The learning outcomes of the Financial Technologies Master’s Program:

I. Knows the terminology, methods, trends, principles, and theories of financial technologies.
II. Systematically analyzes the structure of the financial sphere, the interrelationship between sub-sectors and presents the analysis of the business environment.
III. Analyzes in depth the relationship between financial and economic variables in the financial sector based on the latest developments and innovations.
IV. Analyzes the role of existing financial technologies in the sustainability of financial processes.
V. Assesses the risks and impact of the introduction of the latest technologies on financial markets, institutions, and services.
VI. Leads the adaptation of technological and other innovative approaches and methods to solve practical problems in the field of finance.
VII. Notifies the regulatory field documents and establishes compliance requirements in fintech.
VIII. Independently conducts research in accordance with the principles of academic integrity and ethics, using modern approaches, and demonstrates the results in an argumentative manner with interested parties.

The teaching and learning methods of each course included in the Master’s Program in Financial Technologies correspond with the second cycle of higher education, the content of the course, learning outcomes and ensure their achievement. The totality of the teaching and learning methods applied in various components of the program ensure the achievement of the results determined under the program and is directed at the development of the respective competence.

The studies may be conducted using various methods, such as independent processing/interpretation of printed, digital and other type of educational resources, performing of practical and laboratory work, preparation of the report of professional activities, performing of written assignments, independent preparation of research thesis/project etc. During the studies, the accent shall be made on the opportunity of the student to apply his/her knowledge, skills and values on a regular basis. This approach shall imply the active participation of the student in the learning process and application of his/her theoretical knowledge into practice within the framework of real or close to real situations and cases.

The measures applied to teaching and learning improve and correlate with each other. The academic and invited personnel implementing the study program can use various different methods. Within the framework of the educational program courses, the application of methods, especially, cooperative methods must be considered, which requires active use of the student’s knowledge in practice.

The personnel implementing the component of the educational program applies modern teaching and learning methods. Based on their specifics, the educational courses are conducted using different formats and various teaching and learning methods. The teaching methods and activities planned within each course are directed to the interest of the students and to the development of necessary skills. The applied teaching and learning methods are flexible and consider the individual requirements and needs of the students.
The totality of the teaching and learning methods applied to various components of the program ensure the achievement of the learning outcomes determined under the program. It is impossible to study any specific issue during the learning process using just one method.

The lecturer has to apply different methods in the learning process, also, in frequent cases, there is a merger of methods. In the learning process the methods complement each other. The lecture selects the necessary method among them based on specific goal and objective. 

Lecture – is a creative process where a lecturer and a student take part simultaneously. The main aim of the lecture is to understand the idea of the subject regulations to be learnt, which means a creative and active perception of presented material. In addition, an attention should be paid to the main provisions of transferable material, definitions, indications, assumptions. Critical analysis of the main issues, facts and ideas are necessary. A lecture should provide a scientific and logically consistent knowledge of main subject regulations to be learnt without excessive details overloading. Therefore, it must be logically completed. In addition, facts, examples, charts, drawings, tests and other visual aspects should be aimed at the explanation of the lecture’s idea. The lecture should provide an accurate analysis of science dialectical process and should be based on free-thinking ability of students in particular environment,  understanding of the basic scientific problems and the orientation of understanding. Lecture uses rbal or oral method and involves the communication of the lecture material to students verbally, method used during this process include: questions and answers, interactive work, the theoretical explanations of the provisions based on practical situations.

Collaborative – teaching method involves dividing students into groups and giving them learning assignments. The members of the group work on the issue individually and at the same time share it with the other members of the group. Due to the set task, it is possible to redistribute functions among the members during the group work process. This strategy ensures maximum involvement of all students in the learning process.

