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Big and small about education

In English further down.

Stort och smått inom utbildning

Egentligen är det dags för mig att blogga om utbildningsrelaterade frågor men som medmänniska är det svårt att inte säga något om det ofattbara krig som pågår i Ukraina. Vi fick information av KTH:s rektor att inga av våra studenter befinner sig i där, men oavsett så tänker vi på, och känner med, alla på de studenter och medarbetare som kommer från Ukraina och som har släkt där.

Dock händer det mycket, stort som smått, på KTH just nu som fortsätter att utveckla våra kurser och utbildningar. Till exempel så har ITM-skolan köpt in så kallade ”zoom-påsar” som innehåller utrustning som det är tänkt ska underlätta för oss lärare när vi ska undervisa i ett hybridformat (och inte vet om den schemalagda lokalen har tillräckligt bra utrustning). På bilden kan du se vad varje zoom-påse innehåller.

Varje studierektor har fått två påsar att lämna ut vid behov till lärare på sin institution och även servicediskarna Nord, Sing-Sing och Södertälje har påsar för utlåning.

Utöver dessa zoom-påsar har skolan också bekostat etableringen av så kallade mini-studios som initierats för att utveckla och underlätta digitaliseringen av vår undervisning. Målet är att varje institution på skolan ska ha en mini-studio och vår UA Andreas Alm Arvidsson vet mer om vilka rum som ska användas för dessa och hur pass långt vi kommit med detta. Dessutom finns det flera planerade sessions där vi kan få veta mer om dessa, länk finns i det senaste ITM nyhetsbrevet.

Jag hoppas också att ni alla läst intervjun med Martin Löfgren på E-lärande i nyhetsbrevet för två veckor sedan? Där berättar Martin om arbetet med en app som gör att alla salstentor nu kan rättas digitalt.

“Nu kan alla salstentor rättas digitalt”

Jag har själv testat detta när det var ett pilotprojekt och tyckte det var ett suveränt sätt att förbättra tentarättningen. Efter två lyckade piloter kommer nu appen ”KTH Import Exams” att installeras i alla examinationsrum i Canvas, och Martin säger också i intervju att vi lärare kan välja om vi vill bedöma tentor i Canvas eller på papper.

Avslutningsvis vill jag uppmuntra er alla att läsa dels den intervju som gjorts med en av våra alumner, Almida de Val, som vann en bronsmedalj i mixed curling på OS i Peking samt vicerektor Leif Karis blogg om den utredning utbildningsnämnden gjort, på rektorns uppdrag, senaste året fokuserad på framtidens lärmiljöer och utbildningsmodeller. Under vårterminen kommer de som vill få möjlighet att diskutera resultaten i den rapport som utbildningsnämnden skrivit inom ramen för träffar som våra olika kollegiala forum arrangerar.

Leif Karis blogg

/Anna Jerbrant, vice skolchef och grundutbildningsansvarig på ITM-skolan

Big and small about education

It’s time for me to blog about education-related issues, but it’s hard not to mention the unimaginable war going on in Ukraine. We have received information from KTH’s rector that none of our students are there, but still we feel with all of the students and staff who come from Ukraine and who have relatives there.

However, a lot is happening, big and small, at KTH right now that will continue the develop our courses and educations. For example, the ITM school has bought so-called “zoom bags” that contain equipment intended to make it easier for us teachers when we teach in a hybrid format (and do not know if the scheduled room has the desired equipment). In the picture, you can see the content of each zoom bag.

Each director of studies has been given two bags to hand to teachers at their department out when needed, and the service centres Nord, Sing-Sing and Södertälje also have bags to lend.

In addition to these zoom bags, the school has also paid for the establishment of so-called mini-studios that were initiated to develop and facilitate the digitization of our teaching. The goal is for each department to have a mini-studio, and UA Andreas Alm Arvidsson knows more about which rooms are to be used for these and how far the introduction has come. There are also several sessions planned where we can learn how to use these, more information about that in the latest news letter!

