ReMark finalizes online learning material
Those interested in entrepreneurship will soon be able to access online learning material in Finnish, English, Lithuanian, Slovak and Cypriot Greek.
The two-year ReMark project has analyzed and localized online learning material for each country and produced an additional module and exercises. The testing of the material is currently on going in Finland, Lithuania, Slovakia and Cyprus.
The project had a smooth start as it was based on the online learning material produced by the Small Business Center at the Aalto University School of Economics. The Finnish learning material covered the steps of establishing a business, risk management, marketing, business economics, leadership, taxation and business planning. Furthermore, the new knowledge that was developed during the project was compiled into a new learning module. This new module was developed by the project members and coordinated by the Cypriot partner.
"ReMark allowed us the opportunity to update our own material and gave us access to a comprehensive self-study material databank as each of the project countries created new exercises for each of the eight modules", noted project director Natalia Narits from the Small Business Center at the Aalto University School of Economics.
The project is currently in its final stages. The applicability of the material is being tested in each country with a group of ten students.
"The results will be collected, analysed and will form the basis from which the material will be adapted. The ReMark material is available in each country's own language. In addition to this, demonstration versions of the material are available through a common shared website. The Small Business Center will also use the English language version so that foreigners living in Finland would also have access to help in establishing a new business."
The online learning materials will also be widely used in the future for different projects, training sessions, seminars and corporate collaborations.
"The idea behind ReMark was the transfer of knowledge. The Finnish online entrepreneurship material has been developed in cooperation with our partners into a complete module that can be adopted in different EU countries."
Going forward, each project partner will update and maintain the material in each of the languages on its own servers.
On the remark.lt website the demo materials and the English language version are available for browsing. However, the full versions of the materials are found on each countries' own websites" commented the Small Business Center's Olavi Nieminen who acted as the project's technical expert.
The results regarding the use of the learning material will be presented at the project's final seminar in September in Cyprus. Furthermore, future plans will be agreed upon at this time.
"ReMark has been a great opportunity by which to develop online learning. Though two years is a short time we have accomplished a lot. The material has been translated, updated and large exercise databanks have been developed which will surely benefit independent self-study students," say Narits and Nieminen.
The ReMark project, which ends at the end of September, has been funded by the LLP Leonardo da Vinci -program. The program was coordinated in Lithuania by the Kaunas Regional Innovation Centre. Project partners included X-Panel Ltd from Cyprus, the Kaunas Technological University, Baltic Education Technology Institute in Lithuania, Elfa Ltc in Slovakia and the Small Business Center at the Aalto University School of Economics.
For more information please contact:
Small Business Center at the Aalto University School of Economics
Natalia Narits, tel.: 010 2178 614, e-mail: natalia.narits(at)pyk.hkkk.fi and
Olavi Nieminen, tel.Ö 010 2178 657, e-mail: olavi.nieminen(at)pyk.hkkk.fi
Text and photo: Päivi Kapiainen-Heiskanen