The Center for Innovation and Excellence in Teaching (CIET) is committed to fostering a culture of continuous professional growth, educational outreach, and community engagement. This section highlights selected past activities that reflect the Center’s active role in supporting both the academic community and the wider society. These include professional development trainings delivered in collaboration with the Personal and Professional Development Center at Frederick University (P2DF), capacity-building initiatives for university faculty, and targeted workshops for educators across educational levels. In addition, the Center has delivered organized specialized training sessions on emerging topics in teaching and learning, and members of the Center were invited as guest speakers in national and international conferences and seminars, contributing to institutional excellence and cross-sector knowledge exchange. As part of its outreach mission, CIET also designs and delivers engaging workshops for middle and high school students, aiming to inspire interest in digital learning, innovation, and critical thinking. Together, these activities showcase the Center’s dedication to educational leadership, collaboration, and inclusive, future-oriented teaching practices.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TRAININGS
| Date | Title | Short Description |
| Ongoing | Distance Learning Instructors – Induction Course | Self-Paced course for the distance learning instructors of Frederick University |
| Ongoing | Trainings for New Developments & Digital Tools | Various trainings provided to the distance learning instructors in regards to new developments, new policies and procedures and the use of various new and emergent technologies. |
| July 2025 | Innovative Teaching Practices Workshops | The trainings focused on presenting and discussion good practices and examples based on the University’s Policy Guidelines for Curriculum Review of Undergraduate Programs, that includes 12 priorities aiming to promote teaching quality and revolutionize our teaching practices. |
| June 2025 | Digital Pedagogies, Technology and Literacy (part of the EU-CONEXUS Teaching Academy) | The hands-on training, explored digital pedagogies, focusing on learner-cantered approaches such as blended learning, flipped classrooms, inquiry-based learning, project and problem-based learning, enabling faculty members to create engaging and interactive learning environments. Participants examined the use of new and emerged technologies, including, Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, Collaboration and Communication tools, Digital Content Development and Assessment Tools within Pedagogical Models and Frameworks are integrated as learning partners within the teaching and learning process. |
| March – April 2025 | Innovative, Personalized, Student-oriented, Inclusive Learning environments (part of the EU-CONEXUS Teaching Academy) | The workshop was designed for higher education educators, focusing on inclusive education as both a theoretical and practical framework for creating student-centred, adaptive learning environments. Through lectures, interactive activities, and collaborative learning, participants explored inclusive pedagogy, personalized learning environments (PLEs), and strategies to support diverse learners. The training culminated in the development of personalized learning plans and reflection on the role of educators in inclusive, future-ready classrooms. |
| March 2025 | BIP (part of the EU-CONEXUS project) | The CIET team participated in an innovative educational activity as part of the Blended Intensive Programme "Active Coastal Pathways - Designing Sustainable and Educational Trails" under the EU-CONEXUS framework. The activity combines sustainability, physical activity, and the use of digital tools, aiming to design educational coastal trails that connect the natural and urban environments. Within the thematic framework of "Digital tools for coastal trail design," digital tools were used to create interactive maps featuring points of interest related to biodiversity, conservation, and urban sustainability. |
| October 2024 | Challenged Based Learning (part of the EU-CONEXUS Teaching Academy, in collaboration with Inquirium & Science View) | The training introduced the participants to the Challenged based learning approach (CBL). (CBL) is an educational approach that actively involves students in real-world challenges, encouraging them to develop practical solutions through collaboration, critical thinking, problem solving and creativity. This method bridges the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application, fostering deeper understanding and retention of concepts. Trainers: Dr. Olia Tsivitanidou & Mr. Menelaos Soteriou. |
| October – December 2024 | DL Good Practices | The workshops aimed to showcase and explain good practices in distance and blended learning, in regards to the following: course design, development and delivery in the learning platform, the development of appropriate material, the importance and value of collaboration, communication and interaction among students, between students and instructor(s) and between students and the content and finally, the enhancement of student engagement and motivation. |
| February – March 2024 |
Use of AI Tools in the Teaching and Learning Process (in collaboration with P2DF) | This workshop focuses on the use and applications of ChatGPT, providing practical examples and hands-on experience to deepen participants’ understanding of this powerful tool. The training aims to develop participants' knowledge and skills on how to use AI as a tool to transform their teaching and learning practices. Additionally, the seminar addresses the fundamentals of machine learning, natural language processing, and language models, helping the participants optimize their interaction with ChatGPT and GPT-4 models. |
| October 2023 | Revolutionizing Higher Education (part of the EU-CONEXUS Teaching Academy) | Revolutionizing Higher Education: Empowering Innovation in Teaching and Learning (Teaching pedagogies for Skills and Competences). The aim of the training is to address issues of integrating skills and competences in teaching and learning and explore innovative perspectives on pedagogies and instructional practices for their integration in higher education. Trainers: Dr. Anthi Xenofontos & Dr. Chrysanthi Kadji) |
| Spring 2023 | Digital tools in the teaching and learning practice (Part A) (in collaboration with P2DF) |
Workshop 1: Developing Skills for Using Artificial Intelligence Tools in the Workplace (Digital Tools: ChatGPT, Monica, Google Bard, Gamma) Workshop 2: Creating Multimedia Digital Content (Digital Tool: H5P) Workshop 3: Application for Organizing, Managing, and Reading Bibliographic References (Digital Tool: Mendeley) |
| Spring 2023 | Digital tools in the teaching and learning practice (Part B) (in collaboration with P2DF) |
Workshop 1: Turnitin Plagiarism Software & Assignment Submission Workshop 2: Development of Multimedia Online Educational Material (Digital Tools: VoiceThread & FlipGrid) Workshop 3: Creating Interactive Presentations and Videos Using the H5P Tool |
| October 2021 |
Series of Webinars: Improving Teaching in Online Times | Webinar 1: Best Practices for Online Teaching Delivery & Engaging students for Teleconferencing Teaching Webinar 2: Online Classroom Management Webinar 3: Student perspectives about online teaching and learning: What they might be thinking and how to support them Webinar 4: Pedagogical Design for Online Teaching: Developing the appropriate educational material Webinar 5: The use of Simulations and Learning Scenarios in the Teaching and Learning Process Webinar 6: Quality Assurance and the Development of Community of Inquiry in Online Teaching Webinar 7: Reflection in Online Teaching and Learning |
CONTRIBUTION TO THE COMMUNITY - INVITED GUEST SPEAKERS & SEMINARS
WORKSHOP TO MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
