The 6th edition of the Sim+VE project, organised within the Master’s in Teaching (English specialisation) and designed by professors Laura Angelini and Rut Muñiz, has concluded. And it’s been an outstanding success. This programme, based on the COIL methodology (Collaborative Online International Learning), emphasised innovative approaches to collaborative and intercultural learning for future educators.
Participating Institutions included internationally renowned educational partners:
- Babeș-Bolyai University (Cluj-Napoca, Romania): A Central European institution celebrated for academic excellence in humanities and social sciences.
- University of Carthage (Tunisia): A leading North African university with strengths across diverse disciplines.
- Abdelhamid Ibn Badis University (Mostaganem, Algeria): Renowned for its focus on linguistic and pedagogical education.
- Uniwersytet Marii Curie-Skłodowskiej (Lublin, Poland): Distinguished for its research and teacher training legacy.
- Northeastern Illinois University (USA): A multicultural institution specialising in educator preparation.
Project Objectives focused on fostering collaborative learning around pressing educational topics such as classroom management, cyberbullying, AI integration, peace education, active methodologies, inclusion, and diversity. The initiative aimed to enhance participants’ pedagogical, linguistic, and English-teaching competencies, while promoting cultural understanding and global employability.
Implementation involved 102 participants (students, evaluators, and coordinators) across institutions. Twelve mixed teams collaborated to address challenges in the ‘School of Valtance’ simulation (V5) (see Springer publication), delivered over 4 weeks with the invaluable support of UNICOLLABORATION platform.
Key Outcomes:
- Advanced Teaching Skills: Participants developed expertise in teaching English in multicultural settings.
- Cross-Cultural Competence: Strengthened intercultural respect and collaboration.
- Professional Growth: Enhanced global career readiness through hands-on international experience.
- Institutional Synergy: Enriched knowledge exchange among partner universities.
Conclusion: Sim+VE not only achieved its pedagogical goals but also pioneered trends in ethical AI integration, peace education, and equity-centered methodologies. Its success highlights the critical role of international projects that merge technological innovation with intercultural sensitivity.