Teaching and Learning in Higher Education 1: Basic Course (PIL101)
Since spring 2023, PIL101 is offered in the form of modules. Two of the modules are mandatory, while the others are elective.
The mandatory modules offer an introduction to the pedagogical context in higher education and students' learning in higher education settings. They also address key aspects shaping higher education in Sweden, such as equality, ethics, and the laws, regulations, and local policy documents that govern university teachers’ work. The elective modules have specific focuses. For instance, they may concentrate on a particular teaching method or be tailored to the needs of a specific faculty.
Please note: The modules are open only to those who are employed or have a teaching assignment at the University of Gothenburg, are accepted to or are completing their doctoral studies at GU, or are otherwise affiliated with the university.
Scope: 140 hours or more, depending on your choice of modules. Read more below!
Prerequisites: You must have a Degree of Bachelor or equivalent.
Admission principle: We apply the admission principle "first come, first served", based on the time and date when a complete application is submitted.
Course of studies
We recommend you to take PIL101 before PIL102. To get admittance to PIL103, you must have passed both PIL101 (or HPE101) and PIL102 (or HPE102), or have qualifications assessed as equal by a faculty at the University of Gothenburg.
About the modules
In order to register PIL101 as completed in Ladok, you need to take the Introduction Module (60 hours) and the Legal Module (15 hours). In addition, you need to take two elective modules that together comprise at least 65 hours.
The elective modules comprise either 40 or 25 hours. You can meet the 65-hour requirement in two ways:
- Read two elective modules of 40 hours each,
or - Read an elective module of 40 hours and one of 25 hours.
(Doctoral students at Faculty of Science and Technology and Faculty of Social Sciences have a third option: special 65-hour modules held in collaboration with the respective faculty.)
All participants must start with the Introduction Module. After completing that module, you can take the other three modules in the order that suits you best. (Thus, it is fine to take the Legal Module last.) When you have completed all four modules successfully, you have achieved the equivalent of a full PIL101 course and can register PIL101 in Ladok. Read more about the modules under Module descriptions below.
With some modules, you can choose whether you want to take the module on campus or online. You do not have to take all four modules during the same term. If you want to take more modules than four, that's fine.
In the autumn of 2025, we offer seven elective modules in English. They are listed below under the headline Module descriptions.
The two mandatory modules are also offered in English: Introduction to Teaching and Learning in Higher Education and the Legal Module.
The following elective modules are only offered in Swedish:
- Tillgänglig och inkluderande undervisning, 25 h (Accessible and inclusive teaching)
- Seminariet som undervisningsform, 40 h (The seminar as a form of teaching)
- Högskolepedagogiska perspektiv på verksamhetsförlagd lärarutbildning, 40 h (Higher education perspectives on work placement in teacher education)
- Feedback och dialog i konstnärliga processer, 40 h (Feedback and dialogue in artistic processes) – not offered in autumn 2025
NOTE I: You can take two or more modules at the same time, as long as no scheduled activities conflict. However, you must have completed Introduction to Teaching and Learning in Higher Education before starting any other module. Consequently, it is not possible to take the Introduction in parallel with any other module.
NOTE II: All scheduled activities in all modules are mandatory and require attendance, unless otherwise stated in the module description.
Two purposes for the modules
Since spring 2023, PIL101 is offered as modules. This has two purposes:
– To offer participants increased flexibility to schedule PIL101 course work alongside teaching and research commitments.
– To give opportunities for PIL and individual faculties to offer specialized modules based, for instance, on the needs of individual faculties.
Schedules
Schedule links for the modules can be found at the top of each module description, see below.
For a quick overview over the modules and their respective time slots, see the following document:
Several of the modules are offered more than once per term. It is fine to apply for more than one time period. It is possible to prioritize among the time periods – you enter "1" for your first choice, "2" for your second choice, etc.
Module descriptions
Click on the module names to read more about the various modules. Please note that this page only covers modules held in English. For schedule links to both Swedish and English modules, please visit the Swedish page.
How to apply
When you fill in your application, you choose when you want to take the various modules. Information about which time periods you can choose from can be found in the module descriptions above. If you apply for several time periods for the same module, you can prioritize them in your application.
Before you apply, you need to have your participation approved by your head of department.
In order to apply, you need an x-account (which must be active throughout all the modules).
Registration of PIL101 – and how to find your badges
You are awarded a badge after each completed module. When you have completed the mandatory and the elective modules, you can apply to have PIL101 registered in Ladok. In the application form you need to add the links to your badges.
How to find your badges and register PIL101 in Ladok
Once PIL101 is registered in Ladok, you can order a transcript of records.
How to obtain a transcript of completed courses
Information for doctoral students
Have you taken PIL101 as a compulsory course in your doctoral studies? If so: When you have obtained a transcript of completed courses (see above), you should hand it to the person who is the administrator (or equivalent) for your doctoral studies. That person registers the course as approved in Ladok for doctoral studies.
Missed mandatory components
In the event of missed mandatory course components, participants may be eligible for a make-up assignment. This option is available for twelve months after the module has ended. After this period, we cannot guarantee that this opportunity will remain. The module teacher will inform participants about which components may be subject to make-up assignments.
Questions?
If you have questions, please contact the PIL Unit: pil@gu.se
Additional information
