Teaching and Learning Communities

Companies in this industrial park want to become energy self-sufficient by working together in generating and dividing their energy, for instance by using solar power and other sustainable method. Storage of energy in the form of hydrogen will play a part. However, many issues arise regarding legal permits, forms of cooperation between parties and acceptance of a nearby neighbourhood. Students from the Master Energy for Society and researchers from our professorship System Integration, work together with the project group, the local energy provider, the municipality and local energy cooperation to find ways and design a roadmap towards this innovative change. 

This LTC students, researchers and companies/organizations come together to think about big challenges in health care in the Northern Netherlands. Innovative solutions are tried out at the health care partners and evaluated. Best practices are shared so all participants can learn.

A large institution for mental health care needs to make its 100 buildings sustainable. 53 students and 3 researchers work together with professionals from Dennenoord on several subtopics like heat solutions, legal issues regarding permits for solar panels, etc. etc.

Learning Economics through active methodologies.

A proposal for evaluating training and quality in educational centres through service-learning

Use of generative artificial intelligence for developing critical information analysis skills in healthcare topics.

• Teachers Communities include: ACOMPAÑA TIC, DOCAPP, UDV, UNIDIGITAL, G9, PITE, PIE.
• Students Communities include: SIO, POAT, PAED.

The Mentoring Academy aims to contribute to the integration, and academic and personal success of students at the BPU. The programme is divided into Mentoring, which aims at the student’s social and academic integration, pedagogical monitoring Tutoring and Pedagogical Training aimed at teachers to increase students’ academic success.

Teacher Communities – research
Networking competencies across disciplines and faculties and developing solutions for social challenges with cooperation partners. Researcher clusters include:

• Aerospace;
• Blue sciences;
• Region in transition;
• Digital transformation;
• Quality of life;
• Dynamics, Tension and Xtreme Events

 

Teacher Communities – pedagogics
There are several teacher communities around the topic of pedagogics including:

• New to teaching: Interdisciplinary offer for teachers at the beginning of their teaching career.
• Day of teaching and learning: University-wide exchange between teachers, students and colleagues from the central institutions.
• Didactics workshops within the summer and winter breaks (twice a year): Interdisciplinary offerings for teachers on various topics.
• Curriculum Lab: The Curriculum Lab is an offer for the redesign and further development of study programs. The aim is to promote structural, didactically-based and holistic degree program development, particularly in the context of (re-)accreditation processes.
• University Didactics Certificate Program: HSB teachers can obtain a certificate as proof of their own teaching qualifications by attending our workshop program which is based on the guidelines of the DGHD.
• Coffee Lectures: Short thematic offerings with an interdisciplinary approach, developed jointly with the State and University Library Bremen and University Bremen.

 

• Advisory boards from the partner companies (dual study programmes with professional and academic parts).
• Boards of supporters and interested companies and people (different types of boards, different study programmes).
• International boards from partner universities (international study programmes).

• Tutorial programme (qualification for students).  

• Moderated student-teacher dialogue. 

• StudiumPlus: StudiumPlus offers a wide range of interdisciplinary workshops, modules and advice to supplement studies and focus on students’ personal interests. With these offers, students can ensure their learning successand design their studies individually. 

• Friendship Program: The Friendship Program aims to promote intercultural exchange between HSB exchange students and Bremen citizens. Families or individuals can take on an informal sponsorship.  

• AStA: The General Students’ Committee (AStA) is the cross-faculty representative body for students at Bremen University of Applied Sciences. The members of the AStA regularly take part in meetings of the universitycommittees and work together with other student representatives, such as the student councils. 

• Academy of Professional and Personal Development:offers workshops on various topics, such as didactics, teaching methodology, teaching feedback or couching, as well as interdisciplinary workshops not only for teacher, but for all university employees on the topic of mental health and well-being, IT courses, language courses, etc. The offered workshops are conducted in the form of practical examples and exercises so that the participants canuse them in their work and personal lives. 

• Pro Lingua: Methodical, cultural and professional centre for teaching foreign languages. This centre professionally supports teachers, pupils and students of all levels of schools by organizing seminars and lectures by Czechand foreign linguists. 

Business Gate is a multifunctional centre in Karviná that supports entrepreneurship and business initiatives. The centre offers through the Academy a semester-long program where students complete assignments for companies. Students gain practical experience while companies receive creative solutions to their tasks. 

• Introduction for newly employed teachers at UW, and teachers at the beginning of their teaching career (one occasion, offered two times/year). Later, they engage in courses in Higher Education Pedagogy. 

• Courses in Higher Education Pedagogy for all teachers, but mandatory of at least 10 weeks studies. Basic-, Thematical- and Project courses.  

• Akademus-conference for teachers (one day a year, in August). Besides a keynote speaker, teachers at UW present studies about their teaching, often further developed as course assignments already examined in HigherEducation Pedagogy. 

• Didactics seminars (one day a month): Organized by the pedagogical developers at UW, and the unit of Higher Education Pedagogy. 

• Lunch talks: Short interdisciplinary thematic offerings at lunchtime (regularly). 

• Book circles: an informal community of teachers who read, discuss and practice educational tools and create learning environments while they study together. Example of subject: Active Learning Classroom. University West – Active Learning Classroom. 

