Abstract:

The vital element of each success of an international project is properly qualified staff with complementary skills. Despite the fact that many professors with a good theoretical background and long experience in teaching have the courage of a high level of their competences, undoubtedly it is crucial to learn about new methods that help to increase effectiveness of students' education and make classes interesting. In this paper, the benefits of the Staff Training conducted as part of two didactic projects led by Bialystok University of Technology are described. Teachers participating in the ADD_ON_SKILLS Erasmus+ project took part in 5-day staff training at University of Cordoba in Spain, while teachers of the Spinaker project granted by NAWA participated in a blended course. In both activities took part 30 representatives of universities from Poland, Spain, Italy, Lithuania and Latvia. The aim of both trainings was introducing modern tools useful during lectures, workshops and design team work with students of blended courses, with a special pressure on teaching foreign students in English, thus not native language for both students and teachers. After each training module, teachers filled surveys answering questions about their interest in activity content and methods applied, usefulness for future work, cooperation with the mentor etc. The results of questionnaires showed that both trainings were found interesting and useful. Teachers evaluated the opportunity to test new tools. They appreciated workshops with colleagues from different countries that make a platform to exchange opinions, explain national approaches, etc. Teachers preferred on-site training that helped to build personal networks, however, in case of staff with limited possibility to travel, on-line training was found as a perfect solution.

Keywords:

Staff training, didactic method, blended course.