed for practising teachers, regardless of their field of teaching. More than 90% of the HUF 130,000 tuition fee per participant is covered by the Yettel ProSuli program.
The subjects taught focus on digital culture and develop digital skills. Teachers can take classes on educational psychology, learn about computer-based thinking, digital word processing, data visualisation and digital lesson planning, as well as basic programming skills and presentation technologies. In the second semester, students put their planning skills into practice, choose a topic and write a thesis based on what they have learned.
The owner of the program, the Institute of Media and Library Studies, has always been committed to teaching and developing digital skills and understanding the digital world and the devices people use in their everyday lives. The new training will link these two fields together.
“Teachers were asking for help in developing their digital skills through several channels. The pandemic has accelerated and brought this need to the fore. Teachers learn a lot on their own, but this course provides a great opportunity for them to acquire new skills from competent and knowledgeable professionals, get to know the methodology and apply it in everyday life”, said Dr. Sándor Kálai, Associate Professor of the Department of Communication and Media Studies, Faculty of Humanities, University of Debrecen.
“This collaboration has added a professional partner to the ProSuli program enabling us to take our activities supporting teachers to an even higher level. We have long-term plans with the university, and we are confident that we’ll be able to expand our collaboration to new fields and opportunities in the future," - said Balázs Koren, Head of the ProSuli program.
More information about the course offered by the University of Debrecen:
https://informatikuskonyvtaros.unideb.hu/hu/informacios-es-kommunikacios-technologiak-ikt-szakiranyu-tovabbkepzes