White Paper on Reflective Practice-based Learning Preface University College of Northern Denmark – UCN – is an education and knowledge institution that educates and qualifies students for a wide range of trades, businesses, and professions in an ever more rapidly changing society. We see it as our most important task to educate and develop the people who, now and in the future, will work to resolve the various challenges and tasks that businesses and institutions are experiencing every day. We want our graduates to be ready to participate in and develop the labour market and society of the future. This requires a very particular approach to education, which not only rests on a solid knowledge base originating in research but which is also characterised by the highest pedagogic quality, enabling the learner to develop competences to act professionally based on solid professional knowledge and insight. UCN’s study programmes are based on Reflective Practice-based Learning (RPL) as a shared understanding of learning and teaching. It is a shared understanding that will make it possible for individual members of staff to make qualified pedagogic and discipline-related decisions when they organise teaching and learning activities. This starting point provides us with a shared language for learning and teaching while accommodating local variations while taking into account the specific nature, tasks and competences that characterise the individual trades, businesses, and professions. Reflective Practice-based Learning has been a priority for UCN over a number of years. This White Paper lays the groundwork for the pedagogic organisation and planning of all our study programmes in future years, thereby contributing to the ongoing effort of strengthening both RPL and our study programmes. The White Paper contains a definition of RPL, a description of the underlying theoretical approach to learning as well as six fundamental pedagogic principles that promote Reflective Practice-based Learning. I hope you will enjoy reading the White Paper and not least working to develop teaching and learning activities with Reflective Practice-based Learning as your starting point. This work will be at the top of UCN’s agenda throughout the organisation for many years to come. I look forward to seeing the many ways that Reflective Practice-based Learning will express itself in our study programmes with the common objective of strengthening our graduates’ competences for the benefit of the North Denmark Region and the world. Peter Møller Pedersen Vice-Rector University College of Northern Denmark
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