A few administrative changes due to the new pedagogical framework

In connection with the new pedagogical framework, we have tried to keep the administrative adjustments to a minimum. However, two minor changes have been made that all VIPs with course responsibility will notice.

Course descriptions
The first change concerns the course descriptions. Here, we have removed the lingo that belonged to the three-phase model. Instead, there will be an open field where the teacher describes the teaching methods used in the course.

For example, you can describe some of the teaching as “class teaching” if you think that is the most appropriate term, or you can write “lecture” or something completely different if it is more comprehensive. In addition, the idea is to expand the different methods a little so that students are informed about the teaching in the course they will be attending.

The first round of new course descriptions has just been through the study board, and I would like to say that the teachers have really embraced the change and made some really good descriptions. Thank you very much for that.

Scheduling

The second change concerns scheduling. Here we will now stick to terms that are neutral in relation to the teaching methods.

We will, therefore, only write “common classes” if all students on the course are taught together, or “group classes” if the teaching is divided into smaller groups. In addition, you can indicate whether teaching takes place in a classroom/auditorium, in the laboratory or perhaps in another place, for example on an excursion or in the field.

In this way, we avoid terms in the schedule that signal a specific pedagogy. Teachers are therefore not bound in advance by the schedule saying “lectures” if that is not what is actually happening. If it is actually a lecture, this is written in the course description and communicated to students via itslearning.

Because language matters

Why are we making this change? Because language matters. And because the schedule should not control the pedagogy

Most courses with a large number of students will probably still have lectures and e-lessons. However, in courses with fewer participants and where the teaching is not divided into several groups, the teaching is often more varied and has more of a classroom character. In that situation, there is no reason for the schedule to send a signal about a lecture.

In this way, teachers also gain more flexibility in organizing the teaching. You can better plan and vary your pedagogy during the course when the schedule is only about where and when the students are to meet, and not about what they are to do. That's what you write on itslearning instead.