Xamk coaches Italian university teachers on student-centeredness and competence-based education

South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences (Xamk) is conducting pedagogical coaching for teachers from the University “G. d’Annunzio, Ud’A” in Spring and Autumn 2024. The coaching focuses on student-centered teaching and competence-based education, utilizing digital tools.

“We offer coaching online through webinars and online workshops. The implementation is managed by Xamk’s E-campus, whose expertise lies specifically in utilizing digitalization in education. Our skilled teachers and other experts from various fields are also sharing their expertise,” says Eeva Kuoppala, Xamk’s Project Director in INGENIUM collaboration.

“For Ud’A, partnering with Xamk in this pedagogical coaching project is a tremendous opportunity,” say Marcello Costantini and Francesca Ferri, UdA’s INGENIUM coordinators and Assistant Professors, “to deepen our understanding and application of student-centered and competence-based education. We’ve received overwhelmingly positive feedback from our staff who participated in the first sessions, and this enthusiasm only strengthens our commitment to this collaboration. Through these webinars and workshops, our educators are not only enhancing their own skills but also actively contributing to the broader goals of the INGENIUM network. We are eager to continue this journey, leveraging these innovative practices to enrich our teaching methods and ultimately, our students’ learning experiences.”

Competence-based education and student-centeredness are national and international themes in higher education aimed at achieving higher quality education. In competence-based education, different assessment, development, and demonstration of skills are central to achieving learning objectives. Student-centered teaching emphasizes students’ diverse backgrounds, activity, needs, and various learning styles. Strengthening the teaching staff’s competences is crucial for achieving these goals.

Strengthening skills and sharing good teaching practices are also realized within the European University INGENIUM, of which both Xamk and Ud’A are members. Xamk coordinates the Staff Academy within INGENIUM, which gathers and shares good teaching practices and innovations.

This coaching serves as an example of how the INGENIUM network fosters collaboration beyond project tasks.