What started with a simple online post titled "Mobile Computing" turned into a full workshop series for E³UDRES² students: Lecturers of St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences, Austria, and the Polytechnic University of Setúbal, Portugal, recently completed a successful co-teaching activity, showcasing the benefits of international cooperation in higher education. Victor-Adriel De-Jesus-Oliveira, a researcher and lecturer at St. Pölten UAS in the Department of Media and Digital Technologies, collaborated with Cédric Grueau, head of the Department of Systems and Informatics at the Polytechnic of Setúbal, to create a workshop on mobile coding. This workshop, followed by many interested students, was held in two sessions on June 18th and 25th, each lasting three hours in the evening. This extracurricular activity aimed to enhance students' skills in mobile coding, aligning with Victor's expertise in computer science and his teaching roles at St. Pölten UAS.
Finding the perfect match
The collaboration was initiated by an open call for co-teaching activities that was launched within the E³UDRES² alliance some months ago. Through an online platform, individuals from all E³UDRES² institutions had the possibility to connect and subsequently conceptualize what possible collaborations could look like. Through this initiative, Victor discovered Cédric's interest in mobile computing, and he established contact soon after. With a first quick online call being held between the lecturers, the initial step for a successful cross-country collaboration was made. Despite initial challenges in scheduling, they decided to conduct a first workshop online, making it accessible to students of the Portuguese E³UDRES² partner university.
The workshop was held for the Politechnic University of Setúbal's master's students and 6th-semester bachelor's students, with participation being optional. Students received 1 ECTS point for participating. Victor's sessions, coming in as an expert from abroad, were well-received, with students appreciating the practical approach to mobile coding. The workshop was conducted in Portuguese and English, which was convenient for both Victor, who is Brazilian, and the students. "We plan to continue our collaboration with an additional lecture from Professor Cédric for our students at St. Pölten UAS next year", Victor revealed.
This first initiative highlights the benefits of collaboration across institutions in higher education: Students get access to valuable learning experience and expertise by international guest lecturers. These cross-border activities, which will be developed further and increased in numbers over the coming years, enhance students' academic journeys and also strengthen ties between the institutions.
Links
➝ St. Pölten UAS
➝ Polytechnic University of Setúbal
