Brain
Project holder and competent authorities
The project holder is the Croatian Academic and Research Network – CARNET.
The competent authority for CARNET is the Ministry of Science, Education and Youth, which is accountable to the Government of the Republic of Croatia.
Project goal
The project's goal is to contribute to the quality and duration of the time students spend in the educational process through the integration of digital technologies to establish a personalized approach to learning and teaching, and through the development of curriculum and digital educational content in the field of emerging digital technologies.
Specific project goals
- Through the development of curricula and educational programs, as well as research, continuously guide and monitor the impact of digital technologies on education with the aim of increasing the digital competencies of students and teachers.
- Develop a smart recommendation system that will provide better insight into student achievements and contribute to a personalized approach to the development of each student.
- Ensure high availability of digitized educational services through more efficient, accessible, and sustainable network and cybersecurity management with an automated monitoring and control system.
Project duration
From September 1, 2023, to September 1, 2029.
Deadlines and application procedure
The deadline to submit an application to participate in the project is always open all the way to the end of the project or until September 1, 2029.
Educational professionals at schools who are applying are required to complete web form at this link which proves fulfillment of the application requirements. The signed document of the principal's consent for the school's inclusion in the project, which you can download, must be uploaded to the web form. here. Incomplete and late applications will not be considered.
Find more information in the chapter Public Call for Educational Workers of Schools to Participate in the „BrAIn“ Project“
Project activities
Development of digital competencies based on scientific knowledge
- Development, revision, and implementation of curricula for extracurricular activities and optional subjects for the development of students' digital competencies
In this activity, a curriculum for an extracurricular activity and a curriculum for an elective subject were developed, with the aim of developing critical thinking about the impact of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, and training for practical work with emerging technologies. It is recommended that the extracurricular activity be carried out in the 7th and 8th grades of primary school, and the elective subject in the 2nd and 3rd grades of secondary school. The curricula can also be implemented in other grades depending on the possibilities of each school.
The extracurricular activity curriculum for primary schools is available. here.
The curriculum for the elective subject for high schools is available. here.
Experimental implementation of the curriculum will be conducted during the 2024/2025 academic year. At the same time, research will be conducted to gather feedback on the experiences of curriculum implementation.
The curriculum will be revised during the 2025/2026 school year based on feedback from participants in its experimental implementation.
The regular application of extracurricular activity curricula and elective subjects will be implemented from the 2025/2026 school year until the end of the project (August 31, 2029).
- Development of digital educational content based on the curriculum of extracurricular activities and optional subjects
The implementation of extracurricular and elective subject curricula will be supported by the development of related digital educational content for learning and teaching, which will particularly cover topics that are not widely available in Croatian.
- Educational program intended for school educators
Users (primarily teachers and educators, but also professional associates and school principals) will be educated through various training formats via live and online education, for example, workshops that will be organized on-site, as well as webinars and e-courses.
The education will also cover topics for the implementation of developed curricula.
Research
As part of the research activities, continuous dissemination of results/recommendations for welfare development related to technology use is planned for all key stakeholders (educational policy makers, educational staff, students, parents). The research is planned to be conducted in cooperation with partners who will be selected through a public call. It is foreseen that partners will participate in all phases of the research.
The research will be conducted in two phases:
- Pilot study – which will include an analysis of the current situation through focus groups and semi-structured interviews, an analysis of needs and the results of relevant empirical research and previous scientific publications. Also, within this phase, a methodology for the large-scale research will be developed.
- Large-scale research – in-depth longitudinal research. Based on pilot research, relevant research areas will be identified for different research teams to work on. The research will consider all three forms of education and all stakeholders in the educational process of children and adolescents – (1) formal education; (2) non-formal education, (3) informal education, and all stakeholders in the education system – (1) students, (2) educational staff, (3) parents/guardians.
The result planned to be achieved at the activity level is a conducted research on the impact of digital technologies on students, and a curriculum for extracurricular activities and elective subjects for the development of students' digital competencies.
