Det måtte jo komme

Efter at have haft vanskeligt ved at fastholde fokus på mit canadiske studie, har jeg i dag besluttet at stoppe. Det har været undervejs i en periode, hvor jeg har overvejet, om jeg skal fortsætte i en nordisk kontekst. Det er jeg fortsat i tvivl om. Men jeg er til gengæld helt sikker på, at jeg ikke finder tid og energi til at fortsætte i Canada i min nuværende jobsituation.

Det har været utrolig lærerigt at være doctoral student på Athabascha University. Både mens det gik godt og cohort-modellen bragte mig en masse udfordrende og positive studie- og læringsoplevelser. Og også i de sidste to år, hvor det har været vanskeligt at koble den canadiske DE-forskningstradition med de konkrete arbejdsopgaver, jeg har skulle løse. Det har lært mig noget om de store udfordringer ved modellen.

Selv om det ikke er let for mig at give op, så ligger der i beslutningen - og i mailen, der netop er afsendt både en kolossal lettelse og en stor sorg.

Først og fremmest har det at være en aktiv del af en cohort på 12 studerende været utrolig berigende. Det har givet mig stor indsigt i især det canadiske uddannelsessystem, men også i forskellige uddannelsestraditioner, i universitetskulturen i Singapore, det canadiske militær, sygeplejerskeuddannelse, erhvervsuddannelse og private virksomheder. Jeg har lært meget af at lave en lang række opgaver alene og i grupper; både forskningsreviews, casesstudies, projektopgaver, en lang række formidlingsaktiviteter og undervisning af masterstuderende har haft betydning for mig. Arbejdet med ledelsesbloggen har også været et af de synlige resultater. Ligesom de papers jeg har fået accepteret og formidlet på internationale konference siden 2010 har været koblet til mine studier.

Det har også været spændende at opleve, hvordan virtuelle synkrone aktiviteter har været spillet sammen med asynkrone kollaborative såvel som individuelle processer - og hvordan der har været arbejdet med en stor variation af tydeliggørelse af kriterier for arbejdet og for feedback- og feedforward-processer. På samme måde som jeg oplevede det i mit første universitetsstudie i Canada i 1998, så har dette studie også betydet, at jeg indefra har oplevet muligheder og faldgruber ved en meget systematisk og naturvidenskabeligt orienteret tilgang til anvendelsesorienteret forskning i det humanistiske felt.Det har lært mig meget om det danske videregående uddannelsessystem og - tradition.

I den kommende tid vil jeg anvende denne blog til at overveje, hvorvidt parentesen om doctoral skal væk - eller om det er doctoral, der skal forsvinde. Deadline for denne beslutning er ultimo 2015.

Læsning December 2014

Derudover har jeg i december 2014 læst nedenstående artikelsamlinger og bøger. De giver alle sammen god inspiration til arbejdet med den fortsatte udvikling af pædagoguddannelsen i 2015.

Udvikling af kvalitet - i både undervisning og læreprocesser - med henblik på at fremme de studerendes udvikling af de nødvendige kompetencer. Vi har brug for hele tiden at overveje om de studerende erhverver sig de nødvendige kompetencer? og hvordan vi ved, at de gør det? Og videre hvordan vi kan anvende den viden, vi får fra arbejdet, til at udvikle uddannelsen?

 

Artikelsamlinger

Blended Learing. Research Perspectives.(2014) Ed . Picciano, A.G., Dziuban, C. D., & Graham, C. R. 

Learning Patterns in Higher Education. Dimensions and Research Perspectives. (2014).  Ed. Gijbels, D., Donche, V., Richardson, J.T.E., & Vermunt, J.D.

Culture and Online Learning. Global perspectives and research (2014) Ed. Jung, I, & Gunawardena, C.N.

Feedback in Higher and Professional Education. Understanding it and doing it well. (2013) Ed. Boud, D. & Molly, E. (2013). 

Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Distance Education and e-Learning. Models, Policies and Research (2012) Ed. Jung, I, Latchem, C.

Learning Across Sites. New Tools, Infrastructures and Practices (2011) Ed. Ludvigsen, S, Lund, A, Rasmusen, I., Säljö, R. 

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Værker

Hargreaves, A., Boyle, A., & Harris, A. (2014). Uplifting Leadership. How Organizations, Teams, and Communities Raise Performance.
 
Means, B., Bakia, M., Murphy, R. (2014) Learning Online. What Research Tells Us About Whether, When and How.

Salmon, G (2013). Etivities. The Key to Active Online Learning. 

Biggs J. Tang, C. (2011). Teaching for Quality Learning at University 4th Ed.

Gannon-Cook, R. (2010) What Motivates Faculty to Teach in Distance Education? A Case Study and Meta-Literature Review.

Hattie, J. (2012) Visible Learning for Teachers. Maximizing Impact on Learning.

_____________________________

 

December 2014

I have just read three dissertations related to the social educator training programme in Denmark

Andersen, R. (2011). Tavs viden og praktik. En diskussion af Polanyis teori om tavs viden i forhold til praktik i sygeplejeuddannelsen og i pædagoguddannelsen, Forskerskolen i Livslang Læring, Institut for Psykologi og Uddannelsesforskning, Roskilde Universitet

Bøje, J. D. (2010). Differentiering og sortering i pædagoguddannelsen. Et uddannleses- og professionssociologisk studie. Institut for Medier, Erkendelse og Formidling, Københavns Universitet

Olesen, S. G. (2005). Rekruttering og reproduktion - om praktikker og italesættelser i pædagoguddannelsen, Forlaget PUC, CVU Midt-Vest.

