ROSKILDE UNIVERSITY’ MODEL OF EDUCATION

UBT Learning Workshop

RUCs history and core values

Roskilde University opened its doors to students, 723 of them, on 1 September 1972.

The founders of the University wanted a different approach to education and science than what was already being practiced at Denmark's three other, traditional universities at the time. (In 2014 we have 7 universities).

Back in 1972 the 68’ generation formed the ideas of the university. A lot of old fashion ideas was challenged:

New values

Hierarchy between professors and students: The new generation want mutual equality and respect. This was the end of submissive students.

Relevance of learning: The new generation want learning to be relevant to societal problems and to be critical to societal power relation and existing problems.

They want the university to contribute to a societal development based on welfare, social mobility, social ethic etc.

Learning should be “Real learning” instead of just reproduction of professors “wisdom”.

Thus RUC's first year was characterized by a completely new educational concept that included elements such as basic studies programs, interdisciplinary, problem orientation and group project work.

Back in 1972, these educational ideas were both unorthodox and controversial.

To sum up: Roskilde University broke down traditional concepts of learning and build up a new model.

The traditional universities in Denmark have now adopted much of the original RU concept themselves, not least the concept of group project work, which is today a recognized academic method.

Core values of today (education)

Interdisciplinary  Project work as main study method  Problem oriented and it is up to students - not the professors - to formulate the problem you

like to study  Societal relevance of your studies  Learning as a knowledge productive activity (not-reproduction activity)  As a student you are not a costumer but a co-producer of knowledge and learning   Be critical to all kind of knowledge and ask if it could look different from another

perspective  Be constructive and suggest better ways of understanding and doing 

Short discussion

Your core values of education?

RUCs learning theory   

RUCs learning theory

A. Triangle of learning: The Teachers learn the most. Why?

Reflexing & discussion: Implication for education

 Stand-alone lectures have very low impact if

you measure outcome after some month. Lectures combined with other learning activities support learning.

 The more you invite students to participate

the more they learn. 

Levels of engagement influence learning

   

Level of engagement

The more students are involved in relevant subjects of learning the more they are engaged.

University culture is very determined for the level of engagement.

 Implication for education: The more you invite the

students to take ownership to their learning process, the more you should pay attention to involve students in the learning situation.

 

Understanding learning

Types of studies and cognitive effects

Studies: “ Describe two models of management”. Studying already (by others) produced knowledge.

Project: Formulated by students themselves: “ Analyze pros and cons of two models of management based on theory and your own empirical observations of a concrete firm”.

Teaching: The teacher informs students of management models.

Assignments: Formulated by teacher: “ Define the appropriate management style for a communication bureau”.

Implication for education: The more you want the students to increase ability to develop academic skills to frame, analyses and solve problems the more education must be based on problem oriented methods.

Important principles at RU

The learning triangle up side down: The more students are participating the better effect

Cross disciplinarity: We believe that “ a case” or “a problem” is to be understood from more than one perspective. Because things in real world are not divided into academic boxes. We put forward the strength of understanding from mutual perspectives.

Praxis oriented: To study problems in context

RUCs model of education

  The princip: Combining subjects across academic boundaries

We have four basic bachelors: Natural science, humanities, social science and human-technology science. All both in a Danish and an international version.

  We have 40 subjects , e.g:

Business studies, performance design, It, communication, geography, biology, mathematic, technology studies, environment studies, European studies, development studies, politic and economy etc.

   

Bachelor

As a student you have to choose a bachelor. Lets say social science. The first year is broad introduction to social science: politics, economy and sociology.

The next year is advanced social science plus method, statistic, philosophy of science, project technic etc. and subject of interest depending on what candidate (master) you like to study earlier on.

Third year you concentrate on introduction to subject relevant for your candidate (master). Gradually you become more certain of your interest by trying more subjects

Master Level (in danish: Candidate)

At the candidate (master) level of two years you can study two separate subjects.

  Business and psychology: Then you candidate to jobs like human

resource managers, consultants etc.   It and technology studies: You candidate e.g. in digitalization,

rationalization processes and user driven innovation.   Performance design and city- sociology: You candidate e.g. to

planning of cities, new ways of saving energy and to make traffic systems in cities smarter.

  It is very much up to the candidate to describe his or her own, unique

profile. Some times a problem for employers to understand.

Organizing of studies

 Bachelor students are organized in “houses”,

around 100 students each house.

