Report

PROFFORMANCE Online Peer Learning Activity 2026

Upgrade your course: Make it truly student-centred

Impact and Activity Report

1. Executive Summary

In 2026, the PROFFORMANCE team of the Tempus Public Foundation implemented the international Online Peer Learning Activity (PLA) “Upgrade your course: Make it truly student-centred” as part of the PROFFORMANCE Community Events.

The three-month professional learning programme supported higher education teachers in the practical development of their own courses through a combination of self-paced online learning, practical reflection and course development tasks, international peer exchange and expert consultations.

The programme addressed four priorities that are central to contemporary higher education:

Digitalisation | Internationalisation | Inclusion | Sustainability

The activity attracted 320 participants from more than 10 countries. More than 120 participants started the course, and more than 30 participants completed the programme and received a certificate. The Launch Webinar on 26 March attracted more than 120 international participants.

The programme was designed not as a conventional online training course, but as a practice-oriented development process: participants worked directly on one of their own university courses and were encouraged to translate the learning content into concrete course-level improvements.

The Online PLA also provided a bridge between the results developed through PROFFORMANCE+ and their continued use after the project's formal completion in December 2025. In this respect, the activity demonstrated how project tools, knowledge and professional networks can continue to generate value through community-based professional learning.

2. Objectives

The main objective was to support higher education teachers in redesigning and strengthening their own courses from a student-centred perspective.

The programme specifically aimed to:

• strengthen practical competences in student-centred course design;
• support teachers in reviewing and developing their own courses;
• integrate digitalisation, internationalisation, inclusion and sustainability into course design;
• promote reflection and exchange among higher education teachers from different countries and disciplines;
• provide access to international expertise and practical feedback;
• demonstrate the continued relevance and usability of PROFFORMANCE tools and resources;
• strengthen an international community of professionals committed to teaching excellence.

Participants were encouraged to work on a real course throughout the programme, thereby linking professional development directly to their everyday teaching practice.

3. Overview

Element	Key data
Activity	Online Peer Learning Activity
Title	Upgrade your course: Make it truly student-centred
Organiser	Tempus Public Foundation / PROFFORMANCE
Format	Online, self-paced learning + synchronous expert consultations
Language	English
Launch webinar	26 March 2026
Online programme	1 April–30 June 2026
Initial planned period	1 April–15 June 2026
Registrations	320
Countries represented	10+
Participants starting the course	120+
Certificates	30+
Thematic priorities	Digitalisation, Internationalisation, Inclusion, Sustainability
International experts	Jan Beseda, Irine Darchia, Silke Preymann, Bárbara Gabriel
Follow-up	Onsite PLA, Budapest, 27–29 October 2026

The final deadline was extended to 30 June following positive participant feedback and requests for additional time.

4. Implementation and Chronology

Preparation and launch – March 2026

The Online PLA was introduced through the Course Upgrade Launch Webinar on 26 March 2026.

More than 120 international participants joined the webinar. The event introduced the learning journey and the available PROFFORMANCE resources and included a joint testing of the PROFFORMANCE Assessment Tool (PAT). Participants were also introduced to good practices from the PROFFORMANCE Teaching Excellence Database.

The launch therefore served both as an introduction to the Online PLA and as an entry point into the wider PROFFORMANCE Community Events.

The online programme officially started on 1 April 2026.

5. Thematic Learning Journey

The programme was organised into four consecutive thematic phases. Each phase combined learning materials, exercises, quizzes, opportunities for discussion and expert support.

Module 1 – Digitalisation

17–30 April 2026

The first module addressed the purposeful and learner-centred use of digital tools.

Participants explored how digitalisation can support intended learning outcomes and how digital solutions can be integrated into course design rather than being used as an end in themselves.

Two expert consultations were organised on 17 and 23 April, led by Jan Beseda, Head of the PROFFORMANCE Digitalisation Development Working Group.

 

Module 2 – Internationalisation

1–15 May 2026

The second module focused on integrating international and intercultural dimensions into course design and teaching practice.

Participants examined how internationalisation can be embedded purposefully in their own courses and how it can contribute to developing globally aware and culturally competent learners.

Expert consultations were led by Irine Darchia, Head of the Development Working Group for Internationalisation, on 4, 8 and 11 May.

Module 3 – Inclusion

15–29 May 2026

The third module addressed the development of equitable, accessible and learner-centred learning environments.

Participants were encouraged to consider how course design can respond to diverse student needs and backgrounds and how inclusion can become an integral element of teaching and learning.

The expert consultations were led by Silke Preymann, Head of the PROFFORMANCE Development Group for Inclusion in Teaching and Learning, on 15 and 20 May.

Module 4 – Sustainability

29 May–12 June 2026

The fourth module focused on integrating sustainability principles into teaching and course design.

Participants reflected on how sustainability can be addressed through their own courses and how teaching can contribute to students' capacity to engage with sustainability-related challenges.

The consultations on 1 and 8 June were led by Bárbara Filipa Casqueira Coelho Gabriel, leader of the PROFFORMANCE Development Group for Sustainability in Teaching and Learning.

