Abstract:

The daily teaching practice requires a clear informative message. By developing desired attitudes, we combat stereotypes and inappropriate habits. At the same time, such education can focus on getting everyone ready for absorbing technological and organizational advancements. At least two components matter, namely repetition and visual message. The visual form facilitates understanding of real-life phenomena and quite often makes our memory work faster.

Desired attitudes are particularly important to promote the development of contemporary cities, which are frequently centres generating new everyday life solutions. Shortage of appropriate education and scarcity of information contribute to barriers, and consequently seriously hamper the implementation of changes. The main direction defined in the EU urban development guidelines is based on the sustainable development and environmental awareness. With this respect, education should cover all age groups, and this necessitates involving a number of educational tools used as vehicles for conveying a clear message.

The article is limited to issues pertaining to education through provision of information while using ICT tools. Although the discussion focuses on a specific practical example, the form suggested can actually be applied to any fields of life. Analyses presented have been a part of the international research project of “Electric Travelling” under the ERA-NET Programme. The project international consortium included research institutions and companies from four European countries, namely Saitec, Factor and DeustoTech, Spain, Silesian University of Technology, Poland, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Hungary, and the Delft University of Technology and Over Morgen, the Netherlands. The main project goals include education and promotion of environmentally friendly solutions, e.g. urban electric mobility. The test ground comprised three cities, namely Sosnowiec, Poland, Hague, the Netherlands, and Zalaegerszeg, Hungary.

The project focused on two target groups for developing desired attitudes. The first group included city inhabitants of various age. In this group, major changes apply to educating people about environmentally-friendly travelling options offered by the city (alternatives to individual cars). The second group comprises members of the local government (i.e. people having influence on development of transport systems), who contribute significantly to the development of the citizen education strategy. The overriding goal of the education process is to promote a change in the urban traffic modal split and the increase in citizens’ interest in environmentally friendly solutions.

Tools developed by the project are based on information and visual message, which strengthen their educational impact. Finally, the local government, with the support of tools developed by the project, can improve the effects of education and dissemination of information among citizens. Thus, the government is furnished with a methodology that can be used to meet a specific educational challenge. The article describes the methodology in detail.

Keywords:

New technologies in education, ICT tools, behaviour changes, sustainable development, electric mobility.