Presentation Panel
Bridging Borders through Collaborative Education
Date Friday, Nov 29 Time –
Explore how institutional collaboration is transforming education through continuous innovation. This session highlights successful models, such as Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) that connect students and educators across borders. Hear also how a nation is tackling the future through higher education networks. These initiatives create immersive and blended learning experiences, maximising opportunities for deepening student reflection, critical thinking, professional development and workplace readiness, while building meaningful national and global connections
Richard Powers
Online Operations & Learning Designer for Virtual Exchange, University of Stuttgart (Professional School of Education), Germany
A well-known and recognized e-Learning expert, Prof. Emer. Richard Powers is currently a Professor, Trainer and Learning Designer with the University of Stuttgart in Germany, where he teaches blended learning courses to develop competences in digitalization and diversity for pre-service teachers across five universities. He is an EU eTwinning Ambassador for Germany.
He teaches Universal Design for Learning (UDL), Project-Based Learning with eTwinning & Erasmus+ for Interculturality, and Digital Accessibility. Prof. Powers won the 2022 Teaching Award for Excellence at Stuttgart University, receiving Euro 10.000 for his research and future projects.
Remotely, Professor Powers develops, implements and evaluates UDL and synchronous "online-live" training programs for 4,000 faculty at City Colleges of Chicago.
He routinely teaches and trains faculty in Stuttgart and Chicago how to teach online with Moodle, ILIAS and Brightspace in webinars via Webex and Zoom. His DAAD and eTwinning/Erasmus+ virtual exchange & blended mobility classes involve student teachers from Germany, Turkey, the Ukraine, North Macedonia, France, Spain, Italy, Romania, Bulgaria and Nepal.
Links
Aniko Dorner
Professor, Tecnologico de Monterrey
Dr. Anikó Dorner is a passionate educator with over 23 years of academic experience. For the past 12 years, she has been a professor at Tecnológico de Monterrey (ITESM), where she has been deeply involved in the design and implementation of the innovative TEC21 Educational Model. She holds a Ph.D. in International Economics from Corvinus University of Budapest and has studied Intercultural Management at Kyushu Kyoritsu University in Japan. Additionally, she earned an M.Sc. in Economics with a major in Marketing from Janus Pannonius University of Pécs, Hungary, and a B.Sc. in International Trade from the Foreign Trade College of Szolnok, Hungary.
Dr. Dorner's professional experience spans three continents, including roles with companies such as Rhenus AG in Germany, Generali AG in Hungary, Wacker Maquinaria in Mexico, and Honenmansaku Inc. in Japan. As a professor, researcher, consultant, and lecturer, she has contributed to academia and industry in Mexico, Hungary, the United States, Colombia, Canada, and Spain.
She is a frequent speaker at international conferences on International Economics, Negotiations, Multiculturalism, and Educational Innovation. In March 2023, she was a keynote speaker at the 1st Congress of International Business Professionals at Universidad Área Andina in Bogotá, Colombia, presenting on "Globality and Multiculturalism, Oriented Towards Sustainable Development." In the summer of 2024, she served as a keynote speaker at the Global Virtual Exchange Summit at Hong Kong Baptist University, focusing on Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL). She also presented on COIL at EDULEARN24, the 16th annual International Conference on Education and New Learning Technologies held from July 1st to 3rd, 2024, in Palma, Spain. Earlier, in June 2017, she participated as a panelist on “Interactive Co-Teaching in a Virtual Course: A Way of Crossing Geographical Boundaries” at the Critical Edge Alliance Conference at New School University in New York, United States.
Her research focuses on technological spillovers of transnational companies, global competitiveness, multiculturalism, integrative negotiations, and educational innovation. Dr. Dorner is a co-author of books like Development, Competitiveness, Globalization I-II and Centers of Power and Regions in the 21st Century Global Economy, along with several academic articles. Fluent in six languages—English, Spanish, German, Russian, Japanese, and Hungarian—she brings a global perspective to her work.
Recognized for her excellence in teaching and contribution to education, Dr. Dorner received the ITESM Inspirational Professor Award in 2015, the #TecAwards in 2019, and the Distinguished Professor Award of TEC de Monterrey in 2021, 2022, and 2024. Her commitment to fostering cross-cultural understanding and deeper learning outcomes through innovative practices like COIL projects underscores her dedication to preparing students for an increasingly interconnected world.
Tuula Heide
Programme Manager, Digivisio 2030 programme, Finland
Tuula Heide works as a Programme Manager of Digivisio 2030. She is an experienced teaching and education specialist with a vast history of working in the higher education institutions for over twenty years, both in Finland and abroad. Heide is skilled especially in pedagogy, distance learning, e-learning, adult education, and educational technology. She is a strong human resource professional with a Ph.D. in Education. In her dissertation, Heide conceptualized, designed, and tested an assessment instrument for the supervision of teacher education interns.
Moderator
Herman van der Merwe
Deputy Dean: Teaching & Learning, North-West University, South Africa
Prof Herman calls himself a “recycled Geneticist”, but his previous Vice-Chancellor renamed him “e-Man” to capture his fascination for the use and management of technology in education!
Currently Deputy Dean of the Faculty Economic and Management Sciences, responsible for Teaching and Learning and the CEO of an expert centre called CUTE (Centre for the Utilisation of Technology in Education).
A CoP in innovative teaching and learning with technology (iTLT) support his research initiatives in a creative environment.
In 2015 the University recognised his contribution to innovation with an “Innovation Evangelist” award.
“As a teacher, researcher, policy advocate, manager and leader, he is a visionary leader whose fascination with technology has been informed by his commitment to serving the highest ideals of people and education.” Prof Reggie Ncobo
Links
Unlocking Deeper Learning Potential through Continuous Innovation in COIL, Aniko Dorner, Cheryl Loadman
This presentation discusses the three-year efforts of a team from the University of Saskatchewan and Tecnológico de Monterrey who worked to greatly enhance student experiences through significant iterative unique innovation-driven changes and approaches in the delivery of Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) projects. The outcoems was significantly improved Gen Z students' engagement levels, depth of learning, and knowledge acquisition, while also producing additional unexpected benefits and resulting in better efficacy and impact of the COIL practice.
The New Blended Learning: Intercultural Innovations, Richard Powers
This presentation explores two innovative approaches to blended learning at Stuttgart University, showcasing projects by student teachers from 4 different countries who collaborated online before traveling to meet each other and present their projects. The second shows digital transnational group projects by student teachers from over 10 countries in the same course as they developed intercultural competences.
Successful Collaboration in Finland Higher Education, Tuula Heide
From the Digivisio 2030 programme, explore how national collaboration enhances diversity, curriculum quality, learner data utilization, and pedagogy. Insights include facilitation methods, the deployment of change coordinators and streamlined working processes, to drive meaningful and sustainable improvements.