For one semester, two teachers from the University of Orléans (UO) and the Hellenic Mediterranean University (HMU) collaborated on a COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning) in Databases.
For a few hours in the semester, both teachers alternated teaching both classes in a hybrid format: one class on-site and the other remotely. There were 13 French students and 15 Greek students.
These Database classes were originally taught in their mother tongue. While the students were apprehensive about attending an already complex course in a different language than their own, they soon realised that they understood the material better than they anticipated. Better yet, it gave them more confidence to interact with the teachers and other students.
To celebrate this new and innovative way of teaching, seven students from UO were selected to visit their HMU classmates in Crete thanks to the Erasmus+ program that allows Blended Mobilities.
During this week, here is the programme of what the group of seven French students and three French teachers got to experience:
Monday 4th September
- Visit of the HMU site in Chania, more specifically the Department of Electronic Engineering
- Round table on this joint course (two Greek students were part of the panel: discussion on the challenges met during the organisation of this course, how to make it better and how to convince teachers and students to take part in such a course.
- Visit of the 3D printing and Computer technology and Informatics labs
- Visit of the Residence Museum of Eleftherios Venizelos and the museum of archeology in Chania
Tuesday 5th September
- Transfer to Rethymnon
- Guided visit of the Institue of Plasma Physics and Lasers (IPPL): science popularisation of the research on lasers, visit of the lab hosting one of the biggest lasers in Europe.
Wednesday 6th September
- Transfer to Heraklion
- Guided visit of the Nikos Kazantzakis airport by its General Manager (M. Georges Pliakas): theoretical course, monitoring flux of luggage, visit of the underground air traffic control centre and, driving around the runway to guide aircraft take-off and landing
Thursday 7th September
- Visit of the Kotsanas Museum of Ancient Greek Technology and the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion
- An unforgettable guided visit of the archaeological site of Knossos
Friday 8th September
- Free time to enjoy and visit the island on their own.
