Extended pilot project

The university's internal system for reviewing education quality was launched in the autumn semester of 2019. But before that, it was decided that some selected educations would be reviewed as pilots. The Board of Science (ON) proposed which educations should be included in the pilot project, and our ON selected, among others, the main field of biology at advanced level.

The interesting thing about this particular education is that the only compulsory course for the degree is a degree project of 30–60 credits. Otherwise, only 30 credits of biology are required at advanced level, where students can choose from a large number of elective courses. This applies regardless of whether you followed the Master's programme in biology or took the courses in another way. The purpose of the flexible arrangement is to give the students an opportunity to tailor their own education, something they really appreciate. The question is whether it is still possible to ensure that all degree goals are achieved?

No, you can't, said the review group that was appointed by ON and consisted of members of the faculty's education committee (GB). Above all, the group felt that it was difficult to ensure both breadth and progression. It was therefore considered that an in-depth review of the education should be carried out, and that was also ON's decision in January 2019.

In-depth review

However, it took a long time before the in-depth review got under way, and for the most part the delay can be blamed on the pandemic, when all such activities were put on hold. Instructions were also awaited from the university management on how an in-depth review should be carried out.

Eventually, in any case, it was decided that the in-depth review would be done by three external experts and that their task would be to review five randomly selected degree theses in the main field of biology. The experts finished their work in the spring of 2022, and their views can be briefly summarized as that the examined degree theses are of high quality.

ON's decision

In recent months, a new group of GB members has drawn up a proposal for a decision on measures. They have of course taken into account both the previous reports and the views of the experts. They have also studied a mapping of which courses all the eleven students who graduated in 2021-2022 included in their degree. The group notes that it is entirely possible to take a degree in the main field of biology where both courses and degree project only deal with "a rather narrow area within biology".

The group's conclusion was that the structure of the education does not ensure that the students achieve the degree goal "show broad knowledge in the main field". On the other hand, it is judged that the goal of progression is being achieved. It all culminated in a proposal for measures and on March 30 ON decided according to this proposal.

ON's decision involves one necessary measure and two recommended ones. The necessary action is for BIG to review the education so that the degree goal of breadth within the main field is achieved. The two recommended measures are that BIG should review the education so that the degree objective "show ability to identify one's need for additional knowledge" is more clearly covered, and that the degree requirements for one year and two year Master's degrees in biology should be differentiated.

What happens now?

Jessica Slove Davidson, director of studies at BIG, says that a working group will soon be appointed at BIG due to ON's decision. A proposal that has already been put forward to ensure breadth within the main field, is to divide the elective courses into two or more groups and for the degree to require at least one course from each group. But Jessica emphasizes that it is not so obvious what is meant by either "width" or "main area".

By 31 March 2024 at the latest, BIG must submit an action report, so the institution now has a year to discuss these fundamentally interesting questions.

What is biology? Aurora butterfly on wintercress. Photo: Margareta Ohné.