On August 27, the Yerevan State University (YSU), coordinator of the Erasmus+ eCAMPUS project (Fostering Socially Distanced and Inclusive On-Campus Education in Armenian HEIs, eCampus), held an online conference. It was dedicated to summarising the results of teachers' digital needs in Armenian HEIs and developing a digital competency framework for teaching, learning, and assessment.
Around 90 representatives from Armenian and European HEIs and institutions registered for and took part in the online conference. ANQA was also among the participants.
Armen Budaghyan, director of the YSU Quality Assurance Center and project coordinator, delivered a welcoming speech, reiterating the main goals of the eCAMPUS project and outlining the upcoming activities. Mr Budaghyan particularly emphasised the development of the "Digital Competencies Framework" for Armenian HEIs. Then, Lusine Fljyan, Vice-Rector of Northern University, shared the best practices and key issues of digital competency frameworks in different countries.
In the first session, representatives from European partner HEIs shared their practices: Giovanni Adorni (University of Genoa), Rui Mendes (University of Lisbon), Joaquín Paredes-Labra (Autonomous University of Madrid), and Viktor Kordas (KTH Royal Institute of Technology). They introduced the digital competency frameworks in their countries, highlighting the development processes and implementation peculiarities.
In the second session, representatives from Armenian partner HEIs delivered presentations: Aram Hayrapetyan (Yerevan State Medical University after Mkhitar Heratsi), Arthur Avagyan (Yerevan State University), Marianna Harutyunyan (Khachatur Abovian Armenian State Pedagogical University), and Lusine Fljyan (Northern University). They showcased the results of digital needs assessment surveys conducted among students and teachers at their respective HEIs. Subsequently, Serob Khachatryan, teacher at the YSU’s Faculty of Philosophy and Psychology, summarised the survey results from eight Armenian HEIs, emphasizing the key issues and needs.
The primary focus of discussion was the policy paper on the introduction and implementation of the “Digital Competencies Framework” for Armenian HEIs, presented in detail by Aram Hayrapetyan, director of the Quality Assessment and Assurance Center at Yerevan State Medical University after Mkhitar Heratsi. Professor Giovanni Adorni (University of Genoa) presented practical steps for integrating digital skills into teaching, learning, and assessment processes.
At the end of the conference, participants attached importance to the development of teachers’ digital competencies in Armenian HEIs and the implementation of the corresponding framework.
The conference was closed by the project coordinator A. Budaghyan expressing gratitude to the participants and highlighting the importance of meetings and discussions with partners and all stakeholders.