In an interview for Radio "Żak", the project leader, Dr Eng. Dorota Piotrowska, TUL Prof., Director of the ICC, talked about the possibility of further developing the competences of TUL tutors thanks to participation in the project
– All participants of the Advanced Teaching and Tutoring courses previously completed their foreign training in the basics of tutoring under the MD project and conducted tutoring sessions with students of Lodz University of Technology.
The training programme will be implemented in 1.5 or 2-year cycles, depending on the path selected, during 5-day training sessions in Warsaw. The Advanced Teaching and Tutoring course is addressed to the staff of Polish universities involved in the implementation of the pilot and implementation version of the "Masters of Didactics" project and is delivered in 3 paths:
- Advanced Qualifications in Teaching – the programme includes the broadening of knowledge and skills in tutoring and the improvement of teaching skills;
- Train the Trainer – the programme is dedicated to developing the competences of those involved in the professional development of university teachers and is intended for persons engaged in teacher training centres.
- Educational Leadership – the programme covers issues related to management in academic units in the field of teaching and is addressed to persons who hold management positions in their respective universities.
Participants of the Educational Leadership path, photo by: Przemysław Sękalski
During the course entitled "Educational Leadership" the participants included rectors, deans and heads of units. Lodz University of Technology was represented by Dr Anna Klepacz-Smółka from the Faculty of Process and Environmental Engineering, Dr Dorota Gryglik from the Faculty of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Environmental Engineering, as well as Dr Przemysław Sękalski - Director of the Information Technologies Centre.
During the training, participants discussed methods and tools for developing a vision and strategy for top-level education. Topics covered in the workshop included the development of curricula, the role of assessment, quality assurance and educational effectiveness, as well as management skills and leadership styles. The workshop was a very good forum for exchanging information on solutions used, not only at the University of Groningen, but also at other universities in Poland and Europe.
– Managing a university or faculty is different from managing a business, although many elements are similar. Educational leaders must have a broad vision for education, understand the needs of students and work with highly qualified, creative and demanding academic staff. The challenge for educational leaders is on the one hand to strengthen the academic staff and enable them to succeed, and on the other hand to manage the unit, department, centre or the whole university in a consistent manner – says Dr Przemysław Sękalski, a tutor in the first edition of the "Masters of Didactics" project, and currently a mentor in the fourth edition of the project implemented at TUL.
R. H. (Rick) Huizinga, trainer from Groningen University (back left) with TUL Masters, photo by: Marzena Stawicka
This autumn's Advanced Qualifications in Teaching and/or Train the Trainer workshops were attended by teachers from the TUL Language Centre – mgr Marzena Stawicka and mgr Joanna Miłosz-Bartczak as well as Dr Anna Antecka from the Faculty of Process and Environmental Engineering and Dr Ewa Maciejczyk from the Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Sciences
- Meeting people for whom the good of the student is in the first place and whose common goal is to increase the effectiveness of teaching/learning is a very valuable experience. Discussions, exchange of ideas, sharing good practices and realising how much can still be done in such an important area show that the Masters of Didactics initiative is a valuable source of inspiration for the participants – says mgr Marzena Stawicka - tutor of the second edition of the "Masters of Didactics" project at TUL and currently a mentor in the long-term tutoring programme with talented students at TUL in the fourth edition of the project .
During the advanced training we had the opportunity to refresh and update our knowledge with the latest literature, e.g. Systematic Innovation in Education; University Teaching Expertise, "learning diary", "brilliant failure" as tools supporting personalised tutoring. A valuable experience for the workshop participants was the creation of a "Teaching Philosophy Statement", i.e. defining what is important to us in our teaching work, and what still remains a challenge – adds mgr Marzena Stawicka.
Next meetings of the advanced tutoring programme with further groups of qualified TUL Masters have been scheduled for 2022 - 2023.