Click HERE to read the document.
Year: 2017
SFU magazine #7
NOKUT has released the seventh edition of SFU-magazine. Click on the left cover to read it in Norwegian, or on the right cover to read it in English.
Developing work placements in a discipline-oriented education
Gaute Velle and colleagues from bioCEED and PRIME have recently published the article “Developing work placements in a discipline-oriented education” in the Nordic Journal of STEM Education.
Abstract
Higher education is often divided into discipline-oriented and professional programs. Professional programs prepare students for a specific profession and include relevant theoretical and practical knowledge. Discipline-oriented programs emphasize theoretical knowledge and research within a specific discipline or field. Except for a career within research and higher education, discipline-oriented programs provide less obvious links to future careers. The transition from student life to working life may therefore be challenging.
In this paper, we present and discuss the development and implementation of a work placement course as part of the disciplinary programs in biology at the University of Bergen. The course was developed to provide students with practical- and work- related competences, to inform
about opportunities for future career and to foster motivation and learning. We have revised the course according to feedback from students, workplace hosts and our experience as course teachers during the six semesters the course has been running.
The work placement course is at the bachelor (BSc) level and consists of two main components; a work placement and the student’s own reporting of placement outcomes. For the placement, the students work 140 hours at a workplace as a biologist. The reporting consists of four open blog-posts, one written reflective essay and a final oral presentation. The course teachers also meet with the students and convey information on the roles of biology and biologists in today’s society through a Facebook group. Feedback from the students, hosts and course teachers point to a range of benefits from work practice in discipline-oriented study programs. Based on our experience, we provide guidance for implementing such courses.
Reference and link to the article
Velle, G., Hole, T. N., Førland, O., Simonelli, A.-L., and Vandvik, V. (2017). Developing work placements in a discipline-oriented education Nordic Journal of STEM Education, Vol. 1, No. 1 (2017), pp 287-306.
About the author
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The Relative Effect of Team-Based Learning on Motivation and Learning: A Self-Determination Theory Perspective
Lucas Jeno and colleagues from bioCEED, PRIME and Høgskulen på Vestlandet have recently published the article “The Relative Effect of Team-Based Learning on Motivation and Learning: A Self-Determination Theory Perspective”.
Abstract
We investigate the effects of team-based learning (TBL) on motivation and learning in a quasi-experimental study. The study employs a self-determination theory perspective to investigate the motivational effects of implementing TBL in a physiotherapy course in higher education. We adopted a one-group pretest–posttest design. The results show that the students’ intrinsic motivation, identified regulation, perceived competence, and perceived autonomy support significantly increased going from lectures to TBL. The results further show that students’ engagement and perceived learning significantly increased. Finally, students’ amotivation decreased from pretest to posttest; however, students reported higher external regulation as a function of TBL. Path analysis shows that increases in intrinsic motivation, perceived competence, and external regulation positively predict increases in engagement, which in turn predict increases in perceived learning. We argue that the characteristics of TBL, as opposed to lectures, are likely to engage students and facilitate feelings of competence. TBL is an active-learning approach, as opposed to more passive learning in lectures, which might explain the increase in students’ perception of teachers as autonomy supportive. In contrast, the greater demands TBL puts on students might account for the increase in external regulation. Limitations and practical implications of the results are discussed.
Reference and link to the article
Jeno, L. M., Raaheim, A., Kristensen, S. M., Kristensen, K. D., Hole, T. N., Haugland, M. J., and Mæland, S. (2017). The Relative Effect of Team-Based Learning on Motivation and Learning: A Self-Determination Theory Perspective. CBE—Life Sciences Education • 16:ar59, Winter 2017.
About the author
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Announcement of office as student representative on bioCEED – Centre for Excellence in Biology Education
bioCEED is seeking a new student representative from UiB.
bioCEED is a Centre of Excellence in Education (SFU) in the field of biology and is a collaboration between Department of Biology at University of Bergen, Arctic Biology at the University Centre at Svalbard (UNIS), the Higher Education Research Unit at University of Bergen and the Institute of Marine Research. bioCEED is funded by NOKUT and the partner institutions. The overarching aim of the SFU arrangement is to contribute to the development of excellent quality in higher education.
bioCEED will work to develop innovative and excellent teaching in biology. Key points in the bioCEED plans are:
- Give students knowledge and experience through linking theoretical knowledge to practical skills and tasks with societal relevance. E.g. by offering internship in research, management and industry.
- Activate and engage students and teachers in the learning process, and develop new learning and assessment methods
- Document, do research on, and spread knowledge of biology teaching and learning
UiB has two student representatives that cooperate with two student representatives at UNIS. The student representatives represent the students in bioCEEDs Steering Group and Board. Representatives are appointed for one year (with option for longer appointment).
