The company Iswolk Technologies, located in the Tecnocampus of Mataró, has assumed the direction of an innovative project to contribute to the fight against bullying. The project, supported by MRR funds from the European Union, is focused on teacher training against bullying.
The project, called BullyZero, aims to provide subsidized training to teachers to prevent situations of bullying, cyberbullying and harassment in educational environments using a digital simulation tool. Iswolk Tecnologies is a computer company that has specialized in building training simulators for different sectors such as banking, healthcare or education.
According to the head of Iswolk, Eric Rivera, the Actilearning association contacted them to propose the simulator project. They have also collaborated with the SINTE research group of the UAB led by Carles Monereo to develop the theoretical contents of the project.
Specifically, a training program has been specifically designed for teachers and educators that will help these professionals prevent harassment and cyberbullying situations in educational centers. The program began last November, but it will be from February when the simulator phase will be put into practice.
The BullyZero Project uses a virtual simulator that recreates critical incidents in the classroom and at the educational center. Through this simulator, participants will develop the necessary digital teaching skills, as established by the National Institute of Educational Technologies and Teacher Training (INTEF).
With the simulator, teachers will face real cases and situations or critical incidents that may occur in the classroom. They will need to make decisions and observe the consequences, which will help them improve their skills to address these issues effectively.
Before working with the simulator, participants have completed a previous training phase through a virtual campus and an in-person group work session.
As the training progresses, teachers will work with experts from the SINTE group and ACTILEARNING to prepare a portfolio with evidence of its implementation in the classroom, as well as analysis activities and intervention proposals. This continuous evaluation demonstrates the teachers' ability to apply the acquired skills to real situations.
Upon successful completion of the training, teachers will obtain the B1 certificate in digital teaching competence. The training has been opened to 20 groups of active teachers in Catalonia and is currently being taken by a total of 229 professionals, most of them secondary school teachers.
The BullyZero Project not only provides basic knowledge to confront bullying situations, but also presents cases, recreates real situations and evaluates the decisions made by teachers. Additionally, it offers recommendations and explains the implications of each decision to help teachers make the best decisions possible.
As highlighted by TecnoCampus, this initiative reinforces the commitment of the European Union and Catalonia in the fight against bullying and cyberbullying through training and the acquisition of digital teaching skills, thus contributing to creating a safer and more educational environment. respectful.
