Agata SZMIGIEL is a cyber security professional with an educational background in security and defense from the General Tadeusz Kościuszko Military Academy of Land Forces of Poland. Agata’s experience includes roles at the Wroclaw School of Banking, EY Global Delivery Services, Credit Suisse, and she is currently working as a cybersecurity specialist for a global financial institution. She is an alumna of the European Academy of Diplomacy and has completed UNODA and OSCE training workshops. Agata holds a Certificate of Cloud Security Knowledge V4 and she is a 2022 alumnus of the New Security Leaders program at the Warsaw Security Forum, where she continues to serve as a mentor.
- Question 1. What motivated you to pursue the e-Instructor Certification Programme?
The greatest motivation to take up this course was to learn how to create good quality content for online students and how to reach a global audience. In the digital world we live in, as well as in the field I work (cybersecurity), it is critical to follow trends, adapt to evolving solutions and implement the acquired knowledge.
- Question 2. What new skills or knowledge did you gain from the e-Instructor Certification Programme that you find most valuable?
In terms of the content, the Programme covers many areas. During our Saturday lessons, discussions were highly interactive, so I practiced public speaking and developed communications skills. Of particular importance was to get familiar with the ADDIE model in order to create effective instructional materials and courses. Another valuable knowledge was how to create a good podcast and implement artificial intelligence into online learning.
- Question 3. What method that you consider particularly successful for distance learning?
As e-instructors, we are facing the challenge of keeping an audience focused and motivated. I think that methods should be tailored to a specific group and educational goals, yet the most successful is probably a mix of synchronous learning for real-time interaction and instant feedback, and asynchronous learning, where students can access materials and complete the training at their own pace. It is also good to introduce some gamification elements and discussion forums.
- Question 4. What tools could be used to improve and keep a high standard of motivation and collaboration?
Current market offers a number of tools contributing to a well organized cooperation between students. Starting from the audio and video communication channels like Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Skype, collaborative platforms e.g. Google Docs. For project management, I would recommend Trello to help organize and prioritize tasks.
The interview was conducted by the NATO DEEP eAcademy team.