Assessing the Students in Problem based, Project organized, Group situated Learning'

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Assessing the Students in Problem based
Project organized Group situated Learning.
University Teacher Training Course Aalborg
University/ Esbjerg 14.03.07Lone Krogh
(lkr_at_puc.aau.dk)

• Birthe Lund

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Themes for the first introduction

• Structure and activities at the course
• Thoughts and pedagogy behind organization and
  teachingforms
• Action

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They say 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 talk over with others
• 80 of what they use and do in real life
• 95 of what they teach someone else
• William Glasser quoted by Association for
  Supervision and Curriculum Department Guide 1988.

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More focus on teaching at Danish universities

• Globalisation
• Denmark is a knowledge society
• Focus on competences
• Employability mobility and lifelong learning
• Effectiveness in teaching and learning
• cost-benefit
• Students diversity - (age-culture-gender) and
  demands

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This focus is supported by

• National and international evaluations
• eg. the Danish Evaluation Institute (EVA) and the
  OECD 2004
• The Bologna Process (harmonising)
• Statements from
• the Danish Ministry of Science Education and
  Innovation - 2006
• The Globalisation Council - 2006

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Some consequenses for the system and the staff

• New reforms and educational programmes (Bachelor
  Candidate Master and continuing education)
  changing laws
• Distance education and learning programmes
• Subjects and knowledge are to be discussed
  continuiously
• The teachers role must be discussed changing
  between præsentations and organizing methods for
  the students learning processes
• Kooperation with colleagues other institutions
  (maybe) practisioners about teaching
• Involvment of students in teaching and learning
  processses (making them more responsible and
  supporting their motivation)

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Challenges

• The academic teachers have to be proficient in
  doing research and in teaching and in many
  other thingsAND
• The university has to create an organizaton that
  supports the teachers in working professionally

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University teacher comptence profile

• Scientific qualifications
• Other professional qualifications
• Pedagogic and teaching qualifications
• Qualifications related to communication and
  presentation (3rd leg)
• (Qualifications in relation to management and
  administration)
• (Personal qualifications)
• (Handal 2002)

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Formal basis for teacher training courses in
Denmark wire defined

• The institution must ensure that during the
  contracted employment term (the assistant
  professor) is given responsibility for teaching
  activities and must provide teacher education
  supervision and advising to such an extent that a
  written evaluation of the qualifications can be
  provided upon completion of employment term.
• (Circular on employment structure (Cirkulære om
  stillingsstruktur) for higher education
  institutions under the Danish Ministry of
  Research and Technology September 2000) (1993
  and 1997).

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Learningobjectives for the course.The
assistant professor should (on the basic of
knowledge and experiences)

• gain insight into and understanding of learning
  theories
• develop the ability to plan carry out and
  develop suitable teaching and learning
  activities while applying relevant theories
• learn to identify students resources and to
  initiate learning processes among a variety of
  students both individually and in groups
• become familiar with a variety of pedagogic tools
  and methods including ICT supported teaching and
  learning in order to apply the appropriate tools
  in relation to different target groups
• strengthen the insight into problem based project
  supervision and the role of the supervisor in
  order to realize the potential of PBL in
  initiating and supporting the students group
  processes

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Objectives (continued)

• gain knowledge and understanding of evaluation as
  a developmental and guiding tool in order to
  evaluate teaching programmes to assess the
  progress of the students and consequently to be
  able to develop and improve teaching practises
• get experience in working systematically and
  analytically with the teaching portfolio and with
  self-evaluation
• be inspired to continuously working with
  development and improvement of teaching
  activities with a view to different audiences
  conditions and environments.

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So..

• The overall aims for you as participants are to
• develop into theoretically reflecting practicians
  in teaching and supervision (vejledning)
• practicians who will gain experiences in using
  differentiating methods of teaching in supporting
  the students in their learning processes and
• develop increasing awareness of the various roles
  and demands you are facing as researchers and as
  teachers
• awareness of your ressources and potentials to
  solve the differentiating tasks in a professional
  way

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Pegagogic principles for the course

• Focus on teaching and vejledningspractice
• Learning happen in action and in interaction
  together with supervisors and/or colleagues in
  the study-groups
• Theories about teaching and learning are
  integrated when necessary
• Supervision and guidance by (experienced
  supervisors and/or colleagues (peers))
• Self-evaluation analyses and reflections on
  practice by
• Use of teachingportfolio as a tool for
  reflection and documentation on personal
  experiences with the practice of teaching and
  vejledning.

