It’s now been a week since the Faculty hosted its very first Inspiration day for science teachers, and I must say I still smile when I think about it. It may sound simple, but for me the most valuable part was that we met in person. That we took a bold step and brought together teachers from across the Faculty – something we had never done before – to talk about teaching, share experiences and ideas, and hopefully leave the day with renewed inspiration.
A shared responsibility for education
One theme that ran through the entire day was trust. Dr Rachel Forsyth, Educational Development Officer at the Unit for Educational Services, captured it perfectly in her talk: the importance of trust, not only in the classroom and between teachers and students, but also among students themselves and between colleagues. Trust is the foundation for good teaching and meaningful learning.
This became very clear to me during the day as we heard different examples and personal reflections from teachers. As teachers, we need to trust that students take responsibility for their learning. Students need to trust each other – that everyone contributes to group work – and they also need to feel that their teachers care and are there for them. Building trust at every level is something we do together.
This has been on my mind all week, and in fact ever since I started my role as Vice-Dean for first and second cycle education: our shared responsibility to develop our teaching, and to create a sense of confidence, engagement and relevance in our programmes together.
We do not teach for our own sake, but for our students, for society and for the labour market. To ensure our programmes remain relevant, engaging and sustainable, we must dare to let go of “my course”, that small piece of ownership that sometimes makes it hard to see the bigger picture. We need to think as a whole community, which involves everyone from the Faculty Management and Directors of Studies to individual teachers.
For us in the Faculty Management, it’s not only about numbers and resources. It’s about creating equal conditions for all departments to provide high-quality education and research. That’s our guiding principle. It’s also about how we prioritise and sometimes, in a transparent and respectful way, phase out what no longer works or what we don’t have the capacity to maintain. We can’t do everything, and that’s why we must stand together in those decisions, not guard our individual territories.
The Faculty takes the lead with a Learning Lab
Another thing I’m really looking forward to is the development of our Learning Lab in the Astronomy Building, which is a flexible, experimental environment where the Faculty will serve as a testbed for new pedagogical approaches. We’re doing this together with the Humanities and Theology Faculties, which I find particularly inspiring, and the project is led by Akademiska Hus.
The aim is to create a space that encourages new ways of teaching with chairs, tables, screens and whiteboards on wheels. Even the tables can serve as whiteboards . The room will be adaptable to different teaching styles, ideally shaped together with the students. The physical space plays such an important role in learning, and in the Astronomy Building we’re also exploring how to make use of the courtyard as part of the learning environment. Another key element will be the pedagogical and technical support available to help teachers make the most of the space.
If the Learning Lab concept proves successful here, there’s potential to scale it up and establish similar spaces across campus. It’s both exciting and important that we get to take the lead in shaping how future learning environments might look.
Last week marked the first of four workshops to develop a shared vision for how the room could be designed and used. Teachers from the Faculties of Science and Humanities and Theology, student representatives, and project managers from Akademiska Hus and LU Estates all took part.
The workshop was held in the Astronomy Building which will also house a new study centre currently in development. In just a few years, the building will be filled with students, making it the perfect place to test new ideas in practice. Our students will be using the space from day one!
Together, we’re putting key pieces in place to build a strong scientific identity and sense of belonging – and to create a vibrant, modern Faculty where our students can thrive, be inspired, and grow.
/ Charlotta Turner, Vice-Dean for first and second cycle education.