The goal of this activity is to develop a smart recommendation system that will provide better insight into student achievements and suggest a personalized approach to each student's development with the aim of discovering student affinities and optimizing their learning outcomes. The following activities are intended to achieve this goal:
Analysis of key stakeholder and end-user needs
The needs of key stakeholders and end-users will be analyzed in the context of building a smart recommendation system and necessary upgrades. This will be done through focus groups with key stakeholders and end-users. The conducted research will create the concept of the final smart recommendation system solution. Initial concepts will be verified throughout the project using the same methodology, and the system development will be aligned with the improved concepts.
Development of ethical and pedagogical norms
Interventions in educational processes and systems can have long-term consequences for societal development, and each such intervention must be carried out with special care. This is particularly important for systems that aim to improve the system and the personal development of students and their final outcomes through the automation of educational processes, with a special emphasis on the field of artificial intelligence which develops self-learning systems. Systems based on artificial intelligence rely on large amounts of collected data, therefore, special attention should be paid to protecting privacy and integrating it into all parts of the system from the beginning.
Upgrading existing systems for the purpose of building standard and open data sources
CARNET has established or has under its control systems and applications that can be valuable sources of data on behavior and learning outcomes achieved. Part of this data is already integrated into CARNET's analytical ecosystem, but for some systems, certain modifications are needed to collect data in a standardized way through open and standardized protocols.
By developing a communication platform, CARNET will establish a system that enables efficient and secure communication among all stakeholders in the educational system and the exchange of messages between users of CARNET's educational services. In addition to a secure environment for educational system stakeholders, its own communication platform will contribute with its data to a better understanding of user needs and habits, and further contribute to data sources.
Building a smart recommendation system
A smart recommendation system for learning and teaching relies on deep analysis methods (data mining) and predictive analytics, which enable data analysts and scientists to find connections within data, identify predictors using data mining tools, develop and test predictive models, and apply models to real-world data.
Based on available data sources, a system will be built to assist teachers in monitoring students' digital achievements and enable a more personalized approach to each student, primarily through a better understanding of their habits in the educational process and their achievements. The system should allow each student, as the end-user, to better understand their own achievements in relation to their peers and to comprehend recommendations that can help them focus on areas where they are most motivated, as well as master learning outcomes in areas where they have less interest. Parents, teachers, and school support staff should be given insight into student achievements and alerted to behavioral deviations, or receive early warnings about them.
Key stakeholder education
To avoid misinterpretation of the smart recommendation system, special attention will be paid to educating key stakeholders, as well as end-users, about the system's capabilities and how to use it. Education will be conducted through a combination of online and in-person training tailored to each specific group.
Building and upgrading computer-communication infrastructure for smart recommendations
To fulfill the ultimate purpose of the smart recommendation system, it is necessary to ensure appropriate infrastructure in CARNET's data centers to house the applications, store large amounts of data, and other related services within the project.
AIOps (Artificial Intelligence for IT Operations) systems combine large data collection and machine learning for the automation of IT operational processes, including network event correlation, anomaly detection, and root cause determination.
Procurement of AIOps system in the following steps:
- Snapshot of existing services and business process analysis
- AIOps system implementation
Training of CARNET employees on AIOps system operation
The AIOps system is focused on users of the CARNET network in schools (teaching staff and students) for whom the system resolves issues by correlating data with the help of machine learning. The AIOps system itself detects issues and resolves their causes before the end-user notices a problem, thereby improving the user experience within the CARNET network.
The goal of system implementation is to automate business operations and increase business efficiency, while the ultimate result is the improvement of the user experience for employees and students in schools.
A system that handles confidential data requires appropriate cybersecurity and protection. The project foresees the creation of educational materials that will be available in an online environment. These materials are networked with various student data and, in combination, should offer users automated recommendations to deepen knowledge and/or address shortcomings and ambiguities. Therefore, it is essential to develop automated proactive and reactive security processes that will enable continuous verification of network site security and, in the event of computer security incidents, their handling according to relevant procedures and protocols.
Development of an automated system for resolving cyber incidents
The development of the conceptual and main design of an automated and intelligent cyber incident resolution system is based on a detailed and precise analysis of internal data, knowledge, and incident resolution processes, as well as data correlation with external data. Key activities relate to addressing new threats and resolving sophisticated attacks, and include the creation of the main (and associated conceptual) design, system development, and the creation of user and maintenance manuals.
