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The northernmost University of Technology in Scandinavia World-class research and education



GUIDE 2013

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Pedagogisk idé LTUÅsa Wikberg Nilsson & Oskar Gedda




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ISBN: 01-2345-67-XGraphic Design and Illustration: Åsa Wikberg Nilssonin collaboration with Luleå University of Technology





The Luleå way of learning

Persistence

Independence

Commitment

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THE WORLD AROUND US IS CONSTANTLY CHANGING. We can choose to see changes that affect a university such as LTU as disruptive elements or as means of development. We see it as crucial to our future to continuously engage in the development and refi nement of our activities in the educational fi eld.

In early spring 2013, we proposed a common pedago-gical concept at LTU. Over the following two years, we would invest strategic funds in starting the development work needed to realise the pedagogical concept.

Being pioneers in terms of both the way we think and the way we act is part of our history, and a profi le that we want to maintain and develop. Pedagogisk idé LTU (a uni-versity-wide “pedagogical concept”) raises the challenge of being proactive instead of reactive when it comes to investing in education and learning. The pedagogical con-cept creates expectations as to how education is to be run at our university. It clarifi es for ourselves, for prospective students and for all external stakeholders what we stand for and the qualities of the education that we offer. The clarity facilitates discussion within and between all of these groups concerning what we do and how we can work together to develop our operations.

To support and reinforce students’ learning is our com-

A word fromthe Vice-Chancellor...

mon assignment and a very important issue for positive and competitive development throughout LTU in the future. The guide for educational development 2013 acts as a re-ference and a support for all to participate in the develop-ment which we are working on in both the long and short term. The guide is one example of the various support and activities currently under development which are intended to support the entire organisation in its bid to innovatively and successfully conduct pedagogical development.

In LTU’s vision 2020, we have the goal of being known for our pedagogical profi le. At LTU, we have a solid history and a good present situation – both internally and in the current social picture – for achieving this goal.

Luleå 28 June 2013

Johan SterteVice-Chancellor

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THE FOCUS OF THIS GUIDE IS EDUCATION and lear-ning, with particular emphasis on support and clarity for students’ learning. Research reveals that discussion on education and learning is crucial to successful investments in education. In order to retain good quality and to get the students to see themselves as on their way to becoming in-fl uential and skilful actors that are recognised in their fi eld, we need to learn from and with one another in a construc-tive and inspiring way. One of several means of support in the scope of Pedagogisk idé LTU is the guide you are now holding in your hand.

The pedagogical concept project started with a preli-minary study in 2012, which will then be realised with various implementation activities during the period 2013-2014. For this period, there are funds earmarked for implementation, which means that it may be a good idea to start now and receive funds with which to initiate the work. The implementation does not follow a fi xed model and does not involve any obligatory activities. Instead of developing a suit that is equally as bad a fi t for everyone at LTU, everyone participating in the preliminary study chose to develop watchwords and support for the implementation in each area of education. This means that the guide you now hold in your hand is intended as a form of support for discussing education and learning.

The watchwords for LTU’s pedagogical concept are commitment, persistence and independence.

These are words which every fi eld, every area, every sub-ject, every study programme, every course, every examiner and every teacher should discuss the meaning of. For us, these terms stand for the development of motivation for students’ learning. We believe that by developing commit-ment to or passion for an area, it will be possible for the students to invest more time in and take greater responsi-bility for their learning. Commitment can be developed in different ways; one way is committed teachers who are passionate about “their” area. This in turn requires an orga-

Forewordnisation that values education and learning. Another way is via clarity in what is expected of me as a student and my direction; i.e., a clear vision. This requires a clear and thought-out path for the education. There are countless other ways of developing commitment, but we will leave this to a discussion for you to develop within your area.

The guide contains texts that will hopefully inspire, in-itiate and support the discussion. You will have to develop activities and action plans yourself, based on the discussions. Our idea is for you to read the guide, not from cover to cover, but as a support for matters that should be discussed continuously and parts of an education that can be good to refl ect upon.

Pedagogisk idé LTU has fantastic potential; we can push the teacher role and education up the agenda and support our students in becoming infl uential and skilful actors that are recognised in their fi eld. But this requires the participa-tion of you and your colleagues; we all have a role to play in realising the pedagogical concept. This means that we, as well as our students, need commitment and passion in combination with aspirations; i.e., persistency in order to achieve our goals. It is a success factor for Pedagogisk idé LTU; we need everyone to be committed to working per-sistently towards the goal of having skilful and infl uential students.

We would also like to take this opportunity to thank all of those who contributed to making this publication possible; the Vice-Chancellor’s management group and the Vice-Chancellor council, TFN and FFN, who initiated and supported the work on the pedagogical investment, the unions at LTU for active support in and contributions to dialogues, utbildningskoordinatorerna (the UK group; the educational coordinators) LTU for support and good feedback throughout the process, and last but by no means least; Brit Rönnbäck, KTH, for invaluable and insightful comments on pedagogy and learning

Luleå 18 June 2013

Åsa Wikberg Nilsson Oskar Gedda

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ContentsPART 1 INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Pedagogisk idé LTU ...............................................................................................................15Why develop? ........................................................................................................................16Who should work with development? ....................................................................................16Structure of the guide ............................................................................................................16

PART 2 POINTS OF DEPARTURE AND INSPIRATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Rules and guidelines ..............................................................................................................20From transfer to development ................................................................................................20Learning ................................................................................................................................21Generic skills .........................................................................................................................23Constructive Alignment .........................................................................................................24CDIO ...................................................................................................................................25Independence ........................................................................................................................26

PART 3 THE PROCESS STEP BY STEP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

The programme’s constituent parts .........................................................................................31One process in several phases .................................................................................................32Evaluation .............................................................................................................................32The process cycle ...................................................................................................................33Discussion .............................................................................................................................35

1 PURPOSE AND AREA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36

What? ....................................................................................................................................36Why? .....................................................................................................................................36Model ...................................................................................................................................36Discussion 1...........................................................................................................................37Notes ....................................................................................................................................38

2 DEGREE OBJECTIVES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40


3 PROGRAMME SYLLABUS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44


4 COURSE AND LEARNING ACTIVITIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48

What? ....................................................................................................................................48Why? ....................................................................................................................................49Model ...................................................................................................................................49Discussion 4...........................................................................................................................51Notes ....................................................................................................................................52

5 VARIATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54

What? ....................................................................................................................................54Why? .....................................................................................................................................54

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Model ...................................................................................................................................55Lotta, Johannes and Isak .........................................................................................................56Discussion 5 .........................................................................................................................57Notes ....................................................................................................................................58

6 CREATIVE STUDY ENVIRONMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60


7 LEARNING SYSTEMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64

What? ....................................................................................................................................64Teacher-Teacher ....................................................................................................................64Student-External ...................................................................................................................64Student-Student.....................................................................................................................64Why? .....................................................................................................................................65Model ...................................................................................................................................67Discussion 7 .........................................................................................................................67 Notes ....................................................................................................................................68

8 ORGANISATIONAL LEARNING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70

What? ....................................................................................................................................70Why? .....................................................................................................................................70Model ...................................................................................................................................71Discussion 8...........................................................................................................................71Notes ...................................................................................................................................72

9 STUDENT SYSTEMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74


10 PROGRAMME EVALUATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78


FINAL WORDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83

REFERENCES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84

APPENDICES

Appendix 1. From transfer to development .............................................................................87Appendix 2. Ability-based learning .......................................................................................88Appendix 3. Checklist for refl ection in practice ......................................................................89Appendix 4. Educational development according to Pedagogisk idé ........................................90

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“Educationmust inspire

independent,active learning which

challenges the ability of every individual to meet the

future head-on”LTU Vision 2020

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Part 1.

Introductionto the guide

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PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYIntroduction

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GUIDE FOR EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ACCORDING TO PEDAGOGISK IDÉ LTU - 2013

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The best results are most often achieved when people collaborate towards a common goal. The guide for educational development is part of LTU’s pedagogical concept, an introduction to a way of thinking and a method of focusing on students’ learning.

BOTH THE BACKGROUND TO THE PEDAGOGICAL CONCEPT and the guide for educational development are part of LTU’s vision 2020. It explains that “education must inspire independent, active learning which challenges the ability of every individual to meet the future head-on”. The vision of the student in an academic environment that stimulates active learning and which challenges the ability of each individual requires, in addition to work and commitment from both teachers and students, collaboration and discus-sion on education and learning. The aim of the educational development is to discuss and formulate consistent goals and a clear line of thought on how students will develop towards the objectives of each study programme.

The guide aims to bring about a process for the de-velopment of education in accordance with recognised models and theories that focus on the students’ learning. The arrangement of the guide is based on relevant issues so as to initiate discussion on the purpose and objectives of the student’s learning.

For some, the proposed process means an entirely new way of cooperating on educational issues. For others, it can act as a form of support for collaboration which already at this stage involves people with different levels of experien-ce and positions.

The important thing is not to follow a fi xed model to the letter, but to start a discussion on all of the constituent parts of an education.

Pedagogisk idé LTUA JOINT PEDAGOGICAL CONCEPT means that all staff at LTU must in various ways take responsibility for our study programmes and ensure LTU’s students are given and take responsibility for their studies and learning. The idea of a common pedagogical concept for LTU is that it constitutes a support for the entire university to offer good program-mes that focus on students’ development and learning. In order to achieve the results in 2020 painted by the vision, a persistent strategy is required for the pedagogical activi-ties. The guide for educational development is part of this strategy.

LTU’s pedagogical concept entails a focus on students’ learning. The basis is to create clarity in study program-mes by focusing on the competences that an independent actor in the given area of activities needs to develop and to create a constructive path to this goal. LTU’s pedagogical concept includes the stairway to independence, a model for constructive competence development, based on the development of independent actors. According to this thought model, education can support the development of students’ identity; initially as professional students, eventu-ally as participating and contributing actors and fi nally as independent actors within their fi eld.

There are many factors which affect conditions and possibilities of creating good study programmes. These various factors need to be discussed, developed, implemen-ted, driven and followed up so that all of those concerned contribute to optimising the support to the development of students’ independence. This guide contains a basis for discussion, a fi rst step towards development.


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Whydevelop? THE GOAL OF ALL EDUCATION AT LTU is for the students to be able to act independently within their fi eld after completing their studies. The premise of this education is already that the students take with them a broad base of knowledge, skills and approaches when they complete their studies. These various competencies are built up during the education in the form of courses and other activities with various content, objectives and forms of examinations. The combined competences shall then be assessed in their entirety via the degree objectives. Some study program-mes have clear connections between learning activities, as well as complimentary additions, and thus normally have a common theme, i.e., an idea of how the development of students’ competencies should take place during their edu-cation. Other study programmes have less obvious logical connections between content, activities and the assessment of objectives within and between the various learning acti-vities. The conditions are thereby different from one study programme to the next.

One motivation for development might be the initi-ation of a new study programme. It may be a matter of meeting new or changed demands from working life and society or covering a new area for future working life. It may also be a matter of the need to develop new courses or specialisations within the study programme. As a change is made throughout or in parts of an education, there is a need to discuss, update and relate content and objectives.

Further motivation for development could be constant change in the content of a study programme in the year since the programme started, in the form of courses and other learning activities. One example is that small changes in course content and objectives not linked to overall degree objectives may eventually lead to a situation in which the course no longer contributes to achieving the study programme’s degree objectives. All of this is grounds for development, but initiating a development process may also be about a basic understanding that continuous dis-cussion on the overall content and objectives of the study programme in relation to course content and goals helps to better ensure good quality, which in turn contributes to persistent study and motivated and passionate students.

In order to achieve commitment, persistence and fi nally to continually increase students’ independence, however, a change in thought patterns on education is required. The change consists of a move from focusing on content and subject, both in specifi c courses and entire programmes, to seeing how the study programme as a whole contributes to and supports students’ development into independent actors in their fi eld.

Who shouldwork withdevelopment?THE TERM “STAKEHOLDER” IS SOMETIMES USED in acade-mia. The Higher Education Ordinance governs and regula-tes study programmes, but it is often said that the develop-ment of courses and programmes should have stakeholders in focus. Who are these stakeholders? Stakeholders can be working life, so far as the students shall gradually develop into independent and skilful individuals in their fi eld. For this reason, it is important to engage individuals from the professional fi eld in the development work. A stakeholder we should have in focus is the student; the individual that invests their resources, time and commitment in a study programme at LTU and who expects quality and commit-ment from those of us responsible for the education.

The target group for the guide is everyone affected by LTU’s fi rst and second-cycle education. The decision from the Vice-Chancellor for implementing Pedagogisk idé LTU means that prefects have a responsibility for initiating the work. Gathering together those concerned and starting the discussion with the support of this guide is a means of initiating implementation of Pedagogisk idé LTU. “All those concerned” is a very broad concept. In this case, it covers heads of departments, primary faculty programme directors, faculty programme directors, central adminis-trators for undergraduate and master degrees, programme coordinators, student administrators, heads of division, teachers and students. All of these functions, positions and individuals are affected in one way or another. The student is of course a very important part of the target group, but the guide primarily concerns functions and positions such as primary faculty programme director, faculty programme director and teacher. Secondarily, other internal personnel are affected, as well as external individuals from the fi eld that the study programme concerns.

