Distance Education is a dynamic and rapidly evolving scientific field with a multitude of components and methodological approaches. The application of distance education techniques is a challenge for any instructor involved in such a process for the first time.

In the current circumstances, the need to recompose the learning environment is imperative. The action plan of the University of West Attica includes supporting the educational process with digital media and technologies (asynchronous and synchronous electronic tools and environments), while simultaneously emphasizing the training of its members on methods, techniques, and best practices for education using digital technologies. (https://www.uniwa.gr/e-learning/)

All course material offered by the University of West Attica for conducting distance education through asynchronous and synchronous digital classrooms and tools (Open eClass, Moodle, MS Teams, and their alternatives)—including, but not limited to, texts, slides, charts, graphics, photographs, videos, diagrams, illustrations, simulations, and generally any type of file—is subject to intellectual property (copyright) and is governed by national and international provisions on Intellectual Property, with the exception of explicitly recognized third-party rights.

Consequently, any form of recording, videotaping, or audio recording, as well as the reproduction, republication, copying, transmission, distribution, publication, translation, or modification of the material of courses conducted remotely, in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited without the explicit prior written consent of the Instructor.

If a violation of the above prohibition is discovered, the process for imposing all legal sanctions will be initiated immediately, particularly including criminal prosecution against the perpetrator and the satisfaction of all claims, in accordance with the provisions on Intellectual Property.

An exception to the above is the simple viewing and “downloading” of learning material for the strictly personal use of students for the purposes of study, completion of exercises/assignments, and conducting research.

Should an Instructor intend to videotape an electronic lecture or other synchronous educational activity (practical exercises, laboratory group), the participating students must be informed before the recording begins, so they can provide consent and have the option to deactivate their camera and microphone, or even to leave the meeting.

A portion of the courses for the IIPSP “Resuscitation” will be conducted via synchronous distance education. In no case will synchronous distance education exceed 55% of the total ECTS credits of the IIPSP. Our era demands the utilization of digital tools and the enhancement of the digital skills of the workforce, and this is even more true for an IIPSP that is directly linked to these requirements. Through distance education, in addition to the cognitive benefits, the IIPSP will also contribute to reducing the energy required for students’ transportation to the University premises and the energy the institution would consume for the operation of its classrooms. Microsoft Teams will be used for synchronous distance education, with parallel support primarily from the Moodle educational platform and secondarily from eClass. The necessary educational material for their studies will be available to students throughout the programme via Microsoft Teams and Moodle. Postgraduate students will be given the opportunity to utilize Office365 through the University of West Attica. With the experience that the University of West Attica has in synchronous and asynchronous education tools, an excellent simulation of the classroom and the overall educational process is achieved.

The combination of in-person and distance (synchronous & asynchronous) education that will be provided by the IIPSP “Resuscitation” in general will create an excellent environment leading to a student-centered learning process. The student is called upon to study and acquire knowledge both in-person and remotely, and collaboration with other students as well as with the instructor plays a significant role in this goal. Thus, the role of the professor-instructor in the IIPSP “Resuscitation” transforms into that of a professor-advisor, as their objective is to help the student and also to advise them on matters related to their study methods. All instructors at the University of West Attica are trained and supported by the Teaching and Learning Support Office in teaching with distance education methodologies, thus ensuring their familiarity with this specific educational system.

All students of the IIPSP “Resuscitation” will additionally be provided with MS OFFICE 365, including 30GB of storage on the Microsoft cloud. The University of West Attica has two asynchronous distance education platforms (Moodle, e-class). The Postgraduate Programme will use both of the University’s asynchronous e-learning systems (Moodle, e-class) and the MS Teams platform for synchronous distance education. In the collaborating Departments of the IIPSP, a team of faculty members and laboratory teaching staff is active in the operation and development of the E-Learning systems.

The curriculum of the IIPSP “Resuscitation” is based on the observation that modern enterprises constantly face new challenges in the design and implementation of their activities. Its curriculum is designed in a way that encourages active participation and promotes interdisciplinary approaches. The changing profile of modern enterprises brings the human factor to the forefront, which must act as a sensor for different perspectives in interpreting the external environment.

The courses in the IIPSP will be a mix of traditional and innovative teaching methods. Role-playing, experiential learning, business game simulations (business ecosystems), on-site corporate training (through visits), and lectures by business executives and faculty from foreign and domestic universities are integral components of the application of educational-training techniques. The innovative approach of the courses will often be achieved through synergies between instructors and the research laboratories operating in the collaborating Departments.

A set of best practices will also be applied in the IIPSP, such as continuous contact with students beyond the obligations of the study guide and the adaptation of teaching according to current developments.

Student opinion will be expressed regularly, as in many courses of the Postgraduate Programme, students will be frequently asked during the class to complete a short feedback questionnaire for the professor. This allows for the immediate identification of functional difficulties in a course and contributes to the self-improvement of the course organization and the Instructor.

Furthermore, during their studies, many students typically cultivate a collaborative relationship with the instructors. This maintains communication for most of the study duration and allows for discussion of other topics beyond the narrow scope of the course where the collaboration began (for example, students seek advice on choosing a Thesis topic or even on matters related to their career path).

The organization of the educational process for the IIPSP “Resuscitation” will be implemented through a blended learning process, that is, with conventional in-person classroom teaching at a rate of 20%, the use of synchronous distance education methods at a rate of 55%, and the use of asynchronous distance education methods at a rate of 25% of the total credit units (ECTS) of the IIPSP. The choice of the teaching educational process(es) is at the discretion of the Programme Studies Committee.

The organization of courses and other educational activities using synchronous distance education methods pertains to courses, seminars, and educational activities that by their nature can be supported by distance education methods and do not involve practical, laboratory, or clinical training of students, the conduct of which requires the physical presence of students. The Digital Governance Unit of UNIWA is responsible for supporting the distance education process, as well as for matters concerning the protection of personal data.

UNIWA maintains an electronic platform, accessible also to people with disabilities, through which asynchronous distance education services are provided. Educational material for each course may be posted on the electronic platform, which may include notes, presentations, exercises, indicative solutions, as well as videotaped lectures, provided that the current legislation on personal data protection is observed. All educational material is provided exclusively for the educational use of students and is protected by Law 2121/1993 (A’ 25), provided the relevant conditions are met. Given that a part of the IIPSP “Resuscitation” curriculum is organized with synchronous distance education methods, a relevant accompanying report analyzes the methods of organizing the educational process remotely, the digital educational material, the methods of digital student assessment and digital assessment material, the material and technical infrastructure of the IIPSP to support the curriculum with distance education methods, as well as the digital skills of the teaching staff.