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Learning, Teaching, Training Activities

INCOPS develops guidelines and strategies to include work-based learning (WBL) in the curricular. Next to the intellectual outputs, the project is also concerned with sharing these practical experiences and provides staff training and workshops.

To test the framework and to establish work flows among the partners the consortium suggests to conduct six short term joint staff meeting and training events. These events are planned as study visits to each of the partners institutions. They are explicitly created to collaboratively discuss and test the different elements of the practices of WBL.

• Inhalt ausklappen Inhalt einklappen C1: Online Staff Training (20.-21.04.2021) - Work-Based Learning

  

  Thorsten Bonacker is introducing the integration of Work-based Learning in Marburgs Study Programmes

  This Learning, Teaching, Training Activity was organised by Utrecht online. During our meeting we wanted to share and pass on our framework for a common understanding of WBL. C1 focused on the educators and researchers in INCOPS. Besides the general project objectives, this staff training was specifically about the following aspects: a) Train higher education staff in WBL, b) gather input on the framework through peer-to peer interviews from different institutional backgrounds, c) identify most relevant staff needs for integrating WBL in curricular.

• Inhalt ausklappen Inhalt einklappen C2: Staff Training in Kent (16.-18.05.2022) - Inclusion

  

  This Learning, Teaching, Training Activity was organised by the partner in Canterbury at the University of Kent. The partners exchanged on students’, providers’ and universities’ needs and capacities with regard to inclusion in WBL activities and how an inclusive implementation of WBL could be successfully designed. The aim is to subsume best practices in inclusive integration of WBL activities in the field of peace, conflict and security studies. C2 focused mainly on the educators and researchers in INCOPS, but invited educators and researchers from Coventry University and the University of Kent as well. Apart from discussing the progress of the general project objectives, this staff training was specifically about the following aspects: a) challenges regarding a successful inclusive implementation of WBL in degree programmes and in their application selection procedure, b) inclusion procedures that are already being practised in the INCOPS partner network and their possible applicability in other higher education institutions, as well as c) development of suggestions on how inclusion can be considered from the very beginning in the planning, implementation and monitoring of WBL.

• Inhalt ausklappen Inhalt einklappen C3: Staff Training in Cluj (03.-04.03.2022) - Internships

  

  This Learning, Teaching, Training Activity was organised by Cluj at the Babeș-Bolyai University. The partners exchanged on stakeholders’ needs and competences with regard to WBL activities in the integration of theory and practice in the field of peace, conflict and security studies in order to subsume first impulses for best practice approaches. C3 focused mainly on the educators and researchers in INCOPS, but invited researchers from the Babeș-Bolyai University as well. Besides the general project objectives, this staff training was specifically about the following aspects: a) Train higher education staff in stakeholders’ competences and needs for the integration of WBL, b) gather input based on preliminary results of the IO2 focus groups interviews from different institutional and societal backgrounds, c) start to adapt the IO1 working definition of the comprehensive concept of WBL.

• Inhalt ausklappen Inhalt einklappen C4: Staff Training in Coventry (07.-09.11.2022) - Service Learning

  

  This Learning, Teaching, Training Activity was organised by the partner in Coventry at the Centre for Trust, Peace & Social Relations (CTPSR).
  The partners exchanged on practices and challenges regarding the integration of Work-Based Learning (WBL) activities in teaching. For that, they further discussed the concept of a Service-Learning inspired WBL approach and options of its implementation in the programs at the partner institutions.
  Besides, the potential of using digital tools in the integration of theory and practice was considered and discussed in particular with a special input by a member of the CTPSR. Moreover, educators and researchers of both the CTPSR and the Coventry University introduced the partners to their work and experiences in the field of Game-Based Learning and Disruptive Learning. These inputs inspired some fruitful discussions on teaching and methodology in the field of Peace, Conflict and Security Studies and the integration of theory and practice. Therefore, C4 was specifically about the following aspects: a) the concept of Service Learning and its adaptation to the partner's study programs, b) digital methods and their potential and challenges, c) varieties of WBL and their impact on both teaching and learning.
  Additionally, the partners presented their project and the current work at the RISING Global Peace Forum 2022, which is an event of a three-way partnership between Coventry University (as represented by the CTPSR), the Cathedral and the City Council. The audience encompassed students, educators, staff, and was likewise open to the public, both on site and through the hybrid format.

• Inhalt ausklappen Inhalt einklappen C5: Staff Training in Coimbra (27.-29.03.2023) - Voluntary Work

  

  This fifth Learning, Teaching and Training Activity of the INCOPS project took place in Coimbra, Portugal, from 27 March 2023 to 29 March 2023.
  This activity focused on service learning and the integration of voluntary work into academic teaching. In brief, service learning aims at firmly anchoring the social commitment of students in everyday university life and combining it with teaching. For this, our partners from the University of Coimbra organized a three-day event which had the following objectives: a) training in the integration of voluntary work and exchange of experiences made at each university, b) exchanging with volunteers and volunteer institutions to discuss needs and experiences and c) developing guidelines to integrate voluntary work within academic teaching, incl. identifying most relevant staff competencies.
  Especially, the input by the project of UC Transforma and UC Social (University of Coimbra) gave a lot of food for thought. The INCOPS team discussed options of implementing Work-Based Learning (WBL) activities apart from internships at the partner universities, with a particular focus on volunteering and service learning. Partners shared the approaches and plans in their respective study programs and their experiences with supervising students in internships and voluntary work. Furthermore, in exchange with students engaged in voluntary work new ideas and recommendations were collected on how to advance service learning activities.

• Inhalt ausklappen Inhalt einklappen C6: Staff Training in Marburg (13.-15.07.2023) - Ethics and Security

  

  This sixth and last Learning, Teaching and Training Activity (LTTA) of the INCOPS project took place in Marburg, Germany, from 13 July 2023 to 15 July 2023.
  This activity focused on ethical and security questions in the integration of Work-Based Learning (WBL) in programs of Peace, Conflict and Security Studies (PCS). For this, our partners from Utrecht University presented a short literature review and their findings of a survey among the project partners which demonstrated the wide variety of approaches and regulations in dealing with ethics and security in WBL. Based on this, the LTTA had the following objectives: a) training in questions of ethics and security in the integration of practical experience in the study programs, b) exchanging with academic and administrative staff on existing procedures and best practices and c) developing recommendations to improve the integration of ethical and security questions in WBL activities in PCS programs.
  The INCOPS team discussed responsibilities for both staff and students in considering ethical and security questions with regard to WBL activities. The partners agreed that an integrated reflection processes and the provision of a safety net and a strategy are key recommendations. For this online tools like COIL as presented in the IO3 report offer a valuable platform. Further, partners shared the approaches and plans in their respective study programs and their experiences with supervising students in questions of ethics and security during their WBL experiences.