![[01] How EDUNEXT is rethinking University Education with the ECOBI Model](https://images.beamly.com/fetch/https%3A%2F%2Fauth.jellypod.ai%2Fstorage%2Fv1%2Fobject%2Fpublic%2FCoverImages%2Forg_01K7DBDW6Z6WY8F3DV1EPJM2Z4%2Fusers%2Fuser_01K7DBDW1MF050KSA7ZE8CDR69%2FbiHmpkcau6fBTxNUKW4QI.jpg?w=365)
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Hi everyone, welcome back to Research Topics on Digital Education.
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I'm Elena Ferri, and I'm here with my co-host Jack Iron.
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Today, we're diving into something that's,
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well, honestly, it's kind of changing the way universities in Italy are
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thinking about education-the ECOBI model.
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You can find a deeper discussion
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in the original paper published by the Journal of e-Learning and Knowledge
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Society on December 2024 by Tommaso Minerva,
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Annamaria De Santis, Katia Sannicandro,
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Claudia Bellini from the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia.
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Hey folks!
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Yeah, ECOBI.
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I gotta admit, when I first read about it,
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I thought, "Okay, another acronym." But it's actually pretty interesting.
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It stands for Educational Clusters with Open Badges and Blended Intensive
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Program, right?
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Exactly.
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And it's not just a mouthful.
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It's a model that's being used by EDUNEXT,
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which is this big network-35 universities,
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plus, I think, 55 partners?-all working together to innovate higher education
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in Italy.
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The idea is to make learning more flexible,
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more modular, and, well, more relevant to what students actually need
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in the 21st century.
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So, let's break down those components.
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First, Educational Clusters.
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That's like, instead of just taking a big,
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long course, you get these smaller modules grouped together,
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right?
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Each one's focused on a specific skill or topic.
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Yes,
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and the clusters can be multidisciplinary or focused on one area.
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The point is, students can mix and match,
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even across different universities in the network.
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It's a bit like building your own playlist,
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but for your degree.
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And then, there's the Blended Intensive Program part,
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which means you're not just stuck online or in a classroom-you get both.
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There are intensive in-person weeks,
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but a lot of the learning happens online,
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with video lectures, e-tivities,
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and tutoring.
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And then, the Open Badges.
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I'll be honest, I didn't really get the whole badge thing at first.
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But these are digital, right?
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They're like little certificates you can show off on your LinkedIn or
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whatever, and they actually have metadata-so employers can see exactly
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what you did to earn them.
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That's right.
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And, you know, I remember the first time I saw digital badges in action.
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It was during a workshop at my university-this was,
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oh, maybe five years ago?
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I was skeptical.
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But then I saw how students lit up when they got a badge for completing
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a project.
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It wasn't just a grade; it was something they could share,
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something that felt real.
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It really changed how I thought about motivation.
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I mean, grades are one thing, but a badge is like,
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"Hey, I did this specific thing,
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and here's the proof."Yeah, it's like gamification,
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but with actual value.
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And the EDUNEXT network is using all this to make education more,
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I dunno, portable?
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Like, you can take your skills with you,
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not just a diploma.
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Exactly.
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And the collaboration between all these universities and partners means
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there's a lot of shared expertise,
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which helps keep the quality high and the programs up to date.
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It's a big shift from the old,
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rigid curriculum model.
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So, let's dig into the competency-based part.
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I think this is where ECOBI really stands out.
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Instead of just sitting through classes and passing exams,
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students are actually building up real,
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demonstrable skills.
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The clusters are modular, so you can focus on what you need,
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and the blended programs mean you're not tied to a single way of learning.
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Yes,
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and the flexibility is huge.
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Students can create personalized pathways,
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combining modules from different clusters-even from different universities.
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It's very much aligned with what employers are looking for: people who
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can adapt, who have a mix of skills,
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not just a single specialization.
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And the assessment is all about competencies.
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So, instead of just, you know,
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memorizing stuff for a test, you're actually doing projects,
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practical tasks, sometimes even group work.
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And when you finish a module, you get an Open Badge.
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When you finish a whole cluster,
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you get a Milestone Badge, which is like a bigger deal-it shows you've
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mastered a whole set of skills.
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And the badges aren't just for show.
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They have metadata-so they say who issued them,
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what you had to do to earn them,
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and even, sometimes, how long they're valid for.
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That's important, especially with technology changing so fast.
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Some skills need to be updated regularly.
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Yeah,
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and I read about a student-this was in Milan,
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I think-who used their Open Badges to land an internship at a tech company.
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The company could actually see the specific skills the student had,
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not just that they had a degree.
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It made the difference, because the badges showed evidence of real projects
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and competencies, not just attendance or exam scores.
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That's a great example.
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And it's not just about getting a job,
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either.
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The badges help students reflect on what they've learned,
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and they can use them to build a portfolio over time.
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It's a more transparent way to show what you can actually do.
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And,
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I mean, the labor market is changing so fast.
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Companies want people who can prove they have up-to-date skills,
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not just a diploma from five years ago.
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ECOBI's approach seems to fit that need pretty well.
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Absolutely.
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And the modular, competency-based design also means students can move
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at their own pace, which is great for people who are working or have other
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commitments.
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It's a much more flexible system.
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Alright,
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let's talk tech.
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ECOBI isn't just about new teaching methods-it's also about using technology
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in smart ways.
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They're integrating AI, VR, AR,
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and analytics to make learning more personalized and immersive.
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But, you know, there's always that question-how do you make sure it's
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fair, and that everyone has access?
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That's a really important point.
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The model uses open source platforms whenever possible-like Moodle for
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the LMS, and other tools for video and collaboration.
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But they're also careful about data privacy and equity.
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Not every student has the same access to technology,
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so the system is designed to be as inclusive as possible.
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And there are clear guidelines for protecting student data,
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especially when using AI and analytics.
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And the analytics part is fascinating.
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They use dashboards to track student engagement and progress in real
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time.
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That means tutors and teachers can spot if someone's struggling and step
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in early.
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It's not just about collecting data for the sake of it-it's about actually
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improving the learning experience.
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Yes,
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and from my own research, I've seen how powerful real-time analytics
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can be.
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When you can see how students are interacting with the material,
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you can adapt quickly-change a video,
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add an activity, or reach out to someone who's falling behind.
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It's a very data-driven approach,
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but always with the goal of supporting students,
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not just monitoring them.
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And the team model is interesting,
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too.
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It's not just professors-there are instructional designers,
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technicians, tutors, media producers.
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Everyone's working together to make sure the courses are high quality
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and meet European standards.
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There's a lot of training and regular evaluation,
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so the system keeps improving.
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Exactly.
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And the quality assurance is built in from the start-standardized processes,
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regular feedback, and alignment with frameworks like ECTS and the Bologna
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Process.
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That makes it easier for students to transfer credits and for institutions
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to collaborate across borders.
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So,
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big picture-ECOBI is about making university education more flexible,
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more relevant, and more connected to the real world.
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It's not perfect-there are challenges,
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like making sure everyone has access and keeping up with tech changes-but
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it's a step in the right direction.
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I agree.
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It's a holistic approach, and it's already making a difference for students,
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teachers, and institutions.
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I'm really curious to see how it evolves as more universities get involved
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and as technology keeps advancing.
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Yeah,
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and I think we'll be hearing a lot more about models like this in the
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future.
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That's probably a good place to wrap up for today.
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Thanks for joining
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us, everyone.
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We'll be back soon with more insights from the world of e-learning and
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knowledge society.
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Jack, always a pleasure.
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Same here,
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Elena.
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Take care, everybody.
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See you next time!