Introduction
The aviation industry is undergoing a profound transformation driven by the twin transitions of digitalisation and sustainability. These developments demand new knowledge, skills, and teaching methods that extend beyond traditional approaches to aviation training. In this context, the AvionicLearn Platform was developed as part of the Erasmus+ project AVIONIC – Creative Digital Teaching and Learning for Green Air Transport and Logistics (2022–2025). It was officially launched in January 2025 at the project’s closing conference.
AvionicLearn was designed as a digital ecosystem for aviation education that combines advanced e-learning tools with academic content co-created by universities and industry partners. The platform offers a portfolio of 16 specialised aviation courses (with more under development), covering topics such as air transport operations, airport infrastructure, cargo handling, safety and security, human factors, digitalisation, and environmental sustainability.
Unlike conventional e-learning repositories, AvionicLearn integrates interactive applications, including simulations, digital games, branching scenarios, curated bibliographies, and multimedia case studies. These features enhance knowledge acquisition while promoting applied learning. In particular, the platform’s interactive games and 3D tower simulator provide learners with a realistic environment to practise decision-making, operational procedures, and emergency responses.
The platform reflects the collaborative effort of the AVIONIC consortium, comprising Politehnica University of Bucharest (Romania), University of Strasbourg (France), Airport College International (Finland), Menzies Aviation (Romania), and Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (Spain). Each partner contributed expertise in aviation education, digital learning design, or operational practice, ensuring that the courses are academically rigorous and industry relevant.
By combining research, innovation, and digital pedagogy, AvionicLearn equips students and professionals with the competences needed to thrive in a rapidly evolving sector. It supports not only university students but also industry practitioners seeking upskilling opportunities. The platform is freely accessible at https://avioniclearn.upb.ro/index.php, contributing to open educational resources (OER) for the wider aviation community.
Purpose of the program / objectives
The AvionicLearn Platform was conceived with the overarching goal of future-proofing the aviation workforce. The aviation industry faces acute skill shortages in areas such as maintenance, air traffic management, and ground handling, compounded by the need for new competences in cybersecurity, data analytics, sustainability, and digital operations. AvionicLearn directly addresses these challenges by aligning curricula with labour market needs while introducing innovative methods of teaching and learning.
Key objectives of the program include:
- Curriculum Innovation: To design and implement modular courses that integrate digitalisation and sustainability themes into aviation education. The 16 courses developed so far respond to identified skills gaps, with more planned for future iterations.
- Digital Transformation in Learning: To deploy a comprehensive e-learning platform combining traditional academic content with interactive tools such as gamification, simulations, and virtual environments. This approach strengthens applied learning and boosts learner engagement.
- Industry-Academia Collaboration: To foster co-creation between universities and aviation companies, ensuring that courses are both academically sound and operationally relevant. Industry partners contributed case studies, data, and examples to enrich learning content.
- Upskilling and Reskilling: To support aviation professionals and students in acquiring new skills that reflect the demands of a digital and green transition. AvionicLearn is particularly geared towards lifelong learning, enabling professionals to update their competences flexibly.
- Accessibility and Openness: To contribute to the body of open educational resources by providing a platform that is free to access for students, educators, and professionals across Europe and globally.
- Sustainability Beyond the Project: To ensure that the platform remains relevant and sustainable after the formal conclusion of the Erasmus+ project. The consortium envisions integration into degree programmes, professional training modules, and ongoing updates of content.
Through these objectives, AvionicLearn serves not only as an educational tool but also as a model of pedagogical innovation. It showcases how aviation training can move beyond conventional classroom or textbook-based instruction to embrace digital, interactive, and applied methods.
Intended audience
AvionicLearn was designed for a broad spectrum of users across the aviation ecosystem.
Higher Education Students:
- MSc students in transport, aviation management, and engineering, who need specialised knowledge of sustainable and digital aviation.
- BSc students seeking to deepen their understanding of aviation systems through digital tools.
- Initial pilots in Romania, France, and Spain have already integrated AvionicLearn into coursework.
Industry Professionals:
- Current employees in airlines, airports, ground handling, and air traffic management who require upskilling in areas such as digitalisation, human factors, and sustainability.
- Professionals seeking flexible micro-learning opportunities to complement their existing qualifications.
Educators and Trainers:
- University lecturers and vocational trainers who can adopt AvionicLearn’s courses as teaching resources, case studies, or supplementary materials.
- Institutions aiming to modernise curricula with interactive and digitalised content.
AvionicLearn was therefore designed not for a single cohort, but for the entire aviation skills ecosystem, from students preparing to enter the workforce to experienced professionals adapting to new industry requirements.
