Project Activities and Methodology

The main objective of this project is to design and implement a higher diploma in neurodevelopment focused on refugee children for professionals involved in their care. To this end, the activities will be framed within a sequence of applications, which will lead to key milestones and phases.

The work methodology selected supports three principles:

1. Training for trainers
2. E-learning platform
3. Collaboration between the universities, who will assume responsibility for carrying out each phase and the associated activities.

There are four milestones (A, B, C, D) that are outlined in work packages. At the same time, they are merged with a set of activities. These milestones are:

1. Understand the general needs of the countries involved in neurodevelopment and the needs of refugees in particular. In this milestone, the tasks are brought together by the administrative preparation of the degree, as well as the requirements for this work, all of which is described in the WP1. The necessary activities for reaching this milestone are the following:
   • 1.1. Revise content about neurodevelopment in the degrees that are offered to university participants.
   • 1.2. Complete a systematic state-of-the-art review about neurodevelopment and refugees.
   • 1.3. Specify the necessary phases for completing administrative paperwork for the diploma.
2. Prepare the course. Preparing the course implies planning the curricular and methodological structure of the higher diploma, developing the syllabus lessons, and preparing the e-learning platform for the higher diploma program, as is indicated in the WP2:
   • 2.1.1 Define the professional competencies by itineraries and select the objectives and content of the higher diploma.
   • 2.1.2. Select the methodology of teaching/learning and evaluation.
   • 2.2.1. Develop the curricular material.
   • 2.3.1. Design the platform structure.
3. Train university teachers: WP5 covers information regarding this milestone. The professors will acquire the theoretical and practical content about neurodevelopment and will be trained on the use of the e-learning platform. The activities are spelled out in the following tasks:
   • 5.1. Train academic staff from partner country universities on the theoretical dimensions of neurodevelopment. The training will be conducted by means of an e-learning platform.
   • 5.2. Train academic staff on practical skills about neurodevelopment. The training will be conducted during a 1-week visit to the University of Granada (Spain).
   • 5.3. Train academic staff on didactic methodologies and how to use the e-learning platform. This training will be conducted during a 3-day visit to the Polytechnic University of Coimbra (Portugal).
4. Implement the higher diploma program: Activities will be designed to make up the higher diploma application and implementation in Palestine and Jordan (WP6); as well as tasks for monitoring and quality control (WP7); for results dissemination and exploitation (WP8); and finally, for management tasks (WP9).
   
   The set of activities for these WPs are:
   
   • 6.1.1.    Establish a network including the Arab universities participating in this project in order to design courses that focus on neurodevelopment and refugees while taking into consideration the socio-cultural context of the two countries.
   • 6.1.2. Apply for the accreditation of the proposed higher diploma in each country separately.
   • 6.1.3.  Announce the beginning of registration for new students.
   • 6.2.1. Begin teaching and training the registered students following the courses’ outlines.
   • 6.2.2. Apply the final assessment for both theoretical and practical courses.
   • 7.1.1. Create an internal quality assurance committee (Quality Assurance Committee –QAC-).
   • 7.1.2. Quality assessment of diploma implementation in Palestine and Jordan.
   • 7.1.3. Quality assessment of staff training.
   • 7.2.1.  Create the external monitoring committee.
   • 7.2.2. Quality assessment of higher diploma student training.
   • 8.1. Disseminate information to refugee and educational authorities, universities, and the general public about neurodevelopmental problems in refugees and the NeuCaRe higher diploma program.
   • 8.1.1.  Conduct radio and television interviews.
   • 8.1.2. Launch Social Networks: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Youtube.
   • 8.2 Disseminate results of training to refugee and educational authorities, universities, and the general public.
   • 8.2.1. Organize international workshops in Palestine and Jordan to which professionals working with refugee children in the region can attend.
   • 8.2.2. Disseminate information about neurodevelopment and neuropsychological problems in refugee children in the professional networks of the regions.
   • 8.2.3. Publish results in Academic Social Networks such as ResearchGate, Humanities Commons, Labrots (Scientific videos), Divúlgame.
   • 8.2.4. Informative meetings with international associations and entities, NGOs…etc.
   • 9.1. Establish governance structures: MT (Management Team), GA (General Assembly of partners), WPC (Work Package Leaders Committee), STC (Steering Committee), (AQC) Assurance Quality Committee, and the Gender Equality Committee (GEC).
   • 9.2. Appoint responsible parties for monitoring the work of the consortium, track deliverables, and milestones, and ensure that it is progressing according to the project plan and work schedule.
   • 9.3. Track project budgeting and management.
   • 9.4. Organize technical meetings between the Management team and work package leaders when necessary to provide a forum for regular review of progress.
   • 9.5.  Establish an interface between the EC and the participating parties.

An additional piece that is fundamental to this project, as demonstrated by its importance in the Region and in Europe, is the consideration of cultural and linguistic adaptations. The activities in WP3 will focus on this concern:

• 3.1.1. Supervise the translation of all lessons and resources to Arabic.
• 3.1.2. Translate all lessons and resources into English.
• 3.2. Adapt all lessons and resources to the Arabic culture according to the specific cultural context of the different participating countries.

Another relevant point of interest is integrating activities related to gender equality throughout the project transversally. This matter is outlined in WP4:

• 4.1.1. Integrate the design of the curricular and methodological structure for gender differences in neurodevelopment alterations.
• 4.2.1. Facilitate equal access to the higher diploma for both women and men through parity of enrolment.
• 4.2.2. Develop evaluation protocols that integrate the gender dimension.
• 4.2.3. Continual counseling and evaluation of the gender perspective in the training design and the implementation of the higher diploma (overseen by the monitoring committee).  

In terms of measurable indicators, details are outlined in the deliverables of each WP. Overall, the following indicators should be emphasized: report development; teaching guides and material; organization of coordinating meetings between members and partners; rates for enrolment success and dropout.