Who is eligible to apply?
– You are a student at BIO or MBI
– You are engaged in education and the development of teaching and learning
– You are active in the student community and have a good network of contacts among students
– Experience in student organizations, boards, councils or working groups is an advantage
– Experience as a teaching assistant or similar is an advantage
Responsibilities:
– Represent the students bioCEEDs Steering group (and Board if applicable), and bioCEED activities
– Be a contact point between bioCEED and students
– Contribute to bioCEED activities and outreach
– Lead the student driven project biORAKEL, and contribute to other bioCEED projects
Application: Write a short text about yourself and your education and experience. Why do you want to be a student representative in bioCEED, and what will be your contribution? Deadline : 1st December 2017. Send application by e-mail to: oddfrid.forland@uib.no marked Application student representative bioCEED.
More information: Centre leader Vigdis Vandvik, current BIO student representatives Ragnhild Gya and Mari Vold Bjordal or coordinator Oddfrid Førland.
Utlysing av verv som studentrepresentant i bioCEED – senter for fremragende utdanning i biologi
bioCEED søker en ny studentrepresentant fra UiB.
bioCEED er et Senter for fremragende utdanning (SFU) i fagområdet biologi og er et samarbeid mellom Institutt for biologi (BIO) ved UIB, Avdeling for arktisk biologi ved UNIS, Seksjon for Universitetspedagogikk ved UIB og Havforskningsinstituttet. bioCEED er finansiert av Kunnskaps-departementet og partnerne. SFU-ordningens fremste formål er å fremme kvalitet i høyere utdanning.
bioCEED skal arbeide for å utvikle innovativ og fremragende undervisning i biologi. Sentrale punkt i planene er:
- Gi studenter brei kunnskap og erfaring gjennom å knytte den teoretiske kunnskapen til de praktiske ferdighetene og samfunnsrelevante oppgaver. Blant annet ved å tilby utplassering i forskning, forvaltning og næringsliv.
- Aktivisere og engasjere studenter og undervisere i læringsprosessen, og utvikle nye læringsmetoder
- Dokumentere, forske på og spre kunnskap om biologiundervisning
UiB har to studentrepresentanter som samarbeider med to studentrepresentanter ved UNIS. Studentrepresentantene representerer også studentene i bioCEEDs styringsgruppe og Styre.
Vervet er i utgangspunktet med et års varighet fra oppnevning.
Hvem er kvalifisert for å søke?
– Du er student ved BIO eller MBI
– Du er engasjert i utdanningskvalitet og utvikling av undervisning
– Du er aktiv i studentmiljøet og har et godt kontaktnett blant studentene
– Erfaring fra studentorganisasjoner, styrer, råd eller arbeidsgrupper er en fordel
– Erfaring som undervisningsassistent o.l. er en fordel
Arbeidsoppgaver:
– Representere studentene i bioCEEDs styringsgruppe og i bioCEED sine aktiviteter
– Være kontaktledd mellom bioCEED og studentene
– Bidra i bioCEED-aktiviteter og formidling av bioCEEDs arbeid
– Lede det studentdrevne prosjektet biORAKEL, og bidra inn i andre bioCEED-prosjekter
Søknad:
Skriv litt om deg selv og din utdanning og erfaring. Hvorfor ønsker du å være studentrepresentant og hva kan du bidra med? Frist: 1. desember 2017. Søknad sendes på e-post til: oddfrid.forland@uib.no og merkes Søknad studentverv bioCEED.
Mer informasjon:
Kontakt senterleder Vigdis Vandvik (vigdis.vandvik@uib.no), koordinator Oddfrid Førland (oddfrid.forland@uib.no, 55 58 22 24) eller sittende studentrepresentanter fra BIO Ragnhild Gya (ragnhild.gya@student.uib.no) og Mari Vold Bjordal (mbj019@student.uib.no).
bioCEED’s mid-term evaluation goes Open Science!
Inspired by MatRiC, bioCEED has collected the midterm evaluation documents in a short annotated overview here, as seen through the lens of various documents produced by NOKUT, the evaluation committee, and bioCEED:
- The template for the self-evaluation, by NOKUT Jan 20th
- bioCEED’s self-evaluation, delivered on April 3rd
- Feedback to bioCEED from the evaluation panel, received on 30th May 2017.
- bioCEED’s replies to the panel’s requests for additional information, 10th May 2017.
- The programme for the site visit 16th May 2017, by NOKUT 07th April 2017.
- Data from Studiebarometeret and DBH provided by NOKUT to the Evaluation Panel in connection with Site Visit 16th May 2017.
- Panels with informants to be interviewed by Evaluation Panel at site visit 16th May 2017.
- Panel briefing document from bioCEED, 11th May 2017.
- bioCEED short presentation at site visit 16th May 2017.
