About the project
The overall aim and objective of the project is modernization of higher education in partner countries, through digitalization of educational methodologies and improving students' preparation for participation in the sustainable growth, to enhance the digital transformation of the HEI in Latin America Region. ICOLearn project activities and results includes implementation of innovative internet-based learning methodologies and collaborative tools toolbox consisted of: (1) social-networked based education (SNE), (2) learning factory (LF), (3) co-creation of learning materials (COLM), (4) game-based learning (GL), (5) virtuality (V), (6) blended learning (BL), (7) integrated projects (IP) and (8) project-led-education (PLE); implementation of innovative approach to cooperation with industry and other companies, through the 'learning factory' platform tool for enhancement of industry-partnered active learning to implement practices oriented to sustainable growth.
These activities are organized through the five Work Packages (WP): WP1 - Project management and coordination; WP2 - Preparation and Training; WP3 - Design and Organization; WP4 -Implementation; and WP5 - Impact and Dissemination. ICOLearn will output 14 deliverables which consists of 4 management reports, 2 training seminars (as one deliverable), two demonstrations (as one deliverable), six desk study (as one deliverable), six 'brokering events' (as one deliverable), and 6 reports related to design, implementation and dissemination. The target group are teachers and students. There will be involved in total, at six HEI from Brazil, Costa Rica and Honduras: 16 courses and 30 curricular units (subjects), 73 teachers and all students enrolled in the courses addressed by ICoLearn.
Results
Work Package#1 - Result #1
D1.1 - Minutes of the decision of the project management bodies
Dissemination level: Sensitive
Work Package#1 - Result #2
D1.2 First year project management report
Work Package#2 - Result #1
D2.1 Training seminar on learning methodologies, internet-based and collaborative tools
Work Package#2 - Result #2
D2.2 Demonstration in UMINHO and POLITO
Work Package#2 - Result #3
D2.3 Desk studies
Work Package#5 - Result #1
D5.3 Project website
Result on the Implementation Design and Procedure
The overall review of the methodologies that will be implemented in WP4 is presented in the table below. It is to notice that all methodologies that are the subjects of the project will be implemented.
| Partner | Social-networked based education (SNE) | Learning Factory (LF) | Blended Learning (BL) | Cooperation with Industry (CI) | Co-creation of Learning Materials (CoLM) | Game-based Learning (GL) | Virtuality (V) | Integrated Projects (IP) | Project-Led-Education (PLE) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UFF | 7 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| UFC | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| UFIDE | 3 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 3 |
| UCR | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| UMH | 5 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 7 |
| UNAH | 2 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Total | 21 | 5 | 21 | 12 | 15 | 18 | 14 | 13 | 24 |
The expected number of students affected by the project methodologies, at all partners, is 1646 students.
| Partner | Number of students |
|---|---|
| UFF | 198 |
| UFC | 455 |
| UFIDE | 485 |
| UCR | 208 |
| UMH | 171 |
| UNAH | 149 |
| Total | 1646 |
Results on the Brokering Event
The number of participants (persons and companies) and number of committed companies with ICoLearn is shown below.
| Partner | Number of participants - persons | Number of participants - companies | Number of committed companies |
|---|---|---|---|
| UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL FLUMINENSE (UFF) | 30 | 7 | 1 |
| UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DO CEARA (UFC) | 12 | 4 | 1 |
| UNIVERSIDAD FIDELITAS SOCIEDAD ANONIMA (UFIDE) | 43 | 22 | 5 |
| UNIVERSIDAD DE COSTA RICA (UCR) | 68 | 28 | 8 |
| FUNDACION UNIVERSIDAD METROPOLITANADE HONDURAS (UMH) | 27 | 17 | 11 |
| UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL AUTONOMA DE HONDURAS (UNAH) | 62 | 22 | 2 |
| Total | 242 | 100 | 28 |
The feedback questionnaire shows the success and satisfaction of the participating companies with the initiative, that is with the task of involvement of companies with teaching activities and students’ assignments. The results from the feedback questionnaire will be further analysed in depth within the WP5.
Global Innovation in Higher Education: 35 Research Presentations and Three Keynotes Shaping the Future of Learning
The 1st International Conference on Sustainable and Intelligent Education: Towards a Future brought together international researchers and higher education professionals for three days of academic exchange and innovation. The programme featured 35 research presentations and three keynote lectures, addressing sustainable education, digitalization, artificial intelligence, collaborative learning, gamification, blended learning, and innovative teaching methodologies. An additional online roundtable explored the role of philosophy of education in the AI era. Presenters represented diverse international backgrounds, including Portugal, Honduras, Brazil, the United States, India, and Hong Kong, reflecting the conference's global and interdisciplinary character.
