Cooperation in the virtual classroom - successful completion of the joint module with the West Ukrainian National University (Ternopil, Ukraine)

Cooperation in virtual classroom - successful completion of joint module with West Ukrainian National University (Ternopil, Ukraine) 

Technische Universität (TU) Dresden and West Ukrainian National University (WUNU) have successfully completed their cooperation in the Virtual Collaborative Learning (VCL) project. Over the course of six weeks, participants dedicated their efforts to a compelling case study, aiming to address the challenges faced by higher education in Ukraine due to the war and political instability in the region.

Recognizing the urgent need for new teaching formats and the development of digital competences among teaching staff, the project aimed to ensure the quality and accessibility of education in Ukraine for the future. Drawing inspiration from the historic Marshall Plan of 1947, which revitalized the European economy, the teams set out to propose a similar concept for higher education in Ukraine, focusing on its restructuring and digitalization. Participants engaged in an international and intercultural collaboration throughout the period to jointly solve the case study titled "Ukraine goes Digital". 

Their work encompassed various tasks and included a workshop where ideas were exchanged and refined. On May 24, the teams showcased their preliminary findings during an interim online presentation conducted via MS Teams. During the 10-minute PowerPoint presentations, each group introduced their proposal for the Marshall Plan, emphasizing the restructuring and digitalization of Ukraine's higher education system. Following the presentations, the University Board of Management provided valuable feedback, engaging in an insightful discussion with the participants. This feedback served as a basis for further improvements and enabled the students to refine their proposals and incorporate the experts' suggestions.

In the final phase of the project, five groups presented their refined and comprehensive results to a plenum of experts that consisted of Prof. Schoop from TU Dresden, as well as Prof. Lyzun and Prof. Lishchynskyy from WUNU. The groups pitched their innovative ideas on June 06 and outlined strategic plans to advance the digital transformation of higher education in Ukraine. This was followed by a discussion session that clarified open questions.

As the VCL project nears completion, the participants are now focusing on finalizing the remaining phases of the course. Concurrently, they are taking time to reflect on the outcomes achieved by one's own group. This involves taking a deliberate retrospective view of past experiences and events. The purpose of this reflection is to learn from these experiences, actions, and decisions, and apply this knowledge to enhance the effectiveness and success of future projects or situations.

Thanks to the close cooperation between the WUNU and the TU Dresden, impressive results were achieved. The cross-border exchange provided students and staff with valuable insights and enriched the diversity of ideas and innovations.