UNIVERSITY TEACHING AND LEARNING

EDITED BY
Lotte Rienecker
Peter Stray Jørgensen
Jens Dolin
Gitte Holten Ingerslev
UNIVERSITY
TEACHING AND
LEARNING
University Teaching and Learning
KAPITEL 7.5.
Underviserrollen
University Teaching and Learning
Edited by
Lotte Rienecker,
Peter Stray Jørgensen,
Jens Dolin and
Gitte Holten Ingerslev
Samfundslitteratur
Lotte Rienecker, Peter Stray Jørgensen, Jens Dolin and Gitte Holten Ingerslev (eds.)
University Teaching and Learning
1. edition 2015
© Samfundslitteratur 2015
Original edition in Danish with the title Universitetspædagogik published by
Samfundslitteratur 2013.
The translation of this work was made possible by a grant from
Lundbeck Foundation
Translation: Elisabeth Li
Translation revised by: Nicolai Paulsen
Cover: Imperiet
Cover illustration: Gitte Holten Ingerslev
Typeset: SL grafik (slgrafik.dk)
Print: Specialtrykkeriet Viborg A/S
ISBN: 978-87-593-1960-4
E-book ISBN: 978-87-593-2252-9
Resources at: samfundslitteratur.dk/utl
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All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means
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Table of Contents
Foreword to the English edition · 15
1.1 Trends in the development of the Danish universities · 17
FREDERIK VOETMANN CHRISTIANSEN, THOMAS HARBOE, SEBASTIAN HORST,
LONE KROGH AND LAURA LOUISE SARAUW
Humboldt and the research-based university · 17
From elite university to mass university · 20
New governance structures and management styles · 23
Learning outcome and competence-oriented university education · 33
Concluding remarks · 37
Resources · 38
Literature · 40
1.2 Research-based teaching · 43
NINA BONDERUP DOHN AND JENS DOLIN
Research-teaching nexus · 44
Different approaches to research-based teaching · 47
Different disciplines’ different approaches to research-based teaching · 51
Examples of research-based teaching · 54
Literature · 62
2.1 Teaching for learning · 65
JENS DOLIN
Explicit, implicit and behaviourist learning · 65
Three approaches to teaching · 68
Constructivism · 70
Situated learning, apprenticeship, practice communities · 78
Psychodynamic learning approaches · 82
Progression · 83
Is there a “best practice”? (Or: Can you base teaching on evidence?) · 85
Ideas and practice · 87
Literature · 91
2.2 University teaching and learning – models and concepts · 93
ANNE METTE MØRCKE AND CAMILLA ØSTERBERG RUMP
Instructions and options · 93
Models and principles of university teaching and learning · 94
Taxonomies · 100
Resources · 103
Literature · 104
2.3 Teaching environment · 105
SEBASTIAN HORST AND GITTE HOLTEN INGERSLEV
What can the teacher do to create a good teaching environment? · 106
Research-based starting points for planning teaching · 110
Research-based education requires integration with research facilities · 111
Resources · 112
Literature · 113
3.1 Who are the students? · 115
BJØRN FRIIS JOHANNSEN, LARS ULRIKSEN AND HENRIETTE TOLSTRUP
HOLMEGAARD
Challenges to teaching: Who are the students? · 118
Options · 124
Conclusion · 132
Resources · 132
Literature · 133
3.2 Course descriptions · 135
FREDERIK VOETMANN CHRISTIANSEN, SEBASTIAN HORST AND CAMILLA
ØSTERBERG RUMP
Course descriptions are part of the regulations · 135
What should a course description include? · 136
Goal descriptions and the Danish Qualifications Framework · 137
How do competences, skills and knowledge differ from one another? · 139
Conclusion · 146
Resources · 147
Literature · 147
3.3 Session planning · 149
PETER STRAY JØRGENSEN
The teacher’s challenges · 149
The teacher’s planning · 150
Handouts as learning tools · 159
Reasons · 161
Resources · 162
Literature · 162
3.4 Course planning · 165
PETER STRAY JØRGENSEN
Challenges · 165
The course planner’s options · 167
A course’s content · 167
The course’s framework · 169
Rationales · 172
Resources · 173
Literature · 174
3.5 Instructing written assignments · 175
PETER STRAY JØRGENSEN
Instructions, options · 175
Rationales · 177
Resources · 177
Literature · 177
4.1 Lecturing · 179
BETTINA DAHL AND RIE TROELSEN
Introduction · 179
Pedagogical challenges · 179
Considerations before a lecture · 181
Activities while you lecture · 184
Rationales · 186
The lecturer as a performer · 187
Resources · 188
Literature · 188
4.2 Group work · 189
