Teaching support

Instructional design is at the heart of what we do. The team of Instructional designers is available to help PhD teachers and TAs create coherent, effective lectures, courses, and activities that are focused on learning goals. We offer support at every stage of the design process, from defining training needs to final evaluation.

Areas of support and personalized consulting:

• Design of individual activities, lessons, or entire courses
• (Re-)definition of learning objectives
• Drafting of syllabi and accessible teaching materials
• Clear and effective course structure in iCorsi (Moodle)
• Integration of digital tools into your course

Our expertise in innovative teaching strategies is based on solid knowledge of adult learning and experience with practices that enrich and optimize the learning process. We guide you in discovering and adopting the strategies best suited to your learners, the specific context, and the educational objectives of the course.

Areas of support and personalized consulting:

• Stimulating active participation in the classroom (large and small groups)
• Effective management of working groups
• Facilitating dialogue and discussion among students
• Designing practical and collaborative activities
• Using digital tools to innovate teaching

eLab actively supports the USI academic community in the design, implementation and management of exams, offering targeted assistance at every stage of the process. In particular, our team is active for:

• teaching consultancy for the creation of exams (online and in other formats)
• technical support in creating and setting up online exams in iCorsi, which can be organised either in computer classrooms or in Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) mode, i.e. using students' elctronic devices
• simulations for iCorsi exams
• management of technical emergencies during online exams

Visit the section dedicated to exam support to find resources and practical advice for creating and managing exams.

We provide expertise in the use of digital tools and platforms to support learning and make teaching more interactive, inclusive, and collaborative. We support teachers in integrating technology, offering tailor-made solutions to meet the specific needs of the educational context.

Areas of support and personalized consulting:

• Tools for interactivity (synchronous and asynchronous)
• Promotion of active participation in the classroom
• Collaboration between students
• Creation of multimedia and interactive content
• Alternative student assessment
• Integration of accessible and inclusive teaching practices
   

Explore our collection of tools and platforms made available to the USI community.

iCorsi (based on Moodle) is the main platform used by USI for course management, distribution of course materials, creation of interactive learning experiences, and the creation and management of online exams. We offer technical and educational support to teachers: from structuring the course in the digital space to managing educational activities and online exams. We are here to help you maximize the effectiveness of the platform, adapt it to your needs, and discover its full potential to ensure an effective and smooth teaching experience.

Areas of support and personalized consulting

• Clear, structured, and effective course design on iCorsi
• Configuration of quizzes, assignments, forums, and other interactive activities
• Creation and setup of exams within the platform
• Organization of working groups and design of collaborative activities
• Integration of additional tools (plug-ins) to expand the available functionality
• Technical assistance for resolving issues related to the use of the platform
• Management of technical emergencies during online exams
   

Access to iCorsi.
Find more information on iCorsi at the section dedicated to our tools and platforms.
Check out our FAQs on iCorsi.

Our expertise in Artificial Intelligence (AI) spans multiple levels: didactical, technical, and legal. We are able to support faculty in designing courses and teaching activities that take AI into account, provide technical advice for the implementation of AI-based solutions, and guide the USI community on digital law and ethics related to the use of AI.

Areas of support and customized consulting:

• Designing courses and activities based on the intended use of AI
• Adapting assignments and exams to the AI era
• Learning about AI-based tools and applications
• Creating customized virtual assistants
• Ethics and legal regulations related to the use of AI
• Data protection in AI-based solutions

Visit the GenAIEdu platform to discover practical guidance and resources related to AI in higher education.

Our expertise in digital inclusion and e-Accessibility focuses on creating digital materials and resources that are accessible to everyone, promoting an inclusive and barrier-free digital learning environment. We have solid knowledge of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and can support teachers in creating and adapting digital materials to make content accessible, responding to the learning needs and requirements of all students.

Areas of support and personalized consulting

• Raising awareness of special educational needs and support in creating materials suitable for students with special educational needs
• Creation, adaptation, and verification of accessible digital materials (Word documents, PDFs, PPTs, videos, audio, etc.)
• Usability and accessibility testing of the course in iCorsi
• Integration of assistive technologies (e.g., screen readers)

Gamification is a methodology that uses game elements to increase motivation and interactivity in learning. We support teachers in integrating gamification into their teaching activities, adapting content and teaching methods to engage students in a fun and stimulating way, responding to their different needs and learning styles. We are also available to create interactive and customized eLearning activities and modules with gamification elements to offer stimulating and dynamic digital learning experiences.

Areas of support and customized consulting

• Design and/or integration of gamified activities (games, quizzes, challenges, etc.) into your courses
• Creation of eLearning modules suitable for asynchronous learning and independent study
• Promotion of game dynamics to encourage collaborative learning
• Integration of digital tools to stimulate active participation in the classroom

Over the past two years, interesting opportunities for integrating digital technologies have emerged not only at the level of individual courses, but also at the level of entire programmes, as well as the opportunity/need for important interventions to support innovation in education.
In order not to lose this experience and energy, the Call for Projects for Innovation in Teaching has been published, addressed to teachers and Bachelor and Master programmes of all USI Faculties. This call aims to support extraordinary initiatives for innovation and the promotion of quality in education at USI.

Projects funded in the fourth call (December 2023)

In the fourth call 7 project proposals were received. The following ones were approved for funding, submitted by:

1. Ettore Augusto Contro (Academy of architecture), for the purchase of two filament printers Ultimaker S5 for the FabLab of the Academy of architecture;
2. Greta Guarda (Faculty of Biomedical Sciences), for a feasibility study for the design of a two-year Master in "Biomedicine";
3. Nicoletta Fornara and Anna Picco-Schwendener (Faculty of Communication, Culture and Society), for the production of online training content on Generative AI for lecturers at USI;
4. Lucia Aguirre (Faculty of Communication, Culture and Society), for the development of a digital portfolio of teaching tools to support students’ group work .