Vocational Teacher Competences in Tertiary Vocational Education

The purpose of the course is for the students to further develop their own competence in their role as teacher in tertiary vocational education. In addition, the students shall develop their ability for critical thinking and reflection and be confident and clear in their role as a teacher. The students shall be able to apply knowledge of vocational educational theory, vocational didactics and relevant results from research and development work to practical and theoretical issues, and be able to make well-founded choices.

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After completing the course, the student should have the following overall learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The student

• is familiar with the applicable legislation and governing documents that are relevant to learning work in tertiary vocational education
• has knowledge of vocational education theory, vocational didactics and work methods relevant to the field
• has knowledge of adult learning
• is familiar with national and international research and development work of relevance to tertiary vocational education within the area of vocational pedagogy and the vocational field, and can update their expertise in the field

Skills

The student

• can use the applicable legislation and governing documents that are relevant to learning work in tertiary vocational education in Norway
• can use their knowledge of the vocation, vocational pedagogy and vocational didactics
• can plan, give grounds for and carry out varied learning work
• can supervise, assess and document students’ learning and development, and provide feedback that promotes reflection in learning work
• can familiarise themselves with specialist literature and take a critical approach to theories and sources of information

General competence

The student

• has insight into relevant vocational and professional ethical issues
• can build good relations with students and create a constructive and inclusive learning environment characterised by diversity and equality
• can disseminate and discuss issues relating to the vocation, vocational didactics and vocational pedagogy
• can use insight and engagement to motivate students in their learning processes
• can facilitate new ideas and innovation and the involvement of local businesses and the local community in the learning work

The course covers the following topics:

• Learning management in tertiary vocational education
• Planning, implementing and assessing learning work
• Learning environment, differentiation and adapted learning
• Adult learning
• Further development of own vocational teaching practice
• Supervision and assessment
• Change and development work

Varied forms of learning are used based on the principles of vocational didactics, e.g. practice-oriented learning, experience-oriented learning and problem-oriented learning. Sharing of experience is given emphasis in the programme. The students’ own vocational teaching practice will be key in their development and learning work.

Four coursework requirements are linked to this course; two individual and two group-based requirements (can be adapted on application and agreement with the lecturer). The coursework requirements concern both the student’s own vocational teaching practice and the learning community in the programme. The coursework requirements must be approved before the student can take the exam. Required coursework that is not approved can be reworked and submitted for re-assessment twice before the ordinary exam.

Coursework requirement 1: Planning and implementation of learning work (in groups of two or three students).

The purpose is to practise the inductive vocational teaching method relevant to planning and implementing learning work.

• Preparation of a folder comprising a supervision document (scope 1,200 words +/- 10%), a plan for learning work (scope 1,000 words +/- 10%), and subsequent reflection on the completed work (scope 1,000 words +/- 10 %).

Coursework requirement 2: Plan for teaching practice (individual)

The purpose is to practise systematic planning and conscious use of vocational pedagogy principles

• Submission of a well-founded plan for vocational teaching practice (20 days) using the ‘practice planner form’. The plan is prepared in consultation with the teaching practice supervisor in the student’s own workplace. The plan must be assessed and approved by the person responsible for the course.

Coursework requirement 3: Assessment (in groups of two or three students).

The purpose is for the group to assess the tertiary vocational students’ learning work.

• Prepare a video presentation comprising the following: Assessment of at least three tertiary vocational students’ work, information about what form the assessments have taken and reflection on their own assessment work. Learning work is carried out in the students’ own workplace. Scope: seven to ten minutes.

Coursework requirement 4: Digital reflection (individual)

The purpose is for the students to reflect on their own learning outcomes from the programme.

• Prepare a video presentation comprising reflection on the vocational didactic learning outcome as a tertiary vocational teacher based on the course syllabus. Scope: seven to ten minutes.

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Vocational teaching practice

Practical pedagogy for Tertiary Vocational Education comprises 20 compulsory days of teaching practice.

For further information, see the programme description.

The final exam is an individual submission of a video presentation that includes reflection on the learning outcome in the course based on the course syllabus. The scope of the video presentation is 15-20 minutes. References and the literature sources chosen by the student must be enclosed with the documentation of vocational teaching practice.

Resits/rescheduled exams

A reworked version of the video presentation submitted for the ordinary exam is submitted for the first resit. A new video presentation must be submitted for subsequent attempts.

All aids are permitted, as long as the rules for source referencing are complied with.

Grade scale A-F.

One internal and one external examiner are used.