I also hope that you all saw the interview with Martin Löfgren at E-learning, published in the newsletter two weeks ago? There, Martin talks about the development of an app so that all exams can be corrected digitally

“Now all campus exams can be assessed digitally”

I tested this as one of the first pilot projects and thought it was a great way to improve the administration of the exam correction. After two successful pilots, the app “KTH Import Exams” will be installed in all examination rooms in Canvas. Martin describes in the interview how we can do to choose whether we want to assess exams in Canvas or on paper.

In conclusion, I hope you all saw the news about our alumni Almida De Val who won is the Bronze medalist in curling from the Olympic Games in Beijing? There is an interesting interview with Almida in the latest news letter. I would like to encourage you all to read vice-president Leif Kari’s blog about the investigation made by the Board of Education, on the president’s assignment, last year focused on future learning environments and training models. During the spring term, those interested can discuss the results in the report from the Board of Education within the framework of meetings arranged by our various collegiate forums.

Leif Kari’s blog post

/Anna Jerbrant, Deputy Head of School & Director of First and Second Cycle Education

 

Thoughts about the future education

In English further down.

Tankar om framtidens utbildning

Utbildning i förändring

Idag är det måndag den vecka då begränsningarna för antalet deltagare vid olika tillställningar och event tas bort, vilket medför en hel del förändringar för vår undervisning – igen. Själv har jag undervisat i hybridformat både under vårterminen och ännu mer sedan höstterminens start och har lärt mig uppskatta formatets fördelar (tillgängligheten och möjligheten att trots pandemin få undervisa på campus), samt flera gånger svurit över dess nackdelar (teknikstrul och kommunikationssvårigheter). Dock kommer arbetet med den undervisningsutveckling som pandemin kickstartade fortsätta, såsom beskrivs på intranätet:

”Från läsperiod 2 kan därmed utbildningsaktiviteter formas enbart utifrån vad som gynnar lärandet, med den övergripande inriktningen för vad som beskrevs i scenario LÅG som utgångspunkt.” 

Så påverkar lättade pandemirestriktioner KTH:s utbildning 

I en artikel med rektor säger Sigbritt:

”Den pedagogiska utvecklingen släpper vi inte, även om restriktionerna hävs, utan vi tar även fortsatt fasta på det vi lärt oss under pandemin för att fortsätta utveckla framtidens utbildning.”

Och även vicerektor för utbildning, Leif Kari, beskrev visionerna för detta i en artikel publicerad före sommaren:

”Vi kan säga att nu ska vi tillbaka till framtiden… Det blir en större variation och mångfald när det gäller såväl undervisning som examination. Vi blandar digital och fysisk närvaro för att kunna ge bästa möjliga utbildning i linje med våra långsiktiga mål.”

Från pandemi till pedagogisk utveckling, med Leif Kari

Själv ser jag med spänning fram emot att på olika sätt kunna bidra till KTH:s långsiktiga planer och visioner för utbildningens utveckling. Både behoven av det, samt målet för det arbetet, diskuterades under det första tillfället av KTH Debatt. Du som missade diskussionen kring behoven av nya format och ökad flexibilitet för framtidens utbildning kan ta del av den i efterhand här:

Ta del av tidigare debatter

Stöd inför tentaveckorna

Tentaveckorna för period 1 är snart här och flera av ITM:s kurser kommer då genomföra sina tentor i datorsal istället för skriftlig salstentamen (båda mina egna kurser bland annat). Så jag vill bara påminna alla lärare som måste, eller vill, genomföra digital examination (både formativ och sumativ) att det finns stor hjälp att få med utformningen av detta både av ITM:s E-lärandegrupp (amanuensstudenterna nås via itm-elearning@kth.se) samt KTH:s e-lärande team för digital examination (e-learning@kth.se).

