Wednesday 27 May, 4 pm - 5 pm
 Room Morin, Building H2

STACK (System for Teaching and Assessment using a Computer Algebra Kernel) is an innovative digital teaching plug-in for Moodle designed for STEM education and continuous automated assessment. Students can practise as much as they need without requiring additional teaching resources: exercises are generated parametrically and are always different, including interactive tasks, and are automatically graded by the system with targeted feedback and step-by-step solutions.

It is particularly suitable for large introductory STEM courses. University of Trieste was the first Italian university to install STACK in 2022 and has since developed its own open-source question bank for courses in Linear Algebra, Calculus, Probability and Statistics, Physics 1, and others, currently benefiting around 1,000 students each year.

This session is designed for absolute beginners who, within one hour, will be guided through accessing STACK and creating a simple question from start to finish, including all its components. The session will be delivered by Christopher Sangwin, Professor of STEM Education at The University of Edinburgh and creator of the software around 20 years ago, on the occasion of the European STACK Conference hosted by MIGe at University of Trieste.

Lecturer: Prof. Christopher Sangwin (STEM Education, University of Edinburgh)

Registration

Thursday, June 11, 9:15 am - 16:30 am
Rooms D and T19, Building F (Department of Physics)

Over the past thirty years, research in Physics, Mathematics, and Science education has explored numerous areas, integrating findings from neuroscience with those of cognitive psychology, pedagogy, and the disciplines themselves, in order to address recurring failures in teaching/learning processes at all levels, the declining interest in scientific disciplines, and the growing need to develop critical thinking skills and scientific competencies, which are essential for tackling future challenges. 

On the one hand, innovative teaching approaches have been designed and tested, focusing on student-centered learning, competency-based education, and epistemologically “sound and authentic” approaches to the construction of disciplinary knowledge. On the other hand, monitoring and diagnostic tools have been validated to support processes of change and innovation in the implementation of teaching practices. 

The aim of this workshop is to present and illustrate the use of some of these tools, show how they are applied in innovative university teaching contexts for STEM subjects, and provide examples of ongoing practices and experiments, both in laboratory activities and exercises, as well as in lectures, including those involving very large classes (over 100 students). The workshop also seeks to stimulate reflection on participants’ current teaching practices, offering alternative, research-based approaches, and to create a space for design and discussion aimed at demonstrating that change is possible, even by adopting different approaches to lecture management and exam design. 

The workshop therefore aims to support university lecturers in their ongoing efforts to improve teaching practices, promoting innovation, self-reflection, and experimentation.

Program outline:

• Group brainstorming activity to identify key challenges in teaching/learning disciplines and sharing (management of large classes and/or other contextual difficulties, intrinsic disciplinary challenges, assessment methods and exam formats)
•  Diagnostic tools for monitoring the learning process
• Group work starting from the initial brainstorming: how interventions address the identified challenges
• First case study: ISLE-based exercises and problems + question time
• Second case study: tutorial-like sessions focused on conceptual understanding
• Group work: implementing design
• Feedback and workshop conclusion

Coffee break and light lunch included in the workshop

Lecturers:
Valentina Bologna (University of Trieste) 
Marta Carli, Stefania Lippiello, Lucia Gabelli (University of Padua)
Elena Angeli (University of Genoa)

Available places: 30

Registrations: by Friday June 5, 2026, by sending a request to tlc@units.it

First workshop
AI-enhanced lecture: from storytelling to assessment

Tuesday, June 16, 9 am – 1 pm
Sala Atti, Building D

This experiential workshop guides lecturers in designing and delivering more effective and engaging lessons by leveraging the potential of generative Artificial Intelligence. Through an integrated pathway combining educational storytelling techniques and AI tools, participants will learn how to structure a learning narrative arc (emotional hook, presentation of the challenge, data-driven development, meaningful conclusion) to enhance students’ understanding and motivation.

The workshop explores how to transform complex content into clear and visually engaging materials, following the show, don’t tell principle, and examines methods to orchestrate active classroom participation, including interactive polls and peer instruction strategies. It also addresses the AI-assisted generation and validation of exam questions and assessment rubrics, ensuring alignment with learning objectives while maintaining academic integrity.

