Excellent Learning Through Teaching Excellence

In this course we aim to address the issues that allow experienced teachers to become excellent teachers. In order to do that we will look into the principles of course design, syllabus design and course initiation, presentation and implementation. As well into the nonverbal aspects of excellent teaching, such as voice and speech. An essential aspect of excellent teaching is that teachers and students establish a highly fruitful working relationship.

In the course, we will build upon the principles of social psychology to establish a good working relationship. Having established this, the choice of work forms becomes relevant. We offer a range of interactive work forms that will allow for a rich learning environment. To find out whether a particular work form is suited for a particular topic and you as a teacher, we use so-called microteaching, which basically entails a role play of the class situation in where your colleagues play the student role.

To enhance excellent learning, we will extensively look into the principles and methods of feedback. First of all feedback from students to instructor. But we will also focus on principles and methods of providing students with feedback on their learning and their learning achievements. The role and contribution of teaching with technology to these ends will be paid attention to. As well as important skills for students such as information problem solving skills Finally, we will focus on how putting all this together in future course manuals that are maximally informative to both students and peer staff.

Throughout the seminar emphasis will be on interactive teaching and the centrality of flexibility. This means teaching without delivering monologues; bringing information in questions and answer forms; using student knowledge and seemingly irrelevant answers to deepen understanding; work in couples, small groups with a variety of assignments and present their results to the class; inspire students to help each other to understand course materials; engage discussions and debates; and enrich the course by encouraging them to bring in relevant materials, activities, speakers, and participants to the class.

In addition, in order for participants at the seminar to be able to have special areas of interests be addressed and/or exchanges in depth their own experiences and insights with one another, round tables will be organized on two of the seminar days and participants will be invited to bring in topics. Also an ‘open market’ will be organized where participants can present innovations from their own institutions.

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