BALKANETUP in the University of Arts in Belgrade

The University of Arts in Belgrade has devoted considerable attention to the promotion of the BALKANETUP network. In addition to open calls for joining disseminated through social media platforms and the institution’s official website, individual invitations were extended to colleagues engaged in the field of pedagogy throughout Serbia. Furthermore, national academic institutions offering programs in pedagogy were invited to join the BALKANETUP network, with the objective of facilitating the exchange of good practices with colleagues and institutions from the Western Balkans, as well as identifying areas of professional practice that could be further enhanced in terms of teaching and learning processes.

As part of the activities implemented within the Center for Teaching and Learning of the University of Arts in Belgrade, three video lectures were produced and made available to university teaching staff, researchers, and students.

The lecture entitled “Didactic Competences of Teachers in Higher Education” was delivered by Luka Nikolić, Associate at the Center for Teacher Education, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade. The lecture addressed the concept of competences as an integrated framework encompassing knowledge, abilities, skills, values, and attitudes, as well as readiness for professional engagement. A new didactic approach, referred to as interactive teaching, was presented, emphasizing the importance of considering not only the content of instruction but also the teaching process itself and the interpersonal relationships established in the classroom during the planning, implementation, and evaluation of teaching. The lecture further highlighted the significance of focusing not solely on cognitive goals and learning outcomes, but also on emotional and social aspects, by fostering cooperative learning and group work. In this way, the teaching process becomes more dynamic, non-linear, and flexible.

Dejana Mutavdžin, PhD, Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Music, University of Arts in Belgrade, delivered two lectures. The first one, entitled “Presenting a Model of Difficulties to Encourage Greater Inclusivity in Arts Education”, explored key questions such as: Why is inclusive education important? What is the relationship between inclusive education and the education of gifted students? How do teachers’ attitudes toward individuals with difficulties influence their behavior toward students who require additional support? And how might teachers’ behavior potentially shape interpersonal relationships among students? The second one with the topic “Art Education within Self-Regulated Learning Framework” is centered on Zimmerman’s cyclical phase model of self-regulated learning (SRL). Its purpose is to emphasize the relevance of SRL within artistic context, to stimulate colleagues’ reflection on their teaching practices, and to encourage the implementation of inspiring strategies that foster students’ development as self-regulated learners. 

All video lectures are available on the official YouTube channel of the University of Arts in Belgrade: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2ylPLkAKzR8Vgcf-nzlxLQ

The University of Arts has been actively engaged in promoting the activities and results of the MAGNET project through all dissemination channels. Special effort has been invested in creating and printing a promotional brochure in both Serbian and English.