Abstract:

This article addresses five challenges, named as retrospective challenge pentagon, to provide a basis for a more profound analysis for other small universities in Europe, who want to implement education technologies (EdTech) sustainably.

It is a significant problem that vocational schools and universities do often not keep up with the rapid changes in the labor market due to generational disparities. The use of EdTech and modern educational programs in the educational process is inadequate, and few international students choose local universities as their alma mater. To create a more precise focus and to offer possible solutions, the authors addressed the following challenges:
1. Coherent long-term planning;
2. Varying motivation and abilities, lack of willingness for change;
3. Overburdening of staff and limited internal (time) resources for
development;
4. Fragmentation of teaching approaches;
5. Being one step ahead.

The authors used the retrospective evaluation method After-Action Review, case study methodology, and surveys to unzip and analyze these challenges. They used the neuron network approach to gather challenges 1. - 4. as input nodes and 5. as an output node, where the hidden layer of the network was named the harmonization phase. This phase is a riding horse to implement EdTech in a meaningful and effective way for best knowledge transfer.

The first challenge points out the problem about complexity putting together and aligning human resources and their expertise, existing infrastructure, needs, and wants at the organizational level with lack of advanced brain workforce due to rapid changes in a global environment and necessary forthcoming skills for future jobs (positions that do not exist yet). The second challenge is about the human psychological nature and financial situation of educational institutions, which depends on the national economy, attracted projects (national, European Union, worldwide), and global events. The third challenge indicates the number of activities and amount of time needed versus healthy work hours of the institution's staff. The fourth challenge points out a shortage of not well-defined, specified criteria that need to be considered for every teacher in the organization, both experienced and new, where the problem arises from a lack of digital skills. However, the fifth challenge is very comprehensive and deeply related to all challenges mentioned previously. A lack or shortage of challenges from the first to fourth will mirror difficulties for an organization to be one step ahead on the national and international stage as a place where future type education is offered for next-generation youth and cities.

The main result of this article are ideas and recommendations for implementing EdTech in a sustainable way, based on practical experience gained by Ventspils University of Applied Sciences during the previous three years 2018.10. - 2021.10.) during the implementation of the project "Next Generation Micro Cities of Europe", co-funded within the framework of the European Regional and Development Fund Initiative "Urban Innovative Actions". Project partners were two micro cities in Latvia - Ventspils and Valmiera. In Foreign Direct Investment research, Ventspils and Valmiera were marked in third and fourth place in the category "TOP 10 MICRO EUROPEAN CITIES OF THE FUTURE 2020/21 - FDI STRATEGY" accordingly.

Keywords:

Educational technologies (EdTech), small universities, vocational schools, local innovations, future challenges, generational disparities, blended learning.