Newsletter August 2022
SDU Centre for Teaching and Learning (SDUUP) is SDU’s unit for pedagogical staff development. The main aim of SDUUP is to contribute to the improvement of quality of teaching and learning at SDU. We do so by offering a great variety of task solutions: We become involved in activities from the development of strategies to their dissemination; activities for large groups of teachers down to individual teachers; and activities ranging from exam forms to e-learning, innovation to internationalization, portfolio to peer feedback.
SDUUP is involved in meaningful staff development, close to practice, of teachers, Heads of study and other staff with teaching obligations. Thus, the turning point of our activities is the practice and challenges met in practice by teachers and Heads of study. The teachers and Heads of study are seen as the specialists in their own teaching activity, whereas the SDUUP consultants are specialized in assisting in the development of these teaching activities.
SDUUP gives information and advice to the SDU Executive Board and Council for Education and contributes with strategy proposals within relevant fields, such as competence development of teachers and Heads of study, increase in quality of teaching and programmes, the application of new teaching methods and learning technologies, and possibilities and barriers in relation to the institutional implementation of these methods and technologies.
SDUUP’s activities are research and evidence based in both content and format. Our activities are based on the most recent research and methods withing university teaching and learning, including e-learning pedagogy, and we continuously develop and assure the quality of our activities, so that they reflect the most recent knowledge on workplace and adult learning. Sharing of knowledge is an important element in our work: reflection and documentation gives to us and others the possibility of competence development. Therefore, SDUUP contributes to the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) for ourselves and others by making teaching and development practices visible in many different forms, both internally at SDU and externally. In relation to the collection of knowledge and experiences on SDU, our collaboration with the five faculties, with SDU’s Library and SDU-IT as well as other relevant units, plays a major role.
The SDUUP work manifests itself through 5 areas of focus. Within each area of focus we are involved in activities aiming at support, development as well as innovation:
- Strategic development and collaboration
For instance, participation in international collaboration, such as YERUN and EPICUR, implementation of SDU’s strategi for competence and carrier development for academic staff and involvement in the SDU-project on micro credentials. - Educational development
For instance, participation in work groups on the development of an online strategy for the Faculty of Humanities, sparring on the development of new exam formats at the Dep. of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, and involvement in the review process of the curriculum for the programme on Integrated Design, at the Faculty of Engineering. - Pedagogical staff development
For instance, through the permanent offer of university and e-learning courses, but also through requested courses/workshops, tailor-made for your campus/department/board of studies/semester team/ …… please submit your request to sduup@sdu.dk - Research and evidence based practice
For instance, participation in large national development project such as Digital competence development through learning circles and international projects such as HEAL (Internships in future hospitals) - Dissemination
For instance, through Newsletters, publishing and updating of the resource webpage as well as the yearly TAL conference – Teaching for Active Learning
You will find more information about SDUUP activities in the SDUUP annual reports (only in Danish) – see also SDUUP's website.