Academic Teacher Training Course

Teaching arranged at Uppsala University should be of the highest possible quality and training provided for the University’s teaching staff becomes an important vehicle for achieving this educational objective.

According to the University´s programme “Teaching and learning at Uppsala University: Visions for educational activity and development”, as well as the employment statutes, professors, senior lecturers and lecturers are required to have 10 weeks formal training (or a demonstrable equivalent) in the field of academic teaching and learning. A basic training of at least five weeks is required for doctoral students with teaching duties.

The basis for the course is an academic teacher’s training needs, and an ambition to acquire knowledge and experiences regarding teaching approaches and teaching,/learning activities in higher education. The course focuses on teaching and learning in a broader context, oral presentation skills and communication, teaching duties and teaching practices in Sweden, and on working with a heterogeneous student body. The course is arranged in English.

Target Group

The course is intended for international and Swedish university teachers (including doctoral students with teaching duties) who are obliged to teach and/or tutor/supervise university students in Sweden. The number of participants per course is generally limited to 24.

Prerequisites

No specific prerequisites. Teaching experiences are of course advantageous.

Aims

The overall aim of the course is to enhance the quality of the education provided at Uppsala University. This is accomplished by furthering the development of the participants´ competences regarding planning, implementing and managing learning and teaching processes.

Course Goals

Based on best practice and a scholarly approach, you should be able to:

• justify your pedagogical positions and demonstrate a reflective approach to your own pedagogical practice and your own role as a teacher
• choose between different varieties of learning activities and learning spaces, based on knowledge and experience of what benefits students' learning, and be equipped to plan and implement teaching
• reflect on students' conditions and perspectives, as well as on the interaction with the students
• apply national and local regulations and guidelines and discuss the purposes and contexts of higher education
• discuss how perspectives such as sustainable development, internationalization, inclusion and norm-criticism can be integrated into teaching
• meet students in an inclusive way and inform about support and services available for students with special needs
• evaluate learning outcomes and reflect on the alignment between learning outcomes, teaching and learning activities, and assessment
• use formative and summative course evaluations to support student learning and for course development
• carry out and present an independent project work, grounded in didactic and/or higher education research, which contributes to the development of a scholarship of teaching and learning and one´s own pedagogical practice

Content

The course comprises specific content components, including for example:

• Teaching and learning in higher education; theory and practice
• Planning, delivery and evaluation of teaching/learning activities
• Examination/assessment, grading and classroom assessment/feedback
• Teacher—student interaction and inclusive teaching
• The regulatory framework of Swedish university education
• Practical teacher training by means of video-recording
• Project work

Extent

The course corresponds to the equivalent of 5 weeks full-time work (9 days of on-campus scheduled sessions, 16 study days dedicated for individual and group work). The course is in practice spread over a period of roughly 11 weeks from pre-course preparations to conclusion.

The scheduled days of teaching on-campus (see calendar) are divided into four blocks (3 + 2 + 2 + 2 days) when we meet on-campus or online. There is ample time between sessions for preparations and to complete the various course tasks. The scheduled sessions usually begin at 09.00 (sharp) and close no later than 16.30.

The course starts with some preparation assignments that must be finalized before the first session day. You will complete several assignments/tasks during the course, both individually and in groups, as well as a project work that runs throughout the whole course period and is presented on the final session day.

Work-time requirements for the various assignments, in the periods between formal sessions, are estimated to be:
Preparation before start-of-course: 2 working days
Between session day 3 and 4: 3.5 working days
Between session day 5 and 6: 3.5 working days
Between session day 7 and 8: 6 working days

There is one additional day, generally outside the course schedule, which is required for completing the Mentored teaching-assignment.

Make sure you can set aside time for the course (25 working days in total) during the scheduled course period and allocate time for it in your calendar well in advance!

Preparations

You are required to complete specific preparation assignment before the first formal course session. This includes reading select parts of the course literature according to instructions, and recording and uploading a brief introduction of yourself to the course website.

Course requirements

In order to finalize the course and receive the certificate of completion you are obliged to participate actively in all scheduled sessions. You must also complete all course assignments and present your pedagogical project at the final presentation conference.

Attendance during scheduled sessions is mandatory. Absence may only be permitted on single occasions, and a total of 1.5 days at the most. This does not include the first session day, where participation is always mandatory. You will be required to complete a catch-up assignment for any missed session. Note that some sessions cannot be replaced with a catch-up assignment; absence from these will require that you return to a later course in order to complete.

Registration

The number of participants admitted to a specific course is limited to 24.
NOTE! You must provide all the information requested in the application form for the application to be considered.

Course dates

For information about course dates, see Calendar.
The course will generally be arranged at Campus Blåsenhus. Classroom and the names of the facilitators will be announced in the notification.

Financial conditions

The course is free of charge for staff members affiliated with Uppsala University.

More information

Division for Quality Enhancement

Course administrator:
Cim Frode, 018-471 17 65, cim.frode@uu.se

Cim can help you with administrative questions regarding admissions, waiting lists, course certificates, the textbook etc.

Course coordinators:
Helena Lindqvist, 018-471 54 94, helena.lindqvist@uu.se
Inger Olausson, 018-471 15 96, inger.olausson@uu.se

The coordinators can help you with questions regarding the structure and content of the course, validation of corresponding courses etc.

If you have questions regarding an unfinished course/remaining tasks, primarily contact the person who was course director when you attended the course, secondarily Cim Frode.

The following applies for all courses given by the Unit for Academic Teaching and Learning: If a course participant is unable to complete a course within the given time frame, all elements / assignments must be completed within three years from the start of the course in order to receive a passing grade / certificate of completion. The prerequisite for this is that course information and course objectives are the same.