6. Finalisation and Extension

The final phase originally covered 12–15 June, with participants completing their remaining activities and submitting their assignments.

Following positive feedback and requests from participants, the submission deadline was extended to 30 June 2026. The extension allowed participants to complete the modules and assignments at their own pace while remaining eligible for certification and the follow-up onsite opportunity.

This adjustment was consistent with the flexible design of the programme. The minimum requirements corresponded to approximately three hours per module, while participants could engage more deeply through additional peer-learning activities, discussions and course development work.

7. Participation and Engagement

The programme demonstrated substantial international interest.

Quantitative reach

• 320 registrations
• participants from 10+ countries
• 120+ participants started the online course
• 30+ participants completed the requirements and received a certificate
• 120+ participants joined the Launch Webinar

These figures indicate a substantial conversion from initial interest into active participation, while the certified group represents the participants who completed the defined requirements.

The programme also attracted participants from a broad range of higher education contexts and disciplinary backgrounds, strengthening the value of international peer exchange.

8. Impact

The key impact of the Online PLA was the shift from learning about teaching to developing teaching practice.

Participants were not asked simply to acquire new knowledge. They worked on their own courses and used the four thematic modules to identify possible improvements and development opportunities.

The activity therefore contributed to five interconnected areas of impact:

1. Course-level development

The direct focus on participants' own courses created a clear pathway from professional learning to practical application.

2. Cross-cutting integration

Digitalisation, internationalisation, inclusion and sustainability were addressed as interconnected dimensions of course quality rather than as isolated topics.

3. International peer learning

Participants could compare experiences, challenges and solutions with colleagues from different countries and higher education contexts.

4. Expert-supported reflection

The four international experts provided opportunities for participants to discuss practical questions and receive guidance while working on their own courses.

5. Continued use of PROFFORMANCE results

The activity brought PROFFORMANCE tools, methodologies, examples and expert knowledge into active use within a new professional learning setting.

This final dimension is particularly relevant to the sustainability of the project results. The PROFFORMANCE+ project formally concluded in December 2025, while the Online PLA in 2026 demonstrated that the knowledge, tools and professional connections generated by the project could continue to support higher education professionals.

9. From Project Results to Community Practice

The Online PLA was one of the first major activities of the PROFFORMANCE Community Events 2026, launched after the completion of PROFFORMANCE+.

The Community Events were designed to keep the results and professional connections of the project active through new learning, networking and institutional activities. The Online PLA addressed the teacher community, while parallel activities supported the International Institutional PROFFORMANCE Ambassadors (IPA) Network.

This created a broader continuity model:

PROFFORMANCE project results → Community Events → professional learning → course development → peer exchange → continued community engagement.

The Online PLA therefore served as both a professional development activity and a mechanism for results exploitation and sustainability.

10. Follow-up and Continuation

The Online PLA was designed to provide a pathway towards more intensive international peer learning.

The most active participants were selected for the opportunity to continue their learning journey through the PROFFORMANCE onsite event in Budapest on 27–29 October 2026. The onsite activity will provide space for participants to present, discuss and further develop their course development results and to exchange practices in person.

This creates a progression from:

online learning → individual course development → expert consultation → international peer exchange → onsite collaboration → further course development.

The Online PLA is therefore not considered a stand-alone training activity, but the first stage of a longer professional learning pathway.

11. Lessons Learned

Several lessons can be identified from the implementation.

First, flexibility matters for higher education professionals.
The self-paced structure enabled participation alongside existing academic responsibilities, while the extension to 30 June responded directly to participants' need for additional time.

Second, practical application strengthens professional learning.
Working on participants' own courses created a direct link between the programme and their professional practice.

Third, international peer exchange adds value to online learning.
The diversity of institutional and national contexts enabled participants to encounter alternative approaches to common teaching challenges.

Fourth, expert input is particularly valuable when linked to participants' own work.
The consultations were most directly relevant when participants could discuss concrete course-development questions.

Fifth, existing project results can be reactivated through community-based formats.
The Online PLA demonstrated a practical way of transforming PROFFORMANCE project outputs into continued professional learning opportunities after the formal end of PROFFORMANCE+.

12. Overall Impact Statement

The PROFFORMANCE Online Peer Learning Activity 2026 successfully transformed the PROFFORMANCE approach into a practical international professional learning experience for higher education teachers.

With 320 registrations, 120+ active starters and 30+ certified participants from more than 10 countries, the activity achieved significant international reach. Its impact went beyond participation figures: teachers were supported in applying the programme content directly to their own courses, while international experts and peers provided additional perspectives and feedback.

The programme also demonstrated the continued relevance, usability and sustainability of PROFFORMANCE results after the formal completion of the PROFFORMANCE+ project.

By connecting online learning, course development, expert support and international peer exchange with a subsequent onsite learning opportunity, the activity established a continuing professional learning pathway rather than a one-off training event.

The central achievement of the Online PLA was therefore the creation of a practical bridge between PROFFORMANCE knowledge and teaching practice: from project-developed tools and expertise, through international peer learning, towards concrete course development and continued professional collaboration.