The Spring semester is nearing its end, a semester that was very different than anyone could imagine. What remains is the exam, which is also very different than most of us are used to. We hear, however, from several directions that the exams are successfully carried out, with good attendance, good performance and minor technical problems. This is a testament to the fact that both teachers, students, the administration and technical staff have managed to adapt to radically changed conditions in a very short time.
Many who are now in the midst of planning for the fall semester, both the start of studies and the teaching. The corona situation makes planning uncertain, but we can say one thing for sure: There will be opportunities teaching in groups that meet physically, which is essential to safeguard the learning environment and motivation for both students and staff. At the same time, we will have to take care of infection control and there will be virtual elements both during the welcome week and in the teaching. The balance between the physical and the digital must be flexible so that we can meet changed infection control measures.
A key element of teaching and learning is academic discussions in small groups, which for most people requires a safe, social framework. At the MN Faculty, the start of the semester with buddy groups and programme seminars has long been aimed at facilitating this. We want to maintain this ambition even if the framework has been changed. Through conversations with students and teachers, we have concluded that a key element at during the start of the semester is to establish regular small groups of students. These groups may then be the starting point for teaching throughout the semester. At the moment, both the Faculty and the departments are working intensively on planning their practical implementation of this, with good support from our Centre for Teaching and Learning in Science (KURT) and our Centre for Excellence in Education, Center for Computing in Science Education (CCSE).
In the situation we are in, it is more evident than ever that education is a giant collaborative project. It is equally clear that we have a very large number of talented staff contributing to this collaboration; including group teachers, students, study administration and other administration, and technical staff.
Thank you for your contribution to this joint effort!