AU Educational Development Network (UPNet) is responsible for the Teacher training programme for assistant professors and postdocs at Aarhus University and has been in charge of the programme for several years.
The programme is aimed at assistant professors and those postdocs who have teaching activities at AU.
The aim of the programme is to contribute to the professionalization and quality of university teaching through the development of the participants’ practical teaching skills and by fostering a scholarly approach to teaching.
The aim will be achieved when participants are able to
The programme is organized with the purpose of supporting the teaching activities in which participants are already involved by, for example, supporting the planning of teaching and implementation of teaching experiments as well as the preparation of (digital) teaching material.
Finally, it is a central part of the programme, that participants write contributions to their own learning portfolios. The learning portfolios may be considered the starting point for the development of participants’ own teaching portfolios, which they must develop in order to apply for a position as associate professor at AU. AU´s rules for teaching portfolios can be found here.
The programme is considered the basis of the mandatory supervision process, which forms part of the pedagogical training of assistant professors at Aarhus University.
AU`s rules and practice concerning the teacher training programme for assistant professors and postdocs
The programme consists of four modules:
Module 1: Introduction to teaching and learning in research-based education
Module 1 is a 3-day residential course at Sandbjerg Gods
The module focuses on
The total workload is estimated at 50 hours. The module will be held in a blended learning format. The estimated preparation is approximately 25-30 hours ahead of the residential course days at Sandbjerg Gods.
Module 2: Educational IT – The use of educational technology
The module is held at each of the four faculties, and the content is designed so that it fits the different educational IT strategies at the faculties.
The module focuses on the implementation of
The total preparation and workload for this module is estimated at 25 hours. The module is held as a blended learning module at ARTS, BSS and HEALTH and as a distance learning module at ST.
Module 3: (Re-)designing course
Participants must choose one of the following tracks: Lecturing, Small Class Teaching, or Supervision.
All tracks have the following format:
The track on lecturing focuses on e.g.:
The track on small class teaching focuses on e.g.:
The track on supervision focuses among on e.g.:
The total workload for one of the tracks in this module is estimated at approximately 45 hours: 20 hours for preparation and participation in the course days and approximately 25 hours for formulation and testing of participants’ own project.
Module 4: Final workshop on teaching portfolio, knowledge sharing, and the teaching practice at the four faculties
The content of this module differs slightly from one faculty to the other. However, it goes for all the faculties that participants will have the opportunity to present their experiences and insights, and the outcomes of the teacher training programme for a group of supervisors and colleagues.
On the final course day, focus will be on:
The total preparation and workload of module 4 is estimated at 30 hours.
The modules must be completed in one semester.
Overview of the structure of the course.