Independent work- material heard in the lecture is formed as a whole system of knowledge by the independent work of the student. The student should be interested in the book and other sources of information and want to study the issues independently, which is a way to stimulate independent thinking, analysis and drawing conclusions. Verbal, or oral, method includes lecture, narration, conversation, and etc. In this process, the lecturer conveys the teaching material through words, while the students actively perceive and master it by listening, remembering and understanding.
Method of working on the book involves introduction, processing and analysis of independently given reading material.
The method of written work- involves the following types of activities: making records, compiling material, composing thesis, performing an abstract, or essay, etc. Practical methods combine all the forms of teaching that develop the student’s practical skills, here the student independently performs this or that activity on the basis of acquired knowledge.

Cooperative learning – is a teaching strategy in which each member of the group is required not only to study but also to help his or her teammate learn the course better. Each group member works on the problem until all of them have mastered the issue. Flipped Classroom In the basic structure of a “flipped classroom,” the students first engage the content online (through readings, video lectures, or podcasts), then come to class for the guided practice. It requires explicit communication of learning objectives, procedures, roles, and assessment
criteria.
Discussion-Based Learning
One of the primary purposes of discussion-based learning is to facilitate students’ meaningful transition into the extended conversation that is each academic discipline. Discussions allow students to practice applying their learning and developing their critical-thinking skills in real-time interactions with other viewpoints. Case study -an active problem-situation analysis method, based on teaching by solving specific tasks – situations (so-called case solving). This method of teaching is based on the discussion of specific practical examples (cases). The case is a kind of tool that allows the application of the acquired theoretical knowledge to solve practical tasks. By combining theory and practice, the method effectively develops the ability to make reasoned decisions in a limited amount of time. Students develop analytical thinking, teamwork, listening and understanding alternative thinking, the ability to make generalized decisions based on alternatives, plan actions, and predict their outcomes.
Problem-Based Learning (PBL)
Often referred to as PBL, this method is similar to the case study method, except the intention is generally to keep the problem, the process, and the outcomes more ambiguous than is comfortable for students. PBL asks students to experience and struggle with radical uncertainty. The role as the teacher is to create an intentionally ill-structured problem and a deadline for a deliverable, assign small groups (with or without defined roles), optionally offer some preparation, and resist giving clear, comfortable assessment guidance.
Project-Based Learning
Project-based learning is similar to problem-based learning, and both can be referred to as PBL, but in project-based learning, the student comes up with the problem or question to research. Often, the project’s deliverable is a creative product, which can increase student engagement and long-term learning, but it can also result in the student investing more time and resources into creative production at the expense of the academic content. When assigning projects to groups that include novice students, you should emphasize the need for equitable contributions to the assignment. Assessments should address differences in effort and allow students to contribute to the evaluations of their peers.

Presentation of the project –is a combination of educational and cognitive tools, which allows to solve the problem in the conditions of the necessary presentation of the student’s independent actions and the obtained results. Teaching in this way raises students’ motivation and responsibility.

Brain storming- is a method student can use to generate ideas for solving the problem. In the process of brainstorming students must suspend any concerns about staying organized. The goal is to pour their thoughts without worrying about whether they make sense or how they fit together. It is effective method within the group and contains following stages:

•  Creative definition of problem
  
• Taking notes of ideas without criticism
  
•  Definition of estimation criterion
  
•  Evaluation of ideas by preliminarily defined criterion
  
•  Selection of best matching ideas by exclusion
• Manifestation of idea with the highest estimation for solving the problem

Role-Playing and Situational Games Scenario-based role-plays allow students to look at an issue from different perspectives and help them develop alternative points of view. Like discussion, role-playing also develops the student’s ability to express his position independently and defend it in an argument.

Demonstration method- involves visual representation of information. It is quite effective in terms of achieving results. In many cases, it is best to provide the material to students in both audio and visual form. Demonstration of the study material can be done by both the teacher and the student. This method helps us to visualize the different levels of perception of the learning material, to specify what students will have to do independently; At the same time, this strategy visually illustrates the essence of the issue / problem. Demonstrations may look
simply, such as solving a mathematical problem, visualizing a step on its board, or taking on a complex look, such as conducting a multi-level science experiment.

