The Malta College of Arts, Science, and Technology (MCAST)held an event entitled ‘Dissemination and Sharing of Good Practice for the Closure of ESF 02.058 Adding Value: Nurturing Learning Journeys in IVET and MCAST’ where the project activities over the last few years were showcased and good practices throughout the project were shared.

Project leader, MCAST Deputy Principal for Research and Innovation, Dr Tatjana Chircop explained how through this project the College was able to develop innovative tools and services aimed towards enhancing student engagement and learning experience.

Apart from the development of a number of short courses, through this project, MCAST was able to create state-of-the-art innovative learning tools. In fact, through the research component within this project, a number of support systems and online tools were identified and developed for more effective learning so that students are given the opportunity to fully engage in their studies and enjoy the learning process.

During the event, 3 online platforms were presented. Firstly, the ‘Operational Tools and Information System’ was presented. This platforms includes includes features such as a Chat Communicator, and a Smart Board for interactive learning, as well as the possibility to learn particular topics by making use of Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality. The second online platform is the ‘Trail Map’ which is an online platform, which in itself is a prevention measure, through which the college would be in a better position to identify students who are more likely to be at risk of dropping out and therefore be in a better position to support students accordingly. Finally, the ‘Gamification Leaning Management System’ was presented. This platform provides the opportunity for students to learn particular topics through games. Through this platform, games can also be created and developed according to the needs and developments of MCAST’s curricula.

Through the project, the role of student mentors was also created. These are multi-disciplinary mentoring teams that ensure the well-being of each individual student, empowering them to successfully navigate through their learning journey. This is a service that MCAST has invested in, sustaining the service for the benefit of students. Over the lifetime of the project, student mentoring has reached over 3,200 students overall with students’ feedback being very positive.