- Evaluation Panel report following site visit, received on 29th June 2017.
- Final Action Plan Structure, by NOKUT 4th July 2017.
- bioCEED Action Plan Draft, 1st September 2017.
- Evaluation Panel feedback on action plan draft, received on 11th September 2017.
- bioCEED reply to Evaluation panel on the feedback on action plan draft, 28th September 2017.
- bioCEED Action Plan Phase 2, 28th September 2017.
- Final report from expert panel, 21st December 2017.
You can also read more about our way forward in the Newsletter.
The bioCEED team is very grateful to everyone who has contributed to the mid-term evaluation process, especially the bioCEED Board and Advisory Board and our host institutions and departments.
En kvalitativ undersøkelse om trivsel og motivasjon i høyere utdanning: Et selvbestemmelsesteoretisk perspektiv
Daniel Kristensen has conducted a qualitative study and interviewed Biology students about their experiences in everyday life at the University, and how their experiences affect their psychological well-being and motivation. He presented his thesis entitled “En kvalitativ undersøkelse om trivsel og motivasjon i høyere utdanning: Et selvbestemmelsesteoretisk perspektiv” on June 27th, 2017 and thus obtained his Master’s degree.
ABSTRACT
In a self-determination theory perspective (Deci & Ryan, 1985), the quality of the interaction between students and the context can be a crucial factor for the student’s well-being and motivation. Central to the theory are the three basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence and relatedness. Self-determination theory argues that the satisfaction or thwarting of these needs may have a significant impact on well-being and autonomous motivation. To investigate factors in the learning environment that may interact with the satisfaction of the basic psychological needs in students may therefore be important. In this study, I aim to examine how students perceive their everyday life at the university, by shedding light on the students own account of their well-being and motivation.
To solve the research question, I conducted a series of qualitative semi-structured interviews. This interview method is often used in qualitative research because it provides the participants and researcher the opportunity to have a relatively open discussion, with an already established theme. The interview participants were all students who (1) were freshmen at the university, and (2) were participating in a bachelor program in biology. The interviews were recorded on an audio device, and later transcribed. The transcribed data was deductively analysed, and later broken down to smaller segments and put into categories. The categories were subsequently linked to central assumptions in the theoretical framework. The categorization of the comments provided a base for further discussion and reflection. In the discussion, basic psychological needs theory was used in interpreting the participants comments according to the degree they felt their need for autonomy, competence, and relatedness was being satisfied or thwarted. In many ways, the discussion reflects my own interpretation and understanding of the link between the theory and the data material. By interpreting the data material in light of self-determination theory, it was possible to observe different processes and factors that may be paramount in student well-being and motivation. According to my own interpretation, all the participants in the study expressed that they enjoyed, and felt connected, to their academic environment. Some of the participants also conveyed that they felt competent and felt a steady progress in their studies. Furthermore, the participants indicated that the learning context felt autonomy-supportive. Satisfaction of the need for autonomy is, according to self-determination theory, crucial for intrinsic motivation.
Link to the thesis
About the author
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“Veier til frafall”. En kvantitativ studie av psykisk helse og frafallsintensjoner i høyere utdanning: Et selvbestemmelsesteoretisk perspektiv
Sara Madeleine Kristensen has conducted a cross-sectional study of first year Bachelor students in Biology and assessed their motivation, psychological health, and intentions of dropout. She presented her thesis entitled “Veier til frafall. En kvantitativ studie av psykisk helse og frafallsintensjoner i høyere utdanning: Et selvbestemmelsesteoretisk perspektiv” on June 22nd, 2017 and thus obtained her Master’s degree.
Abstract
The lack of, or low, motivation and perceived competence have previously been shown to be paramount in students’ decision to drop out of their education. However, recent studies have shown that psychological issues, such as anxiety and depression, is the leading cause of dropout amongst high school students. This study aims to shed light on ill-being and the dropout phenomenon in higher education. 174 biology students from a university in Norway participated in this quantitative survey. A theorized model in accordance to Self-determination Theory, based on previous research and motivational models, was proposed. First, it was assumed that a controlling teaching style would predict a lack of motivation in the students and frustration of their basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Second, it was expected that need frustration would positively predict amotivation and ill-being, and negatively predict perceived competence. Finally, it was assumed that amotivation and psychological ill-being would have a positive prediction on dropout intentions, and that perceived competence would negatively predict the students’ intentions to drop out. Two path analyses were conducted to test the hypothesized model and an alternative model. It was further assumed that there was a significant correlation between the variables in the study. A bivariate correlation analysis was performed to investigate the relationship between the variables. Lastly, it was presumed that teacher control and need frustration had significant, indirect effects on dropout intentions. The results show that the hypotheses in the study are supported. The assumptions in the theorized model are supported by the results; teacher control, need frustration, amotivation, and perceived competence had a significant prediction on students’ ill-being and their dropout intentions. Further, there were significant correlations between the studies variables. Lastly, teacher control and need frustration had significant, indirect effects on dropout intentions through the full mediation of amotivation and perceived competence.
