The course can be organized in blended modality, i.e. both in-presence and online training. The blended modality is the one in which this course was first piloted during the SORAPS PROJECT life-cycle.
This modality starts with the first 5-days session of in-presence training, then it shifts to the online phase, and concludes with another 5-days session of in-presence training.
Clearly, this modality presupposes the presence of a structured organization, in which trainers make use of SORAPS's materials to carry on the training course. However, individual teachers may also use the SORAPS Moodle platform's resources only, as a form of autonomous self-learning.
Initial In-presence Training
A first session of 5 days will take place at the start of the course. In this phase trainers provide the trainees with basic instruction for using the Online Training Platform and a starting knowledge about the various topic of the course that will be subsequently deepened in the online training phase.
Online Training Phase
Most of the course consists of online learning activities in a Moodle Environment. Trainees will find learning resources like readings, images, educational videos, proposal for in-class activities and links to external resources (for example the IERS Digital Modules).
All is divided in 9 Units which form a consistent training path that should be approached following the progression of Units’ numbers, especially for the Units 2, 3 4, 5 and 6. For more information about contents go to the Contents section of these guidelines.
Moreover, in an additional Unit/ section (number 10) there is a series of tasks (compulsory and optional) to be completed within certain deadlines. The typology of these tasks and their deadlines reflect what was actually carried out during the pilot of the Training Course.
The online training phase is structured in a way that trainees can be autonomously proceed in their learning process without external help or support. However, tutors can also be involved. Expert tutors may support the trainees in their tasks in various way, from technical help-desk to clarifying doubts concerning contents.
Moreover, tutors may organize and facilitate online working groups of trainees using the forums and the other Moodle features. More information about tutors' tasks can be found in the Training Course Handbook.
Final In-presence Training
The final in-presence session of 5 days is the occasion in which trainees share, discuss and evaluate, together with the trainers , the knowledge and skills acquired during the training course, as well as its strong and weak points. Most of the session, however, is to be devoted to a workshop in which trainees are trained and supported in the organization of a “Multiplication Event” inside their schools/institutions, in which they will transmit what they have learned to other colleagues.
The contents of this session are also available as written resource in the Unit 9 of the Moodle platform.
Online-only Modality
The SORAPS training course can be used also in Online-only modality by trainees who wants to autonomously acquire knowledge and competences by engaging with the learning resources available by themselves, and using the task of section 10 as a way of self-assessment.
Since the contents of the first in-presence session are just an introduction to the topics present in the Moodle platform, and the contents of the final in-presence training are provided in written form in the Unit 9, there are no substantial differences from the blended modality.