Outline
SDU Takeover is an offer for all high schools in the region of Southern Denmark, where a selected group of our university students join a high school for a full day and take over the teaching that day. The initiative targets primarily the region of Southern Denmark. SDU Takeover gives the high school the possibility to plan a full day of other activities for their teaching staff.
The subjects of teaching aim to be interesting, at eye level, highly relevant and transferable to the high school students’ experiences and perceptions of the society, e.g. climate, identity, culture, and health.
Before the takeovers the student teachers participate in a course where they learn to plan a lesson based on an academic subject og theme from their own field of studies. The lesson they plan is the one they give to the high school students at the takeovers. The lesson also gives directly and indirectly gives insight into the life of a university student.
The student teachers also prepare a talk about how they experienced the academic and social transition from high school student to university student, and what it means to be a university student.
All 5 faculties are represented in SDU Takeover, which makes it possible to be flexible to the individual needs of the youth education/high school.
Main purpose
- To demystify higher education and meet the high school students at eye level and through that approach to provide them with a realistic view into the life as a university student – both academically and socially. To give a taste of the academic level you will be faced with at the university through role models (the student teachers).
- To create learning opportunities for the participating university students and to give them at platform to gain experiences with professional communication, planning and teaching.
Structure and organization
To fit the individual high school’s profile, wishes and needs, the planning of a takeover happens in close collaboration between the specific high school and the coordinating staff in SDU Takeover.
SDU Takeover provide the high school with a catalogue of the possible presentations/subjects to choose from. The catalogue is based on the group of student teachers which means the offer varies.
All student teachers have participated in a mandatory learning course on planning and facilitating learning modules with high school students as target group. And the student teachers are given academic and didactic feedback on their learning module. The student teacher learning course is facilitated by staff at SDU Takeover.
An example of a day with SDU Takeover
- 1st module: Introduction and teaching by student teacher A (one class, approx. 90 min.)
- 2nd module: Short presentation on being a university student by student teacher A (one class, approx. 45 min.) Dialogue, questions and informal conversations with student teachers (approx. 45 min)
- 3rd module: Teaching by student teacher B + evaluation (one class, approx. 90 min.)
Goals
To give all high school students the possibility to meet SDU Takeover at least one time during their high school period. SDU Takeover gives the high school students a taste of what university is, and creates an opportunity to reflect on “possible selves” and mending the gap between expectations and experiences. From “I don’t think it’s my thing” or “I’m not sure I’m smart enough” to “I can do this”.
Students involvement
Students are involved in both design and delivery as they plan their own learning modules based on their academic field of studies. Furthermore, the student teachers are asked to give feedback on the project.
Inspiration and evidence
SDU Takeover is based on a similar initiative at Aarhus University. A successful initiative they have had since 2010.
Success criteria
The good evaluation depends on the student teachers and that they – and the teaching – must be at eye level contact with the high school students. It is crucial to the project.
The fact that all five faculties is involved makes it possible for the project to visit all kinds of high schools.
Inhouse it is a project that everyone is aware of and has a responsibility to find suitable student teachers to.
Effectiveness
SDU Takeover is a new project and is therefore still to premature to track effectiveness on, but it is the plan to track effectiveness over time. This will be done by tracking if the visits will increase the number of new students from the high schools SDU Takeover visits.
Evaluation
At the end of every visit the student teacher gives the high school students an evaluation form to fill out before they leave.
The questions are about the day all together, the teaching level, the way the students felt involved and if the SDU Takeover has changed their perception of being a student at a university and made them consider the possibility of going to a university.
The evaluation shows that the high school students are overall very satisfied with SDU Takeover.
The evaluation reports back to the management at SDU, and to change and develop on the project.
Communication
The coordinating staff in SDU Takeover sends out all information about the project to contacts on each faculty, so they can help advertise and make the project visible for students at the university.
Timing
The high schools can book SDU Takeover in these two terms: February-April and September-November (between Summer/Winter holidays and exam periods).
A takeover is one full day.
Day information
During regular ‘school’ hours.
What material can be used to learn more and to increase transferability?
Transferability
We think it is easily transferable to other contexts or groups.