‘To be honest, I’m sceptical about the possibilities of digital teaching…’ (remark by one participant, a psychologist and communication expert, at the start of the course)
The ‘Train the eTrainer’ pilot course took place from 24 to 28 June 2024. From numerous applicants, 10 participants were selected, forming a diverse group of civilians, police officers and military personnel, with a balance of men and women. Their prior knowledge varied greatly, making this the perfect group for a pilot course with a view to gathering feedback from different perspectives.
Guido Weber, course director and designer of the programme, provides some background and stresses the importance of this new initiative:
‘In response to the unprecedented challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, we recognised the urgent need to adapt our educational methods to a virtual environment. However, we faced significant challenges: our technological infrastructure was inadequate and direct transfers of on-site methods to online formats led to a loss of active participation, revealing our lack of experience in online teaching.
We therefore developed the ‘Train the eTrainer’ course, to bridge this gap and ensure meaningful, participatory online education. This approach allows us to take advantage of all the benefits of digital synchronous learning, while addressing the potential disadvantages of digital training.’
Before the course, a pre-assessment was conducted to tailor the content to participants’ prior knowledge and needs: a first step towards adaptive learning.
To overcome the anonymity often experienced in digital courses, participants were introduced to each other in advance, which helped to foster a sense of community.
The course initially covered general methodological and didactic principles, and then focused on how to apply these in a virtual environment. It addressed the specific challenges of teaching in a digital space, with topics such as ‘Limitations in communication’, ‘Technical issues’, ‘Sound and picture’, and ‘Environment’. Particular attention was paid to focus and attention, the human factor, and participation, as these were prioritised by the group and have been identified by research as crucial for effective digital learning.
After intensive work on the content, including asynchronous discovery and experimental phases, participants had the opportunity to apply their newly acquired knowledge in practice on the teaching practice day. The subjects were chosen by the participants themselves, with the idea of directly transferring what they had learned to their own work environments. Learning from each other added significant value to the experience.
To conclude the training, how artificial intelligence can be utilised effectively in teaching was thematised and demonstrated. This provided participants with insights into the potential of AI to enhance and support their educational efforts.
‘I was very satisfied with the course and the commitment of the participants’, Guido Weber continues.
‘In our regular face-to-face Training of Trainers courses, we place a strong emphasis on participation in adult education. We have successfully transferred this approach to a virtual environment without compromising the learning experience or cognitive engagement of the participants. I am very pleased about this.’
But could we convince even the initially sceptical participant? Yes, we could.
‘I know now how to activate participants in e-sessions. It is possible to transfer many exercises from face-to-face learning to e-learning. An eye-opener.’ (remark by the same participant at the end of the course)
Further comments from participants: ‘The course will allow you to go to a higher level as a trainer, will allow you to comprehensively know the nature of online training.’ ‘Online courses are something new and in general we try to apply the same techniques as in face-to-face courses – this is a mistake. The course helps us discover how we can use software tools to meet the teaching objectives.’ ‘The course is a very good and simple reference to future teaching methods, explaining things in a simple and interactive manner which allows for very good hands-on experience which is hard to forget. It also allows simple explanation for a very budget-friendly way to develop courses, especially with a fusion of practical and theoretical aspects, which I thought were hard to accomplish digitally.’ ‘This eTOT course is an experience you won’t forget. You’ll meet diverse people, learn and work in a trustworthy and open-minded environment. You’ll learn new, simple but efficient tools and methods and you’ll be sad the course will end.’ ‘The introduction to various tools was very detailed and informative, we saw many examples of good teaching practice and tasks, the models taught in the course were very useful.’ ‘The course was exceptionally planned and organised, which was evident in the smooth training sessions conducted. The delivery took into consideration participants’ expectations and knowledge gaps based on the pre-assessment conducted. The instructor moderated the sessions with expertise and created a dynamic learning environment while keeping participants engaged and active. Overall, the course was exemplary to the subject.’ ‘I can’t find anything to say to improve the course. I think it was perfect, especially considering that it was a pilot course.’
