Learning as development and change

For Siimann, learning primarily means development – a process during which a person's thinking, skills, or behavior changes. "Learning isn't about memorizing, but about forming connections that help you understand things and apply them in practice," he says. In his view, learning happens when the student focuses, creates associations, and repeats the material – the three cornerstones that ensure deeper understanding.

To support this, he uses active learning methods – group discussions, case studies, and analysis of company financial data. For more complex topics, he has students work through video lectures independently before class, so that classroom time can be used more effectively to reinforce knowledge and connect it to practice. "Master’s students’ time is valuable – my role is to help them use it wisely," he says.

As a lecturer, Siimann describes himself as demanding yet fair. Deadlines apply equally to everyone, and differentiation in grading is important to him. At the same time, students see him as sociable and inclusive – no one is left out, and everyone can contribute. "All students are equal, but they must take responsibility for their own development," he says. Siimann emphasizes that his goal as a lecturer is not to be liked by students, but to be useful to them.

Inspiration and challenges

His greatest inspiration in his work is the students themselves – people, many of whom will become future decision-makers and company leaders. "When a former student tells me years later that my course was the most useful, that's the highest praise," says Siimann. At the same time, he constantly updates himself to keep pace with the development of digital skills and artificial intelligence. "A lecturer must live in the moment – talk today about what will happen tomorrow," he adds.

Among TalTech’s general competencies, Siimann considers responsibility the most important. According to him, everything starts with whether a student takes responsibility for their own learning. Equally important to him is critical thinking – especially in the age of artificial intelligence, where one must distinguish fact from fiction. He also emphasizes collaboration skills – not only in group work, but also as the ability to work with different people, as real life demands.

In Siimann’s lectures, collaboration and expectation management are deliberately built in. For example, he has students analyze group dynamics at the end of group work: who was the leader, what were the biggest challenges, and how were they overcome. In this way, students also learn to better understand their own role in a team.

From TalTech’s teaching good practices, the emphasis on responsibility resonates most with Siimann. He regularly asks students for feedback to encourage them to reflect on their effort and contribution. In addition, he values scientific grounding – in every subject, reading and analyzing scientific articles plays a role, preparing students for their thesis and evidence-based work.

Regarding the future of teaching at TalTech, Siimann says the most important thing is to stay ahead of the times – to offer students knowledge and skills that relate to tomorrow's challenges. "The work of a lecturer can't be about yesterday. We must keep up with both digital transformation and educational trends. And not alone, but in cooperation – with both colleagues and students," he says.