Teaching and Learning Center
The Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) ‘Teaching Economics in the Digital Era’, developed as part of the Connect-UNITA initiative and in collaboration with European partner universities, is a training course designed to provide teachers, technical and administrative staff, and public administration employees with operational skills that can be immediately applied in the use of artificial intelligence in the teaching of economics.
The core of the programme is highly practical, workshop-based training, divided into online activities (April 2026 - December 2026) and a face-to-face phase (January 2027). Participants will directly experiment with AI tools for lesson planning, creating teaching materials, building economic simulations, personalising learning, automated assessment and student data analysis. The aim is not only to learn about emerging technologies, but also to learn how to integrate them in a pedagogically informed way, designing innovative activities, exercises and feedback systems.
At the same time, the BIP aims to promote the ability to design and develop international educational programmes, such as COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning) or future BIPs (Blended Intensive Programmes), encouraging collaboration between teachers from different universities and the creation of shared modules at a transnational level. In this sense, the programme combines the acquisition of technical skills in AI with a strategic vision of the internationalisation of teaching, preparing participants to develop innovative, digital and collaborative projects in the European higher education context.
You can register for the BIP by filling out the form available at the link:
https://forms.gle/gcLVsw4r3fQey6bm9
Participation is free of charge.
The Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) ‘Teaching Economics in the Digital Era’ aims to develop advanced skills in university economics teaching, with a particular focus on the conscious and critical integration of digital tools and artificial intelligence-based technologies.
Te main educational objectives of the programme are:
- To develop digital and methodological skills for teaching economics, providing participants with practical knowledge of the main innovative platforms and tools (AI-based tools, gamification tools, simulation environments, data analysis and automated assessment tools).
- To strengthen the ability to design interactive and personalised learning environments that meet the needs of new generations of students (particularly Generation Z), promoting engagement, active learning and participation.
- Integrate artificial intelligence into educational design, both in content creation (lesson planning, teaching materials, simulations) and in assessment and feedback processes, developing a pedagogically sound and responsible approach to the use of AI.
- Promote the international and collaborative dimension of university teaching through the design of COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning) courses and other transnational formats, encouraging cooperation between lecturers at partner universities.
- Develop skills in the design of blended and transdisciplinary training programmes capable of integrating online and face-to-face activities, advanced digital tools and innovative methodologies.
Each lesson consists of two hours of online teaching. The events will be broadcast on the Cisco Webex Meetings videoconferencing platform (https://unito.webex.com/meet/angela.ambrosino), recorded and made available on the course's Moodle page. The training will also be accompanied by teaching materials and ongoing tests provided by the lecturer responsible for each module.
Module 1 – AI and innovation in university teaching
- AI in Higher Education: tools, applications and initial experiments
- Integration of AI tools in economics teaching
Main contents: overview of artificial intelligence tools for higher education, practical use of AI applications for lesson planning, content creation and learning support.
Module 2 – International and blended learning design
- Designing International and Blended Learning
Main contents: COIL and BIP methodologies, instructional design for international environments, designing collaborative online and blended learning pathways.
Module 3 – AI for Data Analysis in Economics
- AI Tools for Data Analytics
- Applied AI Lab
Main contents: AI tools for economic data analysis and visualisation, predictive analytics applications, guided laboratory activities.
Module 4 – Economic Modelling and Simulations
- Introduction to NetLogo for Economic Modelling
- Building Agent-Based Models with NetLogo
Main contents: agent-based modelling, use of NetLogo for economic simulations, development of application models.
Module 5 – AI and digital tools for educational innovation
- Einaudi Digital Human in Teaching
Main contents: use of advanced digital tools for educational interaction, experimentation with innovative formats for teaching economics.
Further reading
- Scientific articles and contributions on AI and economics teaching.
- External videos and tutorials on the tools presented.
- Digital resources and case studies for independent application.
| Corso | Docente | Data |
|---|---|---|
| Modulo 1- AI in Higher Education: Tools, Applications, and First Experiments | Sonia Val (Universidad de Zaragoza) | 7 April 9:00-11:00 |
| Module 2 - Designing International and Blended Learning | Pilar Pastor (Universidad de Zaragoza) | 9 April 10:00-12:00 |
| Module 3 - AI Tools for Data Analytics | Claudiu Brandas (University of Timisoara) | 23 April 15:00-17:00 |
| Module 3 - Applied AI Lab | Claudiu Brandas (University of Timisoara) | 24 April 15:00-17:00 |
| Module 1 - Integrating AI Tools in Economics Education | Nicoleta Sirghi and Ioana Vadasan (Univ. of Timisoara) | 30 April 10:00-12:00 |
| Module 4 - Introduction to NetLogo for Economic Modeling | Juan Perote (Universidad de Zaragoza) | 7 May 16:00-18:00 |
| Module 4 - Building Agent-Based Models with NetLogo | Juan Perote (Universidad de Zaragoza) | 21 May 16:00-18:00 |
| Module 5 - Einaudi Digital Human in Teaching | Federico Pugliese (Fondazione Einaudi di Torino) | 2 July 10:00-12:00 |
| Module 5 - Einaudi Digital Human in Teaching | Federico Pugliese (Fondazione Einaudi di Torino) | 3 July 10:00-12:00 |
In January 2027, five days of in-person training will be organised, with approximately four hours of classroom teaching and four hours of workshop activities per day.
Dates: 25–29 January 2027
Further information will be published in the autumn.
At the end of the course, an Open Badge will be awarded upon fulfilment of the following attendance requirements.
For online attendance only (part I)
- 50% attendance of video lessons, plus having made up at least an additional 20% of recorded online lessons by completing the related activities.
For the full Badge (part I online + part II in person):
- 50% attendance of video lessons, plus having made up at least an additional 20% of recorded online lessons by completing the related activities,
- having participated in face-to-face lessons and activities for at least 70% of the scheduled training hours. In addition, it is necessary to have completed the final assessment, which will focus on the practical application of the tools learned for the creation of COIL projects for students or the practical application of the tools to work tasks.
UNITA Partner Universities
- West University of Timisoara (Romania)
- Universidade da Beira Interior (Portugal)
- Universidad de Zaragoza (Spain)
- Universidad Pública de Navarra (Spain)
Other Partner Universities
- Université Lumière Lyon 2 (France)
- Universidad de Barcelona (Spain)
Scientific Committee
- Angela Ambrosino, Department of Economics and Statistics “Cognetti de Martiis”
- Mario Cedrini, Department of Economics and Statistics “Cognetti de Martiis”
- Emanuela Maria Teresa Torre, Teaching and Learning Centre
