International Higher Education Teacher Award ^2024/25

Converting Course Content into Digital KnowledgeTrees in order to Teach, Learn and Use them in Practice in Everyday Life means following: Lecturers and Students take course content, which is given in textbooks and in Laws and transform it into Digital Knowledge Trees (DKT). For example, Law of Georgia on Entrepreneurs regulates, how to establish a company, e. g. a Start-Up. During lectures students and lecturer go through the mazes and labyrinths of the law together and build a perfect, clear and precise knowledge tree that shows, e. g. 20 steps required to establish a Start-Up. The process of searching and visualization help students to easily understand and memorize what is required for establishing a Start-Up. The DKT that they have just built can be accessed in the future as well. After they graduate and want to establish a real Start-Up they have detailed steps ready, that they can rely on. As DKTs are online, they can even share it with their friends. DKTs are also used to grade the students. During homework and exams students need to show that they know the topic. There is no need to write 5-page essay “how to establish a Start-Up” (which would be required at many universities in Georgia). At BTU University students build digital knowledge trees. If student missed some steps, this means that they lack the knowledge and understanding. If they got everything correct, this means, they will be able to establish a Start-Up in real life as well. As for the grading, once the students have built their own DKTs as part of the assignment, the platform uses the artificial intelligence to compare two digital trees with each-other. This means that the students can receive the grade in seconds. Plus, depending on what part of the DKT they built incorrectly, the system generates a feedback document and refers the student to review corresponding learning material. As all the assignments are done on this platform, the system stores the grades and topics, where each student lost points. Before the exams, the system can automatically send out personalized email to each student and give them summery of what their weak points are. As the whole teaching course is based on the digital knowledge trees, I can write a simple code that automatises the entire abovementioned process. The system monitors the work of each student in a smart way, always compares the trees built by the students with the correct trees and takes individual actions.

Methodology

Step 1. From Texts to Digital Knowledge Trees During the lectures of “Entrepreneurial Law” lecturer and students take the texts of the Law of Georgia on Entrepreneurs and analyse each article individually to identify every legal outcome and legal precondition of this outcome that the law foresees. Then they build a Digital Knowledge Trees (DKT) on a special platform of KnowledgeTools. The DKT is very detailed and visualizes every single Article of the law and every topic of the course. Step 2. Translation for diverse students For the students that come from ethnical minority groups the entire digital knowledge tree can be translated within seconds in a preferred language using online translation tools. Step 3. Using the DKT for Case-Solving Once the DKT is built for a particular topic, then various legal cases are discussed with the help of DKT. Real-life cases are solved using the same KnowldgeTree, that the students just build themselves. They can follow the steps of the tree and check each step – whether the legal requirements are fulfilled in the discusses case. If yes, they mark the step (box) in the digital tree green. If not, then they mark the corresponding step red. Then the system calculates itself, which legal outcome has been reached in the case. Students see immediately how the product that they created can be used in the practice. Step 4. Studying The homework of the students is to review the DKT at home and to look for any possible gaps. If a student finds such gap, they get a bonus point for the course. Very complex legal text is already visualized with a very simple KnoweldgeTree. Students can easily go through the steps, memorize them easily and learn the topic. Step 5. Assignments, Grading and Feedback The assignments of the students are to create the Digital Knowledge Trees themselves – independently or as a group. Then their work is compared to a “correct” tree built by the lecturer specifically for this assignment. The platform uses Artificial Intelligence to compare hundreds of the trees of the students with the tree that is built by the lecturer. Mistakes are automatically found by the program and the students are notified within the seconds, what they built wrongly and which parts of the law to review, not to make the same mistakes again. Step 6. Monitoring grades and Automatically Sending Individualised Notifications The platform creates a folder for each student, where their grades are stored. The AI monitors the scores of the students permanently and when a student is failing, they automatically receive a notification that their scores are low. They also receive a table that shows all the mistakes that they have made in all their assignments, and they are linked with the study materials. This way students know, where their weak points are and what to review for the exams. Lecturer is also automatically notified when a student is struggling. Step 7. A Project As part of their assignments students also have to work on a project. This is also done on the platform. They are divided in teams. Each team is given a special topic from Entrepreneurial Law. Then they can choose between two projects. Option 1 is to visualize the gaps that are in the law and build a different knowledge tree to propose the amendments. It is noteworthy to mention that the same platform and Digital Knowledge Trees are used not only for educational purposes, but also are being used by the Parliament of Georgia to visualize the draft laws. So the DKT build by the group of students that include the proposals for the law amendments, can directly be sent to the employees of the parliament that also use the same DKTs. (For a reference Chief of the Staff of Legal Issues Committee of the Parliament of Georgia can be contacted under Lkasradze@parliament.ge regarding this process). Option 2 can be used by the students, if they believe that the law that regulates the chosen topic does not require any amendments. In this case students must visualize the process from a perspective of a citizen or a public administrative officer. For example, what steps need to be taken to register a new company? Students also need to add sample texts to each step that should be a part of a public officer. For example, when the registration should be denied, students must include the text “The Public Registry of Georgia has denied you request to register the company, because….”. In the end, the result of the students’ work is a product that can be used by any citizen and even by public administration. Everything is developed by the students (and reviewed by the professor): Necessary steps to reach a particular legal outcome and the texts needed to be included in the decision that has to be made according to each outcome.