Stöd, råd och riktlinjer kring examination

ITM:s E-lärandegrupp genomför även workshops (exempelvis med fokus på digital examination och avancerade quizzar). Deras presentationer, andra dokument och inspelade videos från worskhops finns samlade på den här sidan:

ITM E-learning(Canvas)

Kursutvärdering

Avslutningsvis vill jag påminna er alla om att det snart är dags att genomföra kursutvärderingar för de kurser vi genomfört under period 1 HT21 och att de färdigställda kursanalyserna sedan ska tillgängliggöras på sidan Kursens utveckling i Kurs- och programkatalogen.

Mer om Kursanalys och kursdata

/Anna Jerbrant, vice skolchef och grundutbildningsansvarig på ITM-skolan

Thoughts about the future education

Education under change

Today is Monday, the week when the restrictions regarding the number of participants at various events will be eased, which will entail many changes for our teaching – again. Personally, I have taught in a hybrid format both during the spring semester and even more since the autumn semester began and have learned to appreciate the format’s advantages (accessibility and the opportunity to teach on campus despite the pandemic), and several times swore about its disadvantages (technology and communication difficulties). However, work on the educational development that the pandemic kick-started will continue, as described on the intranet:

“From reading period 2, educational activities can thus be shaped solely on the basis of what benefits learning, with the overall focus on what was described in the LOW scenario as a starting point.”

How eased pandemic restrictions affect KTH’s education

In an article with the president, Sigbritt emphasizes:

“We will not let go of the pedagogical development, even if the restrictions are eased, but we will also continue to focus on what we learned during the pandemic to continue develop the education of the future.”

And Vice President for Education, Leif Kari, also described the visions for this in an article published before the summer:

“We can say that now we are going back to the future… There will be greater variation and diversity in terms of both teaching and examination. We will mix digital and physical presence in order to provide the best possible education in line with our long-term goals.”

From pandemic to pedagogical progress, with Leif Kari

With excitement, I look forward to contributing in various ways to KTH’s long-term plans and visions for education development. At the first session of KTH Debatt the participants discussed the needs for education development and the goals of that work. For those who missed the discussion about the need for new formats and increased flexibility for future education can take part in it afterwards here:

Take part in previous debates (Swedish)

Support during exam weeks

The exam weeks for period one will soon be here, and several of ITM’s courses will then conduct their exams in a computer room instead of a handwritten, traditional exam (both my courses, among others). So I just want to remind all teachers who must, or want to, conduct digital examinations (both formative and summative) that there is good help to get with the exam design, both by ITM’s E-learning Group (amanuens students are reached via itm-elearning@kth.se) and KTH’s e-learning team for digital examination (e-learning@kth.se)

Support, advice and guidelines for examinations

ITM’s E-learning group also gives workshops (for example with a focus on digital examination and advanced quizzes). Their presentations, documents and recorded videos from workshops are gathered on this page:

ITM E-learning (Canvas page) 

Course evaluations

Finally, I would like to remind you that it is soon time to carry out course evaluations for the courses we have completed during period one, HT 21. The completed course analyzes will then be available on the Course Development page in the Course and Programme Catalog.

More about Course analysis and course data (Swe)

/Anna Jerbrant, Deputy Head of School & Director of First and Second Cycle Education

Testing new ways of examining knowledge in the master program

A picture taken just after that the students’ visit at SMT’s plant in Sandviken.

A new examination idea

Many teachers at the ITM School often think of new ideas on how to examine the required knowledge in a course, and I am one of them. I wish to share some recent experiences. Together with my colleague Assistant Professor Björn Glaser we teach in the course Advanced Process Science. The purpose of the course is to teach students about reactor design and process control in industrial metallurgical processes. Based on their previous obtained knowledge (for example thermodynamics and kinetics), we teach them on how to apply this knowledge on current industrial processes.

During the course evaluations the last 5-8 years, the students have suggested to examine the course goals in other ways than through a traditional written exam. Based on this we have tested open 24 hours exams where students have been given the task eight o’clock in the morning and then turned in their answers 24 hours later. The responses from the students have been very positive!

