Post on 25-Dec-2015
Aligning higher education learning
Thomas Gulløv LonghiAssociate Professor, Ph.D.
Educational Developer - SUEFaculty of Business and Social Sciences
University of Southern Denmark
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Challenges
Higher education has changed during the last 10 years:
New insights and research has been accepted as important and contributing to practice
Biggs, J and Tang C. (2011): Teaching for Quality Learning at University, (McGraw-Hill and Open University Press, Maidenhead)
Increased international and national focus on education, relevance and quality of education Bologna process (from Humboldt to vocational
perspectives) Major changes in student intake, student
background and the funding of higher education
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Qualifications Framework for Lifelong Learning
Knowledge• ”I know”
Skills• ”I can”
Competences• ”I do”
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Challenges
Universities, Colleges, Faculties, Head of studies, IT departments and Educational developers have focus on educational development Constructive alignment, solo taxonomy,
activating teaching and learning, ICT integration
Faculty members are driven by research interest (content) and legitimacy Education has legitimacy through history and
standards Traditions are celebrated Normative isomorphism
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Incentive structure
Students
Department
Professor
Formulated in the legal document ”course description”
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The purpose of a course description?
Legal insurance? Securing the professor in case of student
complaints? Necessary bureaucracy?
Something ”the system” requires Coordination document between the course
responsible and the professor teaching? ”Work package”
Contract with the student? ”This is what you get, these are the terms,…”
Marketing? Attract students
…
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Content instead of context
Example ”Strategy” The course covers topics of mission, goal,
strategy formulation, strategy implementation and strategy evaluation. Strategic techniques include Industry: Analysis, Analysis of the Competitive Environment, Key Success Factors, Strategic Scenario Analysis and SWOT Analysis. Additional topics covered include strategic thinking, competitive advantage, vertical and horizontal integration, and planning horizon.
…and students, departments and professors are all happy!
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Constructive Alignment- Aligning the course description?
Learning Design
Learning Outcome
Teaching MethodAssessment
Adjustment
Present Future Prerequisites
Purpose
Learning aim
Content
Teaching form Eventually ECTS-allocation
Exam
Prerequisites Courses, professional skills, study skills
Purpose and learning aim (goal) Progression in the education
Builds on, leads to Professional function, skills
Content/theme, Learning aim and learning activity (The correlation is described)
Allocation of different learning activities according to ECTS
Evaluation/assessment Formative Summative (exam activities)
Internal consistency
Content/theme Learning aim/SOLO Learning activity
Formative evaluation / Summative evaluation (exam activities)
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From legal documents to learning activities
An example of a study plan based on a new course description!
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5 ECTS course corresponding to 135 student work hours These 135 hours are allocated in the following way
Workload on group level
Workload on group level
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Changing the nature of education
Incentive structures and learning aims (goals) must be clear What is the purpose of higher education and
courses? Formal and legal documents must have point of
origin in learning aims and learning design instead of bureaucracy That goes for IT and ICT as well
Clear contracts can help overcome the resistance-to-change that students and faculty members have