On 3 May, the Faculty of Education and Psychology of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa (FEP-UCP) was visited by eight teachers from EUC Nord, a vocational school in Denmark. The visit, which was part of a mobility programme funded by the European Commission, aimed to develop skills in active learning, namely project-based learning (PBL).
The initiative was organised in partnership with Aalborg University, a leading institution in the field of PBL, with whom FEP Professor Diana Mesquita already has a long and well-established collaboration.
Showcasing the best of Active Learning and PBL at UCP
The programme of the visit included various activities that allowed the Danish faculty to learn more about the Active Learning and PBL practices developed at UCP and promoted by the CLIL | Católica Learning Innovation Lab.
The visitors had the opportunity to learn about the dynamics of CLIL through a presentation by Diana Soares, the Lab's coordinator, and Maitê Gil, a specialist in education and professional development for teachers. The CLIL teacher training cycles were presented, with a focus on the PBL Community of Learning and Practice, now in its second edition.
Pedro Alves, Professor at the School of Arts, explained the pedagogical model of the Degree in Cinema, in which PBL plays a fundamental role in the training of students.
Finally, Diana Mesquita organised a workshop on assessment in PBL, where she discussed the different tools and techniques that can be used to assess student learning.
The FEP professor says that this visit created the opportunity for "a more intentional articulation between EUC Nord, FEP and Aalborg University, as the three institutions have a common focus on capacity building in pedagogical innovation, especially in PBL".
The visit of the Danish teachers to the FEP enabled the three institutions to exchange experiences and knowledge about Active Learning and contributed to the professional development of the teachers involved.
"The knowledge gained from the workshop at the Universidade Católica was very valuable for me and my colleagues. The UCP team's innovative approach to project-based learning (PBL) and the creation of the Católica Learning Innovation Lab are inspiring examples of forward-looking educational initiatives," said one of the Danish teachers who participated in the visit.