Link to BORA and to the thesis
About the author
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UNIS teachers given The Joanna Renc-Roe Award – for pushing the boundaries of SoTL
Chris Borstad, Mads Forchhammer and Tove M. Gabrielsen from UNIS were awarded The Joanna Renc-Roe Award – for pushing the boundaries of SoTL at the 2nd EuroSoTL conference, June 8-9 2017, Lund, Sweden. The award was given for the collegial project done by this group at the bioCEED teacher course Collegial Teaching and Learning – in STEM Education: Active learning and course alignment in thematically complex courses. You can read the paper in the conference proceedings here.
The Joanna Renc-Roe Award is presented during each EuroSoTL conference to the contribution that distinguishes itself for pushing the boundaries of SoTL.
Photo: Børge Damsgård
SFU magazine #6
NOKUT has released the sixth edition of SFU-magazine. Click on the left cover to read it in Norwegian and on the right cover to read it in English.
The story of bioCEED or how to grow a SoTL culture from scratch
Oddfrid Førland, Vigdis Vandvik and Roy Andersson have published the article “The story of bioCEED or how to grow a SoTL culture from scratch“.
Abstract
There has been a gradual change over time towards an increased focus on the collegial and cultural aspects of teaching and learning. According to this perspective, quality emerges not within the individual, but within communities of teachers and students. Developing a quality culture requires a cultural shift supported by training and development activities to ensure that the teachers, as a collegium, have the knowledge and will to develop and change towards learner-centered teaching. Building a scholarly and collegial teaching culture, using the research culture as a model, was a first priority of Centre of Excellence in Biology Education (bioCEED). This paper discusses how a shift towards such a collegial Scholarly Teaching and Learning (SoTL) culture can come about, using the story of bioCEED as a case.
Reference and link to the article
Førland, O., Vandvik, V. and Andersson, R. (2016) The story of bioCEED or how to grow a SoTL culture from scratch. Proceedings of The 38th ANNUAL EAIR FORUM. https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/publication/21da69fd-e9cf-491d-926b-46d4d5e53751
About the author
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bioCEED articles presented at MNT-konferansen 2017
This year’s MNT-konferansen “Transformative education” took place in Oslo, Hotel Soria Moria on March 30th-31st. bioCEED contributed with 10 articles and corresponding presentations as well as an overview of the goals and activities of the Centre of Excellence. The full list of contributions and authors is found below with links to the articles published in the special edition of the Nordic Journal of STEM Education.
Korleis få professorar med på ein kollegial SoTL-kultur? – R. Andersson, P. B. Eidesen, Ø. Fiksen, O. Førland, S. Stefansson og V. Vandvik.- Collegial evaluation of writing as a learning activity in a bachelor programme – Heidi Lie Andersen, Øyvind Fiksen, Lawrence Kirkendall, Sigurd Stefansson.
- Strategies to document active learning practices in biology – Sehoya Cotner, Lucas M Jeno, Cissy Ballen.
- Utnytter vi potensialet for læring og personlig utvikling i feltundervisning? – P. B. Eidesen, A. Vader og J. E. Søreide.
- Hvordan teknologi bidrar til biologi-studenters motivasjon og læring – L. M. Jeno, J.A. Grytnes og Vigdis Vandvik.
- Developing work placements in a discipline education – G. Velle and T. Nielsen Hole.
- Numerical competence and quantitative skills in biology education – S. Eliassen, J. Kolding, J. Smedmark, and V. Vandvik.
- Sense and sensibility in workload calculation – Jonathan Soulé, Oddfrid Førland, and Tina Dahl.
- Norway’s gender gap: classroom participation in undergraduate introductory science – Cissy Ballen, Marie Danielsen, Christian Jørgensen, John-Arvid Grytnes, and Sehoya Cotner.
- Kan integrering i fagmiljøet øke motivasjon hos studenter? R. Gya og M. V. Bjordal.
- bioCEED – Senter for fremragende utdanning i biologi
All articles submitted to the conference are available HERE.
Gender matters!
On March 27th, bioCEED’s student representatives at UiB Ragnhild Gya and Mari Vold Bjordal hosted together with Studentersamfunnet a meeting about unequal participation between genders in the lecture halls and in meetings. For this occasion, they had invited Sehoya Cotner and Cissy Ballen from the University of Minnesota, and Ole-Petter Moe Hansen from the Norwegian School of Economics in Bergen to present the interesting results from their gender studies related to higher education.
