APPLICATION FOR A CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE IN UNIVERSITY EDUCATION STATUS FOR THE YEARS 2010-2012 1 Mission of the unit 1.1 Human resources and the background of the application The multinational and multicultural personnel of the Language Centre (LC) consist of 35.5 full time teachers with post-specific qualifications and 7 administrative or managerial employees. In addition, the LC retains a varying number of part-time teachers. The present application for a centre of excellence in university education status has been prepared on the initiative of the LC s Teaching Development Group (TDG). The information to be presented here has mostly been collected from the materials of the LC s annual KEHU-workshop were recent pedagogical developments and newly-discovered good practices are introduced by the teachers. 1.2 LC s Role and Educational Function The LC acts within the university as a provider of expert services in the fields of communicative skills, intercultural communication, and languages for specific purposes (LSP). Its primary function is to provide statutory language instruction for university undergraduates according to the requirements of the various degree programmes. In addition, the LC offers optional language courses for both undergraduate and postgraduate students to enhance the acquisition of versatile language, communication and intercultural skills. The LC is also in charge of the teaching of Finnish for incoming foreign students and researchers as well as of the language and cultural coaching of outgoing exchange students. Besides its teaching function, the LC supports the university s international research, education and administration-related communication activities by offering translation, language revision and consultation services and by providing support and training for those teachers who undertake the teaching of content courses in English. Moreover, the unit has assumed an increasingly important role as a provider of resources for academic study skills. In its various fields of activity, the LC operates in close collaboration with its interest groups, both within and outside the university. 2. Programme and course design 2.1 Curriculum work Besides statutes and degrees, LC curriculum design and implementation are affected by the national and European language education policies, strategic orientations of the university, faculty views of language-education needs in various degree programmes, and working-life requirements of language and communication skills. In addition, the LC curriculum must be harmonized with the curricula of other national and foreign organisations of similar standing. 2.2 Research as a source professional knowledge The instruction provided at the LC draws on LSP research and the study of applied linguistics. The LC teachers need research-based knowledge about the varieties of LSP they are focusing on, methodological solutions suitable for the teaching of LSP and aspects of intercultural communication. The teachers have assumed a reflective approach towards their work from which research topics frequently emerge. As an example of such reflective work orientation the recently published doctoral dissertation Korkeakoulututkintoihin kuuluvan ruotsin kielen taidon osoittaminen: Korkeakoulujen ruotsinopettajien käsityksiä virkamiesruotsin merkityssisällöistä ja sen taitotasovaatimusosan toteutumisesta by Hannu Niemi should be 1
2 mentioned. The author works as a lecturer in Swedish at the LC and the topic of the dissertation has arisen from reflection on a work-related problem. The LC personnel have published LSP research articles relating, for example, to German newspaper language, contract English, and scientific English of various disciplines. Because research questions typically arise from LC teaching practice, there is usually a demand for the application of the findings. For example, the LC has been offering for the last few years a Contract English course whose focal content is based on the findings of research conducted at the LC and published in various linguistic journals. The LC has set up a Research Ring to promote research activities in the unit. The Research Ring provides a forum for the LC personnel to introduce their research projects, discuss the theoretical underpinnings of the instruction provided, plan shared research projects, and find out about financing opportunities. The Research Ring seeks cooperation with the language departments of the Faculty of Humanities and with the Centre for Applied Language Studies at the University of Jyväskylä. 2.3 Lifelong learning The promotion of lifelong learning requires not only a provision of educational continuums but also enhanced support for the acquisition of the necessary learning skills. It is distinctive of the LC curriculum that it seeks to highlight the learning skills that promote lifelong learning as veins that run through all the LC courses. Such learning skills-related veins include, for instance, general language learning strategies, the principles of intercultural communication, and learner autonomy. The LC has enhanced its role as a promoter of the students academic learning skills (learning to learn skills, social skills, communicative skills, skills of critical thinking, information search skills, affective skills, reflective skills, working life conventions, creativity and general education) by having developed new home pages with links to learning support materials and by including in its provision an Internet-based Academic Learning Skills course. The course has been compiled by the Open University in cooperation with several universities and awarded a special prize by the Ministry of Education. The LC has contributed to the construction of the course by developing for it modules of scientific communication, intercultural communication and foreign language learning. These modules were first offered in the Open University curriculum in spring 2008. 