In close collaboration with Sandvik

Together with the company Sandvik Materials Technology (SMT), who sponsors parts of the travels in the course, we tested a new idea this year. Previous years we have visited SMT at the end of the course. The company has presented their work on selected processes and the students have had a tour to the steel and working mills.

This year we tried out a different approach. Together with Olle Sundqvist and Fia Vikman from SMT we defined five topics for the students to work on to acquire the knowledge needed to fulfill the course goals. Olle visited KTH to give introductory lectures in January. Thereafter, the groups were formed, and one supervisor from SMT together with one from KTH were designated to each group. As next step, each group visited SMT in Sandviken to study their process part and to discuss details of the project with the supervisor.

Examination in relation to the industry

Back at KTH the students had to answer three large questions related to process control and reactor design, based on course material given in the lectures and information from the literature. The fourth question was a more open question where the students should suggest innovative solutions to improve the specific process task given by SMT.

After almost two periods of work, the student findings were presented in a report as well as at a seminar in Sandviken in May. Here, the whole project was presented for a larger audience and the performance was judged by the teachers. In a way this corresponded to our previous 24 hours exam level. In addition, the innovative solutions were discussed in detail separately in small groups including the specific supervisors. After a full day’s work in Sandviken, SMT invited the students and teachers to a fantastic three-course dinner at their restaurant.

Improved motivation and innovative solutions

Overall, our experience is that the motivation of the students was much higher and the innovative solutions were detailed and more realistic, when we used this approach instead of a traditional way of examining their knowledge. In their work they clearly showed that they used their previously obtained knowledge in coming up with innovative solution.

In addition, they also discovered that the current metallurgical tools to determine thermodynamics and kinetics cannot always be used for real industrial applications, since for example databases and knowledge are missing. One important learning was that our theoretical knowledge is not always enough to solve all industrial problems. Thus, as future engineers the students need to work hand-in-hand with skilled personnel in industry that has the hands-on knowledge to solve challenging industrial tasks!

/Pär Jönsson, Vice Head of the ITM School

Evaluation of research quality

In the academic world all researchers work hard to discover new findings, which will lead to great improvements in the scientific world. The leadership at universities monitors the success of groups/department with respect to the research quality. At KTH, this has been done at research evaluations (RAE) in 2008 and 2012.  It is not exactly clear when the next evaluation will be done, but a good guess is that it will take place in 2020.

Currently, I am in Helsinki to take part in a one week research evaluation of the materials science and metallurgy research at Aalto University, RAI2018. As a matter of fact I am also joined by our Head of School Jan Wikander, who has been invited to evaluate the mechanical engineering research at Aalto University. Overall, 45 scientist from all around the globe have been invited to this exercise. It is a very interesting experience that provides me and Jan with important input which we can share with the ITM researchers, so that they can be better prepared for a future evaluation at KTH.

One important thing with the evaluation is that each department should be compared to peers at other benchmark universities. Thus, there is not a focus on comparing department’s performances on a university level. This is very good since there exist different ways of publishing research results, having an impact on society, etc. So the focus should be on comparing how each department performs in comparison to similar departments elsewhere.

Aalto University is a fairly new university which in 2010 merged arts, business and engineering into one new school. What we have seen so far they have already been able to create new exciting collaborations. Maybe one interesting example is the production of textiles from forest-based raw material rest products that has been developed by engineers. Then, the art scientists have used these materials to produce fashion clothes that already have been shown on so called “cat walks”. Maybe later the business school will create business models on how these fashion clothes, produced based on recycled product, can be branded as a sustainable fashion!?

Overall, it seems like Aalto University has created an atmosphere which stimulates collaboration between different research groups and scientist. During the interviews it is clear that both PhD students and faculty thinks that laboratories have opened up so that basically everyone has access to all experimental equipment. Maybe something for us to think about…..

Pär Jönsson, Vice Head of School