The meeting was video-recorded and is now available here:
Cissy Ballen – Postdoctoral Researcher
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These are my research interests:
My research centers on strategies to reduce attrition of historically underrepresented groups in STEM fields. I became interested in this topic as an undergraduate teaching assistant in zoology at the University of Minnesota. Sehoya Cotner and I co-wrote a paper published in the Journal of Science Teaching that demonstrated female students largely benefit, disproportionately from men, by having a female role model teaching their Biology class. While the research has broad applications, the results also rang true on a personal level. At the University of Minnesota I will continue my work on institutional biases and solution-oriented strategies to promote diversity in the sciences.
Anne-Laure Simonelli, Postdoctoral Researcher
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These are the projects I am working on:
PRIME – Work placements
Through the PRIME project (How implementation of PRactice can IMprove relevance and quality in discipline and professional Education), a recently implemented course gives BSc students in biology the opportunity to conduct an internship at different workplaces as part of the course curriculum. My role in this project is to investigate how the increased level of practical experience, which comes from these work placements, influences student learning. More specifically, I evaluate how these work placements affect the candidates’ transferable skills’ perception and acquisition of transferable skills by evaluating how work placement impacts student awareness of, among others, their responsibility, independence, time management, communication or collaboration. I also evaluate the effects that these work placements have on students’ future study choices and professional careers.
iSCOPE
iSCOPE (integrating Science of Oceans, Physics and Education) brings together four partners, University of Bergen (Norway), University of California at Berkeley (USA), Concordia University (Canada), and University College of Stord and Haugesund (Norway), to identify and evaluate (year 1), transfer and test (year 2) and iteratively test (year 3) excellent methods of educational intellectual stimulation in order to support and enhance University of Bergen and Norway’s leadership in teaching and research in marine biological sciences. The iSCOPE project builds on University of Bergen’s Center of Excellence in Biology Education (bioCEED) and the multi-award winning master course BIO300 Biology Bootcamp, as well as on UNESCO’s International Year of Light 20152 (IYL2015) project “Skylight – a Global Science Opera”. Within iSCOPE I will, together with other international experts in the field, evaluate innovative pedagogical practices in higher education with particular focus on art-based pedagogy, field work design experiments, practical experience and the societal relevance of student work.
bioCEED-survey
Together with researchers and colleagues at bioCEED, I participated in the development of a comprehensive national survey for students, teachers, administrative and technical staff and biologists in the workplace. This survey is the first of its kind and touches upon crucial themes for bioCEED, including teaching methods, learning in practice, and other general skills. I am co-author of a four-part report detailing the data and discussing further use. We plan to use the survey in a post-test in 2018.
Teach 2 Learn – Active learning creating video tutorials
Through the Teach 2 Learn project (Active learning creating video tutorials), BSc and MSc students in biology are given the opportunity alongside their coursework to produce a 4 min video tutorial in which they answer a question, in order to teach other students key scientific concepts (bioSKILLS). The Teach 2 Learn project contributes to the bioCEED digital platform with student-generated tutorials. To date, the video tutorials cover the following bioSKILLS: statistics (software R), lab material and techniques (e.g. microscopy, dissection), fisheries and marine biological methods (e.g. different fishing and sampling gears) and theoretical knowledge on different organisms.
These video tutorials are a resource for both teachers and students. Teachers use them as pedagogical tools during their courses while students can use these tutorials before or after having studied the course material, as an additional resource to better prepare themselves before entering laboratories. Moreover, the students producing these video tutorials reinforce their learning on that specific bioSKILL while acquiring several other transferable skills such as didactic method, communication, group work, independence, responsibility or creativity.
As coordinator of the project, I identify the different courses suitable for the project at the University of Bergen and at the University Center in Svalbard, UNIS. In close collaboration with the course instructors, I implement the Teach 2 Learn activities, support and supervise students, providing them with the necessary pedagogical guidance during the video production, and am responsible for the project’s evaluation and for dissemination of the results. I investigate how the digitalization of course material contribute to student learning at different levels.
Lucas M. Jeno, Postdoctoral Researcher
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These are the projects I am working on:
ArtsApp
ArtsApp was developed by bioCEED (UiB), The Norwegian Biodiversity Information Centre, and The Centre for Science Education (UiB). We have now conducted two studies assessing the effect of the app vs. the traditional textbook (Lids Flora) on motivation, competence and achievement. The results indicate that the app has a main effect increasing students´ motivation, competence and achievement, relative to the textbook, but also indirectly via motivation. The scientific investigation is a collaboration with researcher at bioCEED and the University of Rochester, USA.
bioCEED-survey
bioCEED conducted a baseline national survey of biology students. We aim to replicate this study in a four-year period. A sub-part of this survey is a study conducted with researchers at the department of Education where we assess students´ aspiration for studying, motivation, perception of teachers support and prospective achievement. The results indicate that students holding an intrinsic aspiration, as opposed to extrinsic aspiration, has higher achievement levels. Furthermore, students with intrinsic motivation, as opposed to extrinsic motivation, achieve at a higher level.
