This statement came from an otherwise sober-minded fellow professor when I discussed the impending EUU seminar (or teaching days for academic staff at K1 and K2). The wording in K2Nytt 34 was: “The teaching days are mandatory for teachers in main positions.”

Research (gaining new knowledge) is of course highly rated in our university environment and merits are measured with publication points, annual PhD degrees and research awards. But knowledge must be communicated (taught) and the university as the highest level educational institution has a particular responsibility to provide updated scientific but also educational excellence in teaching! We know that we value expertise, but what about teaching methods? Have we (you …) something to learn?

On the first day (October 1st PM 9-12) of the upcoming seminar (program, registration), a review of the new curriculum for medicine is presented. The first group of students has already started this fall and early on they will attend clinical department rounds, so we will meet them soon. The teaching program will be redistributed within and between semesters, what does that mean for your teaching? Clinical procedures / skills training, how do we train and evaluate this? Decentralized teaching (at Haugesund, Førde and SUS), who is responsible for what?

Today’s students are technological competent and continuously online. Can we utilize that to improve our teaching? On the second day (October 14th) the three other universities will present their experience with E-learning. Canvas is the new E-learning system to be used at UiB and Inspera is our new digital examination platform.

To counter allergia obligatoria, we end with this reformulated call to all with teaching commitments: COME AND BE INSPIRED!

Jone Trovik