Pedagogy
PEDAGOGICAL APPROACH - COURSE DESIGN
I have found the following approach to course design highly successful:
• The main interest for a student is to pass the course.
• For the teacher, student learning is at focus.
Thus an optimal course design lies in the intersection of these interests;
--> continual examination.
The student works continually in the course, and gets paid by successively passing it.
This is time on task, a central concept in learning.
Bonus: deep learning.
Challenge: a design that allows continual assessment of the student assignments.
Desired: formative student feedback during course using mandatory survey.
PUBLICATIONS
High school student perspectives on flipped classrooom learning
• Article in Pedagogy, Culture & Society
Oscar Ölmefors & Jan Scheffel (2021) High school student perspectives on flipped classroom learning, Pedagogy, Culture & Society, DOI: 10.1080/14681366.2021.1948444
Summary: Students’ perspectives on the flipped classroom as used as a pedagogical method in a Swedish upper secondary school are studied. Problems were found both for neurotypical students as well as for a neurodiverse student. Issues that need to be addressed when introducing flipped classroom course design at high school level are discussed.
ACTIVITIES
Pedagogical assignments at KTH
- 2018-2022 Program director, Electrical Engineering doctoral program
- 1999-2022 Director of studies, graduate program in Fusion Plasma Physics
- 2012-2019 Member, KTH Education Committee
- 2002-2017 Member, board of House of Science
- 2002-2013 Program director, Master of Science in Engineering and in Education
(Civilingenjör och Lärare)
- 2002-2013 Program director, Open Entrance
(Öppen Ingång)
- 2001-2012 Director of studies, undergraduate program in Fusion Plasma Physics
- 2001-2001 Program director of studies, master program in Computer Science
Pedagogical prizes
- Recipient of KTH Pedagogical Prize 2014
- Elected "Teacher of the Year" 2022 by the student programme Civilingenjör och Lärare
During later years I have taught three undergraduate courses and three postgraduate courses.
The postgraduate courses are
FED3230 Magnetohydrodynamics
FED3305 Magnetohydrodynamics, advanced course
FJD3300 Kinetic Plasma Theory
The undergraduate courses ED1100 (Engineering Science), ED1110 (Vector Analysis) and ED2200 (Energy and Fusion Research) are all based on a novel course design that I developed while taking courses in pedagogy at KTH.
The basic idea is to explore the fact that the student’s major aim is to pass the course. Employing weekly, continual examination, the students will work with the course contents and feel the satisfaction of successively passing the course. The teacher will meet knowledgeable and attentive students in the classroom so that learning can be upheld at an efficient rate.
The continual examination takes the form of home assignments as well as (monitored) mini group works and individual assignments. At the end of the course the students that desire higher grades attend final, written examination. Other elements of the course design involve, for example, the use of colour sheet quizzes during lectures for feedback.
I have participated in several KTH pedagogical development work groups. Examples are:
• Course development package (2016, now in the shape of "Kursinformation")
• CV template for promotion and employment at KTH (2016)
• Pedagogical portfolio for KTH (2016)
• General skills courses for Electrical Engineering doctoral program (2011)
• Course analysis routines (2002, 2017, 2019)
• Master thesis project at KTH (2014)
• Revision of math education at KTH (2001)
My pedagogical training consists in University pedagogy (two courses), Supervision and Assessment of Degree Project Work, Pedagogical leadership, Research supervision, as well as in Supplemental instruction (SI).