Team-Based Learning
A central goal of bioCEED is to change the teaching from a teacher-centred to a learner-centred education. In two quasi-experimental studies we have assessed the relative difference of students participating in traditional lectures vs attending team-based lectures. We hypothesize that students participating in team-based lectures will be more motivated and have higher perceived learning outcomes compared to students in traditional lectures.
Gender differences
In two studies, researchers at bioCEED and collaborators at The University of Minnesota, USA have investigate how gender differs on measures such as self-efficacy, intrinsic value, engagement, and science confidence. We find unique effects of gender differences and aim to investigate why this occurs. We know that there are more males with more confidence in STEM-fields even though females out-perform males.
Motivation and achievement – meta-analysis
By looking through the entire field of motivation and achievement, researchers at bioCEED, PRIME, and the University of Rochester, USA, investigate the effect of motivation on achievement and different moderators on this effects. We have found studies ranging from elementary school to college and from individualistic and collectivistic cultures.
Torstein N. Hole – PhD student
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These are the projects I am working on:
Work placements
Through the PRIME project, we have implemented a new work placement course for biology students. This course gives students access to different workplaces and rewards 10 ECTS. The students write blogs about their experiences in workplace. I am researching the content of the blogs to uncover how student write about knowing in work placements circumstances.
Engagement with biology practices in field excursions
One of the main practical parts of the biology education is field work, this is an arena for research and learning. I have conducted a organizational ethnographic study of field excursions across several weeks. I am currently writing up the results.
bioCEED-survey
We have developed a comprehensive survey battery for students, teachers, administrative and technical staff and biologists in the workplace. This survey is the first of its kind and touches upon crucial themes for bioCEED, for instance teaching methods, practice learning, and generic skills. The survey was later written into a four-part report. The survey will be used in a post-test in 2018.
Sammen for bedre læring
This is a collaboration between medicine, biology, teacher education, and music education led by Arild Raaheim. We have developed three distinct case studies and are investigating how students learn across these different instances of work placements. I am lead author in a joint paper to write up our findings.
Anne-Laure Simonelli – Postdoctoral Researcher
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These are the projects I am working on:
bioCEED lunch seminar UNIS- Sehoya Cotner talks about how Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) Turn ALL Students Into Scientists
Date: 20 March 2017
Time and place: 12.15-13.00 Kapp Lee, UNIS
The presentation will be streamed. To watch it click here.
Sehoya Cotner is Associate professor in Biology teaching and learning at the University of Minnesota and a Professor II in bioCEED. Currently she is mapping the teaching landscape at UIB and UNIS by using the method Classroom Observation Protocol for Undergraduate STEM (COPUS) applyed to video captured lectures to score behaviors consistently and objectively.
In this presentation, Sehoya will give an overview of the benefits of scientific research experiences during a student’s academic career, discuss CUREs as an efficient and effective mechanism for incorporating meaningful research into the curriculum, give examples, and end with suggestions. She suspects that UNIS is a model system for studying CUREs, and hopes to discuss what aspects of course-based research are associated with positive impacts overall.
NOKUT-frokost hos Universitetet i Bergen: Meritteringsordninger i utdanning
Tid: 8.00-9.30 (frokost serveres fra klokken 7.30)
Sted: Universitetets aula, Museplassen 3, Bergen
Et av de viktigste budskapene i Kvalitetsmeldingen er at utdanning og undervisning skal få høyere status ved universitetene og høyskolene. Merittering er et av forslagene som skal bidra til dette. Dette innebærer å belønne og la utdanningsoppgaver telle mer ved ansettelser og opprykk.
NOKUT har lenge vært positive til merittering, og flere institusjoner har allerede sett på systemer for å merittere og belønne de gode underviserne.
Vi ser nærmere på forslagene og spør:
Hvilke virkemidler tas i bruk i de ulike forslagene? Hva skal til for at dette skal fungere?
Hvilke styrker og svakheter har ordningene, og hva skal til for å få til en nasjonal ordning?
Til frokost kommer blant andre:
Ole-Jacob Skodvin, analysedirektør i NOKUT
Oddrun Samdal, viserektor for utdanning, Universitetet i Bergen (UiB)
Reidar Lyng, førsteamanuensis Universitetspedagogikk Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet (NTNU). Medlem i arbeidsgruppen som har lagt frem forslag til meritteringssystem ved NTNU og UiT.