Inductive Method- defines a form of transferring knowledge, when the course of thought in the process of learning is directed from facts to generalization, that is, when conveying material, the process proceeds from specific to general.
Deductive Method- the process of reasoning from one or more statements (premises) to reach a logically certain conclusion. It works from the more general to the more specific.
Analysis- through this method, lecturers and students discuss specific cases together. Students thoroughly learn the previously unknown sides of the issue. The method of analysis enables us to break up the whole part of the study the material into constituent parts, which simplifies the understanding of the specific issues of the problem.

The synthesis method – involves composing one whole by grouping individual issues. This method helps to develop the problem as the ability to see the whole. The explanatory method is based on reasoning around a given issue. In presenting the material, the lecturer gives a specific example, which is discussed in detail in the given topic.

Action-oriented teaching – requires the active involvement of the lecturer and the student in the teaching process, where the practical interpretation of the theoretical material becomes particularly important.
Laboratory learning- is more visible method and allows you to perceive an event or process. In the lab, the student learns to conduct an experiment. During the laboratory study, the student should be able to control the devices, adjust them and determine the mode of operation. Habits developed in learning laboratories provide an understanding of the theoretical material heard in lectures. Master’s thesis is the final phase of the Master’s level and it aims at the systematization of the gained theoretical and practical knowledge and the reasoned solution of certain scientific, technical, economic and professional objectives. The thesis must reveal the level of knowledge of the research methods and experiments related to the given issue and the readiness of the student to work independently in the conditions of the future professional activities.

Consultation – the contact time used by the student with the supervisor of the Master’s thesis, when the student obtains information regarding the issues of drafting the plan, searching for empirical materials, their preparation, making conclusions in terms of the contents of the thesis, technical design of the thesis, its preparation for presentation.
E-learning – This method includes three types of teaching:

• Attendance when the teaching process takes place within the contact hours of the lecturer and the students, and the teaching material is delivered through an electronic course.
  
•  Hybrid (attendance / distance), the main part of the learning course is done remotely, and a small part is done within the contact hours.
  
•  Completely distance learning involves conducting the learning process without the physical presence of the lecturer. The learning course is held electronically from beginning to end.

The system of evaluation of learning outcomes and competencies is based on the system recognized by the legislation and corresponds to the evaluation and credit granting standards approved by the OrderN3 of the Minister of Education and Science of Georgia dated January 5, 2007.

Student assessment system includes:
a) Five types of positive evaluation:
a.a) (A) Excellent – 91-100 points;
a.b) (B) Very good – 81-90 points;
a.c) (C) Good – 71-80 points;
a.d) (D) Satisfactory – 61-70 points
a.e) (E) Sufficient – 51-60 points;

b) Two types of negative evaluation:
b.a) (FX) did not pass – 41-50 points of maximum evaluation, which means that the student needs more work to pass the examination and is given the right to retake (one time) an exam via independent work;
b.b) (F) Failed – 40 points or less, which means that the work done by the student is not sufficient and he/she has to retake the course. In case student gets FX, he/she can take the additional exam in the same semester at least 5 days after the announcement of the final exam results.

The number of points obtained in the final assessment is not added to the grade received by the student at the additional exam. The grade obtained at the additional exam is the final grade and is reflected in the final grade of the study component of the educational program. Considering the additional exam evaluation if the points accumulated by student in the educational program component is 0-50 points, student is evaluated with F-0. A prerequisite for a student’s admission to the final exam is to overcome the competence threshold of the Midterm Evaluation (No less than 11 points within Midterm Evaluation).

Competency threshold for the Final Exam is 30%, no less than 12 points.

Prerequisite for granting the credit is accumulating no less than 51 from 100 points and to overcome the minimum competency threshold of Midterm Evaluation and Final Exam.