Changing Pedagogical Practices: Are Development Projects the right Course to take?

Abstract

The project entitled Good Pedagogical Practices at Oslo University College was a pedagogical development project conducted by the Centre for Centre for Educational Research and Development and the Department of Nursing. The aim was to change practices to accommodate second-language students. The project was based on practice-oriented research and development, and on testing and systemising experience and knowledge. For this particular department the project contributed to new knowledge and increased awareness of language and acquisition of academic literacy as well as development of appropriate pedagogical approaches for the language development of students with a first language other than Norwegian. The authors of this paper have adopted a meta-perspective and make a critical evaluation of the process from project to a fixed, weekly course for students with Norwegian as their second language given at the Department of Nursing which is institutionalised and presented on the timetable as "Norwegian Language and Communication". The authors are researchers and were the project managers for Good Pedagogical Practices