aluMATTER: a unique educational tool

Awarded multi-lingual interactive web-based modular resources on aluminium science and technology, the main objective of this initiative is to offer a highly innovative, web-based and interactive multimedia learning resources for students at university or technical college as well as engineers or technicians in the industry. The European Commission commented the aluMATTER project as follows: “The creation of European inter-institutional cooperation (companies – educational institutions) for production of industrially relevant learning resources in the complex field of aluminium engineering and technology is an achievement of true sectoral cooperation. The project is also a best practice for the creation of e-learning modules incorporating valuable pedagogical approaches for interactive simulations of the processes in the industry.”

These e-learning resources supplement regular teaching courses at universities and fulfils distant learning requirements. The web structure is designed to allow the content to be accessed via three different “entry points”: Products/applications, Processing and Physical Metallurgy. The aim is to allow users with different interests to access the material in a context relevant to their own requirements. Nine modules are currently available in English from which six modules are available in Dutch, French and German.

Visit the aluMATTER website: http://aluminium.matter.org.uk

European awards

aluMATTER has been awarded twice by the European commission in 2006 and 2007 for its quality and excellence in developing e-learning modules incorporating valuable pedagogical approaches for interactive simulations of the processes in the industry.

In December 2006, The Finnish Minister of Education and Science, Antti Kalliomäki, and European Commissioner, Ján Figel, presented the awards for projects supported under the Leonardo da Vinci programme. Ten projects, out of a total of around 2000, received the award for having successfully promoted the European goals at grassroots level, three of which were awarded in the category ‘sectoral cooperation’ which included aluMATTER. Helsinki Award 2006

In May 2007, alumatter gets bronze medal from German EU Presidency for an outstanding project promoting and supporting the LifeLong Learning EU policy. The Prize was presented to Jürgen Hirsch, Chairman of the EAA Education & Technology Committee and Christian Leroy, EAA Education, Technology & LCA Manager. Giving the award were Mrs Schavan, German Minister of Education and Research and Mr Ján Figel’, Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and Youth. AluMATTER was one of the only 3 Leonardo da Vinci projects receiving an award. Berlin Bronze Prize