Faculty programme director is a function with a certain amount of responsibility for development. A good start for faculty programme directors is to identify key persons who can be engaged in the development work. These may be individuals with knowledge of both degree objectives and course objectives; people who have knowledge and aware-ness of both the present and a desirable future. To develop a study programme, it is necessary to discuss the pro-gramme as a whole, and discuss how its constituent parts contribute to the whole. This means that it is important


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to involve teachers and students with knowledge of the programme from an early stage so that their perspectives of course content and degree objectives have an impact on the development work. This is a process which acts in two directions; on the one hand, various perspectives infl uence the development work and on the other, all those involved gain a greater understanding of the grounds of the need for change.

It is often useful to also involve individuals who have no knowledge of the programme but who have knowled-ge and experience relevant to the context. Persons with different knowledge and experience of the fi eld should for example be involved in various phases of the development work in order to ensure the relevance of the programme. One example is to use links to industry to a higher extent in programmes by engaging external persons with know-ledge of the fi eld and commitment to education issues. By allowing these external fi gures to participate in all or part of the development work, better links to industry are achieved. The students gain better links to industry by seeing individuals active in the profession or fi eld helping to develop their education. A side effect of involving external fi gures is that the students can develop a vision for their studies and gain motivation for and commitment to persistent work by gaining an understanding of what they can work with after completing their education.

Structure of the guideINSPIRATION FOR THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS, presented in the guide, is taken from recognised theories and models for developing education. These theories and models are presented in the fi rst chapter, which discusses concepts and theories. Some will recognise parts that are already im-plemented in LTU’s system; for others, this part is a short background to why the guide is formulated the way it is.

The guide aims to provide an understanding of how the various parts of a study programme contribute to a constructive whole; a whole which focuses on students’ development into independent actors. The intention is thus to show different aspects which contribute to the deve-lopment of persistent work and committed students. Essen-tially, this is a matter of clarity; having clearly formulated objectives and being clear with the students in how con-tent, activities and assessment logically lead to the objective. This chapter of the guide describes a process which can be used as a basis for discussing, developing, implementing and running study programmes.

The process is based on discussing 1) aim, 2) objective, 3) programme syllabus and 4) the course activities and other learning activities which are included in a programme. The premise is the competences that an independent actor in the fi eld should develop and then to formulate objectives and courses which help to develop these competences among the students.

Apart from these perhaps more traditional activities, the process involves discussion on 5) variation in learning and examination forms as individuals learn in different ways. The process also involves discussion on and development of adapted 6) creative study environments, i.e., various en-vironments that support secure, creative and experimental learning in different forms depending on the fi eld. Tradi-tional lecture halls are not always the best environment for practicing and developing competences.

The next stage of the process involves discussing various forms of 7) learning systems. This may for example mean that students in “later” years support students in “earlier” years. The eighth stage of the process involves 8) organi-sational learning, i.e., continually refl ecting on doing the right thing to support students’ learning in their education. The process also includes 9) student systems for deve-loping competence and independence and 10) continuous follow-up and evaluation of study programmes. These stages are described in more detail in the next chapter of the guide.

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Part 2.

Points of departureand inspiration

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Rules and guidelines A BASIS FOR ALL STUDY PROGRAMMES run at LTU are the Higher Education Act and the Higher Education Ordinance. All programmes involving state, municipality or county council are subject to the Higher Education Act (1992:1434) and the Higher Education Ordinance (1993:100). This means that degree objectives of the Hig-her Education Ordinance are what govern the expected results of education.

The Higher Education Act and the Higher Education Ordinance contain provisions for the running of the edu-cation, in the form of the study programme’s conditions and objectives, and basic degree requirements, as well as provisions for different types of examination. The Higher Education Act and the Higher Education Ordinance also contain principles on e.g., student infl uence. The Higher Education Ordinance contains general rules for university education on all levels, such as study guidance, degrees and credit transfers. It also contains provisions on course and programme syllabi, grading, course certifi cates, tests, rectifi cation and re-assessment of grades as well as discipli-nary measures against students who have cheated on tests, been disruptive in class or harassed others. The System of Qualifi cations governs the degree objectives that apply for a certain degree.

In the Higher Education Ordinance, degree objec-tives are divided into the categories 1) knowledge and understanding, 2) skills and ability, and 3) judgment and approach.

This is a way of distinguishing between subject know-ledge and professional knowledge and the discipline-rela-ted approach which the students should have developed over the course of the programme. The degree objectives also include various generic skills such as analysis and ver-bal and written presentation, which are seen as important in most disciplines.

Creating holism in the programme involves identifying the competences that are crucial to an independent actor in the fi eld and formulating degree objectives and criteria that clearly show what the objectives cover and how they can be assessed.

Fromtransfer to developmentGOING FROM A FOCUS ON CONTENT to a focus on stu-dents’ learning can be perceived as a new way of thinking about education. Appendix 1 shows some examples of how such a changed approach can be expressed. Develop-ment based on students’ learning focuses on the students having developed certain competencies after completing their education. This is considerably different to viewing education as solely acquiring information or completing certain elements of a programme. In this perspective, these elements are not completed; they are instead part of a growing scale of independence development. This means in turn that certain exercises and elements should be repeated in order to ensure the students gain experience through experimentation and thereby continuously deve-lop their competence.

Learning is strengthened when both students and teach-ers have a clear perception of the overall degree objectives and how the learning activity, experiment or element of the programme contributes to these. A programme’s learning activities, feedback, assessment, examination and evaluation of the associated courses are thereby different parts of a system which is to act as a whole for the students to achieve the degree objectives. Achieving these objectives requires both persistent work and a great deal of commit-ment from teachers and students alike. Success is when the students perceive a need to meet intermediate objectives - course objectives - because they understand how these work in conjunction with overall objectives.

In order to achieve this, teachers need to be part of a context in which learning is seen as an important activity for the university and where education and learning are constantly discussed. Andersson and Warfvinge (2012), for example, describe a number of criteria that they feel must be met in order for fi rst-cycle education to move from transfer of knowledge to focus on development of the students’ learning (see below).

1. For a more detailed background, see Gedda and Wikberg Nilsson (2012).

Points of departure and inspiration for Pedagogisk idé LTU have covered guidelines, theories, models and ideas on education and learning. This chapter presents in brief some of the main concepts and models on which Pedagogisk idé LTU is based1. The next chapter presents a number of other theories which link to the respective section of the guide.


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1. Teachers need to develop an understanding of the development of students’ understanding and competence2. Teachers need to have motivation for teaching; i.e., incentive and recognition, career structures that support teachers, learning methods and techniques for engaging teaching.3. Teachers need to be involved in a teaching committee that sees education and learning as an important practice, and for which such matters are the subject of continual discussion.4. There is a need for the development of quality systems in study programmes, where the content, implementation and objectives of a course, as well as supervision and other support to students, are constantly discussed and developed within the teaching committee.

TeachingCreating committed and hardworking students requires an academic environment in which the teaching staff are stimulated to develop both their pedagogical abilities and their subject knowledge. A number of critical aspects of learning are presented in the following paragraphs.

Clarify and create interest

One critical aspect of learning is the ability to clarify and describe in different ways so that students with different prior learning, experience and conditions understand (Ramsden, 1993). For a teacher, this means developing the competence to inspire both by showing their own interest in the subject and by showing the students how it can be interesting to them. It is also a matter of offering different forms of learning, i.e., to vary the forms of teaching so that students with different learning requirements can absorb the content of a course and thereby achieve the degree objectives.

Care of and respect for students’ learning

Teachers; all individuals who teach, should show both generosity and accessibility, i.e., an interest in students and their development (Ramsden, 1993). To achieve this, the capacity for impulsiveness and fl exibility are also required; i.e., the ability to be open to the unforeseeable and to take in different perspectives and approaches and meet these in different ways.

It can be diffi cult to remain enthusiastic at all times when students come knocking on the door, but there are solutions to this. Discuss whether you should have special times for students or which policy you wish to apply; the most important thing is that you meet students with care and respect - you are there for them and they are there so that you can contribute to the development of their competence.


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Constructive assessment and feedback

So that students are given the opportunity to be active, i.e., to work persistently, with commitment and with a higher level of independence, teachers must have the ability to provide useful assessments and feedback both during and after completion of courses. Biggs & Tang (2011), for example, believe that formative feedback, i.e., feedback during the actual learning process, is a better support for learning than summative feedback, which entails feedback after the learning process.

One example which demonstrates that summative feedback often has a low educational value is students who get back their papers from an exam taken after a course. The teacher may have gone to lengths to provide extensive comments on the students’ answers, but the students often have low motivation to learn from any mistakes they may have made and thereby develop.

This can be compared with formative feedback via e.g., interim exams with feedback, which describe how the students can develop and thereby learn more and perform better on the course and the programme. An exam in an early phase of the course helps the students to initiate their development and affords them the opportunity to be more committed and work more constructively during the course.

Clear objectives and challenges

An additional aspect of solid education is the ability to offer an initial abstract, open discovery phase which then transitions to a phase with more concretisation and preci-sion (Ramsden, 1993). In the fi nal phase, the students are offered more practice in their area of knowledge, where own initiative and the application of competencies is sti-mulated. Activities in the early stages should not be used as a basis for grading; they should instead afford the students opportunity to experiment, learn and develop during the course.

It is often said that high requirements make for good student performance. It is crucial, however, that teachers are able to show what the requirements relate to by means of clear criteria and objectives in order to challenge stu-dents’ intellect and stimulate commitment and endeavours to achieve the objectives.

Autonomy, control and commitment

Students must be committed to their study activities in order to facilitate competence development in the area. To develop commitment, the students must be afforded the opportunity to have a certain amount of control over the learning situation, in order to both adapt it to their own understanding and to avoid dependency on the teacher.

Commitment can for example develop in study groups, where common, open learning takes place in combina-tion with the individual development of competencies. This also helps the students to be more independent and means that courses and activities do not always require the presence of a teacher. Naturally, this requires a thoroughly thought-out process for what the students are to learn, how they can do this with and without the teacher’s sup-port, and how their learning process can be assessed.

Strategy for learning

Apart from the previous principles, good teaching is based on being open to change and continuously seeking understanding of the consequences of the provided in-structions for each student. Knowledge of the students can and should be used to select and develop various teaching strategies.

The content of courses should be made available to different students who may for example have different disabilities, family situations, previous work experience, or who may be studying from home (distance learning) or similar. The implementation of the course should meet the wide range of study conditions represented among the course participants. This does not mean that students with insuffi cient prior learning shall be given the opportunity to participate in the course; it means rather that students with the right prior knowledge but with different conditions for learning shall be afforded the opportunity to take the course.

One important aspect is that the students should come across different forms of examination so as to be challeng-ed in various ways. A written exam after completion of a course is a traditional form of examination that is recogni-sed as not supporting learning. During development work, the forms of examination should be reviewed and varied in order to support students’ learning in different ways.


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INDEPENDENCE DEVELOPMENT MEANS that the students have gained certain competencies from their completed studies; competencies that are crucial to becoming an independent actor in the specifi c fi eld. Progression is an important part of development; i.e., students should be allowed to experiment, train, deepen their knowledge and develop continuously over the course of the programme.

Skills can be many different things. Some examples are given below, but more can be found in Appendix 2 and Riordan & Sharkey (2012). Certain skills differ from one programme to the next. Others are common to most areas and can thereby be referred to as “generic skills”; see below.

The ability to apply knowledgeStudents need to develop skills in exploring, investigating, summarising and applying theories and relevant informa-tion for different purposes. Being able to apply knowled-ge is the goal of an independent actor within most fi elds. Experimentation and practice are required, however, in order for development to take place. The ability to apply knowledge can be practiced in a number of different contexts and activities, right from the beginning of the study programme, in order to fi nally undergo examina-tion at the end.

Problem-solving ability Problem-solving can mean different things in different areas. The forms of problem-solving that need to be developed are something that needs to be discussed for each programme. Students need to develop into effective problem solvers who are able to apply logical, critical and creative thinking to a number of different issues.

Problem-solving ability is an excellent skill to experi-ment with in different contexts. Feedback on this ability is key; without feedback it is diffi cult to develop. Students’ capacity to interpret, identify, criticise and analyse issues and to formulate proposed solutions for a number of different areas – in collaboration with others – needs to be practiced time and time again over the course of the education.

Communicative competence Students need to develop knowledge and skills in com-municating verbally and in writing, in different contexts. Communication skills should be practiced in different contexts, with different media and for different purposes. By the end of the programme, the students should have developed judgment skills which allow them to select a form of communication based on the purpose of the presentation.

Students need to develop the ability to argue a point for different purposes and in different contexts. The ability to argue is associated with commitment; if there is a passion for the subject or the area, the ability to argue for one’s knowledge in the area is often developed.

