ALIEN presentation to Hellenic Open University by UTH, 25/9/2020

 

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The ALIEN project was presented to 4 researchers of the Hellenic Open University on September 25, 2020. The audience had the opportunity to discuss problem-based and active learning and their benefits towards building foundational knowledge as well as higher order thinking skills such as applying knowledge, analyzing information, and synthesizing new knowledge. The audience further had the opportunity to reflect on related experiential learning design, in which knowledge development is initiated by an event that drives students to explore, research, and experiment leading to the creation of new knowledge or the adjustment of attitudes. The audience further discussed the reasons that inhibit the wide adoption of the active and problem-based learning, which include the lack of infrastructures, the lack of open digital content, and the need for instructor training.

The seminar subsequently focused on the solution proposed by ALIEN towards making problem-based learning a strategic educational approach in higher education. The presentation focused on the labs developed at Asian universities and the ALIEN digital learning platform that currently hosts over 200 problems based on games, simulation, or digital experiences. What as discussed was that ALIEN promotes the development of a community or sharing knowledge and experiences on problem-based learning. To this end, the digital platform offers functionality that supports the replication of problems and their adaptation to address additional learning needs. This feature aims to encourage sharing of ideas among educators and the fostering of an inclusive environment in which peers can learn from each other.