Teachers’ skills development
The Faculty of Social Sciences has a strong focus on didactics and educational theory and practice, and supports the objective of developing the teaching quality in various ways. For example, all academic staff members performing teaching duties must take part in skills development, for example through participation in teaching-related continuing and further education. All of the faculty's teachers have the option of individual supervision or guidance with the faculty's Educational Advisers.
Professors and Associate Professors
The recruitment of permanently employed professors and associate professors is based on documented teaching qualifications, as per the Faculty of Social Sciences’ procedures. The faculty management is responsible for ensuring that teaching staff members continuously develop their teaching skills, for example through:
- Regular update of their teaching portfolio
- The annual performance and development reviews (read more about this on KUnet (login required))
- Supplementary training
- Projects and activities involving groups of teaching staff
New PhD supervisors, i.e. supervisors who started their first PhD supervision in 2010 or later, as well as PhD supervisors who have not supervised PhD students for at least three years but who started to do so in 2010 or later, must take a compulsory two-day course in PhD supervision.
Assistant Professors/Postdocs
The University has laid down common guidelines on the Teaching and Learning in Higher Education Programme for the University’s assistant professors to ensure that they are qualified to undertake the various teaching duties while optimising student learning outcomes.
Under the Faculty of Social Sciences’ rules on the Teaching and Learning in Higher Education Programme, assistant professors are both entitled and obliged to complete the Teaching and Learning in Higher Education Programme. some of the postdocs with more limited teaching duties may also participate in the Teaching and Learning in Higher Education Programme.
PhD Students
The vast majority of PhD students teach one or more courses during their period of employment. These may be courses linked to their research project, which they teach on their own, or they may teach parts of a course run by another (more experienced) teacher or instructor. All PhD students with duties as teachers or supervisors must participate in a three-day course in teaching practice and supervision specifically tailored for PhD students that is offered twice a year by the faculty’s educational advisors.
External Lecturers and Teaching Assistants
On appointment, all part-time academic staff members are offered a two-day course in educational theory and practice (in August/January) organised by the educational advisors. There are also introductory meetingson use of the University of Copenhagen’s e-learning system, Absalon held by the faculty’s educational advisors.
Teaching Assistants
Most bachelor programmes in the faculty use teaching assistants/tutors for practice classes, etc. Before every semester (in August/January), the the educational advisors organises a two-day course in educational theory and practice, which many teaching assistants attend. On some degree programmes, taking this course is a prerequisite for working as a teaching assistant.
Specific Efforts
The departments run regular projects, seminars, courses etc. designed to develop the quality of teaching.
The educational advisors engages in continuous dialogue with the teachers on the development of teaching and courses, for example during courses, by talking to teachers individually and organising working groups, themed workshops and longer courses, as appropriate. Topics covered include teaching and learning in higher education, supervision, theory and practice of supervision, study-start, programme management, research-based teaching, exams and e-learning.
Language Skills
The Centre for Internationalisation and Parallel Language Uses (CIP) core activities is the offering of research-based language courses in English and Danish, which are tailored to meet different needs at the University. As an increasing number of courses at the Faculty of Social Sciences are taught in English, many teaching staff members have taken the courses on teaching in English.
Responsibility
The head of department and the head of studies are jointly responsible for ensuring the continuous development of the skills of permanent teaching staff members. The head of studies is responsible for the skills development of part-time academic staff members and teaching assistants. The head of studies is responsible for introducing new teaching staff and part-time teaching staff to their teaching duties. The dean is ultimately responsible for educational skills development, and for reporting to the rector every three years.