Supporting graduate development through work based learning

The genesis of this innovation lies in the commitment of a national Irish business enterprise to the professional development of its staff in general, and to the enhancement of its Information Technologies (IT) staff specifically, in collaboration with a national Higher Education (HE) provider. A postgraduate degree, awarded by the HE provider, seeks to bring coherence and cohesion to the education and training provision for newly recruited IT graduate staff of the business enterprise, simultaneously acting both as an induction process for new staff and as a professional capacity building exercise, thereby enhancing the enterprise���s organisational learning and collective competence in the areas of information technologies, IT security and technical service management. The curriculum was designed by the HE provider in collaboration with the business enterprise to offer it to circa sixteen IT staff per cycle of delivery through a model known generally as the new apprenticeship for professional practice which uses a combination of college-based, block release taught elements, regular day release seminars and substantial work-based learning, supported by the academic staff of the HE provider and work-based support staff/mentors of the business enterprise. Academic quality assurance, pedagogical, assessment and accreditation responsibilities remain with the HE provider. (...)

Gesti��n de la actividad no presencial y autoevaluaci��n de competencias = Management of student learning outside the classroom and the self-evaluation of competences

La asignatura troncal ���Evaluaci��n Psicol��gica��� de los estudios de Psicolog��a y del estudio de grado ���Desarrollo humano en la sociedad de la informaci��n��� de la Universidad de Girona consta de 12 cr��ditos seg��n la Ley Org��nica de Universidades. Hasta el a��o acad��mico 2004-05 el trabajo no presencial del alumno consist��a en la realizaci��n de una evaluaci��n psicol��gica que se entregaba por escrito a final de curso y de la cual el estudiante obten��a una calificaci��n y revisi��n si se solicitaba. En el camino hacia el Espacio Europeo de Educaci��n Superior, esta asignatura consta de 9 cr��ditos que equivalen a un total de 255 horas de trabajo presencial y no presencial del estudiante. En los a��os acad��micos 2005-06 y 2006-07 se ha creado una gu��a de trabajo para la gesti��n de la actividad no presencial con el objetivo de alcanzar aprendizajes a nivel de aplicaci��n y soluci��n de problemas/pensamiento cr��tico (Bloom, 1975) siguiendo las recomendaciones de la Agencia para la Calidad del Sistema Universitario de Catalu��a (2005). La gu��a incorpora: los objetivos de aprendizaje, los criterios de evaluaci��n, la descripci��n de las actividades, el cronograma semanal de trabajos para todo el curso, la especificaci��n de las tutor��as programadas para la revisi��n de los diversos pasos del proceso de evaluaci��n psicol��gica y el uso del foro para el conocimiento, an��lisis y cr��tica constructiva de las evaluaciones realizadas por los compa��eros

Multidisciplinary analysis of clinical cases: a transition towards active learning in dental education

In the past 2009/10 academic year, we took steps towards introduction of active methodologies, from a multidisciplinar approach, into a conventional lecture-based Dental Education program. We consolidated these practices in the current 2010/11 year, already within a new Bologna-adapted scheme. Transition involved (i) critical assessment of the limitations of traditional teaching (ii) identification of specific learning topics allowing for integration of contents, (iii) implementation of student-centred learning activities in old curricular plans (iv) assessment of students' satisfaction and perceived learning outcomes, (v) implementation of these changes in new Bologna-adapted curricula