GERD CHRISTENSEN
Definition and history · 189
Pedagogical challenges in connection with group work · 190
Different forms of group work · 191
Suggestions for practice/action · 192
Structure of the collaboration · 195
Rationales and substantiation from research · 197
Resources · 198
Literature · 199
4.3 Case-based learning · 201
LONE KROGH, DIANA STENTOFT, JEPPE EMMERSEN AND PETER MUSAEUS
The case method and its background · 201
Challenges when working with cases · 204
Pedagogical possibilities · 207
Rationales and theoretical foundation for the use of cases in teaching and
learning · 211
Resources · 213
Literature · 214
4.4 Problem-based and project-organised teaching · 215
LONE KROGH AND MERETE WIBERG
Introduction · 215
Central elements in problem-based project work · 217
Group work, project organisation and student direction? · 218
Problem-based learning, connecting theory and practice,
interdisciplinarity · 220
The principle of exemplarity · 223
Rationales – theoretical foundation for problem-based project work · 225
Literature · 226
4.5.1 Activities in and between teaching sessions · 229
LOTTE RIENECKER, RIKKE VON MÜLLEN, PETER STRAY JØRGENSEN AND GITTE
HOLTEN INGERSLEV
Pedagogical challenges · 230
Activities in teaching · 231
Activities between sessions · 239
Choice and planning of activities · 240
Rationales · 245
Resources · 248
Literature · 248
4.5.2 Disciplinary activities · 251
LOTTE RIENECKER, RIKKE VON MÜLLEN, JENS DOLIN, PETER MUSAEUS AND
ANNE METTE MØRCKE
Teaching activities in the Humanities · 251
Teaching activities in the Social Sciences · 253
Teaching activities in the Natural Sciences · 254
Teaching activities in the Medical Sciences · 255
Literature · 257
4.6.1 Feedback · 259
LOTTE RIENECKER AND JESPER BRUUN
What is feedback? · 259
Pedagogical challenges · 260
Pedagogical recommendations · 263
Feedback on written and oral student performances · 264
Automated feedback in an online environment – quizzes and academic
games · 269
Experiment with feedback · 272
Peer-feedback research · 275
Online feedback research · 277
Resources · 278
Literature · 279
4.6.2 Clickers · 281
HELLE MATHIASEN
What is a clicker? · 281
Clickers in teaching · 282
Studies of clickers in teaching · 285
Resources · 286
Literature · 287
4.7 Discussions and argumentation in teaching · 289
MADS THORKILD HAUGSTED AND GITTE HOLTEN INGERSLEV
Intro · 289
Challenges · 289
Instructions/options · 289
Rationales · 295
Resources · 296
Literature · 296
4.8 E-learning · 299
NINA BONDERUP DOHN, MARIANNE THORSEN AND SØREN LARSEN
Intro: What is e-learning? · 299
Pedagogical challenges · 300
Options · 302
Example: Qualification of preparation for practical exercises through online
learning resources · 304
Some advice and suggestions · 308
Example: Creating coherence between students’ learning contexts through
the use of blogs and wikis · 310
Some advice and suggestions · 315
Example: Learning through social construction of knowledge. Use of
discussion forums in fully online teaching · 317
Some advice and suggestions · 323
Research-based evidence · 324
Resources · 325
Literature · 326
5.1 Supervision: Process management and communication · 327
GITTE WICHMANN-HANSEN AND TINE WIRENFELDT JENSEN
Common challenges for supervision · 327
Which strategies for action do supervisors have? · 328
The importance of good cooperative relationships and negotiation of
expectations · 329
Teaching model, apprenticeship model or partnership model? · 334
The partnership model – why and how? · 335
Meta-communication · 336
Framing the student’s responsibility · 337
Dialogue-based supervision · 338
The conversation model used in supervision – a case · 341
The personal dimension and the difficult conversation · 346
Creating a learning space in supervision · 347
Resources · 348
Literature · 348
5.2 Text in supervision – supervising on texts · 351
PETER STRAY JØRGENSEN AND LOTTE RIENECKER
The supervisor’s challenges · 351
The supervisor’s options · 354
Rationales · 365
Resources · 366
Literature · 367
6.1 Assessment and exams · 369
HANNE LETH ANDERSEN, BETTINA DAHL AND JENS TOFTESKOV
Examining and assessing: Focus on the students’ performance · 370
TYPES OF EXAMS · 371
Challenge: Insight into chosen types of exams · 371
Oral exams · 373
Suggestions · 374
