InnovaEDU: Learn to Te(a)ch series

The Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies hosted the first InnovaEDU seminar within the framework of Nordplus development project "Learn to Te(a)ch series", focusing its attention on improving possibilities for creation and implementation of online and blended courses. The seminar took place between October 22 to October 23 at the Centre of Educational Innovation, and attracted participants from five-innovation oriented universities in the Nordic-Baltic region: University of Tartu, Uppsala University, Aarhus University; Riga Graduate School of Law and Norwegian University of Science and Technology.

The main aim of the seminar was to provide participants with the tips, good practices and cases of effective implementation of instructional design in an online and blended environment between partner universities. The seminar program was organized around a pitch session, where lecturers presented their cases of blended/online courses, and later proceed into a brainstorming session, where pedagogical issues associated with course implementation in an online and blended environment have been discussed. The seminar was concluded with a final session, where possible solutions and suggestions were presented by the teaching staff and a group of instructional designers and educational technologists from the partner universities.

According to Anna Beitane, Manager of Online Learning Projects at the Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies and the main organizer of the seminar training in Tartu, "the need for the following training and seminar series stemmed from the fact that our universities have been developing extensive learning opportunities that take place in online and blended environments. For example, over 350 distance courses have been offered during the last academic year by University of Tartu and Uppsala. Our partners in Aarhus have invested in strategic projects to convert more courses into blended learning format, while NTNU has developed a network of VR labs across campuses to test new forms of teaching. Finally, RGSL has designed interdisciplinary degree programs with highly dynamic and flexible environments.”

The event was supported by Nordplus and organized in cooperation with contact representatives from five partner countries which form InnovaEDU teaching consortium. The teacher training seminar in Tartu represents the first event in a seminar series. The next seminar will take place at Uppsala University in the spring of 2020 and will focus its attention on active learning spaces.

The overall aim of InnovaEDU network is to facilitate the multi-level transfer of know-how and innovation in teaching methods and enhance the harmonization of practices among the partner universities.

For more information about the seminar and its results, please contact Ms Anna Beitane, Project Manager, 737 5198, [email protected].