Spheres of Influence: Ventures and Visions in Educational Development*

3-6 July, 2002
The University of Western Australia
Perth, Western Australia

Abstract

Curriculum development of teaching and learning process competencies

Anette Kolmos, Aalborg University, Denmark
Lise Busk Kofoed, Aalborg University, Denmark

In this paper, an analysis of the development of the course, "Co-operation, Learning, and Project Management", for Freshmen in the Department of Engineering and Science at Aalborg University will be presented. The objective of this course is to facilitate the student's learning of process competencies in connection to a PBL approach. The course contains theories and methods within the areas of co-operation, learning and project planning and supports the students' work with a process analyses prepared in conjunction with their project reports. The objective of the process analysis is for the students to develop awareness of the work-and-learning processes in order to become better project workers. Completion of the process analysis, which involves the student documenting his/her reflections of the project process, has been a requirement in the Basic Study Program since 1982.

Both the courses and the process analysis have undergone major changes throughout time and this development has occurred in three phases: instruction; theory and on-reflection; experiments and portfolio. Without doubt the quality of the students' process analysis are improved increasingly along with the development of the course. In this paper we will analyse the development of the course and explain the theoretical ideas embedded in the third phase in order to discuss the conditions for development. We find four conclusive conditions for this development: 1) students have already experiences with project work and group processes, 2) teachers involved in these courses have qualification in both the subject area and in learning process competencies, 3) project supervisors' support to create a reflective culture 4) and there is a team researching and developing this area. This development of methods can not only be used in this specific context area, but can also be used in staff development courses which actually is the case at Centre for University Teaching and Learning, Aalborg University.

Key words:
Development of process competencies, Reflection and experiments

Objectives, outcomes and activities:
to get ideas for training process competencies by experimentation and reflection

Anette Kolmos, PhD, is Associate Professor at Aalborg University and recently withdrew from being Head for The Centre for University Teaching and Learning to go more into research. Her major research focuses are PBL and project work within engineering education and the development of transferable skills. Dr. Kolmos has been actively involved in staff development as well as many change processes in higher education and has published articles and books on this topic.

Lise Busk Kofoed, PhD, is Associate Professor at Aalborg University and head of Department for Architecture & Design. Her major research area is developing of learning processes to support technological and organizational changes. The PBL approach and focus on transferable skills are used as basis for the work place learning. Special focus on management of changes and employee participation. Lise Busk Kofoed has worked with developing "the Aalborg model" especially within education and training of teachers, and the challenge concerning qualifying the area "projectwork".

Contact: Anette Kolmos, email: ak@I4.auc.dk