Description / how it was implemented
The AvionicLearn platform was conceived and developed within the framework of the AVIONIC project (2022–2025), co-funded under Erasmus+ and designed to anticipate and respond to the evolving skills needs of the aviation industry. Its implementation process combined pedagogical innovation, technical development, and industry collaboration. The platform’s design reflects the broader goals of AVIONIC: to provide a digital, flexible, and sustainable learning environment that prepares future professionals for the twin transition in aviation—digitalisation and sustainability.
Development Process (2022–2025)
The platform emerged as a central output of Work Package 3 (WP3: New Curricula and Courses) and Work Package 4 (WP4: Digital Tools and e-Learning Platform). WP3 focused on identifying emerging occupational profiles and designing corresponding curricula, while WP4 translated these into a digital learning environment that could be accessed across institutions and borders.
Between 2022 and 2024, the consortium conducted extensive needs analysis through surveys and interviews with managers, employees, and educators in the air transport sector. These results informed the definition of new occupational profiles (e.g., drone pilots, green airport managers, cybersecurity experts) and the competences required for each. The curricula were then mapped against established European frameworks such as the European Qualifications Framework (EQF), the European Skills, Competences, Qualifications and Occupations (ESCO) taxonomy, and the emerging Sectoral Qualifications Framework for Air Transport (SQFAT).
By late 2023, initial course outlines were validated by industry stakeholders. In 2024, technical development began, culminating in the launch of AvionicLearn at the project’s international conference in January 2025.
Course Creation (16 Courses, Modular and Competence-Based)
At launch, AvionicLearn included 16 courses, each designed as a modular unit of learning that could function independently or be stacked into broader programmes. The courses cover three main domains:
- Digitalisation in Aviation – modules on AI in aviation, predictive maintenance, big data, cybersecurity, digital twins, remote tower operations, and smart airport systems.
- Sustainability in Air Transport – modules on sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), hydrogen propulsion, green airport management, carbon auditing, and circular economy practices.
- Cross-Cutting and Managerial Competences – modules on ethical responsibility, new management approaches, teamwork, and communication in aviation contexts.
Each course was designed with learning outcomes aligned to EQF levels and referenced against ESCO competences, ensuring compatibility with European educational and labour market standards. This approach also facilitates portability of qualifications across countries, an essential feature in the highly international aviation sector.
The modular structure allows for maximum flexibility: students can complete stand-alone modules, integrate selected modules into BSc or MSc programmes, or pursue an entire sequence culminating in a recognised qualification.
Integration of Interactive Tools
A defining feature of AvionicLearn is the integration of gamification and interactive learning tools. The design reflects evidence from educational psychology and training research indicating that experiential and active learning methods improve retention and application of knowledge.
Key tools include:
Gamified quizzes and challenges, enabling learners to track progress, earn badges, and compete on leaderboards.
Simulation environments, where learners navigate scenarios such as flight disruptions, predictive maintenance workflows, or sustainability audits.
Digital twins, particularly for airport operations, which allow learners to experiment with managing passenger flow, baggage systems, and energy consumption in a virtual environment.
3D visualisations and AR/VR features, tested during pilots, that help explain complex technical systems (e.g., hydrogen propulsion or AI-assisted navigation).
These features not only increased engagement during pilot tests but also provided learners with a closer approximation of real-world aviation contexts.
AvionicLearn Platform
The AvionicLearn Platform combines advanced digital tools with aviation academic content, creating an ecosystem where research, innovation, and practical knowledge come together to enhance the learning experience.
It is a specialised e-learning platform for aviation students and industry professionals, offering a dynamic mix of courses, interactive applications (such as games and quizzes), curated bibliographies, and engaging videos. By focusing on interactive and digital learning, AvionicLearn transforms complex aviation topics into accessible and engaging content, strengthening both theoretical knowledge and practical skills.
With its modern and flexible approach, the platform equips learners with the expertise needed to succeed in today’s evolving aviation industry.
AvionicLearn Platform – www.avionic.upb.ro
AvionicLearn Courses
AvionicLearn offers 16 specialised aviation courses designed to meet the evolving needs of students and industry professionals. From airport infrastructure and cargo handling to human factors, digitalisation, and environmental sustainability, each course combines theory with practical applications, using case studies, interactive tools, and digital simulations. These courses reflect industry best practices and bring forward the latest research insights, ensuring learners gain skills that are directly relevant to the future of air transport.