Mathias Fischer, kommentator i Bergens Tidene og student ved UiB
Iver Bragelien, førsteamanuensis, Institutt for foretaksøkonomi, Norges Handelshøyskole. Ekspert på økonomisk styring, motivasjon og økonomiske insentiver.
Silje Mæland, førsteamanuensis, Institutt for ergo/fysio/radio, Høgskulen på Vestlandet
Frokosten blir strømmet på nettsidene til NOKUT.
Påmeldingsfrist: 24. mars
Student meeting – Gender matters!
bioCEED’s student representatives at UiB are hosting together with Studentersamfunnet a meeting about unequal participation between genders in the lecture halls and in meetings. For this occasion, we have invited Sehoya Cotner and Cissy Ballen from the University of Minnesota, and Ole-Petter Moe Hansen from the Norwegian School of Economics in Bergen to present the interesting results from their gender studies related to higher education.
Where: Auditorium “Egget”, the Student Centre – UiB, Bergen
When: March 27th, 16:15-18:00
bioCEED teaching seminars at UNIS
Roy Andersson and Anders Ahlberg from the Faculty of Engineering, Lund University in Sweden and in collaboration with bioCEED, are visiting UNIS in week 10. During their stay they will give 3 seminars on educational matters. Roy and Anders have worked with educational development and teaching for several years and are well known in their field. Don’t miss the chance to join in!
Monday, March 6th, 13:15–16:00 in Kapp Mitra: Teaching portfolio workshop For teaching staff (including post docs and PhD students). For more information click here.
Tuesday, March 7th, 12:15–13:00 in Lassegrotta: Brown bag lunch seminar, “PhD learning hurdles in STEM disciplines-mirrored by student talks and manuscripts”
In this lunch seminar for supervisors and doctoral students we´ll unpack and discuss what doctoral students’ early scientific talks and draft manuscripts may tell us about scientific thinking and science communication, and how generic skill development may be promoted. The seminar draws on observations during 15 years of extensive communication training at the Faculty of Engineering (LTH), Lund University (ca 120 PhD students in training per year).
The seminar will be streamed. Click here to watch the seminar.
Tuesday, March 7th, 13:15–16:00 in Kapp Schoultz: “How to become a better teacher”
For PhD students and post doc. For more information click here.
Til forsvar for dagens studenter!
Arild Raaheim has recently published the following article in På Høyden:
Du kan ikke si at dagens studenter ikke kan like mye som gårsdagens studenter, fordi de ikke kan de samme tingene som vi kunne, skriver professor Arild Raaheim.
Nokut har nylig lagt frem resultatene fra en spørreundersøkelse til vitenskapelige ansatte om utdanningskvalitet (Undervisersundersøkelsen 2016). Denne ble omtalt i februarnummeret av Forskerforum. Her ble det spesielt kommentert at «noe av det underviserne var mest misfornøyd med, var studentenes faglige forutsetninger» (s. 7)
Han er ein av 20 som kan bli «framifrå undervisar»
The following article has been published by På Høyden:
20 personar ønsker å bli vurdert for den nye premieringsordninga for god undervisning ved UiB. – Undervisning er eit handtverk som ein kan læra seg, seier ein av søkarane, professor Øyvind Fiksen.
I juni lyste UiB som første utdanningsinstitusjon i Noreg ut moglegheita for å søka på status som framifrå undervisar.
Merriteringsordninga er ei prøveordning for tilsette på Mat.Nat.-fakultetet. Tysdag gjekk fristen ut, og 20 UiB-tilsette ønsker å få undervisningskompetansen sin vurdert for den nye graden.
Det vi studenter trenger fra dere undervisere
bioCEED’s student representative Ragnhild Gya has just published the following article both in Khrono and on På Høyden:
I den siste tiden har undervisningskvaliteten på universiteter og høyskoler, og særlig meritteringsordninger for fremragende undervisere, blitt mye diskutert i media. Det har stort sett vært professorer, politikere og de som står bak disse ordningene som har uttalt seg om saken. Jeg tenkte det var på tide at vi studentene fikk en stemme i debatten.
Belønning og økt status kan gi bedre forelesere
Lucas Jeno, Arild Raaheim, Vigdis Vandvik and Oddfrid Førland have recently published this article in forskning.no:
På fredag la kunnskapsminister Torbjørn Røe Isaksen fram sin Kvalitetsmelding for høyere utdanning. Han forventer en betydelig innsats for å heve utdanningskvaliteten på landets universiteter og høyskoler. Blant mange varslede grep er innføringen av en meritteringsordning der de universitetsansatte kan søke om å få tildelt status som fremragende underviser.
