Impact

This online course aims to teach and practice soft and digital skills that the AI era is looking for. The course will consist of online sessions repeated every Wednesday at 1500 - 1700 CET using the Zoom platform. 

The course will end with face-to-face workshops will be hosted by the Hellenic Mediterranean University in Chania from the 27th to the 31st of May 2024. All the information can be found here: https://11iw.hmu.gr/athenasoft-blended-intensice-program/

During the online sessions, the students are strongly encouraged to switch on their cameras and interact with the lecture facilitator. 

In some cases, when another interesting lecture takes place on another date of the scheduled slots, the students will be notified to attend it. 

I hope that you will enjoy the course.

Best 

Kostas 

"Soft skills" refer to non-technical, interpersonal, and communication skills essential for success in the workplace and life. These skills complement hard or technical skills, which are specific to a job or task. Soft skills have gained significant attention in recent years for several reasons:

1. Human Interaction: No matter how advanced technology becomes, human interaction will always be at the core of business and personal relationships. Effective communication, empathy, and teamwork are vital for building and maintaining these relationships.

2. Complex Problem Solving: While technical skills may equip someone to solve clearly defined problems, soft skills often come into play when problems are more ambiguous—critical thinking, creativity, and adaptability help in navigating complex issues.

3. Emotional Intelligence: Recognizing, understanding, and managing our own emotions, as well as the emotions of others, is key to building strong relationships and making sound decisions.

4. Adaptability in the Workplace: The modern workplace is ever-changing. Employees who can adapt, manage change, and help others navigate transitions are invaluable.

5. Leadership and Management: Leadership isn't just about setting a vision and inspiring, motivating, and guiding others toward that vision. This requires various soft skills, including communication, conflict resolution, and mentorship.

6. Client Relations: For client-facing roles, understanding client needs, building trust, and effectively communicating are essential to maintaining long-term relationships and securing business.

7. Cultural Awareness: As businesses become more global, understanding and respecting cultural differences becomes vital. Soft skills help individuals navigate these differences to build productive relationships.

8. Future-Proofing Careers: While hard skills might become outdated with technological advancements, soft skills like interpersonal communication, negotiation, and problem-solving remain valuable.

9. Increasing Automation: As routine tasks become more automated, human-centric skills, which are harder to automate, become even more crucial.

10. Holistic Development: On a personal level, soft skills contribute to holistic human development, enhancing social interactions and improving overall quality of life.

In essence, while hard skills might get you the job, soft skills often determine how successful you'll be in that job and how well you'll progress in your career. They play a pivotal role in fostering collaboration, boosting productivity, and ensuring sustained growth in a professional setting.

In this course, we will present the fundamentals and hold some interactive sessions with the participants. 

This COIL is designed to develop the soft and digital skills most wanted in the AI era. In addition to digital literacy, several soft skills are increasingly critical for success across various fields. Here are some essential soft skills: (1) Emotional Intelligence, (2) Critical Thinking, (3) Adaptability, (4) Communication Skills, (5) Creativity, (6) Collaboration, (7) Cognitive Flexibility, and (8) Ethical Judgement and Integrity. In this course, the students will be exposed to various AI tools necessary for learning in and beyond academic life. 

While practicing with different digital apps, students will learn to understand and manage their emotions and empathize with others. They will also be introduced to analyzing situations, identifying problems, and developing practical solutions, which is essential as AI takes over routine tasks. Because of globalization, students should also be flexible and open to change.  Clear and verbal communication, both written and verbal, is vital for peer collaboration and interaction with AI systems. Another skill students will be exposed to through our lectures and activities is to think out of the box. This is the driving force of innovation and a skill that will distinguish us from machines. Working well in teams, often in interdisciplinary and cross-cultural contexts, remains crucial as AI facilitates more integrated work environments. Students will engage in multiple team projects to enhance these collaboration skills. One of the significant challenges in the AI era is understanding the ethical rules and how to apply them. Students will be introduced to copyright laws, creative commons, and plagiarism issues, laying the groundwork for ethical considerations in AI use.

The course will provide hands-on experience with various digital and AI tools, including note-taking apps, cloud services, collaborative presentation software, and AI-powered research tools, ensuring students are well-prepared for the technological demands of modern academic and professional environments.