1. Aligning higher education learning Thomas Gulløv Longhi Associate Professor, Ph.D. Educational Developer - SUE Faculty of Business and Social Sciences University of Southern Denmark

2. 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 2

3. Qualifications Framework for Lifelong Learning 3 Knowledge ”I know” Skills ”I can” Competences ”I do”

4. SOLO taxonomy (Structure of Observed Learning Outcome) Biggs and Tang (2007) p. 79

5. 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 5

6. Legitimacy of the professor? 6

7. WHAT CAN BE DONE TO OVERCOME THESE CHALLENGES? Discuss in pairs 7

8. Incentive structure 8 Students Department Professor Formulated in the legal document ”course description”

9. 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 …… 9

10. 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! 10

11. 11 Constructive Alignment - Aligning the course description? Learning Design Learning Outcome Teaching MethodAssessment

12. 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)

13. Internal consistency Content/themeLearning aim/SOLOLearning activity Formative evaluation / Summative evaluation (exam activities)

14. From legal documents to learning activities 14 An example of a study plan based on a new course description!

15. 15

16. 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 16

17. 17

18. 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 18

19. Questions and discussion 19