RSU lecturers look back on studies at the University at Buffalo

On June 6, the closing event of a programme that took place at the University at Buffalo was held in the Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU) Senate Hall. The programme participants from RSU were in attendance including lecturers, the Rector, Vice-Rectors, representatives of the Centre for Pedagogical Growth, the Study Innovation Project Unit and the Human Resources Department. This IT excellence programme is financed by EU structural funds and coordinated by RTU Riga Business School and has been implemented since 2019. 14 lecturers from the RSU Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, European Studies and Communication, as well as the IT and Research Departments have learned digital skills as part of the programme.

Participants acquired information and communication technology skills and strengthened their paedagogical competence during one academic semester at the University at Buffalo, New York.

‘We live in a time when the development of information technologies has a profound effect on our lives. Artificial intelligence has already shown how rapidly the way we retrieve information, analyse data, and make decisions is changing. Digitisation and interdisciplinarity is what should be highlighted when talking about the cooperation between Rīga Stradiņš University and the University at Buffalo, which is one of the most highly rated universities in the field of technology education in the USA,’ RSU Rector Prof. Aigars Pētersons emphasised in his speech. He expressed his hope that the participants retain the inspiration they got at Buffalo and share it among their colleagues at RSU.

Assoc. Prof. Nora Jansone-Ratinika, Director of the Centre for Educational Growth (CEG), presented a summary of the skills and knowledge that the programme participants obtained, the contribution this would have to the modernisation of study programmes at RSU, and future development plans. Lecturers have enhanced their competence by honing digital, paedagogical, and cooperation skills in order to be able to design study courses better, to organise engaging, creative and research-based learning process, as well as to assess achieved learning outcomes. The graduates of the programme have acquired a wide network of inter-university contacts, which will open up opportunities to implement innovative ideas at RSU.

It was important to be able to compare and validate the paedagogical approaches implemented at RSU and the University at Buffalo. The feedback from the participants of the programme shows that the implementation of the study process at RSU is in line with international trends in higher education. The quality of the study process at RSU, the competence of the lecturers and the systemic work invested in the development of paedagogical skills are reflected in the fact that the learning process in Buffalo has been conducted in equal partnership with the US faculty, i.e. by acquiring new skills, drawing inspiration, as well as sharing experience and advice on innovations in university pedagogy implemented in Latvia. 

Participants appreciated RSU's support for their participation in the programme by paying for study leave during their studies in the USA. This allowed them to spend all their time on the programme without having to combine this time with work commitments. 

Participants Līga Ozoliņa, Rudīte Koka and Līga Savicka shared their experience at the event. Each speaker spoke about their unique impressions and achievements.

Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Communication Līga Ozoliņa revealed that based on what she had learned regarding paedagogical work, she had adjusted how she designed lectures and had diversified her methods and approaches to working with students. She also participated in the training on study course descriptions organised by the CEG. Ozoliņa has started conducting a new CEG course aimed at developing the capacity and skills of lecturers to look at their course differently, thinking about more dynamic and rigorous content. The Buffalo experience was permeated by the idea of creating a support unit for lecturers to create teaching videos which the IT Department, in collaboration with the CEG, has already started to implement.

In speaking about her experience, Associate Professor at the RSU Department of Biology and Microbiology Rudīte Koka, emphasised that the opportunity to play two roles had been important to her: one was as a student, carefully completing tasks and learning, and the other was to investigate and understand the working methods, communication, and approach that lecturers at the University at Buffalo had. Koka emphasised that she uses the experience she has acquired in her work at the department, at the School of Junior Academics, at CEG seminars and shares it with her colleagues.

Doctoral student Līga Savicka, Acting Researcher at the RSU Department of Rehabilitation, said that what she learned at the University at Buffalo has resulted in a study course that she plans to implement for audiology and speech therapy students at the Department of Rehabilitation. She had the opportunity to work in a project implemented by the National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Research Institute at the University at Buffalo, which is developing artificial intelligence technologies to screen for and treat various speech and language disorders in children. This has led to a close collaboration with one of the heads of the institute, Prof. Jinjun Xiong, who will visit RSU in July to discuss research collaboration opportunities between RSU and the University at Buffalo.

Recordings of the experiences all programme participants shared

RSU invited a guest from RTU Riga Business School Linda Sinka to share her experience while studying in a two-year Fulbright US Scholar Master’s programme, Instructional Design and Technology. Sinka is an expert in technology education and a project manager at the RTU Riga Business School, who is currently supervising the implementation of Harvard University's CS50 course in Latvian secondary schools. Additionally, she participates in various initiatives to upgrade students' and teachers' competence in technologies. Sinka expressed appreciation for what she had heard, seen and felt at the event and concluded that the team from RSU is doing a great job and wished them success in teaching and in developing and implementing various technologies.

The participants of the event were united in the belief that the knowledge and skills they had acquired was significant benefit to them and was a great contribution to them individually and to the study process at RSU as a whole.