3 Delivery of Education 3.1 Education pertaining to the LC s primary function The LC provides instruction in the following 9 languages: English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian, Spanish, and Swedish. In addition, beginner s courses of Chinese and Portuguese can be studied at the Open University under the authorization of the LC. Moreover, after a break of a few years, instruction of Arabic will now be reincorporated into the Open University curriculum. Other languages may be studied through self-access. Multilingualism is promoted by maintaining provision in as wide a range of languages as financially possible. The LC also supports each student s ability to acquire an individual multilingual language proficiency profile by offering the study module of Language, Culture and Communication Studies into which language and cultural studies can be included according to the student s choice. Opportunities for the study of those languages that are less frequently taught in Finland are further enhanced by the LC s co-operation with the Oulu University of Applied Sciences. 3.2 Other instruction to support the university s international activities The staff training provided by the LC has primarily consisted of courses of English and Finnish-medium scientific writing targeted at the researchers and postgraduate students
employed by the university. To support content teaching in English, the LC offered in spring term 2008 language instruction to economics teachers (English for Economics Teachers). During the spring term 2008, the LC has cooperated with various departments in the university administration to plan large scale support measures for emerging English-medium content teaching. As a result, in fall 2008, a training course Support for English-medium teaching in the University Programmes (SET-UP) will be launched and initially targeted to the teachers of English-medium master programmes. LC expertise in LSP has also been utilized by various departments of university administration for whose staff the LC has, e.g., organized instruction in contract English. 3.3 Teaching methods and materials In its Quality Assessment Manual and Self-Assessment Matrix, the LC has defined its teaching quality goals as versatile language-didactics, LSP-theory and research based teaching methods and materials that enhance lifelong learning, learner autonomy, a sense of community, and research-based learning. The teaching methods (e.g., PBL, case study, or various IT-technology applications) and materials are chosen with the target group and the distinctive features of the target field of study in view, and language and content teaching are integrated where appropriate. The quality goals for teaching materials include authenticity, topicality, and representativeness with respect to the information structure of each target field of study and the core knowledge of the target curriculum. The attainment of the above quality goals is enhanced by the availability of resources such as the LC s new self-access study centre and multi-media classrooms. The LC has also made an effort to improve study guidance by creating new home pages and course descriptions, and by organizing an annual info day to supplement the info occasions organized by the faculties. Moreover, through its creative and flexible methodological solutions, the LC also seeks to promote the successful completion of its courses by students with disabilities and learning difficulties. 3.4 Learning assessment practices The quality criteria set by the LC for learning assessment practices highlight the versatility of the available practices and the use of national and international standards as a basis of assessment (e.g., The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, the national assessment criteria for the Swedish civil service language proficiency examination). The versatility of the assessment criteria is a necessary requirement for compatible assessment criteria to be found for various learning goals and methods. Whenever possible, individual feedback is provided to support in-depth learning. For all LC courses, the target proficiency levels have been defined based on the above mentioned CEFR-standards. In addition, the students are instructed to assess their own language skills using the CEFR standards and to use the European Language Portfolio to document their language learning history. 4 Achieved outputs 4.1 Integration of language teaching and substance teaching LSP teaching is inherently related to the contents of the target field of study. Accordingly, emerging opportunities for the integration have been utilized as follows: - In the Faculty of Natural Sciences, the English for Biochemistry II course has been integrated to a course of protein chemistry. The project involves collaboration between the professor of biochemistry and an English teacher. - In the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration course integration has been practiced over several years. Examples of integrated English courses include Field-related Integrated Studies -course and the Integrated Text course. The Finnish-medium Scientific 3
