AI Championship Workshops and New Global Impact in Africa and Asia
Last week was exceptionally productive for the IT Didactics Research Group at TalTech IT College, marking new milestones in both teaching innovation and international collaboration.
On 22 October, Prof. Janika Leoste led the workshop “Practical Examples of Using ChatGPT as a Didactic Teaching Tool for Lecturers” in Estonian, followed by Prof. Slavko Rakić, who delivered the same workshop in English on 23 October. These sessions, held within the AI Championship Program, focused on how educators can effectively integrate ChatGPT and other generative AI tools into their teaching and learning practices. Participants explored how to create a “mini-you” — a personalized AI teaching assistant — and discussed ethical and pedagogical frameworks for AI integration.
Both workshops also presented new research outputs from ongoing projects — KOHTO25, which develops hybrid intelligent assessment methods, and DITEC, which focuses on upskilling students for the future job market. With nearly 70 participants across two sessions, the strong interest at TalTech demonstrated the growing momentum for applying AI didactics in higher education.
Today, the group’s impact reached an even broader scale. The IT Didactics Research Group has received new funding for a project titled “Comparative Study on ICT Competencies and Labour Market Needs in the Context of Kenya, Nigeria, and Armenia.” Funded by the Estonian Centre for International Development (ESTDEV), this initiative will extend TalTech’s expertise beyond Europe — fostering collaboration with universities in Kenya, companies in Nigeria, and organizations in Armenia. The project aims to map digital skill gaps and co-design learning tools that prepare youth for future labour markets across Africa and Asia.
Meanwhile, preparations are underway for the group’s next major engagement — participation in the Industry Round Table on **DITEC at Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences, taking place from 3–4 November.
Through these continued efforts, the IT Didactics Research Group strengthens its mission to build a global network of educators, researchers, and innovators advancing AI-driven learning and assessment.