Ulysseus Summer School on Innovative Pedagogy

This summer school invites Ulysseus teachers to collaboratively explore and apply the innovative principles outlined in the Ulysseus Pedagogical Guidelines. hrough interactive learning, hands-on practice, and shared reflection, participants will gain a holistic understanding of Ulysseus pedagogy and discover practical ways to implement these principles in joint courses and degree programmes.

Please be aware that your home university may set a different application deadline depending on their internal selection process.

Registration dates 30 January 2026 08 April 2026

Course dates 18 May 2026 22 May 2026

Registration is open

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Course Outline

This Summer School offers an intensive professional development experience grounded in the Ulysseus Pedagogical Guidelines, aimed at fostering innovative, student-centred, and future-oriented teaching practices in higher education. Through a blended format combining an online introduction and five on-site days, participants engage in interactive workshops, peer exchange, and reflective activities focused on key pedagogical cornerstones: student-centredness, competence-based and aligned course design, authentic and challenge-based learning, and the meaningful use of digital tools and AI. The program integrates theoretical inputs with hands-on design activities, international perspectives, and real-world innovation experiences, supporting participants in developing a coherent and reflective pedagogical approach aligned with the Ulysseus educational vision.

Course Content

The course addresses a set of interconnected pedagogical topics that reflect the educational vision of the Ulysseus alliance and current developments in higher education teaching and learning. The main topics include:

Ulysseus Pedagogical Framework: principles and guidelines underpinning innovative, inclusive, and international higher education teaching.
The role of the university teacher: reflective teaching identity, teaching philosophies, and professional responsibility in international and multicultural contexts.
Student-centred learning: strategies for active student engagement, inclusive teaching practices, and student-centred approaches in online and international settings.
Competence-based education and constructive alignment: defining learning outcomes, aligning teaching activities and assessment, and applying Bloom’s taxonomy in course design.
Learning design processes: systematic approaches to designing coherent courses and programmes, supported by peer reflection and feedback.
Authentic and challenge-based learning: designing real-world learning experiences, applying design thinking, and connecting education with societal and professional challenges.
Digital transformation in higher education: effective use of digital tools to support teaching and learning innovation.
Artificial intelligence in education: pedagogically meaningful, ethical, and transparent uses of generative AI, including opportunities, risks, and academic integrity.
Reflective and integrative practice: synthesising pedagogical principles into a coherent personal teaching philosophy and transferable teaching strategies.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, participants are expected to have developed both conceptual understanding and practical competencies aligned with the Ulysseus pedagogical vision. In particular, the target audience will be able to:

Understand and apply the Ulysseus Pedagogical Guidelines as a coherent framework for designing, delivering, and reflecting on higher education teaching in international and multicultural contexts.
Adopt a student-centred teaching approach, selecting and implementing strategies that actively engage students and support inclusive and participatory learning environments.
Design competence-based courses by clearly formulating learning outcomes and ensuring constructive alignment between intended learning outcomes, teaching and learning activities, and assessment methods.
Plan authentic and challenge-based learning experiences that connect academic content with real-world problems, professional practice, and societal challenges.
Apply structured learning design processes, using peer feedback to iteratively improve course and activity design.
Critically and confidently integrate digital tools and AI into teaching and learning, making pedagogically meaningful, ethical, and transparent choices.
Reflect on and articulate a personal pedagogical philosophy, integrating the key principles explored during the course and identifying concrete actions for transfer into their own teaching practice.

Overall, upon completion of the course, participants will be equipped to innovate their teaching practices in line with contemporary educational challenges and the shared values of the Ulysseus alliance.

Requirements

Priority is given to academic staff who are designing and implementing joint Ulysseus courses and programmes.

Agenda

Day 1 (Monday 18 May)

Morning (10:00-12:00)

Opening of the Summer School – Fabrizio Bracco
- Interactive introductions and icebreakers
- Reflection: “Me as an Ulysseus teacher”
- Small group discussions on personal teaching philosophies

Afternoon (13:00-16:00)

Student-centredness – Fabrizio Bracco
- Strategies for student engagement
- Small group work: Designing student-centred learning activities
- Peer discussions: What does student-centredness mean in online/international teaching?
- Reflection on inclusive practices for multicultural classrooms
- 16:00-18:00 Exploring Genoa City Center (Cristina Candito)

Day 2 (Tuesday 19 May)

Morning (9:00-12:00)

Competence-based education and constructive alignment – Federica Picasso & Arianna Marci
- Learning outcomes, Bloom Taxonomy and Constructive Alignment: an interactive and collaborative workshop

Afternoon (13:00-16:00)

The Learning Design Process
- Introduction to the Learning Design Process and peer reflection activity – Federica Picasso & Arianna Marci
- AI tools for course design – Slavisa Radovic

Day 3 (Wednesday 20 May)

Morning (9:00-12:00)

Authentic learning: solving real-world challenges – Erica Guerci
- How to design effective challenge-based learning experiences
- CBL and design thinking

Afternoon (13:00-16:00)

Challenges and innovation hubs experiences – Fulvio Mastrogiovanni & Clio Flego
- The Innovation Hub of Robotics of UniGe: an exploratory overview

Day 4 (Thursday 21 May)

Morning (9:00-12:00)

Digital bravery: digital tools and AI for the innovation of teaching and learning processes
- Digital transformation in higher education – Federica Picasso
- Critical analysis: Benefits and risks of GenAI in education – Giorgio Delzanno and Giovanna Guerrini
- Improving teaching and assessment strategies in higher education through Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) tools – Davide Parmigiani & Elisabetta Nicchia

Afternoon (13:00-16:00)

Workshop – Flavio Manganello
- Digital Bravery in Academia: Navigating Transparency in AI-Augmented Scholarly Practice

Day 5 (Friday 22 May)

Morning (9:00-12:00)

Reflecting on the experience and looking forward – Arianna Marci & Federica Picasso
- Synthesis workshop: Connecting the cornerstones
- Exemplary Ulysseus courses integrating all principles
- Reflective practice: personal pedagogical philosophy
- Collaborative-ended reflection and future perspectives