Communication course has been integrated with the seminar of intermediate economics studies. - In the Faculty of Technology, the Finnish-medium study module Scientific Communication for Industrial Engineering and Management can be completed in connection with the Industrial Engineering Practice and Report Writing course. Another experiment in the same department is the integration of content with Finnish and English teaching in the course Genre-based Tutorial for Students of Industrial Engineering and Management. In addition, a cooperative Thesis Support project has recently been launched. The course combines assistance in information search skills and Finnishmedium scientific writing for students with delayed graduation. - In the English-medium Scientific Communication course of the Faculty of Medicine, students collect, discuss and present information on topics suggested by their medical teachers. The Scientific Communication writing group has been integrated with the medical Pain Treatment course. 4.2 Resources for Web-supported Learning and Teaching The bulk of the LC courses involve Web-supported studying or use of electronic learning environments (Optima Discendum). LC teachers have participated together with representatives of their various interest groups in the development Web-supported teaching, which has consequently become an integral part of LC provision: - Fachorientiertes Schreiben is a Web-based course to enhance German-medium writing skills in professional and scientific writing. The course has been collaboratively developed by a group of German teachers from various university language centres. - Caminando por mundos hispanos is a Web-supported multimedia course, which is the product by several Spanish teachers from a number of university language centres. - The Academic Writing in English (AWE) project has produced online materials to support English-medium academic writing in the fields of natural and technical sciences. - The Writer s ABC licence has been developed by the teachers of several university language centres working in collaboration. It involves Web-based learning pages that enable autonomous learning of Finnish-medium writing and text-revision skills. - The Täkymomus project is a joint virtual university venture implemented by five units of the University of Oulu. Two LC Finnish teachers have participated in project and developed several Web-supported courses for the teaching of Finnish. 4.3 Intercultural communication Instruction provided at the LC on cultural knowledge and intercultural communication has been created by several LC teachers working in collaboration, and it draws not only on theoretical knowledge but also on the versatile cultural competence of the LC teachers. The following courses are offered: - A Crosscut Across of Cultures (ACAC) course, which is meant for both students and staff, presents an overview of the cultures represented by the multicultural LC personnel. The course also incorporates a language immersion unit in a language previously unknown to the students. - The Finland From the Outside In course aims to help learners develop their intercultural competence by giving them an opportunity to see their own culture with the eyes of a foreigner. The course is offered for both the student and the staff. - Introduction to Intercultural Communication is a course for the economics students - The Research in Intercultural Communication course provides an explorative learning approach to intercultural communication for the students of economics. 4
5 4.4 Communal learning in a multilingual and multicultural learning environment The LC provides various shared language learning opportunities for exchange and domestic students: In Tandem study two students with different native languages work together on a project teaching each other and learning each other s language under the guidance of LC teachers. Café Lingua and Language Games Evenings bring students together to practice various languages by participating in the discussions conducted in different languages at different tables of the Lingua Café or by playing board games in different languages. The students collect ECTS credits from these activities by having attendance recorded in their language passports. 4.5 Support for scientific writing The LC organizes courses to promote the linguistic quality of English and Finnish medium theses, and articles to be submitted for publication: - The Tutorial in Academic Writing (TAR) course provides a tutorials-based approach to supporting students who want to write their Bacherlor s or Master s thesis in English or prepare research reports for publication. - English for Medical Conferences and Scientific Writing, Scientific Writing for Postgraduate Students of Economics, and Advanced Writing in English (the latter sold and tailored for the Postgraduate School of the University of Lapland) are courses which approach scientific writing from the perspectives of textlinguistic theory and genreanalysis. - Further projects involving the promotion of Finnish and English medium scientific writing include the Thesis support - integration project (see 4.1) and the JoTuT-project (see 5.3). 