1. LEGENDS ACROSS EUROPE (LAE)
GOOGLE SURVEY RESULTS AND EVALUATION
71 Responses
One of the objectives of the project was to explore our national legends and compare them
with the ones from the partners in oder to find out similarities and differences. According to
studentsʼ responses, their knowledge of both national and international legends is vey high.
We find results about international legends very interesting, we consider paticipants have
made a big effort to understand materials from the different cultures, which is important to
reinforce the European dimension. This level of knowledge has allowed them to explore the
treats that make heroes and villains of common people.
In addition, the high level of paticipation shows the topic and the activities have been
motivating, such as we can see in the following information.
Exchange, research, ppts, group
work, performance
2. Trips in your country
Trips done during exchange visits have also been positive. The aim of these trips was
visualizing historical and literary facts in a geographical frame, in this way the acquisition of
knowledge became interdisciplinar. In addition participants have been able to gather visual
support for their written reports and presentations, which has improved their abilities to use
ICT tools to create different kind of presentations and videos.
Museums
The cultural heritage in Museums was not one of the
main objectives, it was an added component to
understand the background for our towns or history.
Although it has not been the best rated activity, we
consider it to have achieved its aim.
The exchange visits inside the Comenius project have substituted Flashmeeting sessions.
From the beginning we found difficulties to get Flashmeetings because of the different work
strategies and timetables in the participating schools. The face to face communication has
been very positive from the point of view of work and social skills developement. Getting to
know other cultures was a relevant issue to achieve a better understanding among countries
in Europe.
Exchange visits
3. Performances
The last product of the whole project was a theatre performance of a play based on the
legends from the three countries and adapted to the research participants had made all
through the project. Although this performance was the last product, there have been
different intermediate moments to show the work, for example in Ávila: the activity Heroes,
the traditional music and dances and the short “Robin Hood” scene by the English students
or the activity Villains, the short perfomance from the English students about a scene from
Charles Dickens and the Finnish musical moment: singing and playing the Kantele in
Klaukkala. Getting awareness of the role oral traditions and theatre have always had to
spread knowledge was an objective of the project. Results about the investigation on
national heroes and villains, as well as their contemporary counterparts are clearly shown in
these performances. More than 70% of the responses have rated these activities with the
highest possibilities, so the objectives can be considered achieved.
The human contact has proved to be the best part of the whole project. During these
moments doing sports, eating out, getting fun participants have been able to show their
opinions in a free way. They have learned from each other about food, timetables, cultural
habits and language, which is shown in the final theatre play as memories. Families have
been very supportive, which is highly rated among participants. Living together with a
different family has helped students to understand other identities as European citizens.
Socialising with partners from other schools
4. Although LAE was not a language project, having been English the communication and
work language, has allowed participants to improve their foreign language skills. It has been
very important for the Spanish students in the Bilingaul Section. Furthermore, students have
got a certain knowledge of Finnish and Spanish, especially during exchange visits. Families
have proved to have an important role in this field too.
More than 90% of the responses show that the project has improved their understanding of
other cultures. First of all, it is a very good result from the point of view of the general
objective of promoting the European dimension. In addition, this average shows participants
have compared the cultures in such a way that they have been able to create their own
version of the traditional heroes and their counterparts in todayʼs society. We consider it a
project success.
As we expected studentsʼ comments rate exchange visits, getting new friends, meeting
foreign people and cultures very high. In general lines the experience has been a good one,
the activities and the tasks are considered good for this kind of project, although some of
them would have liked to get more entertainment moments. The would like to repeat without
changing anything.
We appreciate the free real responses, as the one about the Spanish family smoking in the
house.
5. In addition, despite the differences between the final results and the original project due to
changes in the schools, the main objectives have been achieved, such as it is seen in the
videos of the performance: traditional heroes and villains intermingled in conflicts that have
a counterpart in todayʼs society. The role of women in history, the power of money and
corruption, love and family are the topics in Legends Across Europe, a play in three acts,
where participantsʼ opinions are added at the beginning and the end in simple sentences
that summarize the research done during the whole project.
