Teacher-training course design: a case study

Purpose This study aims to share experiences of an easy to adapt service-learning approach in a graduate course on life cycle assessment (LCA). Specifically, it reports on how students helped the university’s cafeteria to assess meals by conducting an LCA for 25 meals and identifying environmental hotspots. Design/methodology/approach A descriptive case study of a graduate course at Ulm University is presented. The course included lectures and problem-based exercises, both theoretical and software assisted. A course evaluation was conducted during the course and one year after completion to poll improvement potentials, as well as its impacts on students’ everyday life. Findings It was found that although it was the first LCA for all students, the resulting LCA information of 25 different meals were homogeneous, comparable to the scientific literature and beneficial to the cafeteria’s sustainable development strategy. The concept of service-learning had a higher impact on students’ motivation than a good grade and active-learning is explicitly requested by students. The course design sensitized students to the real-life problems of LCA and made their consumption patterns more elaborate and ecological. Furthermore, this digitization of higher education could be carried out with only minor changes in the present COVID-19 pandemic situation. Originality/value As the subject of service-learning in natural sciences is still expandable, this study presents an easy to adapt case study on how to integrate such an approach into university curricula dominated by traditional learning. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this case study presents the first published LCA university course explicitly describing and evaluating a service-learning approach. The topic touches the everyday lives of students, allows comparisons between different student groups, is easily scalable to different group sizes and credits, and supports learning both how to study in small groups and cooperation between groups to ensure comparability of LCA results.

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The Cambridge Guide to Blended Learning for Language Teaching

10.1017/9781009024754 ◽

2015 ◽

Keyword(s):

Teacher Training ◽

Blended Learning ◽

Case Studies ◽

Course Design ◽

Language Teaching ◽

Language Teachers ◽

The Future ◽

Learner Interaction ◽

Training Courses

The Cambridge Guide to Blended Learning for Language Teaching makes the case that it is pedagogy, rather than technology, that should underpin the design of blended learning programmes. The book is organised into five sections: Connecting Theories and Blended Learning; Implications for Teaching; Rethinking Learner Interaction; Case Studies; The Future of Blended Learning. With its research-informed and practitioner-focused approach, this book is ideal for language teachers and language centre managers looking to broaden their understanding of pedagogy and blended learning. It will also be of interest to anyone working on blended learning course design or delivering teacher training courses.

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Pedagogical Stylistics in an ELT Teacher Training Setting: A Case Study

Literature and Language Learning in the EFL Classroom ◽

10.1057/9781137443663_20 ◽

2015 ◽

pp. 298-315 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Marina Lambrou

Keyword(s):

Teacher Training ◽

Training Setting

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Evolución de los planes de estudio de Educación Física y Ciencias de la Actividad Física en la Universidad de León: estudio de un (fra)caso (Evolution of the syllabi in physical education and physical activity sciences at the University of León: a (failur

Retos ◽

10.47197/retos.v0i26.34409 ◽

2015 ◽

pp. 101-107

Author(s):

Miguel Vicente Pedraz ◽

María Paz Brozas Polo

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Data Analysis ◽

Teacher Training ◽

Physical Education ◽

University Reform ◽

Initial Teacher Training ◽

Fundamental Transformation ◽

The University

Este artículo analiza la evolución de los planes de estudio de educación física y ciencias de la actividad física en la Universidad de León desde su implantación en 1987. Aunque es un estudio de un caso, se plantea como ejemplo del proceso de transformación de dichos estudios en España en los últimos 25 años. El análisis de los datos permite colegir que en este tiempo dichos estudios han sufrido una transformación de fondo al calor de los saberes hegemónicos: la formación humanística, social y pedagógica ha sido sustituida por materias de índole deportivo. Se argumenta que esta transformación provocará cambios en el perfil de los titulados y, eventualmente, puede redefinir el significado y las funciones de la educación física escolar.Palabras clave: planes de estudio, formación inicial de profesores, reforma universitaria, educación física.Abstract: This article analyzes the evolution of the syllabi in physical education and physical activity sciences at the University of León since its introduction in 1987. Although this is a case study is presented as an example of the transformation of these studies in Spain in the last 25 years. The data analysis can infer on that at this time these studies have undergone a fundamental transformation in the heat of the hegemonic knowledge: the humanistic, social and pedagogical education, has been replaced by maters subject sport competitions the humanistic, social and pedagogical education has been replaced by sports. It argues that this transformation will change the profile of graduates and may eventually redefine the meaning and functions of school physical education.Key words: syllabi, initial teacher training, university reform, physical education.

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