Analyzing and evaluating checklist for inclusive learning environment

During last spring (2014) and this autumn our project team members have piloted the checklist for inclusive learning environment mostly with our teacher students and the students of special needs educator programme. As the project is slowly coming to its end, it is important to evaluate the received infromation and feedback we have got from the use of this list.

The evaluation and deeper analysis will be made in collaboration with DIP -project team but we also use an external service provider for this analysis. The idea is to make a customer / user survey about the usability of this list. The first feedback from the checlist have been ecouraging and it is said to be useful in many different ways. As the evaluation and analysis proceeds, we will share some thoughts about it in this blog.

Meanwhile, please check the blog Participatory Learning and Teaching and get yourselves introduced with the international online module!

Last - but not least - activities

The project's acting time is shortly coming to its end, as the project ends 31.12.2014. The rest of the project's working time is going to be spent on analysing the processes, making final conclusions and  disseminating and embedding the results. The effort is put to 1) disseminating, piloting and developing the checklist for inclusive learning environment, 2) developing, piloting and analysing the rerults from the international online learning module "Participatory Learning and Teaching" 3) improving the understanding of different aspects of student experience in higher education by continuing collaboration with partner universities and 4) summarizing the model of organizing benchmarking workshops in educational institutes as international collaboration. A lot of interesting work for the last four months!

The online learning module Participatory Learning and Teaching will start soon and some information from the participants will be published in blog. Another current topic for this autumn is the continuation of collaboration around the theme student experience. Ideas, practices and information is shared between partner universities by both face-to-face and online meetings.


At this point I have to say that although the project and this process has been interesting and rewarding from the very beginning, I never could have imagined all the great things and especially the wonderful people I have met and experienced during this project. When reflecting the results realized in the project so far, I think we can be satisfied: the appointed goals are fulfilled.

Participatory Learning and Teaching 2 ECTS (online course)

DIP -project offers a pedagogical e-learning course "Participatory Learning and Teaching" for teachers and other pedagogical staff of Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Tampere University of Technology and Tampere University of Applied Sciences. This course is also aimed for the teacher students in TAMK School of Vocational Teacher Education.

About the course:

Participatory Learning and Teaching  

Why?

Participating this course will develop your competence in understanding the new kind of learning and teaching by using participatory pedagogy in online environments.  By taking part in this course you have the ability to study in online environment as part of an international group, participate in discussions and activities by using participatory teaching and learning methods as well as educational technology.

What?

Participatory Learning and Teaching course is a pedagogical education module of 2 ECTS aimed for pre-service and in-service teaching personnel who are subject matter experts. Previous pedagogical studies are not required. The course is divided into two parts: "The basis of participatory learning and teaching" and "Participatory learning: practices, cases and visions". The duration of the course is 29.9. - 21.11.2014. 

Why participatory learning and teaching?

Participatory pedagogy is an extensive pedagogical approach which combines different pedagogical strategies. It enables the use of different types of activating, exploratory, problem and phenomena based pedagogical models and methods. It is not in itself an individual method. 

How?

The course is designed to be completed alongside work. The pedagogical approach is based on individual, group and networking methods. The participants are required to contribute to the discussions and group activities during the course. The learning environment is a combination of structured learning platform (Moodle) and open social media environments such as blogs and Google Tools. The assessment is an ongoing process and based on the activity and implementation of the theory and practice. 

Learning outcomes

By taking part in the course participants will

• understand the meaning of participatory learning and teaching
• be able to make aims and goals for developing their own teaching and learning methods
• learn ways to support the students’ participation and human agency
• recognize the importance and use of peer groups 

Who can participate?

This course is aimed for pre-service and in-service teachers who are subject matter experts. Previous pedagogical education is not required. This course is aimed for teachers and other faculty staff members in Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME) and MeLLearn (MELLearN Hungarian Higher Education LL Network), Tampere University of Applied Sciences (TAMK) and Tampere University of Technology (TUT) as well as for teacher students in TAMK School of Vocational Teacher Education. In order to participate the course please contact Ms Maija Joensuu (maija.joensuu(at)tamk.fi) by 15th September 2014 the latest. Participatory Learning and Teaching course is free of charge. This course will be realized totally in online learning environments, so participants should have the ability to study in virtual environments. Please note that the language of the course is English. 

