As part of DEH ALMA (Advanced Learning Multimedia Alliance for Inclusive Academic Innovation), funded under Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) through the Digital Education Hubs initiative, the University of Trieste has launched a new video production laboratory dedicated to digital teaching and developed its first four MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses), which will become part of the national ALMA catalogue. 

MOOCs are free and flexible online courses designed to broaden access to higher education and complement traditional teaching through innovative digital tools. They fit within the framework of micro-credentials, short academic certifications that recognise specific skills gained through targeted courses.

UniTS MOOCs are available on the Federica Web Learning platform of the University of Naples Federico II, which is responsible for the operational management and coordination of the ALMA network. The catalogue can be accessed via the project website .

“With the launch of the new Laboratory and the first four MOOCs, our university strengthens its commitment to high-quality digital teaching capable of integrating technological innovation, inclusion and international outlook, contributing to the transformation of the Italian higher education system within the framework of the PNRR’s strategic investments,” emphasises Rector Donata Vianelli.

The University of Trieste’s first four MOOCs

The courses developed by the University cover different disciplinary areas, adopting an interdisciplinary approach and addressing a non-specialist audience.

Data Science and Statistics
Led by Luca Bortolussi, Adriano Peron, Alejandro Rodriguez Garcia, Alessandro Fabris and Teresa Scantamburlo, the course provides an introductory interdisciplinary overview of digital data. It addresses key issues related to the nature, collection, organisation, analysis and visualisation of data, with particular attention to ethics, personal data protection and current regulations (GDPR). The aim is to provide conceptual and practical tools to understand and use data correctly, consciously and responsibly.

Philosophy
The course delivered by Professor Giovanni Grandi introduces different interpretations of “doing justice”, examining commutative justice, distributive justice, retributive justice and the paradigm of restorative justice. Conflict resolution practices related to restorative justice are explored, with particular reference to the criminal justice context.

Physics
Created by Professor Pierre Thibault, the course provides a comprehensive overview of X-ray computed tomography (CT). It covers the historical development of the technique and its main applications in medicine, research and industry, introducing the fundamental principles governing X-ray interaction with matter, including attenuation and beam hardening. The course describes different CT system configurations (medical CT, micro-CT and synchrotron-based systems) and presents the mathematical foundations of image formation through the Radon transform. The course explains both analytical reconstruction methods, such as filtered back projection, and iterative approaches. It concludes by presenting techniques for interpreting and visualising volumetric data.

Health and Medicine, Anthropology, Translation
The course delivered by Federico Berton, Roberta Altin, Giuseppe Grimaldi and Caterina Falbo addresses contemporary migration, with particular attention to healthcare management in contexts characterised by linguistic, cultural and religious diversity. The programme highlights the importance of adequate training for healthcare professionals, enabling them to interact appropriately with interpreters and patients while promoting effective and culturally aware communication.

The DEH ALMA lab: Technology and Broadcast-Level Quality

The new studio is a multifunctional space designed to be rapidly reconfigured according to production needs: a MOOC recording set, video-podcast studio, photo studio setup and platform for live webinars.

The facility is equipped with 4K PTZ cameras, multicamera control systems, professional lighting and broadcast-level audio systems. Thanks to a dedicated 10 Gbps network and an advanced storage system, the laboratory streamlines the workflow from recording to post-production.