Newsletter
ELA Newsletter
Greetings | ELA Activities | Engage with ELA
The ECTN Eurolecturer Academy (ELA) presents its second newsletter, updating you on recent activities and future announcements in professional development in teaching and learning in higher STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education.
Have a great summer and a relaxing holiday!
ELA Activities
– Series of three webinars on active learning – February – April 2025
From February to April 2025, we hosted three webinars on Methods for Activating Learning. The first two focused on questioning techniques in university STEM and collaborative learning using POGIL and SCALE-UP. The third explored using AI tools in STEM courses for active learning and feedback.
All webinars were recorded. More information and videos are available on the Eurolecturer Academy website – Webinars.
- February 4, 2025: Mauro Mocerino (Curtin University, Perth, Australia)
Teaching chemistry using the POGIL process – Link video - March 18, 2025: Gerald Feldman (George Washington University, Washinton DC, USA)
Establishing a Collaborative Student-Centered Learning Environment using the SCALE-UP Pedagogy – Link Video - April 24, 2025: Erwin van Vliet (University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands), Olaf Vrijmoet (EtAlia, The Netherlands) and Luc Mahieu (LearnLoop, The Netherlands)
Personalized feedback using AI tools – Link video
A total of 98 participants from 18 countries across three continents joined the series, with the highest numbers from Poland (28) and the Netherlands (26). The recorded webinars continue to attract global viewers. As of July 8, 2025, user statistics show: Webinar 1: 417 views; Webinar 2: 272 views; Webinar 3: 183 views.
– Changes in teaching and learning in university Chemistry Education – CPD Ambassadors Symposium May 29, 2025
The CPD Ambassadors Symposium is a hybrid annual event open to everyone who values quality teaching and continuous professional development (CPD) in STEM higher education, hosted at the ECTN General Assembly and Annual Meetings. In 2025, it was held on May 29 in Bologna, Italy. This Symposium featured CPD Ambassadors sharing their latest experiences.
21 participants from 10 countries registered online, and 11 participants from 4 countries joined on-site at the University of Bologna. The symposium’s programme and recorded presentations by three CPD Ambassadors from the 4th STEM-CPD Summer School in 2024 in Palermo, Italy, who showcased their ongoing CPD User case projects, are available on our website. (Programme of the symposium, Link video):
- Francesca De Vita (University of Palermo, Italy)
Creating an inclusive learning environment - Pinkie Ntola (Durban University of Technology, South Africa)
Soft skills assessment in a Chemistry curriculum - Edyta Nalewajko-Sieliwoniuk (University of Białystok, Poland)
Assessment of students’ learning progress
The group discussions were highly productive. Participants expressed a desire for more collaboration using a live communication platform like Teams, enabling experience sharing, community testimonials, and chat functionality.
A new topic has been set for the academic year 2025-2026: “Sustainable and reliable assessment in highly interactive courses aligned with the 2030 education vision, where traditional end-of-course exams may no longer be necessary.”
– Question-Driven Learning in STEM” Summer School, Krakow, Poland
Learn more about STEM Summer Schools and read the report on the “Question-Driven Learning in STEM” Summer School 2025, including evaluations and 42 event photos, on our website:
https://ectn.eu/work-groups/eurolecturer-academy/teaching-and-learning-in-stem-summer-schools/
Participants recommended organizing similar schools in the future.
Express your interest if you’d like to join this summer school! We can only organize it with sufficient interest.
Complete this short form to stay updated: Link Form
– Symposium at EuroVariety 2025, Krakow, Poland
At the International Conference EuroVariety in University Chemistry Education 2025 (2-4 July 2025, Krakow, Poland), the ECTN Eurolecturer Academy organized a symposium on good practices in continuous professional development in teaching and learning in university chemistry education, chaired by Natasa Brouwer. Four inspiring CPD cases were presented by Jurica Bauer, Vânia Calisto, Iwona Maciejowska and Mauro Mocerino. The team is preparing a paper for the special issue of the journal Chemistry Teacher International about this conference, which is expected to be published in 2026.
– 5th STEM-CPD Summer School, Toruń, Poland
Unfortunately, we had to cancel the STEM-CPD Summer School this year (scheduled for September 15-19) due to low applicant numbers. We apologize to those who applied. It’s a regret that the school won’t take place in 2025, especially as previous participants, now CPD Ambassadors, are doing fantastic and vital work for continuous professional development in university STEM at their institutions.
Learn more about their CPD User cases: https://ectn.eu/work-groups/eurolecturer-academy/cpd-usercases/, and visit them on Starfish. You can also watch three presentations from the CPD Ambassadors at this year’s Symposium in Bologna: (Link video).
We hope to organize the STEM-CPD Summer School again in the future.
Engage with ELA
Welcome to engage with ELA and contribute to its activities!
Next academic year, we plan to organize a new series of webinars and potentially summer schools, depending on interest. Let us know! The new community on Question-Driven Learning in STEM, will continue collaborating and we will share our experiences.
Stay tuned for more in our next newsletter!
We plan to prepare the ELA Newsletter three times a year, keeping you updated with the latest news and insights.
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