The primary tasks of any university are to carry out research and to provide research-based degree programmes. In practice, assessments regarding appointments for academic positions have primarily emphasised the proven research qualifications of applicants. For most categories of appointment, these qualifications are still a very important basis for assessing whether or not a given applicant is qualified for the position advertised. We have found, however, that it is necessary to attach importance to proven teaching qualifications when assessing qualifications, and we are now introducing the concept of teaching portfolios to make the basis of assessment clearer.

A portfolio is a collection of documents reflecting someone’s specific results, qualifications and competencies within a particular field. A portfolio may be a personal tool in raising awareness or for the development and expansion of competencies, as well as being a form of documentation for use in staff reviews, salary negotiations and applications. In other words, a portfolio may serve a number of different purposes – and its content may vary accordingly.

In connection with job applications, a teaching portfolio is a description of an applicant’s specific teaching experience and evaluations. The use of a teaching portfolio serves a dual purpose: it gives applicants the opportunity to consider and document their teaching experience and qualifications, and it gives assessment committees a sounder basis for assessing applicants. So a teaching portfolio can be used both as the basis of assessment and as a tool for learning and reflection by each teacher.

We require teaching portfolios to be enclosed with applications in the same way as documentation of research. Applications may also contain the applicant’s thoughts about their teaching experiences, as well as plans and visions for their teaching in future.

To ensure that teaching portfolios fulfil their intentions (that greater weight should be attached to teaching competencies when appointing staff to academic positions), it is necessary that both applicants and members of appointment committees attach importance to them.

The list below should be used and assessed with due consideration for the requirements applying to various categories of position, since the basis of experience is not the same for assistant professors, associate professors and professors. In other words, applicants for professorships can be expected to document a higher degree of development in teaching qualifications than applicants for associate professorships.

When the University assesses the teaching qualifications of applicants in relation to the various categories of position at the University, the teaching assessed is research-based university teaching – although other experience may also be relevant. This means that the use and assessment of teaching portfolios should be seen in the light of the requirements stated in the job advertisement in question.

The decision to introduce teaching portfolios at the University of Aarhus is based on committee work and a subsequent discussion by the University management. The use of teaching portfolios comes into effect no later than 1 April 2005, after which this decision should be reflected in all job advertisements and assessments. This means that the faculties must have drawn up the necessary specific guidelines for applicants and appointment committees prior to this date.

The idea of the examples below is to assist applicants and assessment committees. In addition, it is important that the content of teaching portfolios forms part of a larger whole. Consequently, assessment committees must always consider the various elements in an applicant’s qualification profile in relation to each other. This consideration should suit the content and level of the position in question.

The experiences gained in the use of teaching portfolios will be evaluated after three years (mid-2008).

In parallel to the work of the teaching portfolio working party, another working party has been studying the option of documenting activities in the areas of communication and knowledge exchange. This work may result in ways of describing these activities, forming part of the basis of the final decision about which qualified applicant should be appointed.

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A teaching portfolio at the University of Aarhus contains the following elements:

1. Description and documentation

• Teaching carried out (number of courses, type and level)
• Examinations carried out
• Experience of supervision (theses, PhD dissertations etc.)
• Courses completed in university pedagogics or other education courses
• Experience of teaching teams, supervision by colleagues etc.
• Experience of direction of studies and development of degree programmes, including postgraduate teaching and continuing and further education
• Contributions to the development of subject areas, subjects or disciplines
• Contributions to textbooks or teaching material
• Other experience of teaching and university pedagogics
• Examples of teaching plans, teaching material used and guidelines

For instance, the examples submitted might illustrate connections with examination forms, didactic issues, and links to general educational goals in accordance with academic regulations. Other areas that might be included in the basis of assessment include research and development projects, teaching-related research projects in collaboration with other institutions, involvement in new forms of work or examination, interdisciplinary cooperation, IT, internationalisation, placements, courses of continuing education and general institutional development.

2. Evaluations

• Evaluations by students (at least two different classes)
• Statements by directors of studies, heads of institute/department or course managers, e.g. in connection with educational development

Evaluations of the applicant’s teaching should be kept within a relevant, systematic framework in the form of general teaching evaluations, statements in connection with participation in courses or teamwork, or statements by educational management. Assessment committees should be mindful of the limitations in the information/documentation value of statements by students, colleagues, supervisors or directors of studies.

7 October 2004

AU-2004-251-011