Today’s society places ever higher requirements on the ability to collaborate and communicate with different groups, in different contexts and for different purposes. In most areas, the students of today also need knowledge and the ability to communicate and collaborate in a multicul-tural and global context.

Understanding of global and local perspectivesThe defi nition of the problem is different from one area to the next and can also differ between local and global perspectives. For students to become independent actors, they need to develop a capacity to see situations from both local and global perspectives and thereby deve-lop the skills to see things from different perspectives depending on context. Understanding of global and local perspectives is also associated with the ability to juxtapose things and thus relate them to a larger context.

Responsibility

Students need to practice and develop knowledge and the ability to act based on various ethical considerations, with integrity both for oneself and for others, and with a social responsibility for consequences in various contexts. Students need to practice the application of sustainable development within their area and thereby develop an understanding of what this means in social, economic and ecological perspectives. Individual responsibility for the students means that they need to develop the ability to take responsibility for their own learning by e.g., running activities and acting on their own initiative.

Generic skills


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THE TERM CONSTRUCTIVE ALIGNMENT can be interpreted roughly as collaboration, i.e., all resources provided shall promote the development of “a common theme”. Biggs & Tang (2011) describe that the term “constructive” has its roots in the perspective that people construct knowledge and understanding in interaction with others. The focus of a course and a programme should thereby, in accordance with this view, be what the student learns (the objective of the programme), rather than what the teacher teaches (the subject).

CA can be used to develop collaboration between vario-us parts in the form of courses, and holism in the form of programmes, as well as to develop the entire university as a learning organisation. The approach of initiating the work by developing results - in other words, goals - in order to then develop the path there is the same.

The image on the page shows the thinking behind CA; the fi rst step is to develop goals, i.e., what we want the stu-dents to have learned after completion of the activity/edu-cation. Thereafter, the implementation is designed in the form of various activities that help the students to develop learning within what the objectives have stipulated. At the same time the activities are planned, there are discussions as to how assessment and examination of the goals shall take place. Assessment and examination are a learning activity in themselves, as they can be formulated so that students can develop their learning.

As previously mentioned, degree objectives are divided into categories in accordance with the Higher Education Ordinance; 1) knowledge and understanding, 2) skills and ability, and 3) judgment and approach.

These categories are not part of the theories behind CA, but are used for evaluation, assessment and examination in accordance with the Higher Education Ordinance and are therefore important for inclusion in discussions on both course and degree objectives. For some, these categories are diffi cult to implement in their own activities. It is of course open for committees on every programme to formulate their own categories, provided this has been preceded by a discussion on how these relate to the Higher Education Ordinance.

ObjectivesWhat competencies

do we want the students to have

developed as a result of the

course/programme?

ImplementationWhat activities are appropriate for the students

to develop the desired competencies?

ExaminationHow can students

show they have attained the desired

competencies?

FIGURE 1. . CONSTRUCTIVE COLLABORATION BETWEEN OBJECTIVES, IMPLEMENTATION AND EXAMINATION.

BASED ON BIGGS & TANG (2011)

Constructive AlignmentConstructive alignment (CA) is a term which refers to the development of consistency and clarity between intended learning outcomes and teaching and examination forms. CA is about adapting, developing and positioning parts in relation to one another and in relation to a whole. It can be said to consist of developing “a common theme” which is just as clear in an individual lecture on a certain course as in the programme as a whole.


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the development of methods for teaching and learning, competence development for teachers (subject and peda-gogy), and the development of assessment and evaluation; see the twelve standards listed below.

Standard 1 CDIO as ContextStandard 2 CDIO Syllabus OutcomesStandard 3 Integrated CurriulumStandard 4 Introduction to EngineeringStandard 5 Design-Build ExperiencesStandard 6 CDIO WorkspacesStandard 7 Integrated Learning ExperiencesStandard 8 Active LearningStandard 9 Enhancement of Faculty CDIO skillsStandard 10 Enhancement of Faculty Teaching SkillsStandard 11 CDIO Learning AssessmentStandard 12 CDIO Program Evaluation

CDIO Assessment

CDIO includes an assessment scale for the evaluation of the programme’s current situation in terms of the various standards. The assessment uses a scale of 0 to 5. The goal is to strive for higher grades in each standard. An assessment of 0 means that there are no efforts related to the standard whatsoever and an assessment of 5 means that there is a fully developed plan for the standard which is continuously implemented, run, evaluated and improved. See the image below.

THE ACRONYM CDIO stands for Conceive-Design-Im-plement-Operate and represents both a method and a continual development process for programmes. CDIO contains various standards, each of which is to be assessed and which also describe a process for continual develop-ment. Working with CDIO means applying the following process for each standard:1. CONCEIVE - develop an understanding for what the

standard concerns 2. DESIGN - develop and formulate the standard3. IMPLEMENT - develop a plan for how the standard is

to be implemented 4. OPERATE - maintain the standard in accordance with

the new conditions Crawley et al. (2011) emphasises that CDIO is about de-veloping consequence between objectives, activities and assessment in accordance with the previously mentioned constructive alignment. They also mean that it is a matter of learning;● Learning to understand, i.e., fi nding the instruments for developing understanding.● Learning to do, i.e., to develop the capacity to creatively act independently in various contexts.● Learning to function together, i.e., to collaborate and communicate with other people● Learning to be, i.e., a development based on progression of the previous three aspects of learning

The 12 standards address the programme’s fundamental purpose and objectives, the development of course syllabi, the development of laboratory and experimental activities,

0 1 2 3 4

FIGURE 2. SHOWS THE ASSESSMENT CRITERIA FOR CDIO.

An additional system for developing programmes that are represented in Pedagogisk idé LTU is CDIO. CDIO is described as an innovative pedagogical framework developed primarily for engineering degrees. Even if the point of departure for CDIO is engineers, the thinking behind it encompasses a process and standards that are useful for discussing development within all programmes..

CDIO

NO CHANGES MADEAS YET TO THEOBJECTIVES,PROGRAMMESYLLABUS OR

IMPLEMENTATIONIN OTHER PARTS

INITIAL CHANGESMADE TO THE OBJECTIVES,

PROGRAMME SYLLABUS, IMPLEMENTATION COMMENCED ON THE COURSE AND

PROGRAMME LEVEL

WELL-DEVELOPEDOBJECTIVES,PROGRAMME

SYLLABUS AND PILOT IMPLEMENTATION ON COURSE AND

PROGRAMME LEVEL

COMPLETE ANDADOPTED TARGETDOCUMENTS AND

PROGRAMME SYLLABI,IMPLEMENTATION OF

THE PLAN ON COURSE AND PROGRAMME

LEVEL

COMPLETE AND ADOPTED OBJECTIVES AND PROGRAMME SYLLABUS,

EXTENSIVE IMPLEMENTATION ON COURSE AND

PROGRAMME LEVEL WITH CONTINUOUS

IMPROVEMENTS INTRODUCED


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Competence as a professional student

Conveying a vision means the students can understand and see the goal of the programme and thereby have the opportunity to work more persistently and with greater commitment. The envisaged path to the goal also needs to be conveyed to the students so that they can see how the programme helps them to develop the competencies required in the area. The path to the goal needs to be divided into intermediate stages which constructively contribute to the development of independent actors.

When students commence a study programme, they should be given the opportunity to develop competencies as professional students. University education often has a different setup and requirements on the students compared with high school education, for example. The requirements and responsibility placed on the students in university education should be clarifi ed for students at an early age so that students are able to begin their development early.

An introduction to academic studies and to the area should be available early on in the programme. It should cover the development of certain basic competencies and clearly show how the development of these competencies relates to the vision of the education.

Important issues for this phase of the programme are which competencies are important to initiate development within and how this can be done. The fi rst phase of the programme includes competence in learning about lear-ning, which may cover study technique, analytical ability, written and verbal communicative competence and the capacity to give and receive feedback on ability. It should also cover the development of personal responsibility, in order to initiate the students’ development into indepen-dent actors.

Indications of developed competence as a professional student are that the students themselves take responsibility for their learning by e.g., taking their own initiative to obtain information so as to optimise their learning from the programme.

Competence as a participating actor

When students have developed competencies as professi-onal students, the next step towards independence should be taken. This means clearly marking that the students themselves are active in and responsible for their own development. To support this, teachers can encourage and allow integration of knowledge and experience from pre-vious courses, activities and/or life experience in elements of a programme where the students themselves have a great deal of control over the setup, structure and execution. Teachers are there as support and to provide feedback on the students’ competence development.

Competence as participating actors means that the students themselves have freedom in and responsibility for certain tasks. This requires clarity from teachers regar-ding which competencies will be practiced, continuous feedback on students’ development and clear guidelines for assessment and examination.

Indications of developed competence as participating actors are that the students carry out tasks or work in which they independently obtain information and, with the support of teachers and others in the group, carry out a process which is linked to the goals and where they argue their fi ndings.

A participating actor should be able to show analytical ability, capacity for dialogue or argumentation analysis, as well as leadership and communication skills in order to contribute to a greater extent to the joint work. This does not mean simply seeking confi rmation from teachers; it is also a matter of having the capacity to give and receive feedback, in consultation with teachers and others, in order to develop during the process.

Independent, recognised skilful actors in the fi eld are both a driving force and the goal of an education. For this reason, competence development for facilitating independent work should be initiated right at the start of the programme. Students need to develop a vision; what does it mean to be an independent actor within my fi eld? If a vision and the path there are clear, the student has better conditions for working hard and persistently on their studies and developing commitment and passion for the area.

Independence


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PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYindependent actor

participating actor

professional student

Competence as an independent actor

The fi nal stage of a study programme is becoming an independent actor in the fi eld. This means that the stu-dent must be able to act independently in e.g., obtaining information, formulating and presenting fi ndings, prefe-rably to a client within their own fi eld. Real assignments provide experience of working in the fi eld.

One indication of students developing independence is completed work; preferably for clients from the fi eld, whereby the student also receives feedback from the client regarding their knowledge and skills. The fi nal phase of a study programme can cover everything from individual courses to an entire year of studies. During this phase, the students must show that they meet the degree objectives to an ever greater extent before they undergo a fi nal exami-nation in a concluding work.

Content and activities within each stage are something that must be discussed in each fi eld. The focus of the activity should be consistent development of the students’ competencies to help them to become independent actors.

FIGURE 3. THE STAIRWAY TO INDEPENDENCE.

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PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYThe process -

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYThe process -step by stepPREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLY

step by step


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The next chapter presents a method for developing programmes with students’ learning and independence in focus. The important thing is not to follow the method to the letter, but instead to understand the signifi cance of the goals of the programme – i.e., to help the students become skilful, independent actors in their area – as governing factors for content, activities and examination in courses and for the development of a study programme.

FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A STUDY PROGRAMME, the method means that courses must be thoroughly discussed and updated in terms of goals, content and examination. This involves discussing courses’ relevance and content in order to ensure they have not “slipped away” from the overall degree objectives. The discussion should begin with which competencies the students need to have from the programme in order to be independent within their fi eld. This is the reason the method begins with the end, i.e., a discussion and formulation of the aim of the programme and the associated fi eld of study. Thereafter, the parts which contribute to the overall objectives can be developed.


31







1. Aim and fi eld of activity

A clear description of the aim and the fi eld which all stakeholders understand well and are well familiar with. A clearly communicated vision for students’ education.

2. Degree objectives

Clearly defi ned degree objectives which cover both the System of Qualifi cations and competence objectives that all those concerned are aware of, are well familiar with and use in discussion on education.

3. Programme syllabus

A programme syllabus which contains a consistent path for development into an independent actor. The formulation of the programme syllabus is known to all stakeholders.

4. Course and learning activities

Course and learning activities in the form of objectives, content, implementation and examination which contri-bute to the development of a skilful and independent actor. All those concerned understand and are well famili-ar with how each course and learning activity contributes to overall objectives.

5. Variation in learning and examination activities

Variation in course and learning activities during the course of the study programme in order to satisfy different forms of learning, as well as various forms of implementations and examination, for example. All those concerned understand why implementation and exami-nation are formulated in this manner.

6. Creative study environment

Study environments which contribute to the develop-ment of independent actors and which improve the stu-dents’ opportunities to feel secure, build a sense of trust, commit to what they are doing and work persistently and in-depth with course and learning activities. The study environments are adapted for the fi eld and experimental learning therein.

0

AIM AND ACTIVITIES

DEGREE OBJECTIVES PROG

RAMM

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S COURSE AND LEARNING ACTIVITIES VARIATION CREATIVE STUDY ENVIRONMENT

LEARNIN

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PROGRAMME EVALUATION

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7. Learning systems

Systems developed in which teacher-student, student-ex-ternal or student-student constellations engage in activi-ties that support the learning process.

8. Organisational learning

The ongoing activities, discussion and development of fi rst-cycle education and teaching in which the organi-sation, the study programme’s teaching committee and colleagues are involved, with focus on students’ learning.

9. Student systems

Support systems for students’ competencies are used con-tinuously by both students and teachers with the purpose of gathering evidence of and feedback on competence.

