Newsletter October 2024
The PIL newsletter is published twice a year (April and October). This is a condensed version in English.
Welcome to PIL!
The Unit for Pedagogical Development and Interactive Learning (PIL) promotes stimulating pedagogy at the University of Gothenburg.
Apply for our courses from 16 October
The spring 2025 PIL courses (including modules) will open for applications on Wednesday 16 October at 9 a.m. Places are limited and will be assigned on a "first come, first served" basis. The courses may quickly be fully booked, so don't wait to apply. If you belong to Sahlgrenska Academy, please note the information below!
These courses are offered in English:
- Teaching and Learning in Higher Education 1: Basic Course (PIL101) – in the form of modules!
- Teaching and Learning in Higher Education 2: Subject Field Pedagogy (PIL102)
- Teaching and Learning in Higher Education 3: Applied Analysis (PIL103)
- Supervision in Postgraduate Programmes (PIL201)
- Assessment and Examination (PIL303) – for the first time in English, read more below!
Read more about PIL's courses offered in English
PIL101 is held as modules
The PIL course Teaching and Learning in Higher Education 1: Basic Course (PIL101) is held in the form of modules. In order to register PIL101 as completed in Ladok, you need to take the Introduction Module and the Legal Module. In addition, you need to take two elective modules that together comprise at least 65 hours. (Doctoral students at Natfak and Samfak have another option: special 65-hour modules held in collaboration with the respective faculty.)
In the spring of 2025, we offer eight elective modules in English:
- Microteaching (25 hours)
- Designing insightful writing tasks (25 hours) – new module
- Lesson Plan (40 hours)
- The Good Lecture (40 hours)
- Teaching methods to promote students’ critical information awareness (40 hours)
- Online teaching (40 hours) – new module
- Teaching methods for PhD students in natural science (65 hours; only for PhD students at the Faculty of Science)
- Teaching methods for PhD Students in social science (65 hours; only for PhD students at the Faculty of Social Sciences) – new module
Read more about PIL101 in the form of modules
Modules in Swedish only
These 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 inom högre utbildning, 40 h (”Feedback and dialogue in artistic processes within higher education”)
More information (in Swedish) about modules in Swedish
NB: Special application form for staff at Sahlgrenska
Do you belong to Sahlgrenska Academy (or VGR)? Then you must use a special application form for the courses PIL102, PIL103 and PIL201 (but not for PIL101 or PIL303). Application period for Sahlgrenska: 7 October – 3 November. After that period, submitted applications are ranked by your department.
Read more about the admission procedures for Sahlgrenska
For the first time in English: Assessment and Examination (PIL303)
The overall aim of the course is to enable participants to reason about, plan for, develop, implement, and evaluate various forms of assessment and examination based on literature and professional experience. In the course, the relationship between knowledge development, teaching, and assessment/examination is highlighted and problematized.
Read more about Assessment and Examination (PIL303)
PIL courses offered in Swedish
Information on PIL's courses offered in Swedish
Web resource on AI-generated material in higher education
In higher education, the development within so-called generative AI (where ChatGPT is probably the most well-known) has been a source of concern and many considerations. The PIL Unit has created a comprehensive web resource where the concept of generative AI is introduced, explained, and illuminated from various perspectives.
To the web resource on generative AI
Canvas module on academic honesty – now with a teacher's guide
Since last winter, Introduction to Academic Honesty is available as a module in the Canvas learning platform. This is a course aimed at students. For teachers who wish to work further with academic honesty with their students, there is now a teacher's guide for the course. The guide follows the course structure and provides suggestions for how to use the course's various sections in instruction.
Introduction to Academic Honesty focuses on writing with support from sources and providing guidance on honest approaches to student writing at the university. The module replaces the two Canvas modules Academic Integrity 1 and Academic Integrity 2.
Read more about the Canvas module on academic honesty
The PIL and Open University seminar series
PIL invites you to a series of seminars in cooperation with Open University (UK).
Two presentations about feedback: "Video feedback for assignments" and "Peer feedback – supervising by means of Padlet"
Gerry Howley and Ximena Arias-Manzano (Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Languages at Open University) present the project Video feedback for assignments: The emotional impact of hearing the tutor. Anna Thorén (The PIL Unit) gives the presentation Peer feedback – supervising by means of Padlet.
Tuesday 22 October at 15:00–16:30. The seminar takes place in Teams.
More workshops and seminars in English
Mastering student understanding: strategies for formative assessments with Mentimeter
Thursday, October 17th 2024 at 4:00 PM
Lunch webinar on generative AI: Large Language Models in Essay Assessment
With Magnus Lundgren. No registration required.
Friday 6 December at 12:05 to 12:30.
More information on PIL's workshops and seminars offered in English
Five questions for Monica Bertilsson, newly appointed Excellent Teacher
Monica Bertilsson works at the Institute of Medicine. In August, she was appointed Excellent Teacher at the University of Gothenburg.
Read the interview with Monica here