Upgrade of the system for early detection of vulnerabilities and potential incidents
With the intensive development of website development technologies, vulnerabilities of new technologies, and new methods used in cyber attacks, there is a demand for constant upgrades to systems for proactive detection of vulnerabilities by scanning all HR websites. The system is planned to be integrated with the cyber incident handling automation system. Activities covered by this segment relate to the creation of conceptual and technical documentation for upgrading the system that scans the HR web space with the aim of detecting vulnerable websites and those that are already compromised, and then the system eliminates the found vulnerabilities.
Aligning incident reporting and processing with EU and national regulations
In light of the new NIS 2 Directive (EU) 2022/2555, it is necessary to conduct regulatory and procedural alignment of incident reporting and processing with the EU directive and its transposition act into national legislation. A status assessment and identification of key services will be carried out for the alignment process. Furthermore, the activity will align activities, procedures, and adapt the capacity of the National CERT with the requirements of Directive (EU) 2022/2555 as the competent CSIRT for the regulated sectors.
Curriculum
The working group for curriculum development within the “BrAIn” project has created the curriculum “Artificial Intelligence: From Concept to Application”:
- Extracurricular activity curriculum for 5th and 6th grade elementary school students
- Curriculum for extracurricular activities for 7th and 8th grade primary school students
- Curriculum for an elective course for 2nd and 3rd-year high school students.
The curricula mentioned, in a broader sense, aim at developing digital competencies, training for practical work with emerging technologies, and specifically developing critical thinking about the impact of emerging technologies.
Students are introduced to the potential of digital technology and artificial intelligence, and their impact on life. Students are enabled to understand the ethical and social perspectives of artificial intelligence, its benefits and dangers, and the advantages and disadvantages of using various digital technologies and artificial intelligence.
Through an elective subject and extracurricular activity, students actively study and critically reflect on digital technologies and artificial intelligence, working directly with innovative technologies and artificial intelligence, while paying attention to cybersecurity.
The curricula will be experimentally implemented in schools selected through a Public Call during the 2024/2025 school year, i.e., from September 2024. In April 2024, an informational webinar was held on the public call within the “Support for the Application of Digital Technologies in Education (BrAIn)“ project.
Training
Activity related to the experimental application of the curriculum is user support, i.e., education of teachers and educators for curriculum implementation.
The trainings are based on the curricula and cover topics key to the implementation of the developed curricula. They focus on developing professional knowledge, skills, and attitudes on curriculum topics and provide ideas for implementing teaching activities that achieve the learning outcomes of these curricula.
These are, for example, topics such as concepts and development of AI and emerging technologies, AI and emerging technology tools, AI-based digital content, copyright when using AI-generated content, social and ethical aspects of AI and emerging technologies, risks, challenges, and potentials of using AI and emerging technologies, transparent and responsible use of AI.
Training began in August 2024 through online webinars and live workshops at multiple locations.
The education program includes a total of four webinars through two iterations and two workshops through eight iterations at CARNET's ROCs in Zagreb, Osijek, Rijeka, Split, and Varaždin.
Webinar
From August 2024 to February 2025, four webinars were held:
Webinar: Artificial Intelligence – Origins, Development, and Future Challenges
2. webinar: Unlock the Power of Artificial Intelligence – AI Tools That Make Everyday Life Easier
3. Webinar: Transform your teaching – Learning and teaching with AI.
4. webinar: Ethical Literacy in the Digital Age – Understanding the Social and Ethical Challenges of Artificial Intelligence Use
Workshops
Two live workshops were also held:
Workshop: UI Classroom – Tools, Application, and Teaching Strategies
2nd workshop: Tools of the Future – Creating Educational Content with Artificial Intelligence
Results of research on the experimental application of the curriculum Artificial Intelligence: From Concept to Application for the 2024/2025 school year.
Public call for participation in the „Teachers for Teachers” education program within the BrAIn project.
Public call for educational workers of schools to participate in the „BrAIn“ project“
Public call for educational workers of schools to participate in „BrAIn“ project“
The terms used in this document that have gendered meanings are used neutrally and apply equally to both male and female genders.