10. Programme evaluation

The programme undergoes continual evaluation and development in order to ensure all parts contribute to the development of independent actors. All those concerned receive feedback on their contribution to the education as a whole.

The programme’sconstituent partsThe various constituent parts of a study programme are described in more detail in the next section:


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One processin several phasesThe process involves all parts of a programme being reviewed in four different phases. The fi rst phase involves discussing all parts, the second developing the parts, the third implementing the parts and the fourth running and continuously developing the parts in a continual improvement process.

PHASE 1 DISCUSS

Involve those responsible, those concerned and external persons in discussion on the parts. The results of the phase are an understanding of each part of the programme and an initial idea of how parts and the whole can be formu-lated so as to work well together.

PHASE 2 DEVELOP

Involve those responsible, those concerned and external persons in development of the parts. The result of this phase is a proposal for how all parts can be developed and formulated so as to be appropriate to the fi eld.

PHASE 3 IMPLEMENT

Implement the parts and start the “new” study program-me. The result of this phase is that the new programme has been initiated and the students are in the new system

PHASE 4 RUN

Running a programme involves continuous planning, implementation and evaluation in order to ensure quality. The result of this phase is a programme evaluation which shows that development is underway and action plans exist in all parts of the programme and in the programme as a whole.

EvaluationThe process means assessing each part after every phase based on the current situation. This means that all concerned parties make an assessment and discuss the progress of a given part of the programme.

Phase 1Discuss

Phase 2 Develop

Phase 3 Implement

Ph

ase

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0 There is no documented plan or activity for development

1 There is an awareness of the need to take measures and a process is un der way

2 An action plan is in place to address the development

3 An action plan has been developed and communicated with all those concerned

4 The development process has begun and has been �rmly grounded among all those concerned

5 A system for continuous development is fully implemented and is regularly used for further development and improvement


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Phase 1Discuss

Phase 2 Develop

Phase 3 Implement

Ph

ase

4 Ru

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AIM AND ACTIVITIES


RAMM

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One way of starting the work to develop a study programme is to initiate a discussion. One concrete activity can be developing a calendar with activities where events and dates are booked so as to involve different individuals in ongoing development work. Plan activities, for example, based on when course and programme syllabi are due to be complete. Think about which persons should be involved primarily and secondarily in the development work and which activities they should be active in.

People in charge

People in charge include heads of department, primary faculty pro-gramme directors (HUL), faculty programme directors (UL), etc. • Of those responsible for the programme, who should be

involved? • In which activities should these individuals be involved?• Who is responsible for bringing these individuals in?

Concerned individuals

Concerned individuals may for example be teachers from the various sub-areas of a programme and the participating students. They may also be administrators with knowledge of degree objectives and programme coordinators who are responsible for the area of education. • Of those concerned with the programme, who should be

involved? • In which activities should these individuals be involved?• Who is responsible for bringing these individuals in?

External individuals

External individuals can be either internal or external persons who can contribute new perspectives on the education. They may be persons from other study programme who have worked with a specifi c area that is of interest. They may also be alumni or active professionals in the fi eld who can contribute their opinions on the study programme as a whole and on which competencies the students should develop. • Which of those committed to education issues or with a high

level of commitment to the main area or its sub-areas should be involved?

• When should these persons be involved?• Who is responsible for the contact?

Discussion

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PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYOne way of starting the work to develop a study

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYOne way of starting the work to develop a study programme is to initiate a discussion. One

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYprogramme is to initiate a discussion. One

Discussion

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYDiscussion


PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYsecondarily in the development work and which

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYsecondarily in the development work and which activities they should be active in.

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYactivities they should be active in.

People in charge

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYPeople in charge


PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYConcerned individuals may for example be teachers from the

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYConcerned individuals may for example be teachers from the various sub-areas of a programme and the participating students.

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYvarious sub-areas of a programme and the participating students. They may also be administrators with knowledge of degree

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYThey may also be administrators with knowledge of degree objectives and programme coordinators who are responsible

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYobjectives and programme coordinators who are responsible for the area of education.

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYfor the area of education.




PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYcan contribute new perspectives on the education. They may be

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYcan contribute new perspectives on the education. They may be persons from other study programme who have worked with a

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYpersons from other study programme who have worked with a specifi c area that is of interest. They may also be alumni or active

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYspecifi c area that is of interest. They may also be alumni or active professionals in the fi eld who can contribute their opinions on

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYprofessionals in the fi eld who can contribute their opinions on the study programme as a whole and on which competencies the

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYthe study programme as a whole and on which competencies the students should develop.

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYstudents should develop.



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1 Purpose and area

What?THE AIM OF A STUDY PROGRAMME is to help people de-velop into independent actors within their fi eld. The fi rst step involves understanding the context, i.e., profession, environment, context and competencies that the students need to develop with the fi eld.

Important questions are thus which professions can be considered, which subject and professional knowledge can be seen important today, in what direction is the area headed and thereby what competencies are required for the future?

Activities can involve competitive analyses of similar programmes, communication with alumni and other persons active in the area and an initial discussion with the concerned parties regarding which competencies are crucial within the area.

Why?INDEPENDENT ACTORS within the fi eld possess both the theoretical and practical knowledge that students need to be allowed to practice, experiment with and develop within the scope of the education. It is crucial to under-stand that the goal of a study programme is to produce independent actors and the aim is thereby to afford the students opportunity to gradually develop their competen-cies in pursuit of this goal.

Model• Activities for exploring the aim and the fi eld both for

students and the teaching committee (e.g., study visit within the fi eld both nationally and internationally, guest lecturers, competitive analysis both nationally and inter-nationally, communication with alumni and representati-ves from the fi eld)

• Faculties and students that know the aim of the pro-gramme and the fi eld with which it is concerned

• There is a clearly stated main/technical area of the education which describes the aim and the associated fi eld

The fi rst step involves analysing the fi eld that is the focus of the programme and discuss what this means for the programme’s objectives and content. This involves analysing, interpreting and expressing central subject areas, but above all discussing which competencies the students need to develop in order to become independent in the fi eld.


37

• What is the aim of the programme and the fi eld with which it is concerned?

• Are the aim and the fi eld well known in the lear-ning committee and among students?

• How are the aim and the fi eld introduced?

• What other programmes exist on a national and international levels that have the same aim and fi eld?

• What is similar, what is different? What can be learned from their programme design?

• What do the representatives of the fi eld feel the most important competencies are today?

• What may be important competencies in the future in this fi eld?

• Which changes do alumni see as important for the programme?

How well do the aim and the fi eld correspond to the model?

Make an assessment of the programme’s current situation, on a scale of 1-5.

0

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Discussion 1

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PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYAre the aim and the fi eld well known in the lear-

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYAre the aim and the fi eld well known in the lear-ning committee and among students?

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYning committee and among students?ning committee and among students?

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYning committee and among students?

•

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLY• How are the aim and the fi eld introduced?

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYHow are the aim and the fi eld introduced? How are the aim and the fi eld introduced?

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYHow are the aim and the fi eld introduced?

•

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLY• What other programmes exist on a national and

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYWhat other programmes exist on a national and What other programmes exist on a national and

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYWhat other programmes exist on a national and


PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYWhich changes do alumni see as important for

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYWhich changes do alumni see as important for Which changes do alumni see as important for

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYWhich changes do alumni see as important for the programme?

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYthe programme? the programme?

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYthe programme?
































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PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYGR

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYRE

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYEE

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYE O

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYOB

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Notes■ Points and ideas:


39







Notes■ How does this improve students’ learning?■ Issues to address:

■ When, how and where does follow-up take place?

■ How will we notice this? ■ How will the students notice this?


40





2 Degree objectives

What?DEGREE OBJECTIVES ARE THE KNOWLEDGE, skills and judgment that each student should have acquired for graduation from the programme. The System of Quali-fi cations includes the goals which govern both general degrees and professional qualifi cations. Objectives can be formulated and defi ned in different ways. The System of Qualifi cations makes use of the terms 1) knowledge and understanding, 2) skills and ability, and 3) judgment and approach.

In order for degree objectives to be useful, however, it may sometimes be necessary to interpret the terms to ones that are useful within the specifi c fi eld. This must of course be preceded by a discussion on how these terms relate to what is found in the System of Qualifi cations.

One example of how degree objectives can be re-in-terpreted for the individual fi eld is Koblanck’s (2009) reformulation of the Bologna-adapted degree objectives into terms which are more relevant to a study programme with an artistic foundation; see table 1 below.

TABLE 1. SHOWS KOBLANCK’S (2009) RE-INTERPRETATION OF BOLOGNA-ADAPTED DEGREE OBJECTIVES TO INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES FOR THE INDIVIDUAL FIELD

”Bologna” Workbook

Knowledge Perception

Competence and skills Production

Understanding Refl ection

Judgement Working and approach method

(Capacity) Complexity

An additional aspect of formulating degree objectives is that education is about teaching how to learn (Edvardsson Stiwne, 2011). This means that students should be afforded the opportunity to learn how to fi nd paths to information, to understand information, to solve problems and under-stand different situations. In other words, students need an introduction to be set on the path to becoming professio-nal students.

It can be important to also clarify intermediate ob-jectives along the way, e.g., in the form of objectives for a professional student or a participating actor, as well as the fi nal objectives for an independent actor, so that the students have a clear image of their path of educa-tion and know when they have attained the objectives.

An important part in the development of a programme is its goals.The Higher Education Ordinance contains objectives for the type of degree the study programme results in, but local degree objectives that concern important competencies in the fi eld in question are crucial to developing independent actors.


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• What qualifi cation does the programme provide?

• Are the degree objectives for this type of qualifi ca-tion well-known among teaching committees and students?

• Are the competencies that an independent actor in the fi eld needs to develop expressed as degree objectives?

• Have local degree objectives been established which state the aim and fi eld of an independent actor?

• Are the degree objectives communicated and validated by concerned parties?

How well do the degree objectives correspond to the model?


Why?REGARDLESS OF WHICH TERMS are used to describe the objectives of the programme, the critical part is to be clear in the formulation and introduction of the objecti-ves to the students. Degree objectives are the premise for the formulation of objectives, content and examination on the courses and in other learning activities; i.e., the degree objectives should clarify why content, implemen-tation and examination throughout the programme are formulated the way they are.• Well thought-out degree objectives that are refl ected in

course objectives support the students development into independent actors.

• Clarity provides better conditions for students to take their own responsibility for their learning and are the-refore a better ground for commitment and persistent work.

Model• Clearly formulated degree objectives that state the

knowledge, skills and judgment required to produce an independent actor within the fi eld.

• Degree objectives that are communicated and validated by concerned parties such as faculties, students, alumni and representatives of the fi eld.

• Degree objectives are used as references in discussions on course objectives, activities and examination. These discussions take place in both teacher-teacher and teacher-student contexts.

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3 Programme syllabus

What?A PROGRAMME SYLLABUS IS TWO THINGS; it is a legal document and it is a plan for how students shall carry out their studies in a constructive manner.

In its legal form, the programme syllabus is the formal agreement between the student and the university on the content of the programme. The planning of how the programme shall be run is the more informal mix of how course objectives, activities and resources are to be distri-buted in relation to the set purpose of the programme and the set degree objectives.

The plan may exist as s compilation of the aims ad objectives of all courses, available to teachers and students in the formulation of their work with studies. At the outset of their studies, for example, students can plan their study time based on the obligatory courses, the elective areas and the other opportunities such as studies abroad, etc., that are offered.

One additional aspect of a programme syllabus is the programme design that it presents. A clear programme design is becoming more and more important as it clarifi es the basic pedagogical view of how a study program is in-tended to be run and how exams would work (Gustavsson et al. 2010). Not all teaching leads to learning (Edvardsson Stiwne, 2011), and in the fi eld of higher education research today there are discussions on the previously mentioned paradigm shift that involves a contemporary focus on students’ development rather than the previous focus on what the teacher transfers to them (Gibbs, 2009; Rönn-bäck, 2000).

Even now, there are many study programmes for the de-velopment of goal matrices. These are intended to provide both students and teachers, as well as other involved parties, with an understanding of what is being examined (course objectives in relation to degree objectives), at what point in the programme this occurs (in which course and learning activities) and in some cases how (examination forms).

Why?DEGREE OBJECTIVES DETERMINE what knowledge and abilities a student graduating from LTU has in the area in question. Based on constructive alignment (CA), every course and any other learning activity shall contribute to the knowledge progression required to fulfi l degree objectives. This in turn means that students shall clearly see how the various course objectives, course implemen-tations and course examinations contribute to progression and the fulfi lment of degree objectives. In other words, the programme should show a constructive path for studies, which addresses both the depth and the breadth of the degree objectives.

The programme syllabus also covers the space afforded to students to create their specifi c profi le, based on perso-nal conditions and their goals for their studies. Freedom of choice entails the opportunity to freely select courses and eligibility means choosing from a more strict range of courses within an area.

The programme syllabus deals with the curriculum and the content that we plan and allocate resources for in study programmes. The programme syllabus is intended as support for students in attaining the degree objectives established for the applicable programme and thereby support their development into independent actors.