Written on-campus exam · 380
Suggestions · 381
Written take-home exams · 385
Suggestions · 385
ASSESSMENT AND MARKING · 393
Qualification frameworks and level descriptions · 398
EXAM CONDITIONS AND CRITERIA · 400
Cheating and plagiarism · 400
Options · 401
Validity and reliability: Criteria for choosing exam types · 403
Resources · 406
Literature · 407
6.2 Teaching evaluation · 409
SEBASTIAN HORST, BJØRN FRIIS JOHANNSEN, JAN ALEXIS NIELSEN AND
CAMILLA ØSTERBERG RUMP
Pedagogical challenges · 409
Options · 412
Rationales · 420
Conclusion · 420
Resources · 421
Literature · 421
7.1 Developing your own teaching · 423
JAN SØLBERG
The reflective teacher · 423
Which factors are interesting for developing your teaching? · 423
How can you develop your own teaching? · 426
Development as research into teaching · 429
Resources · 430
Literature · 431
7.2 Collegial supervision · 433
HANNE LETH ANDERSEN AND LENE TORTZEN BAGER
Introduction: Pedagogical development of own and shared premises? · 433
Instructions: Frameworks, roles, inquisitive approach · 434
Rationales and evidence · 439
Evaluation and outcome · 443
Resources · 443
Literature · 444
7.3 Teaching portfolios · 445
BETTINA DAHL AND LONE KROGH
The definition of a teaching portfolio · 445
Pedagogical challenges of the teaching portfolio · 446
Instructions for making a teaching portfolio · 449
Rationales for a teaching portfolio · 451
Resources · 453
Literature · 454
7.4 Information search about university teaching and
learning · 455
LOTTE RIENECKER
Challenge: Bringing new and relevant research on university teaching and
learning into play · 455
Instructions and options · 456
Rationales · 462
Resources · 464
7.5 The role of the university teacher · 465
RIE TROELSEN AND JENS TOFTESKOV
Do what you can – not what your course leader tells you to… · 466
The role of the professional university teacher · 470
The reflecting teacher · 473
Teaching is both a fun and risky business · 477
Resources · 478
Literature · 479
Author Profiles · 481
Index · 489
Foreword to the English edition
University Teaching and Learning is the first comprehensive Danish textbook about university teaching. This textbook is intended for teaching
and learning in higher education programmes and other introductory
courses for university teaching and learning. The book is for both new
teachers and teachers looking for inspiration for their own, their team’s, or
their institution’s teaching. This translation of the Danish edition meets
an expressed need from those teaching university pedagogy to International faculty teaching in Denmark.
The questions of what constitutes good university teaching, which
principles are involved, which models are used are under constant debate.
In this book, the quality of teaching is not a question of quantity, of how
many students complete the programme, of how quickly they do so and
with how many contact hours, but rather a matter of content, form and
learning for both students and teachers.
The fundamental idea is that good university teaching is learning- and
student-oriented. Learning activities in teaching and between sessions
therefore play an important role in this book.
The book is intended to assist teachers in their work, and therefore
contains many specific suggestions for practice. The book’s 32 authors are
practitioners, developers and researchers, most of them are educational
developers at the different universities and research centres in Denmark.
Most Danish universities and faculties are represented here, and many of
the book’s chapters are written in collaboration by authors from different
faculties.
The book is not heavy on theory, but is theory- and research-based.
We have aimed for an identical structure in all the book’s sections:
Each chapter opens with a presentation of the pedagogical themes and the
teacher’s challenges, followed by a presentation of various options for the
teacher. To argue for and substantiate these options, we also present the
rationales behind our suggestions. Finally we recommend resources and
literature for further reading.
The Danish edition, Universitetspædagogik, has been translated into
University Teaching and Learning by Elizabeth Li and revised by Nicolai
Paulsen.
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