Universities must increasingly look beyond their own boundaries, addressing not only their students but also involving people who are not enrolled at the University in free, accessible online learning programmes. A network of universities has joined forces to develop learning pathways using Artificial Intelligence and digital technologies, with a view to inclusive, innovative and human-centred education that places the individual at the heart of the learning process. A flagship element of the project is the creation of a centre for the design, development and distribution of these courses.
Bicocca-DEH (Digital Education Hub) is part of this initiative. The project is promoted by the University of Milano-Bicocca and Fondazione Bicocca within the national ALMA network (Advanced Learning Multimedia Alliance for Inclusive Academic Innovation). ALMA is one of the three national Digital Education Hubs funded through the NRRP and has received funding of €24 million, of which €1.67 million has been allocated to the Milan-based University.
Bicocca-DEH was presented during the event “LOOKING FORWARD: Academic Human-Centered Education”, promoted by the University and the Foundation and held this morning at the Bicocca Pavilion. The event focused on the role of Artificial Intelligence in university teaching and included institutional addresses, a round table and workshops. Participants included Marco Emilio Orlandi, Rector of the University of Milano-Bicocca; Giovanna Iannantuoni, President of Fondazione Bicocca; Enrica Porcari, Chief Information Officer (CIO) at CERN; Mauro Calise, Honorary President of Federica Web Learning at the University of Naples Federico II; Nicola Leone, Director of the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory and former Rector of the University of Calabria; Cristina Palmieri, Pro-Rector for Education at Milano-Bicocca; Maurizio Casiraghi, Rector’s Delegate for Technologies Supporting Education and scientific coordinator of the project; and Massimo Sideri, journalist, columnist and correspondent for Corriere della Sera.
The Digital Education Hub (DEH) of the University of Milano-Bicocca is a project dedicated to inclusive educational innovation and the development of digital skills for lifelong learning. The MOOCs produced are available online, free of charge and open to the public, with the possibility of obtaining certificates and participation badges. The aim is to make digital education a tool for personal and professional growth for everyone. As part of the project, a technologically advanced recording and multimedia production studio will also be inaugurated shortly. Its main facility will be located in Building U1 “Atlas” on the Milan campus, with additional facilities in other buildings and at the Monza campus. The recording and production studio will be named after Marco Bondi, former Head of Digital Services for Education, who died two years ago.
ALMA-DEH is a network comprising 13 Italian public universities, including Milano-Bicocca, and the Academy of Fine Arts of Naples, with the University of Naples Federico II as lead institution. ALMA’s objective is to create a national ecosystem for university digital education based on open online learning, educational innovation, micro-credentials, lifelong learning, artificial intelligence applied to education, accessibility and inclusion. The Milan-based University leads the Micro-Credential Observatory, focusing on digital certificates that attest to the acquisition of transferable skills, lifelong learning and professional development achieved through modular and flexible learning pathways, providing a bridge between universities and the world of work.
The Bicocca Digital Education Hub and the other ALMA projects are based on six pillars:
- Modularity and scalability: learning pathways accessible without geographical limitations and easily combined
- Convergence: integration between in-person and online learning
- Openness: education open to audiences outside the University
- Knowledge building: training for teaching and administrative staff in digital education
- Interactivity and AI: use of artificial intelligence to improve learning and student engagement
- Sharing of expertise: exchange of practices and resources among universities in the network
ALMA-DEH will ensure the creation of 100 MOOCs — Massive Open Online Courses, open online courses accessible to everyone — 50 digital resources for university programmes and 50 digital resources for lifelong learning. It will constitute a fully developed national infrastructure for digital education. At least 80,000 participants throughout Italy are expected to take part in the learning programmes.
Among the resources currently available on the Milano-Bicocca project webpage and produced at the University are four MOOCs: “Open Badges and Micro-credentials: Understanding, Evaluating and Designing”; “Biodiversity”; “Exploring Human Anatomy in 3D”; and “Video Production Course for e-Learning”, as well as the webinar “AI and Universal Design for Learning: Possible Connections between Guidelines, Strategies and Inclusive Practices”.
«The Digital Education Hub is a tool through which the University makes its knowledge available to anyone wishing to access new learning opportunities,» said Marco Emilio Orlandi, Rector of the University of Milano-Bicocca. «Knowledge is a public good and, as such, it concerns not only the University’s students, but also those who, at different stages of life, wish to continue learning and update their skills.»
«Artificial intelligence has already entered educational settings, and the real challenge is not to chase after it, but to place it within a hierarchy of educational values,» said Giovanna Iannantuoni, President of Fondazione Bicocca. «Innovation does not mean making faster what once required effort, discussion, doubt and error, but using technology to strengthen skills, autonomy, critical awareness and freedom. The Digital Education Hub was also created for this purpose: to place digital tools at the service of people, the quality of learning and genuinely inclusive education.»