Higher Education Pedagogy The specialization of Education MA Higher Education Pedagogy is a one of the specializations of the Education MA program of the Faculty of Education and Psychology of ELTE University (Budapest). Students choosing this specialization have various backgrounds so heterogeneity is a significant feature of the student groups participating in the program of Higher Education Pedagogy. Some students enter this specialization directly from an Education BA program, others arrive from other BA programs, some of them already have a MA degree and some also have work experience. Students interest can also be various. They might have a general interest in education and within this a particular interest for higher education. They might also have general interest for higher education and use the education MA to develop competencies in this field. Some of the students have a strong theoretical interest, but most of them also wish to deal with practical problems. The aim of the Higher Education Pedagogy program is to prepare students to be able to: do research and analyze problems in the field of higher education, act as consultants in the field of higher education, support strategic planning in higher education institutions, organize services to support the activities of higher education, plan, support and evaluate development programs and actions in higher education in the following areas: o support learning in higher education, including personal counselling, o support teaching in higher education, counselling in designing learning activities, o planning and developing curricula, programs, learning environments, o managing development projects, o support innovations in higher education institutions, o support leadership and quality management in higher education, teach in higher education and permanently reflect on her/his activity, do similar activities in the field of adult education. Learning outcomes: The competencies to be acquired by the time the program is completed are based on the needs of the activities mentioned earlier. To successfully accomplish these activities students need various competencies based on knowledge, abilities and attitudes. Competencies, students completed this specialization expected to gain: 1. Knowledge: Broad and interdisciplinary knowledge of higher education pedagogy, of national and international higher educational practice, of trends of research and development Knowledge of the evolution of higher education systems and broad information on the main international trends of higher education policy Knowledge of the relevant outcomes of other scientific areas (andragogy, psychology, sociology) to higher and adult education Understanding the challenges higher education institutions and systems are facing; understand and analyze the national and international social, political, legal, economical context of higher education Knowledge about the possibilities of supporting experiential learning and personal development.
2. Skills: Ability to support, design and organize learning environments in accordance with the individual learning attitudes of students in higher or adult education; the ability to design and support personal learning Ability to inspire, support, organize, prepare and assess the development of new study programs, educational and organizational forms, methods, curricula Ability to do research in higher and adult education connected to the challenges in teaching and learning which can be the basis of adequate developmental ideas and solutions proper to the given educational context Ability to design and organize research and development in higher education, ability to successfully lead and organize projects and support the work of groups Ability to solve problems creatively in organizing learning and the ability to find solutions appropriate to the needs of the given group and to the features of the given organization Ability to lead professional training and study programs organized for students and teachers in higher and adult education. Attitudes: Commitment to continuous professional development, openness to continuously renew the pedagogical culture of institutions Openness to innovations in higher and adult education, and to initiate educational developments Commitment to support the development of students learning, the development of their personal competencies and their ability of self directed learning Demonstrate ethical commitment in support teaching and learning Commitment to evidence based analysis and to reflect on his/ her own work, to organisational and leadership transparency Willingness to participate in self-development programs
Course Credit points Main learning objectives Psychology of Youth and Adulthood 2 The aim of this course is to provide knowledge of: the psychological state of students participating in higher education, those social changes that affected the typical events of emerging adulthood and had influence on the features of adulthood, the challenges met by students entering adulthood, how to manage successfully these challenges, mentoring and the precondition of a mentor-student relationship. Teaching and Learning Support 4 The aim of this course is to develop student s competence in understanding the challenges faced by professors as the result of the changing aims of learning in higher education. The course prepares students to be able to create learning environments in the light of modern theories of learning and teaching and prepares students to be able to create learning environments adequately to the context, and the needs of the given institution or learning situation. The Development of Study Programs in Adult and Higher Education 4 The aim of this course is to prepare students for designing study programs, curricula and learning environments autonomously or as a member of a team. The theoretical basis and the practical elements of the program are determined by the needs of the given student group, by the state of their skills, attitudes and knowledge. The course supports the development of competencies which make the students experts in designing study programs and in re-designing programs in an adaptive way. Students are also expected to be able to analyze and organize activities connected to designing study programs. ICT and elearning in Higher Education 4 The aim of this course is to prepare students for developing e-learning systems and other systems which support teaching and learning in an institution. Students are also expected to be able to support the functioning of these systems in operation. The course gives insight into the role of these systems in practice and their role in supporting the organization of learning in higher education. The course inspires students to define the possible role of higher education in the information society. It also helps students to form their own view, and identify developmental aims. The student s activity is based on the use of ICT and web 2.0 tools.
Sociology of Higher Education 2 The aim of this course is to give insight into the main features of higher education systems, the dynamics and the internal component of the systems. The aim of this course is to show the social, economical, legal and cultural context of higher education and the impact of higher education on social, economical, legal and cultural processes. Students are expected to gain the ability of examine the pedagogical processes in the comprehensive context of social dynamics in their own practice. The Higher Education Institution The course gives insight into the relationship between pedagogical and management processes, helps students understanding the relation between the higher education institution and it s social, economical, cultural environment and influential interests, transmitted by policies. Students are expected to understand the role of institutional management in supporting the activities (education and LLL, research, third track) of the institutions. Students are expected to understand the features of the relationship between pedagogical and management processes and to be able to diagnose the specialties of management in a given higher educational institution. The Legal Aspects of Higher Education 2 The course gives an overview of the legal environment of higher education, the principles of legal regulation and the structure of the higher education administrative system. Students are expected to be able to design their activities and work adequately to the legal environment of higher education. Higher Education Policy The course provides knowledge of the trends of current national and international higher education policy, it shows the actors and components of creating policies. The course gives insight into those tools and processes which are aimed to steer higher education systems and those that are aimed to implement policies at institutional level. Students are expected to see the connection between the aims and tools of higher education policy and their impact on higher education pedagogy. Higher Education and Research The aim of this course is to help students to be able to understand the research function of higher education and its connection with the national research and innovation system. It offers a basic understanding of the principles of scientific research as a social system.
Project management The aim of this course is to give insight into the world of project management, prepare students to design, organize and manage educational and higher educational projects. The course is based on the designing of a concrete project and creating a concrete tender to gain financial support for this project. The course supports the innovative and creative ideas of students in these activities. Strategic Management and Institution Development The aim of this course is to clear the definition of strategic management and institutional development and give insight into trends, challenges and current practices in this field. Students are provided with knowledge on the relevant national and international problem areas and the main principles and practices of implementing and evaluating developmental programs. Students are expected to be able to discover, identify and structure challenges and problems, create developmental concepts and actively participate in or lead the implementation of a strategy. Students are expected to able to plan and support the operational work based on a strategy, and they are expected to understand the values and risks of working with a strategy as compared to spontaneous functioning. Students are also expected to understand the possible alternatives of strategic management. Quality in Higher Education The aim of this course is to provide knowledge of the meaning of quality in higher education, of its theoretical background and of the existing models and techniques of quality management. Students are expected to be able to adaptively apply these in practice (in managing an organizational innovation, in discovering and developing an organization and in managing the program on quality assurance of an institution). Leading groups and working in groups 6 The aim of these courses is to give insight into being and working in groups, and leading different groups. The courses provide knowledge of the theories of organizational culture. Students are expected to be able to understand and analyze concrete situations, and offer alternatives solving the possible problems of being in, working in and leading groups.