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This is a training course for teachers that focuses on the most important topics of teaching-learning in academic contexts (teaching strategies, evaluation practices, ICT for teaching, etc.) according to the IRIDI model – Educational Research Incubator for the Innovation – developed by a group of professors from the Department of Philosophy and Educational Sciences of the University of Turin.

The purpose of this training course is to assist the teachers in reflecting on the current teaching practices in use and in their continuous improvement.

Program of the IRIDI training course

Wednesday, 11^th of September 2019, 9.00-13.00
Introduction to the training course
Module 1 – “Teaching approaches related to learning “(4 h)
Professor: Paola Ricchiardi

The module starts with an analysis of the most frequent study approaches among university students and their connections with the teaching strategies adopted in the classrooms. Then it will proceed with the analysis of its own approach to teaching, with specific attention to both the planning phase (drafting of the course programs) and implementation. Brief remarks will be made about specific teaching strategies to enhance higher cognitive processes.

Wednesday, 25th of September 2019, 10.00-13.00
Module 2 – “Evaluate the performance of the lecturer in a reinterpreted classroom through the model S.F.E.R.A.” (3h)
Professor: Claudio Cortese e Valentina Borla Cart

The module will focus on the deepening of an approach to optimize human performance, borrowed from the professional coaching model and practice, which is then transferable to different work contexts. Developed by Prof. Giuseppe Vercelli (Center for Sports Psychology and Human Performance – ISEF Foundation), the S.F.E.R.A. is divided into five factors that qualify any work performance: energy, rhythm, activation, synchrony and strengths. The administration of a self-diagnosis questionnaire on the five factors of S.F.E.R.A will allow participants to evaluate their educational performance based on new categories, deepened by theoretical summaries and illustrative exercises of good practice. The module will take its conclusion with the designing of actions to improve its educational performance.

Wednesday, 9th of October 2019, 10.00-13.00
Module 3 – “Teaching skills” (3h)
Professor: Roberto Trinchero

This module will describe the implications of the adoption of the Dublin Descriptors as a regulatory criterion for university training planning and will highlight the implications in terms of skills training. The characteristics of a good problem-situation will be discussed in order to initiate educational activities aimed at the development of student’s skills and a new model will be proposed (Resources-Interpretation-Action-Self-regulation) to define indicators of “acting competently”, to be able to guide educational and evaluation activities.

 Wednesday, 23^rd of October 2019, 10.00-13.00
Module 4 – “Teaching innovations and ICT” (3h)
Professor: Barbara Bruschi

Starting from the analysis of the representations that teachers have in utilizing technologies in teaching, some methodological and operational ideas will be proposed for an innovative use of ICT in support of teaching. Activities will focus on the following topics: minimum units of content; technologies for feedback; technologies for practical activities; technologies for flipped classroom.

Wednesday, 6th of November 2019, 9.30 -12.30 (10.00-13.00)
Module 5 – “Teaching with cooperative learning and evaluating group activities” (3h)
Professor: Isabella Pescarmona

The meeting aims to offer participants active learning strategies (cooperative learning) that encourage exchange and collaboration among students in the classroom and enhance the different contributions that each student can bring to the learning process. Teachers’ reflexivity will be stimulated towards a co-constructive teaching method, which is able to consider the diversity present in the classroom as a resource and support the creation of an intercultural environment. Some elements of evaluation of the process will be discussed.

Wednesday, 20th of November 2019, 9.30 -12.30 (10.00-13.00)
Module 6 – “Teaching and evaluation for inclusion” (3h)
Professor: Marisa Pavone

Starting from the regulatory framework, which in the academic field provides direct safeguards (in the academic and evaluation dimensions) for certain types of young people with difficulties in learning, the main paradigms of educational approach to diversity will be explained such as medical and social. With reference to them, identification of the prevailing teaching model in the university will be proposed, soliciting the self-evaluation analysis of the teaching methods of the teachers participating in the experimentation and of the effects on students with difficulties (evaluation methods; presentation and management of the online course, possible application of the peer group). Afterwards, a discussion will be held about the connotations of the inclusion model and its implementation at different levels: institutional, curricular, organizational, academic (with reference to the potentialities connected with the use of ICT).

Wednesday, 4th of December 2019, 9.30-12.30 (10.00-13.00)
Module 7 – “Innovate the evaluation” (3h)
Professor: Cristina Coggi

The evaluation of student’s learning has taken on considerable importance in recent research. The studies on evaluation in the University have highlighted multiple instances and problems to be addressed to improve current docimological practices during exams, during courses and at the end of the university course. Starting from the docimological criticisms emerging from international research, an analysis (including historical) will be conducted to identify the evaluation models that can be adopted and to identify the related operational strategies. The module will address in particular, some issues of summative assessments (such as the validity and fidelity of the adopted tools and the factors of distortion of judgment). Finally, the module will focus on formative assessment strategies, which use feed-back, self-evaluation and peer-evaluation, as useful methods to monitor learning, to increase motivation, but above all to train and enhance student’s critical-reflective skills which will be useful throughout their lives.

Wednesday, 18^th of December 2019, 10.00-13.00
Module 8 – “Techniques and tools for learning assessment” (3h)
Professor: Roberto Trinchero

This module will describe structured and semi-structured learning assessment techniques and tools (single and multiple choice tests, completion tests, correspondence tests, text comprehension tests, structured short essays, concept maps, case analysis, performance assessment, observation in situation), aimed at detecting the exercises of cognitive pluralism, and will introduce the elaboration of evaluation data.

Wednesday, 8^th of January 2020, 9.30-12.30 (10.00-13.00)
Module 9 – “The portfolio in the competence building process and evaluation” (3h)
Professor: Emanuela Torre

The module will present the portfolio, a tool that is spreading also at the university level and which is effective in assisting the student to reflect on his/her own learning process and to document the skills acquired during the course of study. This module will then describe: the characteristics (in the traditional paper and digital format); the possibilities of use of these tools at the level of individual teaching and course of study; the implications for teaching, for formative and summative assessment, for entering the world of work. This will then initiate reflecting on the possible ways of introducing this tool into one’s teaching activity.