For Additional information please contact

Maija Joensuu, project coordinator, TAMK, School of Vocational Teacher Education, maija.joensuu(at)tamk.fi, tel. +35850 464 4777 

Teachers and course administrators

Mr Pekka Kalli, principal lecturer at TAMK, School of Vocational Teacher Education, pekka.kalli(at)tamk.fi

Ms Anikó Kalman, Deputy Head of Department, associate professor at Budapest University of Technology and Economics, kalman.a(at)eik.bme.hu

Ms Sisko Mällinen, principal lecturer at TAMK, School of Vocational Teacher Education, Sisko.mallinen(at)tamk.fi

Ms Maija Joensuu, project coordinator at TAMK, School of Vocational Teacher Education, maija.joensuu(at)tamk.fi

Individual Learning Paths - closing seminar: Lively discussion and new contacts

The project's closing seminar was held today and I would like to thank all the people involved today: speakers, project partners nationally and internationally, all other international guests as well as participants from Finland. We heard about some current topics from different angles and got to interact with a multiprofessional and multucultural group of participants. So thank you! Hopefully this day activated our thoughts in many important pedagogical and educational issues and gave some international perspective to these things. Inclusivity and inclusive practices, individual learning paths and student experience are all important aspects to consider in every schooling level and in all countries and although different countries have made different kind of actions developing these, they won't ever be "completed", so the continuing development is needed. Luckily we are going to put some effort in developing these questions in our University as well as our partner schools during and after DIP -project, so the work continues.

Here are some photos from the seminar :)

Active working time

Although I haven't written to DIP blog for a while, we have been working actively with our project during the last few months. The next "visible" event is the closing seminar on 8th May. The program of the day can bee seen here. The theme of the day is Individual Learning Paths - Student Experience and Participatory Pedagogy. We will hear about individual learning paths at different educational levels, as Mirkka Nieminen-Hirvelä will inform participants about vocational upper secondary level and from the viewpoint of a non-profit coaching organization and Hanna Ilola presents the theme from the viewpoint of universities (of applied sciences). The key note presentation will be given by Sarah Wilson-Medhurst with the theme Student experience. In the afternoon Sarah continues by leading a workshop on activity-led learning. These themes are certainly very topical at the moment in Finland and other European countries as well. At the same time, our School of Vocational Teacher Education is hosting an international week, and DIP seminar will have some international guests from different European countries. I'm hoping we will have some interesting discussions!

Photos: Maija Joensuu

The planned e-learning course, Participatry e-Learning, is now getting its shape and contents. Before our international week begins, we will have our own workshop for this courses planning and preparation with our partners from Budapest and our local network (Tampere University of Technology). Participatory e-Learning course is a pedagogical education module of 2 ECTS aimed for pre-service and in-service teaching faculty who are subject matter experts. Previous pedagogical studies are not required. The course is divided in two parts: 2The basis of participatory pedagogy and learning" and "Participatory e-learning in practice: cases and visions". The duration of the course is 29.9. - 21.11.2014 . This course is aimed for teachers and other faculty staff in Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Tampere University of Applied Sciences (TAMK) and Tampere University of Technology as well as for teacher students in TAMK School of Vocational Teacher Education. More information about the registgration etc will be published later. Participatory e-Learning is also a topical theme at this time and for example "gamefication" will be dealt during this course at least to some extent. Stay tuned for more information...!

Project's closing seminar 8th May 2014, Welcome!

Disseminating Inclusive Practices -project actors in Tampere UAS, School of Vocational Teacher Education, are happy to invite all project partners, other stakeholders and others interested in pedagogical developmental issues to join our closing seminar. The closing seminar is organized 8th May 2014 and the theme for the seminar is " Individual Learning Paths - Student Experience and Participatory Pedagogy". The seminar takes place in TAMK (Kuntokatu 3, 33520 Tampere) at Y-kampus (room C1-22, "backstage"). The program consists of key note presentations and parallel afternoon activities (visits to different educational institutions or a workshop), detailed program can be seen here. Registration is needed and it sould be made 25th April the latest. We are happy to have our project partner, Coventry University in the spotlight in this seminar: Ms Sarah Wilson-Medhurst is giving a key note presentation about Student experience and preparing a workshop for the afternoon. Hoping to see you in May!

Coming up: Nera Congress, closing seminar and e-learning course

The year 2014 has started very busy with Disseminating Inclusive Practices project. Although the project is now operating its last year, the themes and planned actions seem to get more and more interesting. At least I'm quite excited!

The checklist for inclusive learning environments (created in DIP -project) is presented in Nera congress 5th - 7th March, in Lillehammer, Norway. DIP -project actors have a poster session here. The theme of the congress, Education for sustainable development, sounds interesting and hopefully we will get new insights and thoughts for the rest of our project's active working time. The congress is a yearly meeting-place for educational researchers of all kinds of special interests in the Nordic countries.

