Two staff members, Prof. Matthew Montebello and Dr Vanessa Camilleri, from the Department of Artificial Intelligence, Faculty of ICT, at the University of Malta recently had the opportunity to participate in a staff week organised by the Université de Bretagne Occidentale (UBO) from the 19 to the 22 June. This visit was made possible through the SEA-EU, an alliance between nine universities aimed at fostering collaboration and sharing knowledge.
During the three-day event, each member university shared valuable insights into the innovative pedagogical practices implemented at their respective campuses. UBO, in particular, organised visits to various faculties located across the city of Brest. The visiting staff members had the chance to explore the premises of ESIAB (Ecole supérieure d'ingénieurs en agroalimentaire de Bretagne atlantique), the Marine Institute, SIAME (the Centre for Educational Support), and the Faculty of Medicine. These visits provided a firsthand experience of innovative pedagogies, including the use of Virtual Reality and Immersive Environments for studying the sea and its surrounding seabed. Additionally, Games, Simulations, and Role plays in Medicine and Surgery were showcased, along with innovative approaches to evaluating and assessing learning outcomes.
The primary objective of this staff visit was to explore mutual and common innovative pedagogical practices and to showcase how UBO implements them in practice. By engaging with their counterparts at UBO, the staff members from the University of Malta gained valuable insights and experiences that can be applied to their own teaching methodologies. The visit also served as an excellent opportunity for networking and strengthening the working relationships between academic staff members from different universities within the SEA-EU alliance.
The Department of Artificial Intelligence and the Faculty of ICT at the University of Malta are excited to bring back the knowledge and expertise gained during this staff week to enhance the educational experiences of their students. The insights gained from UBO's innovative pedagogical practices will undoubtedly contribute to the continuous improvement of teaching methods and foster an environment of collaboration and innovation within the university.
