NMBU Learning Philosophy

The Learning Philosophy reflects how we want students to develop skills for lifelong learning during their studies at NMBU.

NMBU is dedicated to excellent teaching and learning.

The Learning Philosophy is at the heart of our vision of excellent teaching and learning. The philosophy emphasizes our dedication to helping our students learn throughout their lives, and to acquire the skills necessary to cope with global challenges.

NMBU will create an inclusive learning environment and good academic homes, both for students and staff. This is achieved by facilitating that the students can be active participants in the academic environment, and know that teachers guide and support the students in their learning processes.

Learning is a student-active process that promotes reflection and independence. By encouraging and challenging students, they get the necessary tools to be able to take responsibility for and manage their own learning.

Through constructive feedback and structured reflection, the chance for learning increases. The students must therefore be seen as an important learning resource for each other and must actively participate in the teaching of their fellow students. We should therefore encourage students to teach, evaluate and learn from each other through academic dialogue.

The connection between learning outcome descriptions, learning activities and assessment plays a major role in NMBU's Learning Philosophy. Good descriptions of learning outcomes must be developed for both different programs and the faculty, so that one has good research-based learning activities that contribute to the students achieving their learning goals.

To ensure that one makes good descriptions of learning outcomes, learning activities and assessment methods, the way in which one evaluates a course is important. This is traditionally done with a summative evaluation at the end of the semester. Good formative, long-term evaluations also contribute to constructive further development of a course. By using both methods, valuable feedback is given on the learning to students, at the same time as one collects valuable feedback from students on how one can support, facilitate and guide their learning. Teachers are free to choose how they perform formative evaluations.

In a final evaluation, teachers are obliged to give their reflections and work to continuously improve their courses.