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Internationalization of Higher Education is one of the key trends of development. Security and Defence Education aims to prepare highly specialized military (officers) and civilian personnel who are able to operate in national as well as international environments with colleagues and people of different nationalities and sometimes in a very complex context. For this reason, it is extremely important to strengthen the internationalization process in Higher Education, using traditional and virtual modalities, in order to allow students to develop skills, to create collaborations and networks. This paper answers to the research question what initiatives and policies of internationalization can be developed, and how, in order to enhance the European Security and Defence Higher Education, by analyzing and discussing the intensive internationalization experiences of the University of Turin with the Education and Training Command and School of Applied Military Studies in the last seven academic years at different levels: students, teachers and staff, Institutions. Several data collected during this period allow to understand how the direction of actions has changed, which difficulties were encountered, and which solutions can be found. This research can be considered a useful example for those who want to increase the internationalization of Security and Defence Higher Education especially in this new digital era. [For the full proceedings, see ED621892.]

One of the fields in which internationalization plays a pivotal role in today's world is education, with internationally developed study programs enrolled by students from various countries. While such kinds of collaborations allow for fostering unity especially when digital learning accompanies them, we also have to take into account how some entities may be more interested in spreading dissension than supporting collaboration. Actions such as these often fall under the category of "hybrid warfare", which includes all the efforts aimed at behaving with hostility, without relying uniquely on military strength; a significant portion of these makes use of digital instruments. In this research, we examine an event part of a project specifically devoted to educating in hybrid warfare. In particular, we focused on how it was able to internationally improve collaboration and mutual understanding, with the aim of providing general guidance to different teaching and learning initiatives where e-learning plays a role. We conducted a survey among military and civilian students participating in the event, detecting appreciable effects on interaction, respect, observation, and understanding. Participants deemed these aspects as important both for setting the stage for sector-specific collaboration and their personal experience. This research is part of the activities undertaken in the European project HYBRID, whose goal is promoting awareness of all the practices related to hybrid warfare and their interpretation, also by using digital didactics and tools, including the not less important purpose of being able to defend from them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The educational environment and the panorama of training in the digital age and after the Covid pandemic are dotted with numerous elements and objects, from the traditional to the innovative. In some situations, we see a return to face-to-face teaching, with the teacher identified as a public speaker and facilitator at the same time; in others, we see the creation of specific IT structures for the management of all blended and online teaching. The scenarios in which officers work with civilians have also changed considerably, as they are expected to work together in the context of hybrid warfare. It is important to understand what is the best practice in security and defence education given today's needs. The answer lies in the need to create some learning processes that are usable and flexible in certain contexts, such as laboratories for experimenting with new forms of learning and innovative pedagogies. In Security and Defence education, this is even more important because civilian and military graduates are expected to face ever-changing challenges and to be able to work together. This paper explores how civil-military cooperation skills can be developed in an international context during during the basic training and education at Higher Education. Blended and collaborative learning using a digital environment were the key methodologies for an international school involving civilian and military students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of digital tools in teaching and learning has become increasingly common in recent years. Even prior to 2020, their usage was steadily growing, but the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in the early part of the current decade significantly accelerated their adoption. This trend has persisted even as the virus is no longer a pressing emergency, indicating that certain changes will have a lasting impact. Utilizing digital tools in education offers advantages, but it also presents challenges. Transitioning from using computers and other devices for everyday purposes to incorporating them into educational contexts is not as straightforward. In this research, we examine how students perceive higher education during the transition prompted by the pandemic. We conducted a survey among military and civilian students enrolled in security and defence studies, focusing on their experiences and perceptions as they undergo significant changes in their educational routines. Analysis of the questionnaire revealed that students encountered difficulties in various aspects, including establishing connections with teachers and experiencing the same level of engagement when unable to interact with them in person. An increase in the students' perception of digital competencies was detected. This research is part of the activities undertaken in the European project DIGICODE, which aims to enhance the quality of education in security and defence by promoting the proper use of digital tools and fostering the development of digital competencies among both students and teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 hastened a trend that was already ongoing before the pandemic outbreak: the progressively increasing use of distance and online teaching and learning, alongside with lectures and classes. The potentialities of online teaching allowed a didactic continuity that would