AvionicLearn Interactive Games
The Interactive Games/Apps section offers an engaging learning experience through digital tools that transform traditional education into dynamic, hands-on activities. Explore interactive videos, branching scenarios, and image hotspots that reveal detailed information about airport organisational charts. Drag-and- drop games on airport infrastructure and aviation-themed crosswords further illustrate complex concepts in an accessible, playful manner.
This digital environment is designed to boost critical thinking and practical application of aviation knowledge, providing a collaborative and innovative approach to learning. Whether reinforcing theory or sparking curiosity, this section helps students and professionals master the intricacies of the aviation industry in an enjoyable, interactive format.
An advanced 3D tower simulator is used for educational purposes, offering a versatile virtual environment to model and analyse airport scenarios. It illustrates key concepts such as ground operations, runway sequencing, emergency response, and traffic-flow optimisation.
Students explore a wide range of scenarios – from peak-hour taxi routing to runway incursion drills – while practising decision-making and procedural execution.
The simulator’s analysis and debriefing tools provide valuable insights for enhancing operational efficiency. In this way, it helps bridge theoretical knowledge with practical skills in a modern, accessible format.
Footage and visuals from this simulator are integrated into the instructional materials of our digital applications, supporting interactive and applied learning.
Simulation tool -aerial view
Simulation tool -airplane path
Impacts / Outcomes
The AvionicLearn platform was designed as a digital, modular learning environment to support the aviation sector’s dual transition toward digitalisation and sustainability. Its impacts and outcomes can be assessed across three dimensions: (1) pilot testing and early results, (2) readiness for full launch in 2025–2026, and (3) anticipated long-term effects on education and industry.
Pilot Testing and Early Results
The platform was first piloted in early 2025 at two universities: Politehnica University of Bucharest (Romania) and Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (Spain). Two groups of students, representing both BSc and MSc levels, were enrolled in selected modules to test the usability, engagement features, and relevance of the content.
The pilots involved approximately 75 students, who were introduced to a sample of the 16 modules currently available on the platform. Feedback was collected through surveys and focus groups, allowing the consortium to measure indicators such as ease of access, perceived relevance, and learning satisfaction.
The pilot results highlighted several positive outcomes:
- High learner engagement: The integration of gamified elements and interactive tools was consistently praised. Students described the platform as intuitive, modern, and motivating compared to traditional learning management systems.
- Content relevance: Students valued the real-world orientation of the case studies and examples, particularly in modules addressing digitalisation and green aviation practices.
- Flexibility: Both BSc and MSc participants found the modular structure helpful in tailoring learning to their level of expertise. Lecturers confirmed that selected modules could be easily embedded into existing courses.
- Collaboration benefits: Cross-country use of the platform (Romania and Spain) demonstrated its transferability and capacity to support international learning environments.
Although the scale was limited, these pilots provided essential validation for the platform’s pedagogical approach and technical robustness. They also highlighted areas for improvement—such as expanding multilingual access and establishing stronger evaluation metrics—that are already being addressed for the next phase.
Readiness for Full Launch
The platform is scheduled for a full roll-out in the 2025–2026 academic year, across all 16 developed courses. At launch, it will be implemented in partner universities in Romania, Spain, and France, with the expectation of reaching approximately 100 students in the first year of full operation.
The 16 courses cover a broad range of aviation topics, with particular emphasis on digitalisation, sustainability, and cross-cutting skills such as management, systems thinking, and communication. By design, the platform supports both:
- Formal education: Integration into MSc and BSc programmes as accredited modules.
- Lifelong learning: Opportunities for professionals to upskill through short courses and micro-credentials.
Key metrics that will be used to evaluate the platform after launch include:
- Enrolment numbers (students and professionals per course).
- Completion rates across modules.
- Learner satisfaction scores (via post-course surveys).
- Performance outcomes (pre- and post-assessments of competence).
- Adoption by faculty (number of programmes embedding AvionicLearn).
By establishing these indicators, the project partners aim to generate systematic evidence of impact, going beyond anecdotal feedback.
Lessons learned
The implementation of the AvionicLearn platform demonstrated the potential of digital tools to transform aviation education and training. From its launch in January 2025, the platform showed strong value for learners, educators, and industry stakeholders. The experience revealed not only what worked particularly well but also areas where further improvements can be consolidated in future iterations. These insights are grouped into two categories: confirmed strengths that should be preserved and expanded, and improvement measures that will build on the current foundation to ensure even greater impact.
Confirmed Strengths
A first and highly visible strength was the gamification and use of interactive tools. The design incorporated quizzes, branching scenarios, simulation-based exercises, and other game-like features that significantly boosted learner motivation and engagement. MSc and BSc students in the pilot groups consistently highlighted that these elements made the learning experience dynamic and enjoyable, while also reinforcing knowledge retention. Rather than treating modules as static content, learners were encouraged to actively participate, progress through stages, and apply what they had learned in context. This approach not only improved completion rates but also created a sense of achievement, a factor particularly important for younger learners accustomed to interactive digital environments.