Olesen's work is based on Bourdieu's theoretical and methodical framework. Through a combination of a quantitative and a qualitative approach Olesen analyses the recruitment process and how the education system reproduces the foundation of its own existence.
In the qualitative part of the thesis, it provides us with an open window to the classroom strategies of both students and teachers.

Bøje also looks into the classroom - drawing especially on Bernsteins educational sociological theory. Classroom observations and observations of examinations are sources to the empiri. In the dissertation, Bøje concludes that the students' reproduction of either a male or a female gendered restricted code determines the students' position within the educational programme. Furthermore, Bøje's findings show certain tencencies towards professionalization and academization within the programme and the work of pedagogues.

Andersen focuses on the internship of the programme and compares the vocational training with the programme for nurses. Andersen's work is based on a qualitative approach combing observation and interviews. Polanyi provides the theoretical framework.

All three dissertations give illustrative and important knowledge to the development of the programme.

Dialogue and Leadership

Today, I attend a seminar at the FolkUniversity in Copenhagen - together with my leader-colleagues. It starts as a very interesting proces where different participants give their understanding and comprehension of dialogue and leadership.
Vicki Moeberg Torp presents a historical perspective on leadership - based on Parry and Bryman (2006)

It is also interesting because I just have read Grundtvigs' visions for the FolkHighschool and a Nordic University. So, today I experience the heritage of a very important Danish thinker - on my own body and mind. This year, it is 170 years ago the first FolkHighschool started in Rödding.

Furthermore, I am heading for a periode of time in which I'll work intensively with dialogue and leadership in my doctoral work.

After a great cup of coffee, we now listen to Simon Møberg Torp - presenting theories of communication and meaning. 

Parry , K. and Bryman, A. (2006).Leadership in organizations The Sage handbook of organization studies (2nd ed). Ed. S. Clegg, C. Hardy, T. Lawrence & W. Nord. London: Sage, 2006. 447-468
Van Wart, M. (2013). Lessons from leadership theory and the contemporary challenges of leaders. Public Adminstration Review, Vol. 73, Issue 4, 553-565.

5 fine tips til uddannelsesledelse i det videregående uddannelsessystem

Five fine tips for educational management in higher education - focusing on what works for young leaders:

 http://www.theguardian.com/higher-education-network/blog/2014/sep/01/university-head-of-department-five-top-tips

Feedback

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/tips-providing-students-meaningful-feedback-marianne-stenger?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=blog-tips-providing-students-meaningful-feedback-shared-image

 

Links til forskellige tilgange

http://www.waikato.ac.nz/tdu/pdf/booklets/7_AssessmentandFeedback.pdf

http://projekter.aau.dk/projekter/files/63452603/Formativ_Feedback.pdf

The Leader as Action Researcher

In the past seven month, many reflections and actions have characterized my work as head of social education at UC Zealand (UCZ).

First of all, I have crossed boundaries from on UC to another reflecting on all the differences in two organizations with the same overall agenda. One of the first things which stroke me was that all the campuses at UCZ are of extremely high standard: auditoriums, classrooms, group-rooms, teacher offices, access to technology for students and lecturers, library, canteens, and beautiful surroundings. It is of high importance if you shall study, work and learn. Secondly, UCZ offers all the employees a wonderful and very cheap lunch and it is extremely flexible so you get your lunch at any of the nine campuses. It is an important good which means that the employees meet on campus lunching together.

In the spring 2012, the organization changed radically moving from a focus on campuses to a focus on educations. It led to the creation of a team of head of education. I have been part of this team for ten month – and we still wait for the last team-members. 

It is of course a comprehensive task to change an organization with all its structures, processes and traditions. Sometimes it is a demanding task for an impatient soul.   

I have also crossed boundaries as far as I have moved from Research and Development (RD) to another educational perspective where safe operations, student learning and satisfaction are in focus. I have reflected on many differences within the two domains. In RD, all researchers and consultants were dedicated to their work as well as to the brand of the organization. In a program as Social Education, the lectures are primarily dedicated to the program and their own subject. In RD, it was extremely rare that someone was ill. Last year, in the program of Social Education, more than nine FTE were used to cover ill lecturers.

One of the main differences is that the processes in RD are more open, easier to communicate and explain. In RD, you have to work under extremely stressful conditions however you often get recognized for your work – and you often have to collaborate with other people to achieve your goals.

My doctoral studies have to some extend been neglected. I have however decided to work with three cases from my work as head of social education. I have done the first draft of my purposal and I have read and reflected on the leader as action researcher - and I have decided to use four different theoretical perspectives. According to Amin and Thrift, (2005, p. 222)

"No particular theoretical approach, even in combination with others, can be used to gain a total grip on what's going on. Theory-making is a hybrid assemblage of testable propostions and probable explanations derived from sensings of the world, the world's persistent ways of talking back, and the effort of abstraction" 

Amin, A. and Thrift, N. (2005). What's left? Just the future. Antipode, 37, pp.220-38.