Over the past year, CELT has revamped the UTQ Trajectory with mandatory professional development courses across key teaching competencies, including Educational Design, Practical Teaching Approaches, Assessment, and Evaluation. Recognizing the importance of deeper professionalization as a competency in Higher Education, coaching sessions have been introduced, emphasizing educational vision, team collaboration, and reflective practice. These efforts culminated in creative deliverables, where educators showcased their ingenuity through podcasts, video series, and other formats. In this interview, Christina Kolb and Anete Veidemane (BMS) reflect on their growth and share insights into their creative deliverable, aiming to inspire you in completing Competence 5.
1) What did you learn about yourself as an educator during the process of working on this deliverable?
Anete: Competence 5 allowed me to learn from peers and see how our interests both overlap and differ. I'm interested in the practical elements of teaching in the classroom but also the more theoretical aspects of learning theories and how human biology and the learning environment affect the learning process. We rarely talk about this in teacher training, but I think there's a lot of potential to incorporate that information into teaching practices. Moreover, I enjoyed learning from other teachers and had a really good connection with Christina. We agreed early on that giving students more control over their work, driven by their interests, creates a meaningful and rewarding learning experience.
Christina: Working on this deliverable highlighted the importance of reflecting on my teaching practices while embracing creativity to better engage students. I found that allowing students to choose case studies based on their interests—whether professional or personal—fosters intrinsic motivation and helps them apply knowledge to new contexts. Student feedback indicated that they valued working on meaningful topics, and I observed an improvement in knowledge transfer as they applied their learning to other cases. This reinforced the value of a student-centred, interactive learning environment.
2) How did you find the process of creating a video as part of your professional development?
Anete: The video podcast project was stimulating, and we considered multiple formats for our video, ranging from a comedy/parody to interviewing students on campus or teachers who recently received teaching awards. However, after reading the requirements again, it was clear that the assignment was still fairly structured, so we settled for a simpler video format on Zoom.
Christina: I enjoyed the process because it was different from other projects, offering flexibility in choosing formats such as a podcast or a video. Creating the video podcast, which took about four weeks from December, was a valuable experience. Anete and I worked in a relaxed, creative atmosphere, keeping it informal to be authentic within the video. The rubric provided guidance on key questions while still allowing us to add our personal touch. Recording felt natural and struck a good balance between structure and creativity.
3) What motivated you to collaborate on this project, and how did the collaboration impact your teaching?
Anete: For me, the collaboration was driven by a personal connection. I loved Christina’s energy and sense of humour—it made the process fun and enjoyable. Yet, it quickly became clear that we shared a deep interest in student-centred teaching. I also appreciated how we exchanged practical strategies, like handling specific teaching challenges such as supervising less motivated students and success cases like Christina’s work with Ukrainian students modeling the Russia-Ukraine conflict. These discussions added real-world relevance to our project.
Christina: I was motivated to collaborate with Anete because we shared similar teaching philosophies, and I appreciated the different perspectives she brought. We often challenged each other with critical questions, which helped us reflect more deeply on our approaches. Working together was enriching, and I think our informal interactions—like participating as a running team in the Batavierenrace—added to the sense of trust and openness. It was great to discuss not only our teaching successes but also the challenges, and I learned a lot from these conversations.
4) In what ways has completing this creative deliverable contributed to your overall professional growth?
Anete: Working with someone from a different discipline allowed me to see both the overlaps and differences in our approaches, which was enlightening. I’ve always known that feedback is essential for learning, but this process reinforced just how valuable it is to learn alongside someone else. The collaboration wasn’t just productive—it was also fun and inspiring, and it reminded me why I love being part of an academic community.
Christina: This deliverable helped me reflect more deeply on my teaching practices, especially because I had Anete as a partner to share the process with. Reflecting collaboratively brought fresh insights and supported the choices I make as an educator. Discussing our approaches and exchanging ideas with Anete helped me refine my teaching strategies to further engage my students.
5) What are your future plans? What is your advice to other UTQ-participants?
Anete: I’m working on a proposal for transformative learning that empowers students, teachers, and leadership to collaborate on educational plans, giving students a stronger voice in shaping their education. My advice is to work in pairs or groups with someone you connect with, as it makes the process more enjoyable and enriching. Collaboration fosters meaningful feedback, deeper understanding, and a more engaging experience.
Christina: I plan to refine my courses by adding foundational content and considering students’ prior knowledge. Teaching professionals from different industries showed me the importance of assessing their backgrounds before introducing new material. My advice for UTQ participants is to openly communicate their needs, as trainers are flexible and can tailor sessions to their interests, making the experience more valuable.