Tools, equipment, technology used

The Tools used in order to build the Digital Knowledge Trees is called KnowledgeTools, which was created by Prof. Dr. Stephan Breidenbach. It uses Artificial Intelligence to visualize the complex legal texts and to perform all the necessary steps that are based on this law: For example, generating documents, such as administrative decisions, legal contracts, draft laws, etc. In Georgia these very same Tools are used by Parliament of Georgia and by Legal Aid Service of Georgia. Parliament uses them to visualize draft laws and Legal Aid Service uses them to issue legal advice and produce legal appeals for over 500 000 citizens. The Students of Business and Technology University are using the same KnwoldgeTools for educational purposes. The method, how to build the trees is called “Rulemapping”. Student starts with the legal outcome and draws a “map” (steps), how to reach this outcome.

Outcomes and outputs, main results

Using Digital KnowledgeTrees (DKT) has following outcomes: 1. Visualization – Lecturers and students convert long texts in to simple, but very detailed knowledge trees. This helps to easily explain (show) and easily understand (see) complex materials. For example, a part of the “Law on Entrepreneurs” that regulates the topic of “Establishing a Start-Up” is converted into a detailed knowledge tree which has ca. 20 steps. Instead of long texts of the law and of the textbooks, students have a perfect 20-step tree, that shows all necessary steps to establish a start-up. 2. Digitalisation – DKTs are digital. This means that the trees are built on the special platform and can be accessed from anywhere in the world. 3. Multilingualism – The entire tree can be easily translated in any language using online translation tools. 4. Diversity- Multilingualism increases involvement of the students that represent the ethnical minorities in Georgia 5. Internationality – Any interested person abroad can access the trees and see, for example, what steps to take to establish a start-up in Georgia 6. Comparativeness – If the students have interest, a DKT can be built to see how the same topic is regulated in another countries. This help students to compare and learn. 7. Real Case Study – DKTs can be used to analyse real life cases 8. Sustainability – Everything is digital and can be accessed anytime, without installation of any software. Even after graduation, when former students need to review the content in order to make correct decision in practice in their real-life situations.

Lessons learnt

Students learn much faster and much easier when they can see the actual process. Not many people consider it a fun activity to learn over 200 Articles of a Law. Therefore, Digital Knowledge Trees give them an alternative. They visualize the process, convert boring legal texts into clear steps of a knowledge tree. If students build the KnowledgeTrees themselves, they never forget the texts and content that they worked on. A mistake would be to limit the students with only one use of the KnowledgeTrees. Students must stay creative and come up with different ways, how to use the digital knowledge trees. The platform and Artificial Intelligence give them a possibility to stay flexible and come up with any kind of practical use. Important is not to limit the students by only building the trees and not using them in practice.

