Cooperation in education: Practical tools for educators

Over the past decade, the European Commission has increasingly called upon universities to integrate more innovative, practice-oriented and relevant educational offerings^[1].  To this end, universities are tasked with expanding their approaches to education, to one that embraces closer interconnectivity, multidisciplinarity,  and stronger engagement with external stakeholders^[2].

Many studies highlight the significant benefits that external collaboration brings to universities, including improving graduate employability, boosting transversal and entrepreneurial skills, supporting the professional development of academics, and developing cohesive approaches to knowledge transfer and innovation^[3][4]. Internal stakeholder cooperation – collaboration within universities across different disciplines – is also pertinent in ensuring these benefits. In addition, multidisciplinary approaches are seen as crucial for addressing complex societal challenges^[5].

While it is undeniably important, it is not always so straightforward to understand how to integrate collaboration, whether across disciplines, institutions or sectors, into education programmes.

How can we support educators to cooperate? 

To address this knowledge gap, we have, in collaboration with three university partners, created a comprehensive set of resources to support educators who would like to engage in collaborations, with other disciplines and external partners. The resources aim to provide a inspiration, a helping hand, and a starting point to initiate these collaborations. 

The Cooperation in Education good practices collection 

The CiE Gateway Good Practice Collection is a curated resource featuring over 32 inspiring examples of tried and tested collaborative education programmes from across Europe designed to motivate academics across Europe and beyond to engage in collaborative education. It presents examples of intra-organisational collaborations within single institutions, inter-organisational partnerships across multiple entities, and blended approaches that span both. Together, these examples demonstrate how cooperation in education enhances institutional effectiveness, academic careers, student learning outcomes, and workforce readiness. 

The Cooperation in Education playbook and toolkit

The Playbook is a comprehensive guide for university educators, introducing the concept of cooperation in education and highlighting its benefits for educators, students, and other stakeholders. It explores different types of collaboration, showcases innovative pedagogies for collaborative education, and includes case studies to bring these concepts to life. Concluding with tailored recommendations, the Playbook aims to inspire and support stakeholders in advancing cooperation in education. To complement the Playbook, the Toolkit offers practical tools, nudges, and frameworks to support the initiation and implementation of collaborative education initiatives. It includes resources for building and fostering partnerships, facilitating collaborative learning in the classroom, and versatile tools and workshops that serve both purposes. 

The Cooperation in Education gateway 

Finally, the Cooperation in Education Gateway is an interactive online catalogue designed to empower educators and stakeholders in cooperative education. It features a rich collection of resources, including information about cooperation in education, innovative pedagogies for transformative learning, case studies of successful collaborative education initiatives, and practical tools for initiating and implementing these initiatives. With customisable filters, users can easily find tailored support—whether they are just beginning to build collaborations or seeking inspiration for specific activities that foster student and external partner engagement. 

These resources are designed to introduce educators to the possibilities and impact of integrating collaboration into their teaching. They aim to provide inspiration, help educators get started with collaborations, and serve as a repository of potential collaborative methods and tools to facilitate these partnerships. All resources are free to use and download and are available on the Cooperation in Education Knowledge Gateway website. 

References

^[1] European Commission (2010). Communication from the commission to the European parliament, the council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions. An Agenda for new skills and jobs: A European contribution towards full employment. Strasbourg.

^[2] Etzkowitz, H., & Leydesdorff, L. (2000). The Dynamics of Innovation: From National Systems and “Mode 2” to a Triple Helix of University-Industry-Government Relations. Research Policy, 29(2), 109–123.

^[3] Education, R. (2012). Investing in skills for better socio-economic outcomes. Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions. Strasbourg: European Commission.

^[4] Perkmann, M., Tartari, V., McKelvey, M., Autio, E., Broström, A., D’este, P., … & Sobrero, M. (2013). Academic engagement and commercialisation: A review of the literature on university–industry relations. Research policy, 42(2), 423-442.

^[5] OECD (2020), “Addressing societal challenges using transdisciplinary research”, OECD Science, Technology and Industry Policy Papers, No. 88, OECD Publishing, Paris,  https://doi.org/10.1787/0ca0ca45-en.

Ready for more?

If you are interested in the topic of impactful and collaborative education check out our podcast episode How to navigate impactful partnerships in education, with 3ID LABs or read our article How to become an impactful educator?. 

Cooperation in Education (CiE) Gateway is an ERASMUS+ funded project aiming to support universities in better preparing their students and life-long learners for the dynamic and challenging world of work, by equipping academic staff with tools and resources to push boundaries in their education delivery and collaborate across disciplines and sectors.

Tasha Day (author) is a Project officer at UIIN, where she undertakes research activities and creates content on a wide variety of topics including entrepreneurship education, sustainability and research valorisation.