have been impossible otherwise, and this approach is likely to be maintained even after COVID-19 related restrictions end. From these remarks, it immediately follows that it is of great importance that teachers, students and other personnel, such as technicians and program managers, possess digital skills devoted to education. In the context of security and defence, areas with a strong international vocation, these skills are even more valuable. This research investigates the impact of COVID-19 on education in these contexts: the changes caused by the pandemic, the teachers' perception about some aspects of their job, such as the way they relate with students, and their ability to perform the same commitments in a different scenario. The research has been conducted based on the analysis of an online anonymous questionnaire with more than 500 responses. Results suggested the importance of the development of a training devoted to improving teachers' digital skills, since they live frontline in education, and they have been directly impacted by disruptive changes. This study is part of the European project Digital Competences for Improving Security and Defence Education - DIGICODE. Pursuing to the Digital Education Action Plan, the project aims at improving education quality in security and defence, by means of digital tools in didactics, and the development of teachers' professional competences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Every large organisation has to deal with institutional and professional learning, especially if it is responsible for the education and training of its own personnel. This paper presents the e-learning model, designed and developed in order to satisfy all potential educational needs in a lifelong learning perspective and to innovate the institutional learning in a modern work and operational environment within the Italian Army. This model is based on a long experience in the e-learning field gained through the years by the IT-Army Education and Training Command and School of Applied Military Studies - Turin with its Virtual Learning Centre and the University of Turin, which work together for the education of the officers. The e-learning model for the Army was developed in a multifunctional way, and it is human centered, because the idea is to consider the personnel under both aspects: as a provider and as a consumer of educational services. For these reasons a net of several interconnected portals was built each of them with a specific goal mainly based on MOODLE, the Learning Management System largely used by several universities, integrated with several tools. Special attention was given to defining user friendly solutions in order to ease surfing the net and to be used by a wide range of potential users, where all categories of personnel are involved, like Officers, NCOs, Volunteers and civilian staff. In the paper, a multidimensional analysis of the model is discussed with attention to three main dimensions: pedagogical, users' perspective and technical. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays a large organisation requires a solid and efficient system for managing the learning process of internal organisation in a lifelong learning perspective. The Italian Army decided to boost the lifelong learning concept for military personnel in a modern and digital way by using the elearning environment. This decision was based on the long experience of the Education and Training Command and School of Applied Military Studies (COMFOR-SA) Virtual Learning Centre (VLC) and its cooperation with the University of Turin in the field of e-learning. This cooperation allows to adopt innovative teaching and learning methods and enhance the internationalization program of the Bachelor and Master Degree in Strategic Sciences attended by Officers and civilian students. In order to reach the entire potential target audience, composed of all categories, such as Officers, NCOs and Volunteers, and to maximise the use of e-learning for different didactic purposes, a full spectrum lifelong e-learning project was developed. Initially, the focus was based on the development of a special Hub composed of the Portal for Self-Paced Courses in combination with the Portal of Knowledge and the Support Portal. Then, the User's E-portfolio and the Language Portal were added. The Hub expanded its area of competence and additional portals were created. All e-learning resources and activities were properly reorganised and structured in a full spectrum new concept for a more effective e-learning experience for all military education and training purposes. The aim of this paper is to present and discuss the structure of the project in terms of contents, design and solutions adopted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve education and to develop a stronger internationalization program, the Education and Training Command and School of Military Applied Studies of Turin and the University of Turin adopted a virtual learning environment as main tool within the Bachelor and Master Degree in Strategic Sciences for Military and Civilian students. A great number of modules of different subjects are available on a dedicated E-learning platform (MOODLE) where students receive additional contents, discuss with peers and are supported by teachers. Through interactive materials and different activities they can develop the capability of discerning, combining and applying the knowledge. These skills are very useful in the professional environment especially for a military officer and for civilians who are supposed to work in similar complex contexts. Thanks to this E-learning system education, programs such as the Military Erasmus, where military and civilian students of several European education institutions are involved are facilitated. Selected students share experiences, attend blended courses and finally can grow up with a common European feeling. In order to adopt this E-education the Education and Training Command and School of Military Applied Studies of Turin and the University of Turin invest time and effort into the training of teachers, developing new interactive materials and offers a custom helpdesk for a prompt and personalized support. This way of providing education is considered the best way for the future, because it prepares students for global changes and offers real opportunities of lifelong learning. Students' feedback is extremely positive and this encourages to continue with this kind of e-learning activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]