http://www.nfpf.net/network/higher-education/ en Copyright 2009 Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:47:22 +0100 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification Annual report network 10_09.doc]]> http://www.nfpf.net/network/higher-education/2009/06/annual_report_network_10_highe.html http://www.nfpf.net/network/higher-education/2009/06/annual_report_network_10_highe.html News Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:47:22 +0100 Annual report from NERAs network 11 - Higher Education - 2007/08

At the 2007 annual NERA Congress in Åbo, Network 11 was one of the largest contributors to the congress. Also at the 2008 congress in Copenhagen the network had quite an impressive amount of papers and symposia. This may be taken as a sign of the increasing importance of research focussing the rapid changes both of higher education and the conditions for teaching and learning in a quite traditional educational culture facing new demands. After the congress in 2008 the list of e-mail addresses with researchers who are part of the network 11 consists of just over 100 names. The network has had no activities between congresses besides some mail contacts.

During the congress 2008 the network had two symposia. The first one was focussing different perspectives of learning, peer-learning and peer-supervision in the skills laboratory in a Norwegian nursing programme. The other one was a Nordic symposium high-lighting philosophical and critical perspectives on the Bologna process, among other topics analysing the eventual impact of the European Qualifications Framework on student learning and the development of a critical citizenship. A row of paper-sessions also presented projects concerning the changing conditions for institutional development, curricular structures and student assessment during "new regimes of knowledge". A couple of papers treated the relation between higher education and working-life. Four presentations concerned the conditions and forms for educational development and the carrier paths for university teachers.

The quality of the presentations varied from quite good to very good. About half of the presenters also shared their papers or drafts with the audience. This is not an impressive figure and it should be considered as a problem. There should be a manuscript to share for each presentation. Three presenters did not show up at all (They are not mentioned above). From network 11 we would like the congress organisers to check if presenters, that have had their abstract accepted, also are registered at the congress. If not, they are to be removed from the final programme. It is all too simple to have an abstract accepted and to use this acceptance as a merit without even being present at the congress or producing a paper.

The practical aspects of the organisation of the Copenhagen congress were not sufficiently taken care of. There were several problems with the programme, the rooms and the scheduling of activities. For instance was the network-meeting scheduled at a time and a place that was not user-friendly at all! As a consequence there were only a handful of members present. There usually is about 15-20 members present at these meetings, but this year it was almost impossible to combine the lunch and the meeting. If NERA regards the network-activities as the core of the organisation the conditions for the meetings have to be somewhat more prioritized in the programme.

Minutes from Network 11 - Higher Education:

1. During 2008 we will take up contacts with EERA Network 22 - Higher Education, to find out possibilities for future cooperation.
   
   
2. If any member of our network is taking part in the ECER conference in Gothenburgh 8-12th September we would be very happy for a short report to the network of research relevant for higher education or of possibilities for contacts or net-working. Send it to: asa.lindberg-sand@pedagog.lu.se. As convenor I will see to that such a report is forwarded to our members.
   
   
3. To the NERA congress in 2010 we suggest a pre-conference concerning student assessment in higher education, with the aim of getting together doctoral students and researchers in the domain from the Nordic countries. The pre-conference should, if possible, be hosted also by the Swedish doctoral school for research in student assessment. We will send an application for a grant from NERA for this pre-conference.

Best regards from

Åsa Lindberg-Sand, convenor Network 11 - Higher Education
Centre for Educational Development
Lund University

asa.lindberg-sand@pedagog.lu.se
]]> http://www.nfpf.net/network/higher-education/2008/06/annual-report-2008.html http://www.nfpf.net/network/higher-education/2008/06/annual-report-2008.html News Thu, 19 Jun 2008 11:37:14 +0100