DIP -project's closing seminar is held 8th May in Tampere and it is part of Tampere UAS, School of Vocational Teacher Education's international week (6th - 10th May). Closing seminar will include key note presentations, visits to different educational institutes and a workshop. More information and the program for the seminar will be published later.

Collaboration between Tampere University of Applied Sciences, Tampere University of Technology and Budapest University of Technology and Economics has led to an idea to create an e-learning course with the theme "Participatory e-learning". This course will be created, planned and implemented in collaboration with all universities mentioned above and the participants will be representing the same institutes. The planning and organizing will take place this spring and the course will be held in autumn 2014. More information about this will be given later.

Coventry 28.-30.1.2014

The third and final workshop in DIP -project took place two weeks ago. The feeling I had after the workshop was enthousiastic and inspired. We had some interesting covnersations and we got to know each other's universities more.

Photo: Our lovely host Christine Broughan in action.

The themes for the first workshop day were student well-being, model for pedagogical development, values and pedagogics, evaluation and feedback as well as the proncipals for activity-led learning.It was interesting to hear and discuss about the term "community of learners" that is been used in Coventry University: this community includes both the students and the staff members. It was also interesting to learn about the pedagogical development that has been and is still done in Coventry University. 

Ian Dunn, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Student Experience)

 Tracy Cullis, Director of Student Services

Liisa Marttila, TAMK and Gurnam Singh, Principal Lecturer

Our Finnish delegation had the opportunity to discover the principals behind activity-led learning. We also met with students from Coventry University, who told some experiences about studying in Coventry University and by using activity-led learning. These students were also very active in different kinds of student support roles, as they worked as student advocates and proctors. Activity-led learning has among other things increased the inclusivity and engagement in studies.

We were challenged to do a "spaghetti and marshmellow" competition when we were introduced to activity-led learning. In the picture below you can see the winning team and their result. Congratulations Päivi Karttunen and Katja-Maria Miettunen!

The second workshop day was spent with the personnel from the Centr for Academic Writing (CAW). The support and activities that CAW provide both for Coventry University students and staff sounded really interesting and important.

Lisa Ganobcsik-Williams, Head of CAW, presenting the actions and principals of CAW unit. In the afternoon we had the oppertunity to participate in one of Coventry University's staff development course held by Jude Carrol with the theme: Teaching culturally diverse groups: emphasis on group work. This workshop day truly gave us something to think about in terms of our university's own practices in these fields. We also had time to see the physical learning environments around the university (photos below).

On the last day we discussed about multidiscliplinery study programmes and courses ("Hollie" was introduced to us), curriculum development, teachers' pedagogical development, peer tutoring (for both teachers and students) and evaluation. Some videomaterial from the last  day of the workshop will be published in the blog later.

Photo: Farewell dinner

Getting ready for workshop in Coventry!

The final adjustments for the workshop are now under development, and the program can be published soon. The themes for this workshop are: 

• continuing education for staff - inclusivity, peer tutoring
• group work - inclusivity, diversity of learners
• curriculum development, teacher identity
• leveling and assessment - values and pedagogy
• peer tutoring - inclusive staff, academic advisors

The questions that TAMK and Tampere University participants are interested are:

Continuing education for staff –  inclusivity, peer tutoring

1.   How to get staff motivated in developing their (pedagogical) competence and their own work? Are people ready to change their work and working methods, and how to support the motivation for change?

2.   How does the university support implementing new working methods and creating new teaching cultures (for example salary, technical systems or arrangements etc.)?

3.   Is there an obligatory pedagogical course or studies in Coventry University that new university teachers should participate and if there is, what does this contain and how is it organized? (organized by Coventry University)

4.    University teachers’ pedagogical competence: does Coventry University require pedagogical studies from the university teachers?

Group work – inclusivity, diversity of learners

5.    What kind of operations and practices has Coventry University created to be able to operate in such a multicultural and inclusive environment, including both students and staff?

Curriculum development (and continuing education), teacher identity

6.    How does the curriculum define the work of university teachers?

7.    Describe the background and implementing the process of curriculum work in Coventry University in general?

8.    How do you define participatory pedagogy and does Coventry University support this (and if it does, in what ways)?

Leveling and assessment – values and pedagogy

9.    coming up later...

Peer tutoring – inclusive staff, academic advisors

10.  What kind of peer tutoring practices and models for teachers do you have in Coventry University?