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• Is the programme syllabus known among concerned teachers and students?

• How are the competencies addressed by the degree objectives introduced, developed and subjected to examination?

• How should the programme syllabus be formulated so as to support the development of independence?

• What are the connections between courses’ place-ment, scope, course objectives and the overall degree objectives for the study programme?

• Is the matrix on the progression of knowledge and independence known among teachers and students?

• Does freedom of choice exist to the extent stipulated by LTU for the given programme?

• If there are elective courses in the programme, how are the students introduced to these and how can they be supported in their choice of which courses best ensure their development?

How well does the current programme syllabus correspond to the model?

Make an assessment of the current state of the programme syllabus, on a scale of 1-5.

Model• A well-developed programme syllabus with a content,

developed with clarity and which is clear in terms of the degree objectives for the study programme

• A programme syllabus which is known and which is used regularly by the students and teachers involved

• A well-developed and clear connection between courses’ placement, scope, objectives and the overall degree objectives and aim of the programme.

• A well-developed matrix on the progression of knowledge and independence which is known tothe teachers concerned and the students

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4 Course and learning activities

What?THE OVERALL AIM OF THE PROGRAMME and the com-petencies required of an independent actor in this fi eld should be introduced at an early stage and gradually developed and expanded during the programme. Courses and other learning activities should therefore be designed with care so that they contribute to the overall degree objectives.

Early on in the programme, there should be an in-troduction to the fi eld; it may be a matter of study visits or guest lecturers, as well as a clear description of the competencies that an independent actor should have. The introduction should include a description of and discus-sion on expectations and responsibility for both students and teachers in the programme. It is desirable for the in-troduction to show the plan for the students’ development via the steps of professional student, participating actor and independent actor so that the students will understand from an early stage how they themselves contribute to and are responsible for their learning.

Within each fi eld there are different competencies which should be introduced early on so that the students are able to gain experience and develop them during their studies on the programme. One example of a learning ac-tivity which covers a number of the general skills students should have is project work. An activity of this nature can be subject to examination by means of e.g., a report, a presentation with critical review by other student groups, perhaps also with external concerned parties invited to participate. A refl ection log book can act as an additional support for students to think about what kinds of conside-rations have been made in the lead up to various decisions.

Links to industry, internationalisation and sustainable development are areas which can be worked on in various ways with the support of various learning activities, both within and outside of the scope of the individual course objectives, with a view to attaining the overall degree objectives.

Course and learning activities are about content, intermediate objectives and interim exams, i.e., the perceptions and experiences that help the student to develop competences as an independent actor in the fi eld, which in turn relates to the overall degree objectives.


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Why?BASED ON IDEAS OF CLARITY and a constructive de-velopment of competencies, the activities we plan and prioritise support students’ learning towards designated objectives. The course objectives consist of smaller ob-jectives based on the aim and degree objectives. So that students can develop the knowledge and abilities speci-fi ed in the course objectives, various learning activities are designed which shall both help the student to work on their knowledge and demonstrate to the teachers and examiners the extent to which the student has fulfi lled the objectives.

The form and focus of the examination are the factors that have the biggest impact on the way students take on activities in the course and their studies in general. One aspect is feedback for the students during the ongoing work. Feedback on the results, the process itself and the approach taken by the students in relation to the task at hand is a powerful and important instrument with which to support the students’ learning.

Activities may have many aims in a course; to support the student in their development of competence for the fi eld, to support the student in developing competencies in communicating and collaborating, and supporting the student in their development of independence, both in their learning and for their future professional life.

So that the students can choose a constructive study strategy which involves them studying their fi eld both deeply and broadly, course and learning activities should support their ability to commit to the task and develop a passion for the fi eld. There should also be different forms of support for their capacity to work hard and persistently on each assignment.

“When I was due to teach for the fi rst time, I tried to think back to when I was a student and remember the teachers whose lectures I enjoyed, as well as those I didn’t. With those I didn’t enjoy, it was easy to remember what went ’wrong’. It was often a matter of the structure in the lectures; there was no common theme, but what really deteriorated the quality was quite simply a tangible lack of commitment to the course” (Teacher, LTU 2012)

The quote can be seen to indicate a need for clarity on both programme and course level. It may mean, for example, that both students and teachers are aware of and can convey “the common theme”, i.e., the aim and objec-tive of both an individual course and an entire programme. The quote can also be understood to mean that there

49

should be several different methods of learning in courses and other activities. Biggs and Tang (2011), for example, believe that the majority of people learn relatively little by simply reading a text or listening to a lecturer, compared with how much they learn when teaching something to another person.

People learn:

• 10% of what they read • 20% of what they hear • 30% of what they see• 50% of what they see and hear • 70% of what they speak about with others • 80% of what they apply in practice • 95% of what they teach another person about

Model• There is an introduction to both the fi eld and to the

development of independence in the fi eld

• The formulation of course and learning activities supports and facilitates students’ commitment and persistent work

• Students can clearly understand the link between cour-se objectives, activities and examination

• Students and teachers are well familiar with how course and learning activities relate to the degree objectives

• The courses’ scope and placement in the programme correspond to course objectives and the associated overall degree objectives

• Teachers provide feedback on the students’ developme-nt both during and after courses

• Students are offered the opportunity to apply their competencies and to teach others

• Links to industry in various forms are integrated from the beginning to the end of the programme

• Students and teachers know about the links to industry that are integrated in the programme


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• How do the various course and learning activities support students’ opportunities for engagementand persistent work?

• What links are there between course objectives, activities and examination in the courses?

• How do course objectives relate to overall degree objectives? How is this clarifi ed for students?

• How do forms of examination contribute to stu-dents’ development, i.e., how is feedback provided to students during a course? After a course?

• How are students offered the opportunity to develop their competencies in the programme? How are students’ previous experiences made into a visible and important aspect of the programme?

• How are links to industry, internationalisation and sustainable development integrated in course and learning activities?

How well do the current courseand learning activities correspond to the model?

Make an assessment of the current state of the course and learning activities, on a scale of 1-5.





PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYsupport students’ opportunities for engagement

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYsupport students’ opportunities for engagementand persistent work?

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYand persistent work?

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PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLY• What links are there between course objectives,

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYWhat links are there between course objectives, activities and examination in the courses?

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYactivities and examination in the courses?

•

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLY• How do course objectives relate to overall degree

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYHow do course objectives relate to overall degree



PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYa visible and important aspect of the programme?

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYa visible and important aspect of the programme?

•

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLY• How are links to industry, internationalisation and

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYHow are links to industry, internationalisation and sustainable development integrated in course and

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYsustainable development integrated in course and learning activities?

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYlearning activities?










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5 Variation

What?APART FROM DISCUSSING AND DEVELOPING VARIOUS

COURSE and learning activities, there should be a varia-tion in learning and examination forms in the program-me. Courses can be run in different ways to support different student groups. Certain essential elements can for example be made accessible in digital form so that students can go back and check these elements any num-ber of times.

Examination can take many different forms, such as quizzes, discussion seminars, presentations to various groups, project reports, take-home examinations, critical review or self-evaluation, in addition to the more traditio-nal written examination.

Why?COURSE OBJECTIVES STATE WHAT KNOWLEDGE THE

STUDENTS should have following completion of the course, though they neither describe the conditions un-der which the course is run nor the different conditions students have for taking the course. Large student groups may for example make matters diffi cult for people with different forms of disabilities, just as project work planned during “normal” study time can make it diffi cult for stu-dents with different family situations. The learning condi-tions for students studying from home (distance learning) are different to those of students studying on campus. All of this is justifi cation for variation in learning and examination forms, i.e., the programme as a whole should provide variation in implementation and examination in order to satisfy the needs of different student groups.

The fact that learning works in different ways for different people is perhaps not so diffi cult to understand. The fact that most courses are formulated in the same way, often in the form of 7.5 credits, carried out as 1.5-hour lectures, and often with a fi nal written exam, is perhaps in this context somewhat more diffi cult to grasp. Program-mes which focus on students’ learning should integrate activities and lectures with practical elements, laboratory work, experiments, discussions and seminars. In other words, more activities should be formulated in which students discuss and apply their competencies and even supervise other students in this.

This is something which should be discussed and inte-grated from an early stage, to ensure the programme as a whole contributes to students’ development into indepen-dent, competent individuals in their fi eld. In this way, good pedagogy can infl uence the design of the programme. Many teachers teach based on their own learning situation, for example. This may be suitable for some students and some courses. But students come to the programmes with

Variation means both a variation in different forms of learning and examination and allowing various student groups to get involved in courses and other activities based on their own conditions, experiences and prior learning.


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PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYdifferent backgrounds and different conditions and thus also need different learning and teaching situations if they are to have the chance to attain the degree objectives. One way of portraying various conditions for learning is Biggs’ (1999) description of the fi ctitious students Susan and Robert. This is illustrated below with the fi ctive students Johannes, Isak and Lotta, freely formulated based on Biggs’ descriptions and statements from students at LTU. These fi ctitious students can be used as a basis for discussion within the teaching committee.

An important basis for this is to develop an understan-ding for students not consisting of homogenous groups that have just one way of gaining knowledge and under-standing. It is not a matter of benefi ting one student to the disadvantage of another; it is more a matter of enabling each student to develop according to their conditions.

Model• The study programme demonstrates a variation in im-

plementation and forms of examination

• The course syllabus, i.e., objectives, implementation and examination, is varied and designed to contribute to the overall degree objectives

• The students perceive a variation of course implementa-tions and examination forms

• There is a variation between formative and summative feedback

• The students are gradually given greater responsibility for assignments, and thereby their own learning, over the course of the programme

• Course material is available via digital media or similar so that students can repeat elements so as to deepen their learning

• Teachers are trained in ICT tools and use them regularly

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JohannesJohannes is an academically motivated

student; he is clever, interested in his

studies and wants to perform well. He

has applied to and been accepted onto

the programme he has planned for; he

has plans for his career, both during his

studies and in his future working life. Jo-

hannes is committed to his studies; what

he learns is important to him: “I have my

eye on a person in my fi eld that I hold as

a role model; I want to be just as success-

ful as them!” says Johannes.

Johannes’ approach can be described as aiming for a depth of study; he comes to lectures well prepared, and has questions for the teacher. During the lecture, he tries to actively respond to questions and thereby continually builds up his knowledge bank. In group work, Johannes takes a clear leadership role and controls the tasks of the others in the group. He is irritated at the others’ lack of commitment to the task at hand, but does not intend to let this slow him down. Johannes takes the initiative to refl ect on the personal meaning of what he is learning; what does it mean to him and how can he link this to what he already knows? Students like Johannes are very much themselves; they require little help from teachers. They can be a great support to other students and can take on a mentor role to help other students in the fi rst stage of their education.





















LottaLotta is a practical person who learns by

doing. She has applied and been accepted

onto her fi rst choice; a programme which

she feels will suit her because it combines

practice and theory. From the start, she is

committed to the main subject area and also

deepens her knowledge through extra studies

on her own initiative.

The programme contains a number of courses where students from different programmes study together and courses on which activities are carried out as group work. In both cases, Lotta feels that the teachers are only interested in the students doing as they say, rather than encouraging them to think creatively or attempting to challenge both themselves and the teachers to experiment and adopt a new or different line of thinking. The other students put in minimal effort; the teachers don’t assess whether or not we’ve put in extra work anyway, Lotta explains. She’s committed and prepared to work hard and persistently, but as the teachers do not demand or encourage this, few students are willing to make the same effort. “If you can never challenge and surprise the teachers or yourself by doing something really innovative, are you really prepared for a professional life where you’re expected to act on initiative and creatively manage projects?” Lotta wonders. Students such as Lotta need to be afforded the opportunity to experiment so as to learn and to be encouraged to test new solutions and situations.




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IsakIsak’s drive for studying at university is not an interest in a certain subject. Nor does he have a burning passion for a specifi c profes-sion. He studies simply because he does not know what he would do otherwise, and in order to eventually get a job. He was not ac-cepted on to his fi rst choice of programme, and due to this he is even less committed to his studies. Isak does not come prepared to lectures; he lacks the relevant background information and has no questions to put to the teacher. Isak likes detailed instructions and participating in group work in which others take a clear leadership role. He in-tends to put in just enough effort required to get by on the course and the programme; no more, no less: “I’ll do exactly what the teacher says, so that I can just manage the course – after all, it’s just a G-grade course”, Isak explains to his fellow students in the group work sessions.

Isak hears the same words as Lotta and Johan-nes, but does not see how or where the “building blocks” fi t. He frantically jots down everything the teacher says because he believes that if he only has enough notes, he will be able to pass the exam. Isak’s style of learning is basic; he does not refl ect on what he has learned or in what context the knowledge is relevant. Students such as Isak need support from both teachers and fellow students in order to develop a vision and to learn how to learn, i.e., to independently act and refl ect on knowledge and context.

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• What different forms of implementation andexamination are included in the programme?

• How is the variation of implementation andexamination linked to the degree objectives?

