The University of Western Macedonia (UOWM) was established in 2002 as a ‘public body’ of Higher Education situated in the north-west part of Greece. Until 2018, UOWM included disciplines and departments from three main Faculties. However, with the law of 4610/2019 UOWM included 7 faculties (i.e., Faculty of Engineering; Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities; Faculty of Fine Arts, Faculty of Economic Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Faculty of Health Sciences) and 22 departments in five cities of West Macedonia (i.e., Kozani, Florina, Kastoria, Grevena, Ptolemaida).
The UOWM consistently attains to provide students with quality and systematic studies combined with educational innovations applied during the study courses. It also provides them with the opportunity to acquire a general education and a strong scientific background of both knowledge and skills, which are prerequisites for their later professional and scientific path; particularly focusing on the cultivation of Critical Thinking skills and dispositions on part of the students. The UOWM will be responsible for the Project Management and Implementation, the development of CT teacher and labor market trainers corporate training packages as well as for delivering the Learning, Teaching, and Training activity to the partnership.
STAFF
Dimitris Pnevmatikos is a Professor of Developmental Psychology (coordinator). He is specialized in cognitive, emotional and social aspects of human development and their applications in learning and instruction. He will analyse psychological aspects regarding the evaluation and assessment of CT. Moreover, he will be responsible for introducing innovative instructional approaches for the implementation of CT such as the Values and Knowledge Education (VaKE) model during the LTTA. Further, he has previous experience in project management of previous EU funded and nationally funded projects, while he served as a member of the EARLI executive committee.
Aikaterini Dimitriadou is a Professor of Teaching Methodology. She has been scientifically responsible for UOWM in the preceding Erasmus+ funded CRITHINKEDU project. Additionally, her expertise and experience focus, among others, on teaching innovative instructional approaches and strategies for the promotion of CT. Moreover, due to her expertise in teachers’ training and professional development, she will be involved in the training of HE instructors and labour market tutors during the LTTA.
Anna Spyrtou is an Assoc. Professor of Science Education. She specializes in teaching-learning sequences, nanotechnology education, science pedagogical content knowledge as well as development of science educational materials. She will teach inquiry based and experiential learning of Science with regard to CT and how nanotechnology education can be exploited at the level of primary school in link with CT. She could design, develop and implement CT blended apprenticeships curricula emphasizing, among others, on the context of Nanotechnology.
Penelope Papadopoulou is an Associate Professor of Biological Education. She is an expert in teaching Environmental/Sustainability Education within Higher Education, in-service teacher training and schools. She could design, develop and implement CT blended apprenticeships curricula emphasizing on the context of Environmental/Sustainability Education.
Anastastios Papanikolaou is an Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies at the Department of Primary Education, University of Western Macedonia. Among his research interests are Instruction in the field of Environmental Studies, Responsible Environmental Behavior, non-formal and informal Environmental Education.
Triantafyllia Georgiadou is an adjunct professor of Developmental Psychology. Among her scientific interests are cognitive, emotional and moral development across the lifespan, while she offers courses on reasoning and critical thinking skills. Due to her expertise she will be engaged in the preparation of the training packages for HE instructors and labour market tutors among others.
Angeliki Lithoxoidou is an adjunct professor in Pedagogy. Her main research interests focus on conflict resolution in school settings through the development of students’ social, emotional, interpersonal and Critical Thinking skills by employing contemporary teaching methodologies.
Panagiota Christodoulou is a Ph.D. student. Her interests focus, among others, on the exploitation of social robotics and innovative instructional approaches (e.g., VaKE) for the development of critical thinking skills and dispositions to children and adolescents. Further, she has been responsible for local project management, implementation and dissemination activities of a Horizon 2020 project (No 709515) as well as of a project funded by the National Strategic Reference Framework 2014-2020 (MIS:5051039). Finally, she has been engaged in the organisation committees of national and international conferences and events (e.g., JURE EARLI 2021).