Hvilke kriterier departementet ser for seg er ennå ikke kjent, men på Universitetet i Bergen er de i gang med en prøveordning der søkerne må dokumentere sin kompetanse og erfaring i henhold til fire hovedkriterier:
(i) fokus på studentenes læring
(ii) en klar utvikling over tid
(iii) en forskende holdning til egen undervisningspraksis
(iv) en kollegial holdning der undervisningsansvar, -erfaringer og -metoder skal deles med andre.
Gode og dårlige undervisere
Arild Raaheim has recently published the following article in Dagbladet:
Hobbelstad synes også å glemme det faktum at studentenes læringsutbytte i all hovedsak skyldes (mangel på) egen arbeidsinnsats.
Lund har gode erfaringer med å belønne de beste
Roy Andersson, Thomas Olsson and Torgny Roxå have recently published the following article in Khrono:
Helt naturligt är det just nu mycket fokus på stortingsmeldingen kring kvalitet i norsk högre utbildning. En av sakerna som diskuteras mycket är direktivet kring att höja undervisningens status genom att införa belöningssystem för god undervisning.
I artiklar både här i Khrono och andra medier diskuteras frågor och farhågor som Kan man belöna goda universitetslärare? Kan man göra det med högre lön? Bör man göra det? Vilka effekter kan det föra med sig? Hur ska man utvärdera ett sådant system? Dessutom finns det individuella röster som tycker man gör det på fel sätt på de ställen som redan kommit igång.
Vid Lunds universitets tekniska fakultet (LTH) har vi sedan 15 år erfarenhet av att belöna excellenta lärare. Nedan delar vi med oss lite av de erfarenheter vi gjort och visar fram evidens för att det faktiskt fungerar. Man kan belöna skickliga lärare och man kan göra det med högre lön!
New project: Numerical Competence and Student-Active Research
Olav Thon Foundation has granted NOK 1.4 million to bioCEED’s project “Numerical competence and student-active research”. The project will develop and extend the learning platform bioST@TS with quantitative methods and tools, and support student participation in research programs that train these numerical skills.
Biological research requires extensive use of statistical and quantitative methods, with which students traditionally have little experience. The project aims at developing learning methods and tools that train students in designing biological experiments, collecting data, and performing statistical analysis. Students will use these numerical methods, for instance to study bird migration and breeding ecology in Svalbard.
The Olav Thon Foundation published the following statement in its recent press release (in Norwegian):
«Dette er et svært spennende og innovativt utviklingsprosjekt innen biologiutdanningen, hvor man tar sikte på å utvikle og ta i bruk nye digitale hjelpemidler».
Translation: “This is a highly exciting and innovative project in the field of biology education where the aim is at developing and making use of new digital resources”.
This project is a bioCEED collaboration led by Sigrunn Eliassen (UiB), Jonathan Soulé (UiB) and Øystein Varpe (UNIS).
God undervisning kommer ikke fra hjertet
Arild Raaheim, Vigdis Vandvik, Oddfrid Førland and Lucas Jeno have recently published the following article in Studvest:
God undervisning kan ikke kjøpes», hevder professor Jan Petter Hansen i et intervju i Studvest. Dette er hans reaksjon på at Mat-Nat-fakultetet ved Universitetet i Bergen innfører en meritteringsordning for undervisning, der ansatte kan få lønnsøkning ved å søke om tittelen «fremragende underviser». Vårt motspørsmål blir da dette: Men det kan forskning? Vi har lang tradisjon innenfor universitetssystemet for å belønne den enkelte forsker for hans/hennes forskning. I forbindelse med professoropprykk, lønnsforhandlinger og når det kommer til forskningspriser. Hvorfor skulle det forholde seg annerledes når det gjelder undervisning? På samme måte som dyktige forskere springer frem fra og beriker forskningsmiljøet, vil gode undervisere springe ut av og berike læringsmiljøet.
Individuell belønning gir bedre undervisning
Eli Neshav Høie and Harald Walderhaug have recently published the following article both in Khrono and På Høyden:
I en artikkel i Khrono 17. januar med overskriften «AFI forsker advarer sterkt mot bruk av lønn som motivator» omtales ordningen for merittering av undervisning, som vi ved Det matematisk -naturvitenskapelige fakultet ved Universitetet i Bergen er først ute nasjonalt med å innføre. Vi ønsker å kommentere noe av det som har kommet frem i debatten, og samtidig rette opp noen misforståelser rundt vår implementering av- og motivasjon for ordningen.
– God undervisning kan ikke kjøpes
Studvest has recently published the following article:
Universitetet i Bergen (UiB) vil prøve en ny ordning hvor flinke forelesere kan få søke om tittelen «fremragende underviser» og få en lønnsøkning på opptil 50 000 kroner. Saken ble først omtalt av NRK.
Gir 50.000 mer i lønn til flinke undervisere
Øyvind Fiksen, Kjell Roymond Olsen and Oddrun Samdal were recently interviewed by NRK. Here is the article.