• Which courses include formative and summa-tive feedback respectively? What is the thinking behind this setup?

• In which courses do the students take responsibi-lity for carrying out certain tasks themselves?

• How is their learning supported in these tasks?

• Is any of the course material digitalised or are there any similar aids to more in-depth learning?

How well does the study programme correspond to model of variation?


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IsakPREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLY



IsakPREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLY

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYexamination are included in the programme?

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYexamination are included in the programme?

How is the variation of implementation and

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYHow is the variation of implementation andexamination linked to the degree objectives?

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYexamination linked to the degree objectives?

•

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLY• Which courses include formative and summa-

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYWhich courses include formative and summa-tive feedback respectively? What is the thinking

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYtive feedback respectively? What is the thinking
























PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYhis studies. Isak does not come prepared to






PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYlectures; he lacks the relevant background






PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYinformation and has no questions to put to








the teacher. Isak likes detailed instructions PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLY



the teacher. Isak likes detailed instructions PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLY


and participating in group work in which PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLY



and participating in group work in which PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLY

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYHow well does the study programme

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYHow well does the study programme correspond to model of variation?

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYcorrespond to model of variation?

Make an assessment of the programme’s current

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYMake an assessment of the programme’s current


























PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYIsak hears the same words as Lotta and Johan-






PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYnes, but does not see how or where the “building







PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYblocks” fi t. He frantically jots down everything the



PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYblocks” fi t. He frantically jots down everything the



teacher says because he believes that if he only has PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLY



teacher says because he believes that if he only has PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLY


enough notes, he will be able to pass the exam. PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLY



enough notes, he will be able to pass the exam. PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLY



























































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PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYGROUP WORK

• Spaces with fl exibility in terms of size

• Individual study spaces• Team spaces for staff

experimentation

FURNISHING• Adaptable furniture• Varied furnishing• Display spaces• Flexible lighting arrangement

CONNECTION• Access to communication

• Possibility of defi ned spaces• Visibility

• Links between peopleand spaces

• Opportunity forstorage

SOCIALSUPPORT

• Spaces which providea sense of belonging

• Spaces which providea sense of trust

• Spaces which offer visibility

• Spaces which providea sense of security

STRUCTURE• Flexible spaces

• Spaces with visibleinfrastructure

• Environments withsustainable material and

“surface fi nish”• Spaces withre-arrangement opportunities

FUNCTION• Lab and

experimentation rooms• Classrooms • Lecture halls

• Presentation environment• Display spaces• Form room

• Informal learningenvironments

• Collaborativeenvironments

• Socialforums

FIGURE 4. ASPECTS OF CREATIVE STUDY ENVIRONMENTS. BASED ON WOLFF (2002)

6 Creative study environment

What?THE PHYSICAL STUDY ENVIRONMENT includes traditional learning environments such as classrooms, lecture halls and seminar rooms, as well as spaces in which students can interact for e.g., project work, individual learning and experimentation with various activities within the fi eld in question. Developing the students’ competencies requires a variation of spaces which support different forms of learning. Depending on the fi eld, this may include incu-bators for cooperation between companies and students, spaces for group work, labs for experimentation, project platforms for materials and prototyping, individual and common study platforms, forums for teacher interaction and the more traditional teaching rooms for one-way communication (see e.g., Fisher, 2005).

Study environments should be designed with a sense of belonging, trust and security in mind. This means that students need to feel a sense of belonging. Having a desig-nated classroom is one solution to the sense of belonging; others may be that the environments contain various indi-cations of the fi eld of activity, putting up the students’ work on the walls and elsewhere in the environments.

Students need to gain a sense of trust; a confi dence that they will be fairly treated and respected by both the faculty and other students. Study environments should be percei-ved as secure and students need to have a sense of security; to feel they can express themselves and act without risking being reprimanded.

Study environments also need to support clarity in expectations and responsibility for different parts. Belong-ing, trust, security and clarity are parts that may need to be developed by having a student perspective of the students’ perception of these parts.

Andersson and Warfvinge (2012) emphasise the im-

Physical learning environments need to be designed so as to support experimentation in the fi eld and in order to encourage and support students’ learning. A study environment that encourages interaction, creativity and experimental, social and practical learning in the area helps to develop skilful, independent actors. Study environments also need to support students’ sense of belonging, trust and security.

portance of developing study environments in which programme syllabus, course syllabus and administration are clarifi ed and coordinated and thereby affect the social study environment for the students. The also describe the need to develop learning resources in the form of a library, study room, e-learning, laboratories and studios for experi-mentation and creative learning.


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• Which different types of purpose-built rooms are needed to develop students’ competencies so as to enable them to become independent actors in the fi eld?

• From what type of creative study environments can inspiration be drawn?

• How can the physical study environments be made student-centred, user-friendly and accessible?

• How can the study environments support stu-dent-student, student-teacher and student-industry/society interaction?

• How can study environments be developed and for-mulated so as to ensure they are welcoming and sup-port a sense of belonging, trust, security and clarity?

• •How can satisfaction with the study environment be investigated among faculties and students?

• How can study environments in a broad sense be integrated as a crucial point in programme councils?

How do today’s study environments correspond to the model?

Make an assessment of the current state of the study environment for the programme, on a scale of 1-5.

Model• Purpose-built study environments; halls, rooms, “labs”,

etc., which are designed for the specifi c fi eld of activity, the skills and the intended learning process

• Creative study environments which are student-cen-tred, user-friendly and accessible and which support student-student and student-teacher interaction

• The majority of staff and students are satisfi ed with the physical study environments

• Study environments in the broad sense are discussed on programme councils and this leads to development

• The majority of students give high marks for relevant issues in the NSI Satisfi ed Student Index

Why?A CLEARLY DEVELOPED STUDY ENVIRONMENT supports students to take responsibility for their own learning, outside of the time they have with the teacher. Study environments that support different forms of experimen-tation within the fi eld of study are crucial for developing the competencies that an independent actor needs to have.

Students that have access to different spaces, tools and material for experimentation are better able to take re-sponsibility for their own development. Students who have a sense of trust, security and clarity are better able to take responsibility for their own development.

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7 Learning systems

What?IN THE FIELD OF UNIVERSITY PEDAGOGY we speak about the aforementioned paradigm shift, which Gibbs (1999; 2009) describes as a move from focus on transferral (of knowledge, etc.) to focus on learning; from focus on an individual teacher to focus on entire institutions’ contributions to students’ development and from having amateur teachers to developing a professional academic approach to education.

In the scope of an education, different forms of learning systems can be developed as a support for students’ lear-ning. Senge (1990), for example, believes that the foun-dation of a learning organisation is all of those involved working together to develop towards a common goal. It is about continuous learning for all; both students and teach-ers need to refl ect on and learn from the understanding and experiences gained in order to develop.

A common vision could be aspects of vision 2020 con-cerning education, such as the aforementioned sentiment that “education must inspire independent, active learning which challenges the ability of every individual to meet the future head-on” In an ideal situation, senior manage-ment, employees and students unite in a common vision, with the goal that the entire organisation can achieve more than the individual.

Here, learning entails members in a work group discussing education issues together and how the various parts of a study programme are linked. The idea is to raise awareness of different aspects of learning via discussion and thereby support students’ development and learning. One important aspect is the latter, i.e., to remember that it is not a goal in itself to meet and discuss education; the focus should be on activities which promote and support the student’s learning.

Members of a work group can include teachers and/or students, as well as external persons. A number of examples of learning systems that can be developed within the scope of a study programme are given below.

Teacher-teacherClassroom observation involves attending a colleague’s teaching session with the purpose of discussing the po-tential for development. “Critical friends” is an example of classroom observation, which involves teachers inviting fellow teachers to a particular part of a course. The teacher describes the course objectives, the specifi c acti-vity and the expected learning outcomes for this part of the course in advance. The colleagues observe the module and meet afterwards for feedback and to discuss ideas and thoughts. The aim is for several individuals to be involved in the development of courses and share their experien-ces and knowledge of education and learning.

Student-external

Learning systems can also be developed on behalf of the students. In different places across Sweden, there are diffe-rent models for mentorship. In Huddinge, for example, the “coaching tutors” model for activating students and prepa-ring them for their future professional life was tested. The Huddinge model entails the student being seen as a future colleague, and this is to be refl ected in all forms of contact. Each student is offered contact with a mentor, who is an experienced professional, entirely independent from the course management.

The mentors’ role is to advise and support the students in their professional development, based on a genuine interest in supervision and a commitment to teaching. The mentors shall contribute to the students’ learning via their knowledge of which competencies the students need to develop. Feedback to the students and support for their refl ection on various parts of the education are important parts of mentorship.

Learning systems entail different activities for continuous feedback on and development of education. A learning system can have different forms and content, but the purpose is always to support the students’ learning.


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Why?LEARNING SYSTEMS ENTAIL all concerned being involved in activities with a focus on and a clarifi cation of students’ learning and development. All parts of a study program-me (people, activities and environment) contribute to the whole and the idea is that this whole shall work towards the same goals. Together, different forms of learning sys-tems can contribute to achieving the goal of independent actors in the fi eld.

Teachers can develop courses together to benefi t the students’ learning. One side effect may be a more pleasant working environment in which several individuals partici-pate in discussions on fi rst-cycle education. Students and external persons can form learning systems together which support students’ learning. One effect of this is that stu-dents have a better understanding of which competencies they need to develop and gain a clearer vision. Students are able to contribute in various ways to each other’s develop-ment. They are a resource which can in many cases be used to a greater extent than it is at present. Another side effect of using students as a resource in learning activities is that the students feel appreciated and integrated in the study environment.1

Student- student

The term “peers” can be used in both student-student and teacher-teacher contexts as it refers to a colleague.

In educational contexts, there are various models for “peer groups” intended to support students’ learning. A student or a student group that supports another student or student group contributes to learning for both parties. For this reason, it is a good investment for a study programme.

At LTU, there has already been a negative trend concer-ning maths skills and student completion in maths courses. In addition to this, LTU has experienced low student completion on engineering degrees. The NSI Satisfi ed Student Index has also shown indications that students do not invest the time required for full-time studies. For these reasons, the project Kunskapsmentorerna [Mentors] was initiated, which is run by the Student Association of Engineering.

Kunskapsmentorerna is based on students on later stages of the programme helping fi rst-year students with their courses. Each mentor is given responsibility for a group of up to eight fi rst-year students. The mentors’ task is to help the students with study matters, and above all to help research students to enter student life at LTU and work together as a group in order to solve complex problems.

Various forms of peer groups can be used in course mo-dules, or entirely independently from courses. In courses, students can for example be involved in evaluating each other’s work, reports, theses and similar. The aim is that understanding is gained when we have to provide feedback on someone else’s work.

1. Read more about different learning systems in Högskoleverket (2002) and in Wikberg Nilsson (2008).


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“An important contributory factor to students development is their sense of participation and involvement in the university and its environment. It does not need to relate solely to the teaching situation. Each form of involvement is positive and increases the likelihood that the students will continue with their studies. What is important is that they feel integrated into the academic environment, both study-wise and socially.”

(Högskoleverket, 2000)


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PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLY• Which support systems for developing students’

learning are active?

• How can different forms of classroom observation be used to develop students’ learning?

• How can different forms of mentorship be used to support learning?

• How can different student groups be used as support for learning?

• Which criteria for learning can be formulated and used to check that the activities contributeto students’ learning and development?

How well do the current learning systems correspond to the model?

Make an assessment of the programme’s current

situation, on a scale of 1-5.

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Model• There are activities in which teachers are involved

in development with other teachers, with a focus on students’ learning.

• There are activities in which students interact with external persons as support for their development and learning

• There are various activities in which students take responsibility for other students’ development and learning

• There are clear criteria for how the various activi-ties are to contribute to students’ development and learning, and these criteria are followed up regularly in order to ensure the right activities are being conducted

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8 The organisation’s learning

What?EDUCATION THAT FOCUSES ON improving students lear-ning is principally about two aspects; • Students’ learning and teachers’ teaching • The organisation’s capacity for change

The capacity for change is the staff group’s ability to carry out activities and actions together which change the organisation’s facilitation of students’ learning. This capacity depends on the infrastructure, processes of change, roles in the change and the history of change in the organisation (Blossing 2012).

For the individual teacher’s general teaching compe-tence, refer to the courses found within and outside of the university, primarily in the fi eld of university pedagogy, though subjects such as psychology, sociology, leadership and organisational theory are also important. This section focuses primarily on the organisation’s ability to improve conditions for students’ learning.

Discussions on fi rst-cycle education and learning

One critical aspect that came up in the research into learning is that there is a continual discussion on how education is conducted and on what and how students learn (Spillane & Seashore 2002). Some practical questions linked to this aspect are what the terms for participation are, i.e., how are resources allocated so as to take part and what expectation is there of participation?

Another question is: how often does the faculty meet to discuss education? One success factor is to meet often, so that the discussion does not need to be started anew every time.

