C8623 - DIDATTICHE PER LA FORMAZIONE IN CONTESTI IBRIDI

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, the student:

• knows, understands, and is able to analyze the theoretical elements that shape teaching practice in adult contexts hybridized by technology (lifelong education and continuing training);
• knows, understands, and is able to analyze the diversity of learning processes in adulthood;
• knows, understands, and is able to analyze the conditions present in an adult teaching context characterized by a hybrid form of tools and context;
• knows the approaches and teaching models, and considers their diversity, within hybrid contexts, that are most effective for adults (lifelong education and continuing training);
• knows, is able to analyze, and consider the elements relevant to the instructional design of training in hybrid contexts for adults;
• is able to integrate, in technology-hybridized environments, training models and teaching strategies to support processes of access and active participation in adulthood;
• knows, is able to analyze, and consider the forms of digital teaching in hybrid contexts;
• knows how to organize teaching activities using digital platforms;
• knows how to use generative AI platforms in adult training contexts;
• knows how to use digital tools and artifacts to hybridize the training context and make it more interactive and effective (in terms of motivation and learning);
• is able to coordinate the teaching activity of a team of trainers to deliver a coherent training pathway;
• is able to identify the training needs for their own cultural and professional development.

Course contents

The course content and corresponding bibliography are intended for students enrolled in A.Y. 2026-2027 in the first year of the Master's Degree program "Master's Degree in Educational Sciences for Work and Organizations." Students who still need to complete exams under the previous curriculum are invited to consider the content and bibliography set for A.Y. 2026-2027, but may also refer to the syllabi and bibliography of previous years.

The course aims to develop students' ability to read, design, and manage teaching interventions aimed at adults in the various contexts of lifelong education and continuing training. The course begins with an understanding of the theoretical foundations of andragogy and the specific features of learning in adulthood, leading up to the ability to recognize and activate the organizational, relational, and contextual conditions that make a training intervention effective.

Particular attention is devoted to the variety of approaches and teaching models most effective for adults within technology-hybridized contexts, to the instructional design of hybrid training pathways (objectives, methodologies, tools, timing, and resources), and to the integration, in technology-hybridized environments, of training models and teaching strategies capable of supporting adults' access and active participation.

The course also addresses the forms of digital teaching in hybrid contexts, the organization of teaching activities through digital platforms, and the use of generative artificial intelligence platforms in adult training contexts. It covers digital tools and artifacts aimed at hybridizing the training context, making it more interactive and effective in terms of both motivation and learning. It also develops the skills needed to coordinate the teaching activity of a team of trainers in order to deliver a coherent training pathway, and to identify training needs for one's own cultural and professional development.

Through these themes, students are guided to personally experience — in the dual role of adult-student-in-training and adult-student-designer — the logics of designing and managing hybrid learning environments, while developing the digital skills and teaching strategies needed to support their effectiveness. Consistent with the graduate profile of the Master's Degree program in Educational Sciences for Work and Organizations, the course supports the development of professionalizing skills in training and curriculum design, oriented toward needs analysis, the management of professional training and continuing education initiatives, and the provision of guidance services for adults.

Module 1 is structured around the following main themes, to which the e-tivities and in-depth materials will be linked:

1. Theories of adult learning;
2. The evolution of teaching practice and its principles in adult education;
3. Teaching methodologies for activation in adult contexts;
4. Pedagogical agency in adult education.

Module 2 is structured around the following main themes, to which the e-tivities and in-depth materials will be linked:

1. Digital competences;
2. Formats of online learning;
3. Designing collaborative online activities (collaboration scripts);
4. Designing (and managing) active student engagement in hybrid contexts

Readings/Bibliography

Mandatory texts for all students:

Module 1 and Module 2 (Prof. Piergiuseppe Ellerani, Prof. Luca Ferrari)

• Ellerani, P, Reggio, P. (2026). Formazione Ibrida. Metodi e strategie per una nuova educazione degli adulti.

Module 1 (Prof. Piergiuseppe Ellerani)

• Porcu, S. (2025). Metodologie per l'apprendimento. Tecniche e strategie per formatori, insegnanti, educatori e facilitatori. FrancoAngeli.

Module 2 (Prof. Luca Ferrari)

• Piras, V., Trentin, G., Reyes, M.C. (2020). Come disegnare un corso online: Criteri di progettazione didattica e della comunicazione, Franco Angeli (available Open Access), https://series.francoangeli.it/index.php/oa/catalog/book/526 | Mandatory chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4 |
• Montesano S., (2025) Sistemi di tutoring intelligente: l'IA nell'insegnamento personalizzato, http://www.rivistabricks.it/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/BRICKS_5_2025_17_Montesano.pdf (article)
• Excerpt from Ferrari, L. (2015) "Costruire esperienze di online collaborative learning", PDF available on the course's Virtuale platform (optional material).

Teaching methods

The course adopts the blended learning approach established by the Degree Program, integrating in-person and online activities to foster active participation and provide ongoing support for the acquisition of knowledge, abilities, and skills. The learning pathway combines lectures and activities carried out in the classroom with guided asynchronous online activities, accompanied by formative feedback from the instructor, along with synchronous remote discussion and support sessions. This teaching organization aims to respond more effectively to students' needs, promoting continuous and meaningful interaction throughout the entire learning pathway. Indeed, the blended model supports access to learning, encourages active participation, and offers opportunities for remediation, consolidation, and reinforcement of acquired skills. For detailed information on the organization of teaching activities and modes of participation, please consult the course page on the Virtuale platform, as well as the lecture schedule.

Assessment methods

The teaching activity concludes with an exam graded on a 30-point scale. The exam is unified for both modules.

The assessment is designed to verify the achievement of the course's learning objectives, in particular the ability to analyze adult teaching contexts and processes and to design training interventions consistent with them. The final assessment consists of the presentation and discussion of project work carried out during the course, integrating the e-Tivities. The eTivities serve an overall summative assessment function and coincide with the process of developing the project work. The assessment of the e-Tivities and the project work, along with their discussion, constitutes 100% of the final grade for the course. During the activities, the instructor provides ongoing support and feedback, guiding the student through the development of the project. The final assessment takes place during the exam session, through the presentation and final validation of the project work, according to assessment criteria presented by the instructor during the course and published on Virtuale.

Regarding students' use of Artificial Intelligence in carrying out and designing the activities (eTivities and/or Project Work), please refer to the University's Guidelines at https://www.unibo.it/it/ateneo/statuto-norme-strategie-bilanci/intelligenza-artificiale.

If a student does not complete or submit the activities within the timeframe agreed with the instructor (for example, students taking the exam in an academic year other than the one in which the course is delivered, or who do not meet the established deadlines), and in any case by the last final exam session of the academic year, additional study work may be required. This supplementary work — agreed with the instructor, as is the exam format — may consist of studying additional texts, consulting further teaching resources, or completing written tests and/or in-depth assignments.

Teaching tools

Virtuale Platform, Teams Platform.

During lectures, digital tools set up for interactive teaching will be used (videos, podcasts, handouts, articles, case studies, slides) along with e-tivities.

Students with specific learning disorders or disabilities: it is recommended to contact the relevant University office in good time (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/it ). The University Service will propose any necessary adjustments to interested students, which must in any case be submitted for the instructor's approval at least 15 days in advance; the instructor will assess their appropriateness in relation to the course's learning objectives.

Office hours

See the website of Luca Ferrari

See the website of Piergiuseppe Ellerani