The implementations and experiences presented demonstrate how innovative pedagogical approaches, emerging technologies, and international collaboration can transform teaching and learning. Sharing these practices is essential to strengthening institutional capacities, developing students' competencies, promoting educational sustainability, and improving the overall quality of higher education. Ultimately, these initiatives contribute to building more inclusive, adaptable, innovative, and future-ready universities.
News
News #1
The kick-off meetings of the ICoLearn project were held virtually from January 16th to January 18th , 2024. During Day 1, decisions on the project management bodies were made. The financial model and management as well as the review of all tasks and timings were presented on Day 2. Finally, the first project tasks and responsibles were defined on the last day of the kick-off meeting.
News #2 - Virtual training on learning methodologies
The online training of the ICoLearn project was held from May 08th to May 10th, 2024. It was lead by Professor Goran Putnik (UMINHO) and the objective was to introduce the 54 participants to the basics of the learning methodologies for this project. This training was a preparatory step for the on-site training developed a few weeks later.
News #3 - On site training on learning methodologies in Guimaraes and Torino
The on site training was held in Guimaraes during the week of May 20th to May 24th, 2024 and in Torino during the week of May 27th to May 31st, 2024. At each site, the participants had the opportunity to learn in depth about different learning methodologies, engaged in several activities to better understand the learning methodologies and interacted with the students that experienced such learning methodologies in their curricula units.
News #4 - First year annual meeting
The first annual meeting was held online on December 13th, 2024. It was an opportunity to review the achievements during the first year of the project, discuss the importance of what has been accomplished and plan the activities of 2025.
News #5 - Brokering event in partner universities
The selection of enterprises aims to involve enterprises in the teaching process in the context of learning factory and cooperation with industry, providing enterprise-based tasks/problems for student’s assignments. These tasks/problems should be selected accordingly with the curricula unit programme and selected tool and the enterprise’s needs.
First phase of enterprise selection was the “brokering event”, organized by each non-EU partner.
Second phase of enterprise selection is the establishment of effective relationships between partners and enterprises, in the function of the curricular unit.
UMINHO and POLITO had the supporting (consulting) and monitoring role in this task.
Representatives of different companies and institutions with the elements of the implementation team at Universidade Federal Fluminense
Participants of the event at Universidade Federal do Ceara
Interaction among the companies/institutions and the implementation team at Universidad de Costa Rica
Brokering Event Workshop with Industry Partners at Universidad Metropolitana de Honduras
Representatives from private companies, industry, cooperation agencies, NGOs and government offices ncluding the ICoLearn team, who attended the brokering event organized by the National Autonomous University of Honduras. See https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1BvSFyLyNP/
News # 6 Second year management meeting held in Niteroi, Brasil
The second year management meeting was held on 04th to 06th November 2025 at UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL FLUMINENSE (UFF) in Niteroi, Brazil, in presence and online (online participation of Universidade do Minho (UMINHO). This was an ideal opportunity to discuss the project activities, financial execution of the partners, risk evaluation and management during the second year of the project. In addition, the activities and meetings for the third year of the project were presented.
News # 7 Supervision of Methodology Implementations
Professors from the University of Minho and Politecnico de Torino visited Honduras, Costa Rica and Brazil during mid 2026 to supervise the implementations of the ICoLearn methodologies in each of the beneficiary universities. These visits allowed rich discussions on the benefits and challenges of the methodologies as well as how these implementations can be improved in the future.
News # 8 First International Conference on Sustainable and Intelligent Education
Povoa de Varzim, Portugal was the host of the the First International Conference on Sustainable and Intelligente Education during October 21st-23rd, 2026. Professors from all universities of the ICoLearn project presented the results of the innovative, internet based and collaborative methodological implementations.
News # 9 Third year management meeting held in Povoa de Varzim, Portugal
The third year management meeting was held on October 20th and October 23rd, 2026 in Povoa de Varzim, Portugal. The coordinators of the universities discussed the benefits of the methodology implementations and the limitations encountered. This allowed establishing strategies directed to the improvement of the implementations for the future. In addition, ideas on how to continue the collaboration between the universities of the consortium were presented.
Contact us
Contact our project administrator
Professor Maria Leonilde Rocha Varela
leonilde@dps.uminho.pt | +351253510765
UMINHO
Contact our page administrator
Professor Elias Leonardo García Urquía
elias.garcia@unah.edu.hn
UNAH