Adaptability and sustainability of the best practice (for other institutions)

Digital Knowledge Trees (DKT) can be translated into any language in order to adapt to the needs of any diversity groups that prefer to see the content in a different language. This would not be possible in case of legal texts. Digital Knowledge Trees (DKT) can also be used for visualising any content. For example, digital knowledge trees can be built for intellectual property law, child protection law, family law. It can also be used in order to visualize legal steps what to do in case of domestic violence. Any university could offer their students to build the knowledge trees in a particular subject and then all these digital knowledge trees could be consolidated in one big digital tree. Then a public access could be given to every citizen. Students would learn from each-others visualised knowledge trees and the citizens would easily receive a required information on a topic. Legal Aid Service of Georgia has already declared that they are ready to use such kind of visualized digital knowledge trees in their official public administration, to provide a better service to the citizens (For further reference on this topic deputy chief of Legal Aid Service Georgia can be contacted under: sgvelesiani@legalaid.ge)

Promotion of best practice

Digital Knowledge Trees were presented to the parliament of Georgia and Legal Aid Service of Georgia by me. Both of these very important public entities have welcomed this practice and have already implemented in their everyday work. In a very important project with and Legal Aid Service of Georgia my students will be offered to get involved in order to help this public entity deliver better legal service to the citizens. I have also offered using Digital Knowledge Trees to the lecturer at other universities in Georgia and they have also shown a very big interest.

Scope and impact

• Course/department level
• Faculty level
• Institutional level
• Cross-institutional level
• National level
• EU/EHEA/International level

Access to law is a very big issue in every country, on every level. Quality of legal education is also a big problem in Georgia. Legal norms are not always clear and students struggle to understand them. Using Digital Knowledge Trees helps the students to get involved in the teaching process and to easily understand the course content. On the other hand, they create products that can be used by any citizen to improve their access to law. For example, anyone who wants to establish a startup in Georgia, can open the Digital KnwoldegeTrees created by my students and they will find all the necessary information there, without hiring a lawyer.

6.1 Digitalization

• Outstanding, innovative, excellent practices of online / blended / hybrid learning
• Innovative, novel methodology in using digital tools/devices in teaching
• Digital skills development and assessment both general and profession-related, embedded in course design, in teaching and assessment
• Novel digital solutions (tools, frameworks, devices, tasks to enhance efficiency and motivation)
• Artificial intelligence and learning analytics in education and training

Reasoning: Everything connected to Digital Knowledge Trees (DKT) is digital. Legal texts are converted into digital knowledge trees that can be codes in order to perform various tasks. Artificial Intelligence can be applied to the DKT in order to automatically generate documents, check assignments, grade students, etc.

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6.2 Internationalization

• Outstanding practices of international online collaborative learning
• Developing students' multicultural awareness
• Students engagement in international projects
• Courses implemented in international cooperation (projects, co-teaching, virtual/blended mobility, etc.)
• International projects/research results embedded into course development and T&L

Reasoning: Digital Knowledge Trees (DKT) can be translated from Georgian into any language within seconds using online translation tools. This gives a chance to foreign citizens to easily view and understand the content created by my students. Students in other countries can visualize their laws and then we can compare the DKT. These Digital Knowledge Trees are also used by Prof. Dr. Stephan Breidenbach in Germany.

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6.3 Inclusion and diversity, universal design

• Inclusive course design, universally designed divers activities to meet special students' needs
• Universally designed teaching material - adjustable for special needs
• Innovative teaching methodology for inclusion and meet diverse student needs
• Alternative, flexible assessment methods for students with special needs
• Senzitivizing students to consider special needs when practicing their profession
• Course includes hints on how the services/products of the profession could be universally designed/inclusive

Reasoning: For the students who belong to minority groups in Georgia and cannot speak Georgian fluently, it is always challenging to understand complex content of the legal texts. Visualization is a great help here. The Knowledge Tree can be easily translated in any language.

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6.4 Sustainability

• Sustainability goals are addressed in the course(s)
• Teaching material contains profession related sustainability aspects
• Social entrepreneurship projects, service-learning in the topic

Reasoning: As everything is online, it can be accessed anytime, from anywhere. Even the students that have already graduated have access to theot Knowldege trees, which helps them in their real-life careers.

3.3 Public contact datas

Name	Email address	Website
Lado Sirdadze	lado.sirdadze@btu.edu.ge	https://btu.edu.ge/en/home-english/