The workshop alternates short theoretical inputs with guided practical exercises using reusable prompt sheets, culminating in the production of a concrete deliverable: a 6-slide storyboard including an interactive activity and a structured draft of at least 6 exam items. Innovative narrative approaches such as Six Words, Bing-Bang-Bongo, and the Hook arc (Challenge, development, payoff) will be used, already successfully tested in academic and training contexts. This workshop is designed to provide lecturers with practical skills applicable to the creation of teaching modules.

Learning objectives

• Understand the fundamentals of educational storytelling and its application in designing engaging lessons
• Be able to build an effective learning narrative arc with phases of hook, challenge, data development, and final payoff
• Be able to transform complex content into readable and visual slides according to the show, don’t tell model
• Be able to design interactive activities to foster engagement and active student participation (polls, peer instruction)
• Learn how to generate and validate AI-supported exam items aligned with learning objectives
• Be able to design assessment rubrics that ensure transparent, consistent, and high-quality feedback for students
• Be able to integrate AI prompting tools into a sustainable and replicable workflow for creating teaching modules, with attention to rigor, integrity, and adaptability
• Produce a concise storyboard and a structured set of exam items as a concrete output of the workshop

Lecturers: Enrico Maso (University of Udine) and Corrado Lanera (University of Padua)

Available places: 25

Registration: send your request to tlc@units.it by Friday, June 12, 2026.

Second workshop

Beyond the classroom: syllabus, communication, and bibliographies with AI

Tuesday, June 16, 2 pm – 6 pm
Sala Atti, Building D

A hands-on workshop aimed at lecturers who want to optimize teaching support activities through the use of generative AI.

Participants will learn how to design coherent and readable syllabi, following the latest best practices for clarity, constructive alignment, and accessibility.

They will also develop efficient response macros and FAQs for communication with students, reducing email management time and improving the quality of communication.

The workshop includes the creation of practical guidelines for exams and theses, clear instructions for preparing bibliographies with automated source verification, and a digital tool to help navigate official administrative information.

Through customizable models and templates, lecturers will create reusable toolkits such as communication playbooks (tone, policies), exam guides and thesis guidelines, and integrated digital processes that support teaching and administrative continuity.

The workshop concludes with the delivery of a customizable, ready-to-use package designed to concretely improve course management and student relations.

Learning objectives

• Be able to write clear, coherent, and functional syllabi aligned with learning objectives and accessible to students
• Learn how to design effective response macros and manage FAQs for quick student communication, reducing time and misunderstandings
• Be able to develop practical guidelines for exams and operational instructions for thesis writing, with a focus on clarity and completeness
• Understand best practices for creating robust and reliable bibliographies, including automated source verification with AI support
• Be able to develop digital tools for administrative guidance that facilitate access to official information and procedures
• Design reusable toolkits (templates, playbooks, guides) customizable to optimize course management and student relations
• Deliver a complete, editable, and immediately usable package

Lecturers: Enrico Maso (University of Udine) and Corrado Lanera (University of Padua)

Available places: 25

Registration: send your request to tlc@units.it by Friday, June 12, 2026.

Participants may attend both workshops or choose between the morning and afternoon sessions. 
Coffee break and light lunch included in the full-day workshop

Friday, 15 May 10 am – 12:30 pm
 webinar

This training session will introduce practical ways to apply co-design principles in higher education, helping academic staff engage students more actively in shaping learning processes. Drawing on experience from creative education and curriculum development, the webinar will focus on simple, implementable methods that support student involvement, feedback loops, and collaborative learning. The session will combine short inputs with practical reflection tasks. 

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs):

By the end of the session, participants will be able to:

 • understand the principles of co-design in teaching and its relevance in higher education

• identify practical ways to involve students in shaping course content and learning processes

 • apply at least one co-design method in their own teaching context

Lecturer. Marleen Soosaar (Estonian Academy of Arts - EKA)

Registration

Thursday, 21 May 1 pm– 3 pm
webinar

This webinar introduces innovative, student-centred teaching methods aligned with the ResearchComp Framework, aimed at developing core research competences from the early stages of study. It focuses on practical approaches to embedding inquiry-based learning, critical thinking, and realworld problem-solving into everyday teaching practices. Join us to explore how your courses can actively shape adaptable, analytical, and evidence-driven professionals for the future of work.

Lecturer : Albena Antonova (Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski)

Registration