OBJECTIVE/PURPOSE OF THE PUBLIC CALL
Applying for this public call involves participation in the following activities:
1. Application of extracurricular activity curriculum and elective subject curriculum Artificial Intelligence: From Concept to Application
1. Experimental application of the curriculum for extracurricular activities and elective subjects, participation in training for curriculum application, and participation in research for feedback on the experimental application of the curriculum;
1. 2. Regular implementation of the curriculum for extracurricular activities and elective subjects; participation in trainings for curriculum implementation;
2. participation in user education programs on digital technologies, emerging technologies, and artificial intelligence;
3. participation in research on the application of digital technologies and student well-being;
4. participation in the development of smart recommendation systems.
It is possible to participate in all the listed activities as well as in one or more activities of your choice.
If you only wish to participate in training on the topics of digital technologies, emerging technologies, and artificial intelligence, no application to the public call is required. Please note that starting from the 2024/2025 school year, training will be held to support the implementation of developed curricula, and starting from the 2025/2026 school year, other training on the topics of digital technologies, emerging technologies, and artificial intelligence will be available. Information about the training will be published on CARNET's channels (website and social media).
The activities are explained in more detail below.
ACTIVITIES TO BE CARRIED OUT
Activity 1: Application of the extracurricular activity curriculum and the elective subject curriculum Artificial Intelligence: From Concept to Application
The extracurricular activity curriculum for primary schools is available. here.
The curriculum for the elective subject for high schools is available. here.
The goal of the curriculum in a broader sense is the development of digital competencies and the training of primary and secondary school students for practical and creative work with emerging technologies and artificial intelligence. Students will become familiar with the potential of digital technology and artificial intelligence and their impact on life. The curriculum will enable students to understand not only how digital technologies and artificial intelligence affect life, i.e., how they are used and impact learning, reading, entertainment, physical activity, and more, but also what students need to know and understand about digital technologies and artificial intelligence to become users and creators of digital tools and AI-based tools.
The curricula are primarily intended for Informatics teachers in primary and secondary schools, as well as for all other interested subject teachers.
Recommendation The extracurricular activity will be held in 7th and 8th grade of elementary school such that 7th-grade elementary school students attend 1st year of studies, and the 8th-grade students 2nd year of learning. In accordance with the school's organizational capabilities, the activity can also be conducted in other grades. The schedule includes 35 hours per year.
Recommendation is an elective subject to be conducted in 2nd and 3rd grade of high school so that 10th-grade students attend 1st year of studies, and the 3rd-grade students 2nd year of learning. In accordance with the school's organizational capabilities, the activity can also be carried out in other grades. The subject's timetable includes 35 hours per year.
Read more information about curriculum implementation below under Frequently Asked Questions.
Activity 1.1: Experimental application of the extracurricular activity curriculum and elective subject, and monitoring of the application through research, which includes:
- experimental application of extracurricular activity curriculum and optional subject curriculum;
- participation in curriculum implementation training;
- Participation in action research to improve the curriculum.
The experimental implementation of extracurricular activity curricula for elementary schools and elective subject curricula for secondary schools is planned for the 2024/2025 school year.
Educational workers will have access to Training as support in the experimental application of the curriculum. Individuals implementing the curriculum are obligated to participate in at least one such training session (for example, a webinar).
It is planned research to collect feedback from educational workers in schools about their experiences implementing the curriculum. Action research will be conducted, and quantitative and qualitative data will be collected to cover various aspects and specificities of curriculum implementation experiences. The collected feedback will be used in the curriculum revision.
Activity 1. 2. Regular application of extracurricular activity curriculum and elective subject curriculum
The regular application of extracurricular activity and elective subject curricula is planned from the 2025/2026 school year until the end of the project (September 1, 2029). After the project, the curriculum will remain available for application.
The curriculum will be revised during the 2025/2026 school year based on feedback from participants in the experimental implementation of the curriculum. Afterwards, digital educational content will be created to support the curriculum's application. As part of the education program, training will be available for the regular application of the curriculum.
Activity 2: Educational Program on Digital Technologies, Emerging Technologies, and Artificial Intelligence
The education program is intended for all educational workers in schools with the aim of developing digital competencies, focusing on emerging technologies (including artificial intelligence) and well-being in the context of digital technology application.