There is a third question linked to leadership, which means the understanding gained during the discussion needs to be gathered in one place and expressed so that the

entire faculty has access to it and that it can be shared with other concerned parties and thereby form the basis for continued discussion. (Blossing, 2012)

An additional success factor for the organisation’s lear-ning is to regularly enlist the help of external, experienced persons who can enrich the discussion with established knowledge in other areas and challenge prevailing per-ceptions; e.g., with new fi ndings or proven experience in other areas (Åman, 2011).

Riordan and Sharkey (2010) outline a number of issues that the faculty can initiate the development work with. These can be found in Appendix 2.

Why?FOR THE DEVELOPMENT WORK surrounding a study programme, conducted within a certain department or even across an entire university, it is important that there is an understanding for the connection between students’ learning and the organisation’s capacity for change. The capacity for change is a means of creating sustainability and ensuring the development work has an impact on the stu-dents’ learning situation. If the process of change does not affect the students’ learning, it has probably evolved into an end in itself. This means that the organisation is developing a number of activities in order to grow, but does not ensure these activities actually contribute to better conditions for learning for students.

The notion of students’ learning being affected by the teachers’ teaching seems obvious. But the idea that teachers’ teaching ability and students’ learning also need

A learning organisation is a unit that has developed systems for continuously learning from experiences and constantly developing and improving.


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• How can discussions on education and learning be developed and supported?

• What is required in the way of a basis fordiscussion; e.g., surveys of different learning systems that show how students learn and how they view their learning, how teachers perceive their task, etc.?

• How can discussions lead to an impact on stu-dents’ learning? How can these be documented; what evidence is required?

How well does the current organisation correspond tothe model?


to be a basis and an arena for teachers’ learning is not as obvious to everyone. This learning needs to be stimula-ted and intensifi ed via joint refl ection and exploration between teachers in a professional community. The process taking place in this community needs to be structured and directed via a leadership that steers towards the goal of a learning organisation.

Developing a learning organisation means the individual experiences of the teachers are developed and refi ned into common knowledge which is distributed throughout the organisation. This knowledge is thus also an opportunity to challenge individual teachers or groups of teachers to-gether with their students and to deepen their knowledge.

Model• There is an ongoing discussion in different staff groups

on education and learning and challenging questions linked to these

• There is a survey on how students learn and how they perceive their learning, and how teachers learn and perceive their task

• The knowledge development process is documented and disseminated so that other concerned parties can keep up-to-date on the faculty development work

• There is documentation that shows the discussions lead to good effects on students’ learning

• Teachers have motivation for education and learning in the form of e.g., career structures, incentive and best practice

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9 Student systems

What?THERE ARE THREE DIFFERENT TYPES of portfolio system; learning portfolio, employment portfolio and evaluation and assessment portfolio. There differ in terms of focus, criteria for achievement of goals and who administers the system. Regardless of which system is used, a portfolio sys-tem for students should be designed as a form of refl ective practice in which students can demonstrate their develop-ment and learning. “Model” is gathered in the form of e.g., various material, processes and results. A portfolio thereby has the potential both to demonstrate and assess what the students have understood from course or learning activities, how they have developed and which competencies they have developed as a result of this.

A portfolio system can give the students the opportu-nity of a richer and more autonomous learning (Edvards-son Stiwne, 2011). In the portfolio, the students select “evidence” of their learning themselves, which can then be discussed in student groups with teachers or external representatives from the fi eld.

A student system in the form of a portfolio demands care in the formulation of criteria; the material in a portfolio should not simply show the results but also how and why the student chose this material in particular. The portfolio provides the opportunity to demonstrate what the student has learned in a course, in a certain module or activity. It can also show how the student chooses to describe their learning process, which is an important part of developing an independent and professional attitude.

One example is Koblanck’s (2007) description of “work-book”, a pedagogical method which involves a learning process under which the students document their working process and refl ections in detail. The book is then used as a basis for discussion between student and teacher on the student’s learning process. Appendix 3 describes the various

stages of refl ection according to the workbook method. The content of the student system should be adapted for

the specifi c practice which the student is being educated in. A prospective nurse gathers certain material to demon-strate her competence, a prospective economist uses ma-terial of another nature, and a prospective teacher perhaps needs other additional “evidence”. It is important that the gathering of material and “evidence” is used in discussion on what the student needs to develop in order to become an independent actor. In many areas, for example, it can be diffi cult to demonstrate the competence to communicate, to cooperate, to solve problems and to develop solutions. This can be demonstrated by gathering material in the form of video footage of group exercises or performances, arguments for various forms of choices and decisions and results in the form of complete artefacts or data fi les.

Student systems involve different forms of support, feedback and follow-up of competencies and learning for students. They may for example require students to develop a portfolio in which they demonstrate their own understanding, development and competence. A portfolio can also be used to demonstrate competencies to employers or clients or for assessment and evaluation of the students’ work.


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• How can we support students’ learning viasystems for assessment and evaluation?

• How do we know what the students know and learn?

• How do we know that the activities we carry out contribute to what we want them to learn?

• What do we know about the students’ perception of their own learning in its various phases?

• Which systems could be used to supportassessment, evaluation and learning, as wellas evidence of competencies?

How well do current student systems correspond to the model?


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Why?THE IDEA OF A STUDENT SYSTEM for learning is that the student shall gradually develop a refl ective approach (Schön, 1983; 1987) which they can later use in their fi eld.

The aim of refl ection is to think about individual development, what we have learned and how this can be shown to others, whether these be teachers or potential future employers. Various forms of student system provide indications of students’ development and learning and can thereby be used as an indicator of the education as a whole.

The hope is that the development of supportive student systems contributes to the students gaining early insight into their own development and thereby being able to structure their learning more clearly.

Model• There are student systems in which teachers use

students’ gathered material for assessment andexamination

• There are student systems in which students gather “evidence” for their competencies

• There are student systems for supporting refl ectionon learning and the development of competencies

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10 Programme evaluation

What?IN ORDER TO ENSURE QUALITY there should be systems for continuous development, evaluation and feedback of intended learning outcomes within the programme. An evaluation of all constituent parts of a study programme is essential for maintaining good quality, continuously developing and ensuring students’ learning is in focus. The most important thing with an evaluation is not to proceed in a certain manner or to follow the exact model shown in this guide. The focus should be to involve all those concerned in various ways so as to ensure good quality.

LTU has already developed certain systems for evalua-ting study programmes. Annual evaluation is one example of a system which uses questions which are to be answered by education coordinators every year in order to ensure the programme maintains a good quality. Annual evalu-ation also includes a goal matrix whereby each course is assessed based on fulfi lment of the degree objectives for the programme. The evaluation can be seen as a type of activity report which describes what has happened and what is planned for the programme. Apart from ensuring good quality, the purpose of annual evaluations is to stimulate continuous development of LTU’s study programmes.

The questions in the annual evaluation differ from year to year in order to ensure topicality and relevance. They may concern what has been planned in terms of develop-ment and how this has been carried out over the past year. The evaluation may include questions on concrete plans for the year in terms of stimulating development. Some questions may relate to the progress made on the degree objectives and assessment criteria stipulated in the Higher Education Ordinance and how they are handled within the study programme. Other questions may relate to topical

matters such as internationalisation, links to industry and plagiarism checks.

All of these examples are good starting points for discussion. Other examples include course evaluations or goal matrices. The focus should be on achieving the degree objectives and discussion on how the programme as a whole supports the students’ learning in line with degree objectives.

The evaluation of programmes at LTU covers both an evaluation and assessment of individual parts of the education as well as the education as a whole, in order to formulate action plans and to ensure good quality and focus on students’ learning.


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• How can an annual evaluation be used as a tool for developing the programme?Who should be involved?

• How can a system for continuously gathering and analysing information from course evaluation be formulated and used?

• How can teacher refl ections on the programme be continuously gathered and used for development?

• How can input from fi rst and fi nal year students be gathered and used for development?

• How can alumni and other external individuals be involved in evaluating the programme?Can a study programme at another HEI(higher education institution) be used as an external assessor?

How well does the currentevaluation correspond to the model?


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Why?THE PURPOSE OF THE EVALUATION IS to provide an over-all picture of the programme and how it supports the stu-dents’ development and learning. A thorough evaluation may include checking course evaluations, teacher refl ec-tions, fi rst and fi nal-year student surveys, student systems for learning, input from external persons, from other pro-grammes, from the fi eld of activity, and follow-up studies of alumni and employers. All information is analysed and then assessed in order to contribute to a picture of the programme as a whole. The analysis then forms the basis for discussion on the development and formulation of an action plan for activities over the coming year.

Model• Systems have been developed for gathering and analy-

sing information from course evaluations

• There are systems for gathering teacher refl ections on the study programme

• There are systems for gathering information from fi rst-year and fi nal-year students respectively

• There are systems for gaining continuous input and feedback on the study programme from alumni and other external individuals.

• Analysis and assessment of the programme as a whole take place on a regular basis. These then form the basis for decisions on future initiatives.


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that we need to support the students in developing com-mitment to and passion for the fi eld; to provide them with a vision to strive for.

This in turn contributes to better opportunities for them to deliver what is expected of them, in each individual part of every course as well as in the programme as a whole. Commitment and passion in combination with striving – i.e., persistent work – leads to infl uential, skilful and independent actors who are recognised in their fi eld.

This is the core of Pedagogisk idé LTU.

THE GUIDE FOR EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT aims to bring clarity to a programme. Clarity means that students are better able to understand goals and what is expected and required of them to achieve these goals. It affords the students greater opportunity to take responsibility for their own learning. A structured path through the study programme, whereby each part builds on the last and deepens knowledge and skills along the way, enables us to produce infl uential and skilful actors that are recognised in their fi eld. This is our goal.

Our hope is also that the texts formulated for each part of a programme will inspire and stimulate discussion on education and learning. The pedagogical concept project covers a number of parts that are intended to provide a basis for pedagogical development work during the period 2013 - 2014. It thereby lays the foundations for develop-ment work which will then hopefully produce results in 2020. Appendix 4 contains the template for programme development in accordance with Pedagogisk idé LTU. Use this as a basis for discussion or develop your own system for development, follow-up and measures for improvement.

Long-term planning is an important part of developing courses and programmes; look a few years ahead and think about which competencies will be important in your fi eld. Involve several others so as to gain new perspectives. It will no doubt provide added value for all those involved to gain other insights into and thoughts on their fi eld and how it can be taught so as to contribute to students’ learning in the best way possible.

During the work in the project Pedagogisk idé LTU, various terms have been tested to be used as bearers of the pedagogical idea. Commitment and persistent work are terms which many preferred to use to symbolise a pedagogical concept; passion and striving being additional terms with a similar meaning. Martin Lundstedt, CEO and President of Scania, uses similar terms:“In order to deliver, you need to be driven by some kind of passion for what you do”. 1

These are important words to remember for all those involved in education; a focus on students’ learning means

Final wordsThis guide opened with the words “the best results are most often achieved when people collaborate towards a common goal.” Working with educational development is part of Pedagogisk idé LTU. This means that the common goal is a focus on the development of students’ independence with the support of commitment and persistent work.

1. Interview in Framtidens Karriär - ingenjör April 2013


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Koblanck, H. (2009) Bolognasystemet som pedagogik och

kvalitetssäkring. Kalmar: Kalmar University

Ramsden, P. (2003) Learning to teach in higher education

(2nd ed.). London: Routledge- Falmer

Rendon L (1994) Validating Culturally Diverse Students.

Toward a New Model of Learning and Student Deve-

lopment. Innovative. Higher Education, Vol. 19, No.1, Fall

1994

Riordan, T., & Sharkey, S. (2010) “Hand in hand: The

role of culture, faculty identity, and mission in sustaining

general education reform”. In S. Gano-Phillips and R. W.

Barnett (eds.), A process approach to general education reform:

Transforming institutional culture in higher education, pp. 199-

219. Madison, WI: Atwood Publishing.

Rönnbäck, B. (2000) Organisation för lärande i en lärande

organisation. Pedagogiskt utvecklingsarbete för 2000-talet.

Report från Ingenjörsvetenskapernas Didaktik at KTH

(2000:10). Stockholm: KTH Royal Institute of Techno-

logy

Schön, D. (1983) The Refl ective Practitioner: How Professio-

nals think in Action. London: Temple Smith

Schön, D. (1987) Educating the Refl ective Practitioner: Toward

a new Design for Teaching and Learning in the Professions. San

Fransisco: Jossey-Bass

Senge, P.M. (1990). The fi fth discipline: the art and practice of

the learning organization. (First edition) New York: Doub-

leday/Currency

Spillane, J. P. & Seashore, L. K. (2002) School improve-

ment processes and practices: professional learning for

building instructional capacity. Yearbook of the National

Society for the Study of Education, 101 (1), pp. 83-104

Wikberg Nilsson, Å. (2008) Mentorskap för studenter: stödåt-

gärder för ökad kvalitet och genomströmning. Research report

2008:02. Luleå: Luleå tekniska universitet

Wolff, S. (2002) Relationships between People and Space:

Design Features for Project-Based Learning. Oregon State

University

Åman, J. (2011) Att lära av de bästa. En ESO rapport om

svensk skola i ett internationellt forskningsperspektiv. 2011: 08.