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The intended learning proces for you during the
course

• Starting point awareness of teaching and
  vejlednings practices and then
• Acquisition of new knowledge reflection
  development and change of practice

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Themes in focus during the course (by readings
portfoliowork workshops supervision)

• The field of university pedagogy
• The professional university teacher role
• Students resources learning and competence
  development
• Teaching and evaluation methods (incl. IT)
• Problem based project work and vejledning
• Supervision and reflection

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Structure/activities

• The course comprises a work load of 175 work
  hours 7 ECTS
• Duration 12 months (March 2007 February 2008)
• Two modules
• Workshops from PUC
• Work with individual teaching-portfolio
  through-out the course
• Study groups (readings discussions and
  reflections feedback on the working with
  teaching-portfolio)
• Each assistant professor is assigned two
  supervisors (One appointed by PUC and one a
  senior faculty member from participants
  department appointed by the head of department).
• Evaluation-statement from the supervisors
• Course certificate

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Modules (content)
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Intentions of course - the didactics

• The structure and pedagogy will in an exemplary
  way offer the opportunity for the participants
  to work with development and enhancement at
  various levels and backgrounds and
• reach the goal at different levels
• The quality of instruction cannot be raised by
  odd tricks or by technical means alone. What is
  needed is theoretical insight into learning and
  teaching.
• (Engeström 1994 p. 1)

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Learningmethods applied

• Seminars and workshops with use of præsentations
  and discussions
• Readings in studygroups
• Teachingportfolio
• Observation supervision and support
• Evaluation statement from supervisors (asistant
  professors)

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Study-groups

• Readings are discussions in the study-groups
• Suggestions for work process
• Distribute the articles among the members of the
  group
• The individual present the studied material to
  the group-members
• The presentations are followed up by discussions
  and reflections related to the practices of
  teaching and vejledning

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The teaching-portfolio is a cornerstone at the
course

• A tool for facilitating reflection on
  development in and documentation of the
  teacherqualification process
• Contains a collection of reflected documents
  (evidence)
• You start with the formulation of teaching
  philosophy statements descriptions and
  reflections on basic elements in teaching and
  learning processes
• a template to support the reflections is provided
• You formulate a pedagogic plan of action
• The basis for discussions supervision
  (self-)evaluation throughout the course
• The basis for the Supervisors evaluation
  statement at the end of the course

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Supervision and guidance (p. 3 in the
Introduction)

• The PUC-supervisor is for ass. professors
  contact-person throughout the course
• The department-supervisor represents the
  participants professional enviroment
• Colleague (peer)supervision a more symmetrical
  egalitarian co-operative relationship
• The study group members study theories and
  provide on-going mutual support and supervision
  to each other

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Workshops

• 14 March 2007 - All day in Esbjerg General
  introduction to professional didactics and
  university pedagogy. Theories of learning
  processes and the teaching portfolio work. Assoc.
  professor Lone Krogh                              
      
• 7 - 8 May 2007 - 1 ½ day in Esbjerg. Learning
  Teaching methods and reflections - Assoc.
  professor Tina Bering Keiding
• 23 August 2007 - all day in Aalborg. Teaching
  feedback reflections. Professor Phil Race
  Leeds Metropolitan University and Lone
  Krogh           
• October 2007 - 2 days - in  Esbjerg (date not
  fixed) Vejledningsseminar. Professors Lise
  Kofoed and Torben Rosenørn                     
• November 2007 1 day - in Aalborg (date not
  fixed). Evaluation and exams in higher
  educationProfessor Per Lauvås Østfold
  University College Norway

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Contact and information

• Lone Krogh head of the course lkr_at_puc.aau.dk
  tlf. 9635 8007
• Ulla Burskov secretary ub_at_puc.aau.dk tlf.
  9635 9095

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Information

• All documents concerning the course are made
  available at
• www.puc.aau.dk/esbjerg2007
• The documents may be guidelines programmes for
  workshops articles præsentations from
  workshops etc. Participants will be notified by
  e-mail whenever new documents are available.
• We keep in touch by e-mail so please remember to
  advise the secretary if you change your e-mail
  address

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Youll have a hard time believing you cannot
improve

• An associate professor from the natural
  sciences 2006
• When I started the PUC course I had the feeling
  that the teachers couldnt teach me anything
  useful since I already been a (good if you ask
  me -) teacher within the university for 7-8
  years. Furthermore I was myself a student not
  too long ago - so how difficult could it
  be....One might even say I was a bit arrogant
  towards this course.
• And I was right. They couldnt teach me
  anything!!

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Because!

• (as I learned on the course)
• teachers cannot teach a student anything. They
  can only create a situation where the student has
  the possibility to learn IF he/she is capable and
  motivated.
• In other words the only one that can teach me
  anything is me!

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Therefore

• I would probably have ended up learning nothing
  new if it hadnt been for the study-group.
• At first we were all a bit defensive in the
  group. But as time passed and we read some
  literature we all started to realize that our own
  teaching style could easily be improved. This led
  to vivid discussions on our past experiences why
  we did as we did and what we had learned. In
  other words we started REFLECTING. For me this
  was excellent. I became aware of why I was
  teaching as I was what was good about it and
  what could/should be improved. I think those of
  us in the group who put a piece of our self
  into the discussions all learned a great deal and
  are better teachers today.

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My conclusions and recommendations

• The course is good if youre motivated
• The study-group is excellent for discussions and
  reflections if and only if you are motivated and
  willing to open up and recognize pros and cons of
  your own teaching style
• For the first time you have all the knowledge
  support (from literature peers supervisors) and
  time needed to prepare a lecture like you always
  dreamt about....
• Try to capture one of your lectures on video and
  see all of it (2x45min). Youll then have a hard
  time believing you cannot improve .