Course Overview & Dates

Welcome to Higher education didactics for sustainability!

March 13-17

During this first week the focus is to get familiar with Canvas and the learning spaces here, that you will be using in the course. This is a week for trying out the different tools here. Next week you will be connecting with your PBL group and getting to know each other.

Responsible for this week: Lotta Fröjdfeldt

Activities during getting started week

For all learners

Getting started with HEDS231: main course site

All the information you need about the course is available here on Canvas. The HEDS course site is where you will find information and guidance for participation in the HEDS231 course.

Check out the "Modules" page in the course menu (on the left in Canvas).
Read through information about the course, most information that you need should be there.
Look at the Course overview (course home page) for information about course topics and scheduled common course activities/webinars.
Check out How to participate and course requriements
Check out the directions for the Individual learning reflections during this course
Please also fill in the consent for recording our webinars
If you want to dig deeper into this course in the module "Good to know".

Social media (optional)

The hashtag of the course is #HEDS231. By posting about this course you can have discussions with other participants, but also previous participants and other interested about the course, the community, the approach and the content.

The course is open to everyone to "tag along" - Independent learner

The course site and the webinars is open for anyone to join. So you could just "tag along" and dive into whatever your interest is, and learn as you go. You are very welcome to join the course this way, but then you won't recieve a certificate.

Course synchronous activity

Introduction meeting

Monday March 13, 3-4 pm (CET)

with Lotta Fröjdfeldt and the course team. We will guide you through this course and community.

🌍 Please check your timezone

Recording of this webinar

The slides from the webinar

Menti results from the webinar

Activities for registered participants (part of a PBL group)

When you are admitted:

When you are admitted to the course, you will receive an email with an invite to the course.

Then:

Setting up your personal information and preferences

Do you want to use the app? There are multiple apps for Canvas, Here you can use the app called "Canvas Student", because you will be a student in this course. The app is not neccessary for the course, but in your group you can find it useful.

In Canvas you can set your, photo, email address and your preferred notifications, both for computer and the Canvas app. This is all reached through the "Account" option on the left hand menu, in Canvas in the "computer version".

Getting started with the HEDS231 discussion spaces

All institutional and open learners who have been admitted and created an HEDS account, will have access to the ONL231 discussions when logged in. Independent learners who are not registered will not have access to these. If you experience problems with access, please contact someone in the course team.

The HEDS231 discussion spaces is the place where discussions and sharing will take place. From the main menu in Canvas, selection "Groups", you will also find your PBL group space that will open for the Connecting week. In this closed group for your PBL group most of the course work will take place. Groups can share and discuss in their own environment, and then post their final "product" in the discussion for that topic so that other groups can see it. Here are a few things you should do:

Present yourself to the community in the participant presentation discussion
The course will be much more meaningful and enjoyable if we take the time to get to know each other and share some information and a pictures of ourselves.
Check the other learners’ introductions in the discussion and comment to start off the discussions.

Personal learning reflections

The course reflections are an important part of your learning process. In HEDS you will publish your reflections on each topic in the topic discussion forums. One initial, and then four separate topic-reflections, and also two comments per topic on other peoples' reflections, are required if you want to receive a certificate for the course. Instructions and suggestions for this will be posted for every topic. You can answer with text or film directly into the discussion or link to a resource, if you for instanace want to have a personal blog.

Read about, discuss and familiarize yourself with the HEDS design including using the FISh model for collaborative inquiry.

Aims

By the end of this week, you will have had the opportunity to:

Familiarize yourself with Canvas and the learning spaces and tools for the HEDS course
Make your first contribution to the HEDS231 community by posting a personal presentation

Checklist

Help!

If you have any questions about using the learning spaces mentioned above or any other difficulties in getting started with the course we have arranged a number of drop-in video meeting (Zoom) times where one of the course team will be waiting to help you. Only available during the times listed below.

The HEDS helpdesk is available at: the introductionary meeting, or contect one of us organizers.

All times in this course are posted in Central European Time – CET (from March 21st CEST)

Readings and other resources

We recommend two articles, please consider them optional and see our comments below.

Savin-Baden, M., (2014) Problem-based learning: New constellations for the 21stCentury. Journal of Excellence in College Teaching 25 (3/4) 197-219. (direct download)
If you are not so familiar with PBL and collaborative learning, this article (and the whole journal issue) could be a good starting point.
Kek, M. & Huijser, H. (2015). 21st century skills: problem based learning and the University of the Future. Paper Third 21st Century Academic Forum Conference, Harvard, Boston, USA.
This one is more “inspiring” and maybe preferable if you already know something about PBL.