A house is a building with several rooms of different size: A lot of rooms reserved to group work, and a kitchen, a secretary, and rooms for social activities.

The students “own” the house, it is up to them to maintain the house socially.

“The house”

5-6 teachers are responsible for teaching and having contact to the students.

  They hold a lot of meetings concerning social and study subject,

organizing parties, organizing group formation, dialog with teachers of the quality of education etc.

  “The house” is an organizing unit and very important to increase

engagement and motivation. It is an important unit to build up “bildung” or social formation into skilled and competent academic participation.

 Students plays an important role. They have membership in all kind of board; academic councils, the board of the university, study counsels etc.

A culture of democracy and low power distance is visible and dynamic.

 

Study methods: Project work and courses

  Project work: 50% of the study (15 ECTS per semester) . Each semester.   Start up by format project groups. Based on interest, practicalities and social relations.

2-5 persons. Teambuilding activities important.

  Next step for the single group is to open up the field by studying: reading, interviewing,

thinking, analyzing. They start op with an idea and during the process they qualify the idea and research question. Often several times, as knowledge improve.

  A project (social science) contains: Problem formulation, research methods, philosophy

of science, research design, theory in use, empirical data generated by the group themselves, an analysis and a conclusion.

  A supervisor discusses, advise and evaluate the group’s progress and adjust them to

scientific standards during the process.

Beside knowledge in the project subject they learn a lot of:

Doing project management Cooperation Tolerance Conflict management Leading and facilitation meeting activities Planning Creative and innovative thinking Giving feedback to others Being critical and constructive in attitude to

knowledge, social relations and work.  

Classroom teaching

Cources, workshop and seminars: 50% (15 ECTS per semester)

Courses / classes concerning subject relevant in-depth knowledge

Often individual, written papers, essays or the like. Often student’s presentations and student feedback.

E.g. I hold a seminar on advanced project management. 4 x 4 lessons concerning theoretical stuff and models and empirical examples. Then the students write a paper of a problem relevant to subject: advanced project management. Then they present first draft a getting feedback from me and from other students. At last, they present final paper for the class and get feedback. The read about 500 pages / journal articles, book chapters etc. They fail if they only repeat and referee from articles. The pass if they in an independent way use knowledge from article to discuss a problem after their own choice.

 

Examination

Projects are subject to group examination by supervisor end external censor

Oral defend based an a written project rapport

Courses etc. are subject to individual examination, oral or written.

Curriculum Futura

Writing up a Curriculum Futura is a method to make students imagine their professional future

They discover what they really want and this encourage students to adjust effort and choices during their study

Project work in use

Two teams

Define an idea the team want to realize at the university

Brainstorm: Get ideas Evaluate ideas Select idea Present idea at a poster

The nature of project work

To develop and qualify the idea (or goal)To explore possibilities through creative

methodsTo make the idea (goal) realistic and

operationalDevelop certainty about the idea: What is the

essence of the idea (goal)? Develop agreement among actors

conlan.sean@gmail.com

Far from Agreement

Close to Agreement

Close to Certainty Far from Certainty

Rational decision making & planning

1

2Negotiate, consensus

3 Vision: What do we really want to achieve?

4 Disintegration & anarchy or massive avoidance

5Brainstorming

Intuition

Muddling through to new ways of operating

Un-programmable decision-making – outcomes rather than solutions

High energy, creativity, innovation

Zone of visions

Let participants uninterrupted voice a vision for the project

Find “the dream”, the best solution, realism doesn’t matter

Get inspired!

Zone of creativity

Discuss several ideas and methods to reach your visions / goals

Try 2-3 ways to reach the vision (goal)Be innovative: Make your idea realistic

Zone of negotiation

Put 2-3 alternatives into discussionTake a discussion aiming to find a consensusMake a decisionMake sure all the participants is feeling “ok”

about decision/ consensusIf not, continue the negotiationIf still not, go to zone of creativity

Zone of rationality

Make your goal realistic and operationalSMART Goal hierarchyWBSPLAN

Check your goal

SMART GoalsS specificM measurableA achievableR realisticT time-related

Goal Hierarcy

Goal, primaryGoal, secondary Success criteriaWork packets : Main task to do to reach the

goals

Work Breakdown Structure

Breakdown your work packets into detailed actions to take

Risk: List three most important risk that can harm or hinder your project and consider a “plan B” .

Project plan

A milestone plan for carring out your work packet

Including economy, time and responsible persons.

End of workshop: Learning point