From August 19 to 23, 2024, Tampere University hosted the third DigiFLEd Benchmarking Visit, welcoming 26 onsite and 40 online participants from partner universities across Ukraine, Greece, and Ireland. This five-day hybrid event provided an enriching program of professional development, cultural exchange, and networking opportunities.
The visit kicked off with welcoming remarks from Vice-President Marja Sutela and an overview of the week by Project PI – Kate Moore. The sessions featured cutting-edge topics, including:
- Gamification in Education by Mattia Thibault, exploring the power of play to enhance learning.
- Machine Translation (MT) Literacy and hands-on workshops on translation tool TRADOS led by Mary Nurminen and Miia Santalahti.
- Academic writing for publication purposes workshops delivered by Kate Moore
- Digital Tools in Language Teaching by Darrell Wilkinson
- Ethics in Academic Publishing, a thought-provoking session by the former Rector of Tampere University – Krista Varantola.
The lectures served as the launch of the follow up teaching in the Methods and Content Modules and helped the participants collect the data for the Benchmarking report.
Participants also enjoyed cultural activities, such as a guided city tour, a sauna evening by the lake, a boat trip, and a festive reception at the Ukraina Talo.
Feedback and Outcomes
The visit received outstanding feedback for its well-structured agenda and engaging delivery. One participant noted, “The hands-on workshops were highly relevant and practical, directly applicable to my teaching.” Another described the event as “a profound moment of cultural exchange and team bonding, particularly the Ukraina Talo reception.”
Key outcomes included strengthened professional skills, enhanced understanding of digital teaching tools, and opportunities for cross-cultural networking. A significant achievement was the discussion of potential future project funding, reflecting the visit’s collaborative spirit. The event demonstrated the transformative potential of combining professional expertise with cultural exchange, leaving participants inspired and equipped for future challenges.