• ICT-workshops for teachers to get support just in time and to adopt digital tools and Learning Management Systems (LMS) in teaching.  

• Small communities that emerge as internal competence development projects at UW, mandatory for teachers: WIL-certification project (2019-ongoing); Sustainable development in teaching (internal course incl. final seminar in 2023); Computer security (online course in 2023). 

• Strategic partners. Agreement with local/regional companies.  

• Co-campus: Västervik and Dals Ed (online educational programmes organized by University West). 

• Boards of supporters and interested companies and people (different types of boards, different study programmes). All educational programmes have advisory boards in which external stakeholders participate, but alsostudents represent. 

• International boards from partner universities (international study programmes). 

• SFS (National): SFS is the unified student voice that pursues common issues concerning students at a national and international level. As the overall student vote, SFS’s main task is to represent the interests of the memberunions and students. This means influencing issues that are important to students. SFS is a member-run organization that is based on basic democratic principles and is non-partisan and non-religious. 

• SHV (Local): Student Union at University West. The Student Union at University West is a member-run organization, which means that it is the members who decide what SHV should work with, and who should work withwhat. 

•  e-Education Centre at Cracow University of Technology is likely an important resource that exemplifies best practices for digital and online learning in higher education. While specific details were not found in the document, we can infer its role in supporting the integration of technology into education. Here are some potential best practices the e-Education Centre could represent:
  
  • Digital Literacy Training: Offering comprehensive training for both students and educators to enhance their digital skills and ensure they can effectively use online learning platforms, tools, and resources. 

• • Innovation in Pedagogy: Promoting the use of cutting-edge digital technologies (e.g., virtual reality, AI in education, or adaptive learning systems) to enhance teaching and learning experiences. This includes not only toolsbut also integrating methodologies like blended learning and flipped classrooms. 

• • Continuous Support and Professional Development: Facilitating ongoing workshops and courses for faculty to keep up with technological advancements and integrate them into their teaching practices. 

• • Collaboration Across Disciplines: Encouraging the development of interdisciplinary courses and projects that use digital platforms, which could involve the collaboration of various faculties to foster innovation. Includingsuch examples of technology integration, professional development, and innovative pedagogies in your appendix would illustrate how universities, including CUT, are advancing in digital education. 

• • Onboarding program: Communication with the candidate before signing the employment contract. Preparation of a job position in an organizational unit and designation guardian. Conclusion of the contract and first day at work. Mandatory training. Support in the first months of employment. Evaluation of the onboarding process 

• Accessibility Centre is definitely considered a good practice in higher education institutions. The Accessibility Centre provides support and resources for students and staff with disabilities or specific learning needs, ensuringequal opportunities for participation and success in academic and extracurricular activities. This aligns with the principles of inclusivity and equity in education, which are central to creating diverse, supportive learningenvironments. 

• Centre for Support of the Academic Community of Cracow University of Technology (Centrum Wsparcia Społeczności Akademickiej) can be considered a good practice for Learning and Teaching Communities (LTCs). This center likely plays a critical role in fostering a supportive environment for both students and faculty. In LTCs, support services that enhance the academic experience for all members, including students, teachers, and researchers, are essential. The center’s focus on community support aligns well with LTC principles, which emphasize collaboration, inclusivity, and engagement. 

• The University Board of Cracow University of Technology (CUT): The University Board typically plays a crucial role in the governance and decision-making processes within the institution. Shared governance is a keyelement of effective LTCs, where leadership and decision-making are not limited to one group but are distributed across various stakeholders, including students, faculty, and staff. A University Board that promotes sharedleadership and includes diverse perspectives helps create an environment where all members of the academic community feel involved and valued. The University Board of CUT, if it supports inclusive governance, fosters collaboration across all sectors of the university, and actively contributes to shaping the university’s teaching and learning environment, can indeed be a good practice for LTCs. Their involvement ensures that the institution aligns with best practices in educational leadership, fostering an environment where learning communities can thrive. 

Aims to improve the integration and understanding of gender issues in the specific context of the research profession, by proposing concrete actions, exploring best practices, monitoring the situation, supporting women at the Institute and promoting cooperation between genders 

Aims to enable teachers to reflect on, exchange ideas on and experiment with teaching approaches based on knowledge gained from cognitive science research, in order to improve the effectiveness of their practices through closecollaboration between teachers and researchers.

Strong connections between the university and the external stakeholders are established through:  

• An extensive network of external collaborators pertaining to the private and public sectors;  

• Bilateral memorandums of Understanding which provide the ground for a structured and formal collaboration between the HEI and the local stakeholders;  

• Participation as representatives of external stakeholders in the collegial decision-making bodies of the university (the Board of Administration). 

• CEMA – Maritime center of excellence in maritime affairs;  

• BATS International Scientific Conference (biomedical application technology and sensors); 

• The Local Education office of the city of Durres. 

The ‘Student Council’ is the main body representing the students, their needs and interests towards the decision-making bodies of the university. The Student Council works with the entire student community (undergraduate, taught, and research postgraduate) across all discipline areas and, working closely with various stakeholders in the HEI, engages in the following tasks: to plan and coordinate the delivery of activities during the graduation periods welcome, design, and deliver a range of in-year community-based activities, facilitate the delivery of community-based activities in academic departments, and be an authoritative source of thinking on issues related to community, belonging, and identity.