The second major achievement was the close collaboration between universities and industry partners. From the start, the AVIONIC consortium brought together institutions such as Politehnica University of Bucharest, the University of Strasbourg, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Airport College International, and Menzies Aviation. This blend of academic and industry expertise ensured that the content was pedagogically rigorous yet immediately relevant to the needs of aviation employers. For example, modules addressing predictive maintenance and sustainable airport operations were co-developed with practitioners, providing learners with applied skills directly linked to professional contexts. This co-creation model also gave educators the opportunity to adapt teaching materials to local needs while ensuring alignment with broader European trends in aviation skills development.
Another positive lesson relates to the flexibility provided by the modular design. AvionicLearn courses were designed as independent learning units that could be integrated into existing curricula or pursued as stand-alone modules. This flexibility proved especially useful for reaching diverse audiences. BSc students appreciated the ability to focus on foundational modules, while MSc learners engaged with more advanced topics. The same modules also offered value as professional upskilling tools for those already employed in aviation. This adaptability reflects one of the platform’s strongest qualities: its ability to meet learners “where they are,” supporting different educational levels, institutional contexts, and career pathways.
The initial pilot groups in Romania and Spain confirmed the platform’s usability and effectiveness. Students across two groups reported that they enjoyed navigating the interface, appreciated the clarity of the resources, and valued the real-world orientation of the case studies. Importantly, the pilots demonstrated that the platform could support both classroom integration and independent study, a flexibility that will be increasingly important in blended and hybrid learning environments.
Finally, the project highlighted the strength of multinational cooperation in creating shared educational resources. By pooling expertise across countries and institutions, the consortium avoided duplication of effort and generated content that is transferable across borders. This approach also fostered a sense of European collaboration, directly supporting the objectives of Erasmus+ in promoting innovation, sustainability, and digital transformation in higher education.
Improvement Measures for the Next Iteration
While the platform’s pilot phase confirmed its value, several areas emerged as opportunities for improvement. Rather than viewing these as shortcomings, they should be interpreted as natural next steps in the platform’s evolution.
The linguistic scope of AvionicLearn presents an opportunity for expansion. While English served as the working language for the pilots, extending the platform into other languages will broaden accessibility and inclusivity. Translations into French, Spanish, and Romanian, as well as other widely spoken European languages, will encourage participation among learners less confident in English and facilitate integration into national higher education curricula.
In addition, there is scope to expand course offerings to fast-moving fields. The current 16 modules provide a solid base, but areas such as artificial intelligence in air traffic management, hydrogen propulsion technologies, and advanced air mobility are rapidly emerging. Including content in these domains will ensure the platform remains current and anticipates the future needs of the aviation workforce.
A key improvement measure involves creating a continuous update mechanism to sustain the platform beyond Erasmus+ funding. Developing a governance model with joint responsibility among consortium partners or establishing a long-term hosting arrangement with an international organisation could ensure that content is refreshed regularly. This mechanism would secure the platform’s relevance and prevent obsolescence once initial funding cycles end.
Finally, the integration of formal recognition mechanisms represents an important step for the next phase. Aligning AvionicLearn modules with micro-credentials, European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) standards, and frameworks such as EQF and ESCO will increase their value for learners and employers alike. This recognition would allow students to build portfolios of certified skills that are portable across Europe and beyond, strengthening the platform’s role as both an educational and professional development tool.
Looking Ahead
The lessons from AvionicLearn highlight that the project has already succeeded in demonstrating innovative, flexible, and industry-relevant approaches to aviation education. The positive elements, gamification, collaboration, modularity, pilot success, and multinational cooperation, provide a strong base on which to build. At the same time, the improvement measures identified offer a roadmap for scaling the platform’s impact and ensuring its sustainability.
By consolidating technical integration, expanding multilingual accessibility, strengthening dissemination, embedding systematic evaluation, updating content in line with technological advances, and formalising recognition pathways, AvionicLearn can transition from a successful Erasmus+ project output to a long-term cornerstone of aviation education in Europe and beyond.
Web link
https://www.avioniclearn.upb.ro/
Organization name
National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest
Contact
UNESCO Chair “Engineering for Society”, National University of Science and Technology Politehnica Bucharest
Email: unesco.office@upb.ro
Phone: +4 021 402 9096
Authors and Contributors
AVIONIC Development Team