5 Continual development 5.1 Forums for teaching development and maintenance of professional competence LC teachers have participated over the years in several teaching development projects launched by the Network of Finnish University Language Centres (FINELC) and funded by the Ministry of Education. The latest project undertaken by the network focuses on quality assurance, and the development of quality assessment systems and curriculum work. The LC has its representation in these FINELC projects as well. The FINELC, and through it the Finnish language centres, are also involved in active cooperation with the European Confederation of Language Centres in Higher Education (CercleS), a similar organisation covering the whole European Higher Education Area. The LC has also had linguistics and language didactics-related cooperation with the Murmansk State Pedagogical University and the University of Lapland. The unit-internal teaching development work of the LC takes place as curriculum work, as part of the Teaching Development Group s (TDG) work, or is conducted by individual teachers or teams of teachers. LC teachers and teams of teachers have actively applied for the University s teaching development grants, and the applications have frequently been successful. The LC personnel, who have pedagogical qualifications included in their degrees, maintain their professional competence by attending scientific conferences and seminars, and various professional training events. Many teachers are also pursuing postgraduate studies or conducting research side by side with their teaching work. In addition, the personnel are highly skilled in the use of IT-learning technology. Teacher exchange, which constitutes an important element of professional development and enables international benchmarking, has recently also been launched.
5.2 The use of feedback information LC teachers collect teaching and learning-related feedback from their students in all courses. In addition, the students may send feedback electronically directly to the director of the LC. More general feedback about the various functions of the LC has also been collected by means of student inquiries. The latest of them was a 27-page questionnaire which was compiled by two LC teachers and focused on the learning of language and communication skills at the LC in general. However, the choice of methods for feedback collection and analysis still poses a developmental challenge that is being discussed by the TDG in connection with other quality assurance procedures. To base its quality improvement measures on multifaceted information the LC also follows relevant working life surveys. 5.3 Teaching development projects The LC teachers and other personnel are currently involved in many projects aimed to enhance the quality of teaching and learning. Such projects include the following: - Key to the Language Centre: The object of the project is to make the operation of the LC more visible for its various interest groups and to provide students with adequate material for the development of academic abilities and learning skills. The university has awarded funding for the project for the years 2007 and 2008. - Shared materials to support postgraduate studies and research by means of an adaptable information management system (JoTuT): The project is a joint venture involving the university library, the LC and some other interest groups. The LC is in charge of the production of a scientific writing item to be included in the JoTuT materials. - Svenska nu: The project aims to revitalize the teaching of Swedish, support the teachers, and extend the cultural provision. The guidance group of the project consists of representatives of several national interest groups (i.a., The Finnish National Board of Education) and of the LC and the Swedish philology as representatives of the local university. - Harmonization of the language revision assessment criteria for the maturity test: This joint project involves 8 university language centres. - Development of continuation courses of German: The project is part of the LC curriculum development work and its aims to develop a German studies continuum from the school to the university and to create clear learning paths. - The national TIE RAP project, in which the LC has a central role, constitutes the reporting phase of the Transparency in English project (TIE). The project aims to enhance transparency in course description and assessment practices at the Finnish language centres, thus facilitating student mobility. 5.4 Challenges and problems The LC has compiled a Quality Assessment Manual and Self-Assessment Matrix which highlight 5 aspects from which LC operation may be assessed. These aspects include 1) primary function, 2) development work, 3) management, 4) support functions, and 5) assessment. For each of the above aspects, critical success factors with goals, measures for the attainment of the goals, and goal attainment assessment criteria have been defined. The attainment of the goals relating to each of the success factors involves problems and challenges. For example, the promotion of multilingualism through LC provision and the meeting of the demands set by the working life for language, communication and intercultural skills are challenges to which the LC seeks to respond through curriculum work. Similarly, new support measures are required for the university s increasing international activities. In addition, LC research needs to be promoted. A prerequisite of the latter is the availability of appropriate researcher posts. All of the above challenges call for determined development work. 6