81869 - Teaching Innovation and Education Technology

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course students: - know the different teaching and learning strategies; - know how to design and manage the learning environment in the school context using also technologies; - know the characteristics of the formal, non-formal and informal training system and are able to compare them by building forms of integration and collaboration between them; - will be able to plan their school activities by identifying goals, objectives, skills, individualization and personalization strategies, tools, times / spaces, assessment methods; - will know in depth the research and intervention methodologies related to school training contexts; - know the debate on the knowledge society and on the development of information and communication technologies; - can analyze new technological applications based on problematic didactic models; - know how to compare and choose educational mediation technologies appropriate to the contexts and interlocutors with whom they work; - know theories and interpretative tools of telematic communication and know how to insert them in educational intervention projects; - know how to use computer equipment to document their school activities; - are able to find the most appropriate methods and tools to improve and deepen their professional and cultural skills also by participating in learning communities and communities of practice.

Course contents

The course is in Italian and it is in the first semester (Fall 2025).

The course intends to reflect on didactic innovation seen as the set of innovative methodologies and activities present in scholastic practice and able to modify the learning and teaching processes to respond more effectively to the changes taking place in contemporary society. In this context and in the complexity of a contemporary society, formal, informal and non-formal education are increasingly interconnected (also in the perspective of the knowledge society). The curse will reflect on the problem of educational technologies and of the transformation of the tools of educational communication and didactic mediation into a general expansion and redefinition of the conception of training itself. Technologies of education critically analyze the set of instrumental and methodological opportunities: teachers are called to exercise their right and duty of choice according to the quality of the objectives of the school services in which they operate and of the specific contents of their training program. Therefore we intend to analyze the languages and strategies of teaching, the main theoretical models of teaching / learning, the mutual interaction between research and educational action (the researcher teacher) and the connections between design, evaluation and didactic, the concepts of didactics in the digital age, learning environments, media education, digital skills; to face the problem of the technological qualification of the educational experience lived in the new context of development of telematic tools; to identify the new perspectives of didactic professionalism for teachers called to move consciously in the complex panorama of new technologies.

In this process of reflection and research, these issues will be addressed taking into account the complexity of the educational relationship, gender studies, and inclusive education.

Readings/Bibliography

Exchange students must contact the teacher at the beginning of the course: it is possible to study in Italian or in English, following the instructions of the teacher.

The final exam is written.

Students will have to study all materials published on the Virtual Platform 2025/2026 (available from 15 September 2025) and to complete the 3 assignments on the same platform. These assignments must be uploaded before the written exam and by the 14th December 2025: students must register on the platform and follow instructions (please, do not send your assignments via e-mail, use the platform).

It is strongly suggested to attend lectures, students will benefit from working with other exchange students and with Italian students too (improving Italian language).

Texts to study:

1) Borri, S. (ed.) (2018). The Classroom has Broken. Changing School Architecture in Europe and Across the World. Firenze: INDIRE. Retrieved at https://www.indire.it/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Laula-si-%C3%A8-rotta-EPUB.pdf (the book is both in Italian and English, students can choose their preferable language).

2) Scierri, I.D.M. (2017). Stereotipi di genere nei sussidiari di lettura per la scuola primaria. AG About Gender-Rivista internazionale di studi di genere, 6(12), pp.15-44. Retrieved at https://riviste.unige.it/index.php/aboutgender/article/view/438 (ARTICLE IN ITALIAN)

OR

Biemmi, I. (2015). Gender in schools and culture: taking stock of education in Italy. Gender and Education, 27:7, 812-827. Retrieved at https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09540253.2015.1103841 (ARTICLE IN ENGLISH)

Teaching methods

Lectures, classrooms exercises, Virtuale's activities, discussion about videos.

Assessment methods

The final assessment is a written exam in English or Italian about the text to study (published on the Virtuale Platform) and on the 3 assignments. The examination will consist of a written test lasting 1.5 hours with 3 open questions of the short essay type with analysis of case-studies. Students will have to demonstrate mastery of the topics studied and the ability to use their knowledge and skills by applying them to concrete contexts and situations in the teacher/educator's profession. Examples of questions will be available on the Virtuale platform.
Criteria to assess the written exam will be:

- clarity in the presentation of the contents;
- ability to deepen and link the main issues;
- appropriateness in the use of specific terminology;
- critical analysis of the repercussions of the topics studied within school contexts and for the training of teacher professionalism.

The assessment rubric of the written test for exchange/Erasmus students is available on the Virtuale Platform.

The maximum possible score is 30, the minimum to pass is 18.

If rejected at the exam, it is possible to have a second chance.

The written exam must be completed with the mandatory assignments published in the Virtuale platform: each assignment will be evaluated in .../30 and will be part of the final assessment (5 ECTS for the written exam; 1 ECTS for each Virtuale's assignment).

Inscription to the exam on Almaesami website.

 

Those wishing to attend the total of 11 ECTS (8 of Teaching Innovation and Educational Technologies and 3 of Teaching Innovation and Educational Technologies Laboratory) must contact Prof. Elena Pacetti in advance to check the availability of places in the laboratories ("compulsory attendance").

In this case, it will only be possible to take the exam after having completed the laboratory and the final assessment of the 11 ECTS will be the weighted average of the course (8 ECTS) and laboratory (3 ECTS).

 

Students with specific learning disorders and\or disabilities: please, contact the office responsible (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students) as soon as possible so that they can propose acceptable adjustments. The request for adaptation must be submitted in advance (15 days before the exam date) to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of the adjustments, taking into account the teaching objectives.

 

Teaching tools

Virtuale Platform, videos, possible lectures with significant schools' members.

Office hours

See the website of Elena Pacetti