On 8 October 2026, the DITEC project held a WP3 validation workshop at the University of Nicosia, Cyprus, as part of the 2nd ECT Forum 2026. The Forum brought together more than 100 participants, providing an opportunity to discuss how IT education can better respond to the needs of users and organisations.

The DITEC session welcomed 46 participants, with 42 contributing to the interactive polls and submitting 238 responses across eight questions. The workshop explored the relevance of the key themes underpinning the project’s IT Education Methodology Guide and Case Study Book, gathering feedback to inform their further development and implementation.

What did we learn?

Participants highlighted four important challenges for IT education:

• Disconnected digital systems create extra work: 93.3% of respondents agreed that systems unable to exchange information place a substantial additional burden on users.
• Communication matters: 84.8% agreed that misunderstandings between IT professionals and non-technical users are a major cause of project delays.
• Workplace experience is essential: 83.3% agreed that limited exposure to real workplaces leaves IT graduates underprepared for professional practice.
• Understanding users’ daily work is fundamental: 68.4% agreed that insufficient understanding of everyday workflows is a major reason why digital systems fail to meet organisational needs.

The discussion priorities also pointed towards practical ways forward: combining user interviews with workplace observation, establishing clear responsibility for communication between IT teams and organisations, and reducing duplicate work through shared data sources. Internships with defined responsibilities were the most frequently selected priority for improving students’ readiness for professional practice.

From validation to implementation

The findings support the relevance of the four tested WP3 themes and provide direction for using the Methodology Guide and the Case Study Book, which contains 15 practice-oriented organisational challenges. They particularly encourage connecting case-based learning with direct user engagement and meaningful workplace experience.

As DITEC enters its second project year, we plan to implement both resources in the upcoming semesters in Estonia, Cyprus and Germany. This next stage will provide opportunities to gather feedback from students, educators and participating organisations, and to assess learning and practical outcomes.

We warmly thank the University of Nicosia, ECECT European Centre for Emerging Competencies and Technologies, the ECT Forum organisers and our hosts, as well as every participant who contributed their time, experience and ideas. Your support is helping DITEC bring IT education closer to the realities of professional practice.