Aligning higher education learning
Thomas Gulløv Longhi
Associate Professor, Ph.D.
Educational Developer - SUE
Faculty of Business and Social Sciences
University of Southern Denmark
Challenges
 Higher education has changed during the last 10 years:
 New insights and research has been accepted as important
and contributing to practice
 Biggs, J and Tang C. (2011): Teaching for Quality Learning at University, (McGraw-Hill
and Open University Press, Maidenhead)
 Increased international and national focus on education,
relevance and quality of education
 Bologna process (from Humboldt to vocational perspectives)
 Major changes in student intake, student background and
the funding of higher education
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Qualifications Framework for
Lifelong Learning
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Knowledge
Skills
Competences
• ”I know”
• ”I can”
• ”I do”
SOLO taxonomy
(Structure of Observed Learning Outcome)
Biggs and Tang (2007) p. 79
Challenges
 Universities, Colleges, Faculties, Head of studies, IT
departments and Educational developers have focus on
educational development
 Constructive alignment, solo taxonomy, activating teaching
and learning, ICT integration
 Faculty members are driven by research interest (content)
and legitimacy
 Education has legitimacy through history and standards
 Traditions are celebrated
 Normative isomorphism
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Legitimacy of the professor?
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Discuss in pairs
WHAT CAN BE DONE TO
OVERCOME THESE CHALLENGES?
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Incentive structure
Students
Department
Professor
Formulated in the legal document ”course description”
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The purpose of a course description?
 Legal insurance?
 Securing the professor in case of student complaints?
 Necessary bureaucracy?
 Something ”the system” requires
 Coordination document between the course responsible and
the professor teaching?
 ”Work package”
 Contract with the student?
”This is what you get, these are the terms,…”
 Marketing?
 Attract students
 …
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Content instead of context
 Example ”Strategy”
 The course covers topics of mission, goal, strategy
formulation, strategy implementation and strategy
evaluation. Strategic techniques include Industry: Analysis,
Analysis of the Competitive Environment, Key Success
Factors, Strategic Scenario Analysis and SWOT Analysis.
Additional topics covered include strategic thinking,
competitive advantage, vertical and horizontal integration,
and planning horizon.
 …and students, departments and professors are all happy!
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Constructive Alignment
- Aligning the course description?
Learning Outcome
Learning
Design
Assessment
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Teaching Method
Adjustment
Present
Future

Prerequisites


Purpose

Prerequisites

Purpose and learning aim (goal)


Learning aim



Content

Teaching form

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Progression in the education
 Builds on, leads to
Professional function, skills
Content/theme, Learning aim and
learning activity

(The correlation is described)

Allocation of different learning activities
according to ECTS

Evaluation/assessment
Eventually ECTS-allocation
Exam
Courses, professional skills, study skills


Formative
Summative (exam activities)
Internal consistency
Content/theme
Learning aim/SOLO
Learning activity
Formative evaluation /
Summative evaluation (exam activities)
From legal documents
to learning activities
An example of a study plan based on a new
course description!
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5 ECTS course corresponding to 135 student work hours
These 135 hours are allocated in the following way
Content
Theme 1:
Change
Theme 2:
Strategy
Theme 3:
Strategy and
Change
Learning activity
Reading semester literature
Student work
= 8 hours (2 hours pr. Week)
Participating in lectures and solving cases on
class
= 16 hours (4 hours pr. Week)
Finding and downloading journal articles from
SDUB
Total for Theme 1: 24 hours
In the period week 6 – week 9
= 2 hours
(6-8 hours pr. Group)
Reading scientific articles under guidance
from lecturer
= 20 hours (4 hours pr. Week)
Prepare and present articles with background
in the scientific articles
= 20 hours (4 hours pr. Week)
(60-80 hours pr. Group)
Participate in discussions
= 20 hours (4 hours pr. Week)
Reading semester literature
Total for Theme 2: 62 hours
In the period week 10 – week 14
= 6 hours (2 hours pr. Week)
Participating in lectures and solving cases on
class
= 12 hours (4 hours pr. Week)
Gathering data for the portfolio assignment
= 2 hours (6-8 hours pr. Group)
Develop a research question for the portfolio
assignment (must be approved by lecturer)
= 5 hours (15-20 hours pr. Group)
Write portfolio assignment in semester groups
= 10 hours (60-80 hours pr. Group)
Preparing and participating in the oral exam
= 14 hours
Total for Theme 3: 49 hours
In the period week 17 – week 23
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Workload on
group level
Workload on
group level
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Changing the nature of education
 Incentive structures and learning aims (goals) must be clear
 What is the purpose of higher education and courses?
 Formal and legal documents must have point of origin in
learning aims and learning design instead of bureaucracy
 That goes for IT and ICT as well 
 Clear contracts can help overcome the resistance-to-change
that students and faculty members have
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Questions and discussion
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