The education program will also include topics relevant to the implementation of the developed curricula (during the regular implementation phase of the curricula).
Educational workers will have the opportunity to participate in live and online training sessions throughout the project.
Activity 3: Research on the Use of Digital Technology and Student Well-being which will be carried out by the partner – Croatian Catholic University (HKS). In the selected primary and secondary schools that respond to the call, quantitative (application of questionnaires) and qualitative (implementation of focus groups and interviews) research will be conducted with students, parents, teachers, educators, professional associates, and principals on the use of technology and student well-being, for which it is necessary to appoint a research coordinator in the selected schools.
Activity 4: Smart Recommendation System
Activities to implement smart recommendation systems aim to improve the personalized approach to learning.
The smart recommendation system for learning and teaching essentially relies on a deep analysis system (data mining, English. data miningand predictive analytics that enable data analysts and scientists to find connections between data, identify predictors using data mining tools, develop and test predictive models, and apply models to real-world data. The following are also activities that will be covered by the BrAIn project in the part of activities related to building a smart recommendation system and building a virtual assistant in teaching, operational support for the built systems, and implementing smart recommendations in CARNET's information systems for communication with users and stakeholders in the Croatian educational system.
Activities are planned related to the upgrades of existing applications and information systems for the needs of building a comprehensive smart recommendation system and virtual assistant in teaching. The following are information systems that will serve as a data source for the smart recommendation system and virtual assistant, required for in-depth analysis and predictive analytics of educational data in the educational system of the Republic of Croatia.
The foundation and prerequisite for building and all upgrades to a comprehensive smart recommendation and virtual teaching assistant system, and associated information systems, within the scope of the project will be performed analyze the needs of key stakeholders and end-users. User needs will be captured in the context of building a smart recommendation system, building a virtual teaching assistant, and necessary upgrades, in the form of focus groups with key stakeholders and end-users.
The activities within this project segment include the following:
- Training Large Language Models (LLMs) for a Virtual Teaching Assistant:
- implementing an iterative training process with continuous evaluation and model adjustment, with active participation of teachers and educators in providing feedback and suggestions for improvement,
- Selection and Adaptation of Digital Educational Content for Integration with LLMs:
- teachers' and educators' participation in setting criteria for selecting digital educational content to be integrated with LLMs, ensuring high quality and relevance of materials,
- teacher and instructor participation in the review and selection of digital educational resources from various sources, including open educational resources (OER), with a special emphasis on materials that support a personalized learning approach,
- adaptation of selected content to ensure compatibility with LLMs and smart recommendation systems, with an active role for teachers in content selection and adaptation;
- Needs analysis with active participation of teachers and educators:
- active participation, sharing personal experiences, needs, and expectations from smart recommendation systems to identify specific user needs, requirements, and desires, ensuring that the smart recommendation system aligns with real-world educational contexts.
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
All candidates must meet the following minimum requirements:
- School employees in the Republic of Croatia as educational workers.
SELECTION PROCEDURE
The verification of minimum requirements is carried out by an Expert Committee composed of CARNET representatives appointed by the Director of CARNET. The Committee reviews each application and submits a joint report to the Director on the fulfillment of minimum requirements and the evaluation of applications.
Meeting the minimum requirements is a prerequisite for application, and they are assessed by all committee members with a YES (meets) or NO (does not meet).
APPLICATION METHOD
Applicants submitting an application are required to complete web form at this link which proves fulfillment of the application requirements. The signed document of the principal's consent for the school's inclusion in the project, which you can download, must be uploaded to the web form. here.
Public Call Duration
The deadline to submit an application to participate in the project is always open until the end of the project, that is by September 1, 2029. Incomplete and late applications will not be considered.
Candidates can ask questions regarding the Call text. Questions should be submitted via email to the address helpdesk@skole.hr.
Questions and answers
User questions and answers regarding the public call for participation in the project can be found at the following link:
Project financing
The total project amount is 15,993,222.00 EUR, of which:
- Amount of funds secured from the European Union and the European Social Fund + 13,594,238.70 EUR (85%)
- Amount of funds secured in the Croatian State Budget for national co-financing: 2,398,983.30 EUR (15%)
