eCAMPUS

ERASMUS+ CBHE PROJECT #101177299

“FOSTERING SOCIALLY DISTANCED AND INCLUSIVE ON CAMPUS EDUCATION IN ARMENIAN HEIs”, eCAMPUS

 ABOUT eCAMPUS:

The eCAMPUS project aims to enhance the quality of digital teaching & learning (T&L) in Armenian universities through multiple strategic initiatives. These include developing teaching staff’s digital skills, implementing internal QA mechanisms for digital T&L, establishing adequate digital educational ecosystems with model infrastructure, introducing innovative educational practices, and creating a supportive regulatory framework.

Project Website: www.ecampus.am

Contact: ecampus@ysu.am 

ECAMPUS PROJECT IS AIMED AT:

• Enhancing the quality of online teaching, learning, and assessment (TLA) in Armenian higher education institutions (HEIs) in alignment with the EU’s “Digital Education Action Plan 2021-2027”. This involves promoting digital skills and competencies among teaching staff and implementing internal quality assurance mechanisms for online TLA.
• Facilitating a responsible transition from emergency remote learning to more meaningful, engaging, and sustainable post-COVID campus-based education. The aim is to provide high-quality learning experiences resilient to potential future restrictions by developing a robust digital education ecosystem, regulatory framework, innovative educational practices, and model infrastructures.

IT ACHIEVES THE FOLLOWING OBJECTIVES:

1. Creation of a Digital Competence Framework (DCF) for teaching, learning, and assessment (TLA) in the Armenian HE sector (DIGIcomp). It will outline and regulate the essential skills and competencies required for teaching staff engaged in digital TLA, ensuring alignment with global trends in digital education technology.
2. Establishment of a National Certificate Programme (NCP) in digital TLA (DIGIcert). It will provide training, continuous professional development, and certification for teaching staff, enhancing their pedagogical skills and instructional proficiency in digital TLA. It aims to equip HE educators with innovative instructional strategies and techniques.
3. Development of an Internal Quality Assurance System (IQA) for digital TLA in Armenian HEIs (IQAsys). It will ensure quality and standards in online education by providing clear criteria, procedures, and tools for evaluation, self-assessment, and continuous improvement, in line with the EHEA quality assurance standards for digital TLA.
4. Creation of Benchmark Standards for e-learning multimedia platforms and smartclassroom models for Armenian HEIs (SMARTclass). This initiative will promote effective and inclusive learning environments, fostering technology-enhanced instructional models and ensuring equitable access to digital learning resources for all students.
5. Development of a Regulatory Framework for Part-Time Studies in the Armenian HE sector and a Common Online Course Registration and Student Progression e-Platform (COURSreg). These measures will establish a legal and operational foundation to facilitate the transition of Armenian HEIs from correspondence to part-time study modes, enhancing accessibility for students, including those with special needs.

THE EXPECTED IMPACTS OF THE PROJECT:

At the institutional level:

The project will result in more than 120 teaching and administrative staff members from Armenian HEIs acquiring enhanced skills and competencies in digital TLA and QA. Additionally, a functioning National Certificate Programme will be established for the professional development of staff engaged in digital TLA, along with the creation of 8 Smart Classrooms designed for technology-enabled education.

 At the national level:

The project will contribute to adoption of a Digital Competence Framework and a National Certificate Programme specifically for digital TLA. It will also lead to the revision of Internal QA standards relevant to digital TLA, the establishment of benchmark standards for e-learning multimedia platforms, and the development of specifications for a system-wide course registration and student progression e-platform.

At the European level:

The project will facilitate sharing of best practices and experiences, promote peer learning, and foster networking opportunities among stakeholders. This collaboration will establish long-term cooperative relationships with the EU partners, further integrating the Armenian HE system into the EHEA.

PARTNERS

Armenian institutions

1. Yerevan State University (YSU), project coordinator
2. Armenian State Pedagogical University after Khachatur Abovyan (ASPU)
3. Yerevan State Medical University after Mkhitar Heratsi (YSMU)
4. Northern University (NU)
5. Institute for Informatics and Automation Problems of the NAS of the RA (IIAP NAS)
6. National Center for Professional Education Quality Assurance Foundation (ANQA)
7. Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of the RA (MESCS)

 European institution

1. Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), Spain
2. Universidade de Lisboa (ULISBOA), Portugal
3. Università degli Studi di Genova (UNIGE), Italy
4. Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan (KTH), Sweden

Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or EU Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

Online Conference on “Creating a Framework for Digital Competencies in Armenian Universities and Developing a Policy Paper for Its Implementation”, organised within the ERASMUS+ eCAMPUS project

On August 27, 2025, an online conference was held within the framework of the Erasmus+ eCAMPUS project “Fostering Socially Distanced and  and Inclusive On-Campus Education in Armenian HEIs, eCampus,” coordinated by Yerevan State University (YSU). The conference focused on summarizing the results of teachers’ digital needs in Armenian universities and developing a digital competencies framework for teaching, learning, and assessment.

Approximately 90 representatives from Armenian and European universities and institutions registered for and participated in the online conference.

Armen Budaghyan, Director of YSU Quality Assurance Center and project coordinator, delivered opening remarks, presenting once again the main objectives of the eCAMPUS project and upcoming activities. He particularly emphasized the development of a “Digital Competencies Framework” for Armenian universities. Subsequently, Lusine Fljyan, Vice-Rector of Northern University, presented the best practices and key findings from digital competencies frameworks implemented in different countries.

In the first part of the conference, representatives from European partner universities shared their experiences: Giovanni Adorni (UNIGE), Rui Mendes (ULISBOA), Joaquin Paredes-Labra (UAM), and Viktor Kordas (KTH). They presented the digital competencies frameworks in their countries, highlighting the development processes and implementation specificities.

In the second part of the conference, representatives from Armenian universities participating in the project delivered presentations: Aram Hayrapetyan (YSMU), Arthur Avagyan (YSU), Marianna Harutyunyan (ASPU), and Lusine Fljyan (NU), who presented the results of digital needs assessment surveys conducted among students and teachers at their respective universities. Subsequently, Serob Khachatryan, lecturer at the Faculty of Philosophy and Psychology at Yerevan State University, summarized the results of surveys carried out at eight Armenian universities, emphasizing the main problems and needs.

The main topic of discussion at the conference was the policy paper on the introduction and implementation of the “Digital Competencies Framework” for Armenian universities, presented in detail by Aram Hayrapetyan, Director of the Quality Assessment and Assurance Center at Yerevan State Medical University after Mkhitar Heratsi. Professor Giovanni Adorni (UNIGE) presented practical steps for integrating digital skills into teaching, learning, and assessment processes.

At the conclusion of the conference, participants emphasized the importance of enhancing teachers’ digital competencies in Armenian universities and implementing the corresponding framework.

The conference was concluded by project coordinator A. Budaghyan, who expressed gratitude to the participants and emphasized the importance of meetings and discussions with partners and all stakeholders.