Education

During the course, students attend sessions at the UCL Institute of Education (IOE) where a range of experts present their responses to the question: what is education? Students are encouraged to consider and share their responses to this and other questions, in relation to their own contexts.

The course is designed to prepare students for leadership in a globally interdependent and culturally diverse workforce. Throughout the course, students are challenged to question, think, and respond thoughtfully to the issues they observe and encounter in the internship setting, and the designated city in general. Students have the opportunity to cultivate the leadership skills as defined by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), such as critical thinking, teamwork, and diversity. Assignments focus on building a portfolio that highlights those competencies and their application to workplace skills. The hybrid nature of the course allows students to develop their skills in a self-paced environment with face-to-face meetings and check-ins to frame their intercultural internship experience. Students complete 45 hours of in-person and asynchronous online learning activities and 225-300 hours at their internship placement.

Learning and learners are at the heart of education, yet they are often absent from educational studies. This course considers how ideas, theories, and policies played out in experiences of learning as well as the ways in which learning has been transformed over time. The experience of learning is connected to broader political, social, economic, and cultural changes. Students are introduced to the ways that learning has been understood and practiced in the past, the forms of learning that took place and its significance in people’s lives. Who was able to learn, and what they learnt, are closely related to changing forms of inequality. Themes include histories of school learning, higher education, learning in civil society, learning at work and in the domestic sphere. Although the course is mainly focused on the UK, there will be scope to pursue international comparisons.

This course presents the main characteristics of the French school system, with a focus on elementary school. It includes a theoretical part and an application part, through the participation of students in an introduction to their native language and culture for elementary school pupils. The topics presented in the theoretical part include: organization of the French school system (in a comparative perspective); focus on a French characteristic: nursery school; inclusive education and the schooling of children with disabilities; the case of allophone pupils and openness to other languages at school. This course provides insights of the French school system and prepares exchange students to speak in front of primary school pupils as part of a multicultural team. Students reflect on aspects of their native culture and language that it would be relevant to share with the pupils.

This course is designed to equip prospective EFL teachers to teach writing successfully in their future classrooms. It reviews research on foreign language and EFL writing pedagogy and suggests new teaching methods based on the latest developments in this field.

Problem-Based Learning (PBL) is a unique feature of the education provided at Maastricht. This educational system focuses on guiding students to become independent and enterprising problem-solvers. To achieve this goal, teaching must extend beyond the traditional individual studying and attending lectures. Students work in small groups on concrete problems from the field. As a team, they analyze problems, attempt to understand the underlying theories, and learn to apply knowledge to recognizable, realistic situations. To perform well in this educational system, it is vital for students to have knowledge of the background and central elements of this system. During this course, students learn and practice the skills needed to be successful in tutorial group meetings. First-year students familiarize themselves with Problem-Based Learning and communication skills essential for learning in groups. One session will be completely devoted to teambuilding.

Corresponding practicals for Skills I are: Introduction UM Systems and Library Introduction.

The course is part of the Laurea Triennale degree program.. The course explores some of the main concepts and topics of intercultural education including multiculturalism and interculturality, migratory flows and models of integration and coexistence, stereotypes and prejudices, racism, second generations of immigrants, migrant literature, multicultural classes, ethnic-cultural conflict and its management, and sectarianism and religious pluralism.