Stockholm: The Government Offi ces

Andersson; G. & Persson, A. (2002) Coaching och handled-ning av grupper. Lund: Student literature

Andersson, R. & Warfvinge, P. (2012) Developing a Teaching and Learning Culture. The case of faculty of Eng-ineering at Lund University. In SEFI 40th annual conference, Thessaloniki, Greece, 23-26th of Sep, 2012

Blossing, U. (2012) Att kartlägga och förbättra skolor. Sex typskolor. Lund: Student literature

Biggs, J. B. (1996) Enhancing teaching through construc-tive alignment. Higher Education, Vol. 32, pp. 347-364

Biggs, J. B. (1999) What the Student Does: teaching for enhanced learning. Higher Education Research & Develop-ment, Vol. 18, No. 1, pp. 57-75

Biggs, J. B. & Tang, C. S. (2011) Teaching for quality learning at university: what the student does. (4th ed.) Maidenhead: Open University Press

Edvardsson Stiwne, E. (ed) (2011) Utbildning- Undervis-ning- Utmaning - Utveckling. En rapport från LiUs utveck-lingskonferens 10 mars 2011. Centrum för undervisning och lärande. Linköping: Linköping University

Gedda, O. & Wikberg Nilsson, Å. (2012) Pedagogisk idé LTU- uttryck och riktlinjer för implementering. Project report. Luleå: Luleå University of Technology

Högskoleverket (2000) Goda exempel – hur universitet och högskolor kan arbeta med jämställdhet, studentinfl ytande samt social och etnisk mångfald. The Swedish National Agency for Higher Education’s report series 2000:9 R

Gibbs, G. (1999) Using assessment strategically to change the way students learn. In: Brown, S. & Glasner, A. (eds) Assessment Matters in Higher Education. Buckingham: So-ciety for Research into Higher Education. Philadelphia: Open University Press

Gibbs, G. (2009) Developing students as learners- va-ried phenomena, varied contexts and a developmental trajectory for the whole endeavor. Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education, Iss. 1, Feb 2009

Gustavsson, C., Fransson, G., Morberg, Å. & Nordqvist I. (2010) Att arbeta i högskolan. Lund: Student literature

Koblanck, H. (2007) Att arbeta med workbook. Kalmar: Kalmar University [now defunct; merged with Växjö University to form Linnaeus University]

References


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Legislation and guidelinesHigher Education Act (1992:1434)Higher Education Ordinance (1993:100)Read more at: www. uk-ambetet.se

InspirationBiggs, J. Aligning Teaching for constructive learning. Available here: http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/documents/resources/database/id477_aligning_teaching_for_constructing_learning.pdf (2013-04-29)

CDIO - www. cdio.org

Högskolepedagogisk policy för LTU (2008) Ref 2143-08

Johnsson, H., Alerby, E., Hyppä, K., Jonsson, H., Karlberg, M., Stenberg, M. & Strömberg T. (2009) En pedagogisk idé för Luleå tekniska unviersitets ingenjörsutbildningar. Report. Luleå: Luleå tekniska universitet

Guidelines on Learning – that inform teaching at MIT (2008) Availabe at http://web.mit.edu/tll/learning_guideli-nes_2008_MIT_egs.pdf (2012-12-19)

Genombrottet - Lunds universitets pedagogsiska stöd och utvecklingsenhet. http://www.lth.se/genombrottet/

Hellertz, P. (2004). Färdighetsbaserat lärande enligt Alverno-modellen. Örebro: Veje International see also http://www.alverno.edu/

LTU-modellen för ökad genomströmning (2008) Ref 677-08/Re 127-08

Runardotter, M., Brändström, S., Grape, M., Nilsson, H., Nyström, J., Prellwitz, M. Synnes, K. & Westman, A-K. (2011) Pedagogisk utveckling av distansutbildningar vid Luleå tekniska universitet. Report. Luleå: Luleå tekniska universitet

Vision 2020. Available here: http://www.ltu.se/ltu/Strategi-och-vision-2020/Overgripande-strategis-ka-mal-1.88409 (2012-03-09)


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Appendix 1

Focus on teachers’ mediation of knowledge Focus on students’ development

Students are treated as recipients who are to be fi lled with knowledge

Students are expected to add the new to the old

The teachers are the experts; the only source of knowledge and authority

Students are a passive audience

Teachers and students are separate

Learning is competitive

Learning is linear; solely from teacher to student

The student is only subject to examination at the end of the course

Subject-focused transfer

Teachers and students meet and interact frequently in different contexts

Students work together in teams and are encouraged to share information

Students are seen as a contributory source of experience and are encouraged to believe they are capable of learning

Students’ experiences are seen as a source of the strength and knowledge to do

Teachers are partners of the students in learning

Teachers apply techniques for active learning such as cooperation exercises, experimenta-tion, laboratory work and study visits

“Teachers may be learners, learners may be teachers”

Students are evaluated from an early stage of the course and receive feedback; evaluation is a continual process which facilitates development

Process-focused: teaching how to learn

From transfer to development

Based on: Gibbs (2009), Rönnbäck (2000) and Rendon (1994)

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Appendix 1


PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYFocus on teachers’ mediation of knowledge

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYFocus on teachers’ mediation of knowledge

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLY Focus on students’ development

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLY Focus on students’ development


PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYStudents are treated as recipients who are to be

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYStudents are treated as recipients who are to be fi lled with knowledge PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLY

fi lled with knowledge PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLY




PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYStudents are a passive audience

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYStudents are a passive audience Teachers apply techniques for active learning

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYTeachers apply techniques for active learning such as cooperation exercises, experimenta-

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYsuch as cooperation exercises, experimenta-








PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLY“Teachers may be learners, learners may be

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLY“Teachers may be learners, learners may be teachers”

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYteachers”





The student is only subject to examination PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLY

The student is only subject to examination at the end of the coursePREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLY

at the end of the coursePREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLY


88

ALVERNO COLLEGE is well known for its pedagogical mo-del, which focuses on developing the student’s skills. The development of the pedagogical model began as early as the 1970s. Since then, it has been developed with great persistence and commitment to pedagogy throughout the faculty.

They themselves describe the cultural change as going from a focus on what the students will study to which skills and thought models they should develop. This is known as an “ability-based curriculum” (Riordan & Sharkey, 2010). The starting point of cultural change is a number of questions that each subject and each faculty member should ask themselves;

What is it that the students must absolutely not miss within your area?

What is the purpose of study programmes for the department?

What is the most topical research in your area?

How should the teaching committee be develo-ped?

How can focus be held on students’ learning instead of subject knowledge?

What skills should the students have?

What attitude should the student have developed as a result of education in your area?

What practical and theoretical approaches should all students have learned from the programme?

What should the difference be between students’ knowledge after the fi rst year and their knowledge after the third or fourth year?

How does skills development take place among students?

RIORDAN OCH SHARKEY (2010) explain that these ques-tions were discussed by all faculty members, which resul-ted in a list of eight skills that were said to be common and fundamental for all disciplines and areas (see below).

Ability based learning outcomes1. Communication2. Analysis3. Problem solving4. Valuing in decision-making5. Social interaction6. Developing a global perspective7. Effective citizenship8. Aestethic engagement

88

Appendix 2Ability-based learning






Appendix 2

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYdevelopment of the pedagogical model began as early as

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYdevelopment of the pedagogical model began as early as the 1970s. Since then, it has been developed with great

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYthe 1970s. Since then, it has been developed with great persistence and commitment to pedagogy throughout the

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYpersistence and commitment to pedagogy throughout the faculty.

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYfaculty.

They themselves describe the cultural change as going PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLY

They themselves describe the cultural change as going from a focus on what the students will study to which PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLY

from a focus on what the students will study to which

RIORDAN OCH SHARKEY (2010)

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYRIORDAN OCH SHARKEY (2010) explain that these ques-

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLY explain that these ques-tions were discussed by all faculty members, which resul-

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYtions were discussed by all faculty members, which resul-ted in a list of eight skills that were said to be common

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYted in a list of eight skills that were said to be common and fundamental for all disciplines and areas (see below).

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYand fundamental for all disciplines and areas (see below).

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYWhat is the purpose of study programmes for the

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYWhat is the purpose of study programmes for the department?

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYdepartment?

What is the most topical research in your area?PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLY

What is the most topical research in your area?

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYas a result of education in your area?

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYas a result of education in your area?

What practical and theoretical approaches should

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYWhat practical and theoretical approaches should all students have learned from the programme?

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYall students have learned from the programme?

What should the difference be between students’ PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLY

What should the difference be between students’


89


Refl ection before action

• What are my content objectives, i.e., what knowledge do I expect to have gained from the project?

• What are my skills objectives, i.e., what skills do I expect to have gained after the project?

• What do I wish to achieve with my project work, personally and professionally?

• What motivates me to carry out this project work?• What experience do I bring to my project?• How do I intend to go about achieving my goals (the

process)?• How do I transfer the results from my project to lectu-

res and literature within the theme or from previous teaching and projects?

Refl ection during action• To what extent do I refer to previous lectures within

the theme and literature within the theme and/or my research/literature studies in the project?

• How do I refer to previous teaching within the theme and literature within the theme and/or my research/literature studies in the project?

• What problems arise over the course of the project and what paths do I take to progress within the project?

• What methods and approaches do I choose and why?

Refl ection on action• How did I refer to previous lectures within the theme

and literature within the theme and/or my research/literature studies in the project?

• How did I refer to previous teaching within the theme and literature within the theme and/or my research/literature studies in the project?

• What problems arose over the course of the project and why?

Refl ection on the project• How have I carried out my project?• What are the relationships like between objectives/ex-

pectations of the project and the fi nal result?• What have I learned in terms of complexity, working

method, refl ection, production and perception?• What have I learned personally and/or professionally?• What shall I take on board in the next project?

Refl ection on the professional role

• What expectations, preconceptions, positive or negati-ve, do I have of my future profession?

• How have these expectations been changed or affi r-med by this project?

• What do I feel is missing?• What do I want to immerse myself in?

89

Appendix 3Checklist for refl ectionin practiceIn “Att arbeta med workbook” [Working with workbook], Koblanck (2007) describes a checklist for refl ection in practice as follows. The students tick off items on the checklist and it is then used as a basis for discussion on the student’s learning process.







Appendix 3

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYIn “Att arbeta med workbook” [Working with workbook], Koblanck (2007) describes a

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYIn “Att arbeta med workbook” [Working with workbook], Koblanck (2007) describes a checklist for refl ection in practice as follows. The students tick off items on the checklist PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLY

checklist for refl ection in practice as follows. The students tick off items on the checklist and it is then used as a basis for discussion on the student’s learning process. PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLY

and it is then used as a basis for discussion on the student’s learning process.

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYWhat do I wish to achieve with my project work,

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYWhat do I wish to achieve with my project work, personally and professionally?

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYpersonally and professionally?

•

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLY• What motivates me to carry out this project work?

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYWhat motivates me to carry out this project work?

• PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLY

• What experience do I bring to my project?PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLY

What experience do I bring to my project?• PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLY

• How do I intend to go about achieving my goals (the PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLY

How do I intend to go about achieving my goals (the

and literature within the theme and/or my research/

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYand literature within the theme and/or my research/literature studies in the project?

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYliterature studies in the project?How did I refer to previous teaching within the theme

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYHow did I refer to previous teaching within the theme and literature within the theme and/or my research/


PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYliterature studies in the project?

•

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLY• What problems arose over the course of the project

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYWhat problems arose over the course of the project



PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYHow do I refer to previous teaching within the theme

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYHow do I refer to previous teaching within the theme and literature within the theme and/or my research/


PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYliterature studies in the project?

• PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLY

• What problems arise over the course of the project and PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLY

What problems arise over the course of the project and what paths do I take to progress within the project?PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLY

what paths do I take to progress within the project?

What have I learned personally and/or professionally?

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYWhat have I learned personally and/or professionally?What shall I take on board in the next project?

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYWhat shall I take on board in the next project?

Refl ection on the professional role

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYRefl ection on the professional role

•

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLY• What expectations, preconceptions, positive or negati-

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYWhat expectations, preconceptions, positive or negati-


9090

Appendix 4Educational developmentaccording to Pedagogisk idé

Phase 1Discuss

Phase 2 Develop

Phase 3 Implement

Ph

ase

4 Ru

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0

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Appendix 4

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYaccording to Pedagogisk idé

PREVIEW ONLY PREVIEW ONLYaccording to Pedagogisk idé



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91







9.5 hrs

Arctic Circle

3.5 hrs

Stockholm

Filipstad

Luleå tekniska universitet971 87 LULEÅltu.se

The northernmost University of Technology in Scandinavia World-class research and education

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eå U

nive

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y of

Tec

hnol

ogy,

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2014

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The northernmost University of Technology in Scandinavia World …/file/GUIDE 2013 for... · 2015-09-19 · The northernmost University of Technology in Scandinavia World-class research