Students and teachers had an opportunity to meet up and discuss their opinion on teaching methods during ‘Preik’.

‘Preik’ (chat in Norwegian) is an informal meeting over coffee and cake for both students and teachers organised by Læringsmiljøutvalget (Learning environment committee). The aim of the meetings is to open a discussion on different topics related to university environment in between students and teachers.

The first meeting of the semester took place during Thursday’s lunch break in the canteen, and attendants discussed different approaches towards lecturing. The question of the ‘Preik’ was: ‘If lectures were prohibited, how should we perform education?’

Students brought up several different ideas. However, all attendants agreed they would prefer much more practical approach and work on real cases. They like to see the practical use of a theory they are learning. They believe, they would gain more engagement and lectures would be therefore more interesting. They also welcome group works with teachers’ assistance, when they can discuss an issue with each other and come to a solution by themselves.

«Even if I am interested in the subject, when I am supposed to only sit down and  listen during the entire lecture, I get tired and bored,» admitted one of the students and added:«If I am encouraged to think, participate and do something myself, I get much more interested.»

In overall, students prefer to see a practical impact of the studied subject, appreciate internships and work on real life cases instead of ‘just’ listening to theoretical lectures. The summary of the meeting will be published on Facebook event page.

The next meeting will take part in approximately two weeks and attendants will have a chance to discuss different approaches towards exams; how to test students’’ understanding of the subject, instead of testing memorised knowledge.