This article is translated by UiOGPT
What teaching plan would you like to highlight for your colleagues at the faculty right now?
Right now, I am keen to create more arenas for student learning work outside of traditional teaching activities. Much study work is done outside lectures or seminars, and many sit alone. I am keen to create arenas for this study work that also promote a positive social learning environment.
Every spring, for the last few years, I have therefore greatly enjoyed arranging sessions with Shut up & Write for our students who are writing their bachelor's theses. Joining a structured writing day with others can be both motivating and a nice change from otherwise lonely writing work!
I am also currently excited about the implementation of a new mentoring scheme in one of our subjects which includes a form of skill training and early practice. Students have been expressing a wish for more learning activities in this subject - a subject that is both perceived as work-intensive and demanding.
We have now hired six skilled student assistants as mentors in colloquia groups! We believe the student assistants, who recently completed the subject themselves, can contribute with both useful experiences sharing, and in structuring and supporting student learning.
Who do you collaborate with?
For these two projects, the collaboration with our administration and management is essential. Here I have received a lot of support, both in terms of funds and administrative assistance to implement. In addition,
I would like to highlight the importance of being part of a larger teaching staff! Both in arenas such as our teaching breakfasts at the institute, in EILIN's learning contact network at the faculty where I am a member, but also by the coffee machine I meet colleagues, as well as students, who willingly share their experiences and ideas.
Which, do you think, are the three most important factors for achieving good teaching in the field?
It is difficult to just mention three things here, but I will try anyway with these:
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Time and recognition in a time account for the teaching work we do
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Cooperation with colleagues who also share your commitment to the subject
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Contact with students so that you open for feedback and enable adjustments in an appropriate direction.
If you were to give one piece of advice to new teachers at the Social Sciences faculty, what would it be?
Talk to and get to know your colleagues! And if I may be allowed to somewhat "misinterpret" the question, I would like to say that we all have a responsibility to integrate new teachers into our teaching culture and our staff. We should all participate in arenas for sharing teaching practice experiences.