Making a language our own through writing creatively
Project presentations 2024
Here you can find abstracts and watch video recordings of the project presentations of 2024.
Faculty of Humanities
Faculty of Theology
Faculty of Social Sciences
Department of Economics
Understanding how and why students prepare for and attend lectures is essential for improving learning outcomes in higher education. This study investigates study practices among BA students in the Economics Program at the University of Copenhagen, using a mixed-methods approach that includes interviews with two students and survey responses from 192 third-semester students (response rate: 70%).
Our findings reveal a significant gap between attendance and preparation: while over 75% of students attend more than 80% of lectures, fewer than 10% prepare regularly. Students tend to prioritize tasks based on exam relevance, with many opting to prepare only before exams. Time constraints, curriculum relevance, and lecturer ability are among the factors influencing both attendance and preparation.
Students motivated by intrinsic interest in the subject tend to have more consistent study habits, as they are less likely to view external factors as barriers to their preparation. In contrast, career-focused students (motivated by securing a well-paying job) show lower attendance and preparation, and are more likely to attribute their study behaviors to external circumstances. We also find that norms play a role: there is a strong expectation to attend lectures, but a weaker norm for preparation.
These insights suggest that improving preparation requires a better understanding of students' diverse motivations and perceptions of the value of attending and preparing for lectures.
Department of Psychology
Introduction
Inclusive and sensitive training approaches are crucial in higher education, particularly in clinical psychology, where students may have their own mental health challenges. Practical skills training, such as psychotherapy and diagnostic assessment, often involves emotionally demanding material that can impact students differently based on their mental health status. This study aims to explore how clinical skills training can be designed to be inclusive and supportive of students with lived experience of mental health problems, while maintaining high educational standards.
Methods
The study will adopt a deductive qualitative approach using an open-ended questionnaire survey. The survey will be distributed to students enrolled in clinical psychology programs across higher education institutions. Participants will be asked to give concrete feedback on procedures for making clinical skills training inclusive and sensitive to students with mental health challenges. Data will be analyzed using a descriptive analysis, to develop a guideline for inclusive practices in clinical skills training in higher education.
Results
It is anticipated that the findings will provide insights into: a) Perceived barriers to inclusivity in clinical training settings. Suggestions for training adaptations or accommodations that promote inclusivity and a safe space for all students. The analysis will identify areas of focus that should be considered in the clinical skills training courses at Psychology.
Discussion
The findings will inform educators on how to design clinical skills training that supports all students, including those with mental health challenges, without compromising the rigor or quality of the training. Recommendations will focus on fostering an inclusive learning environment that balances academic demands with the psychological well-being of students.
Department of Political Science
In this poster, I outline how Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) can be used as a resource for both reducing required preparation time for developing simulations but also as a tool for improving simulations by using AI as a sparring partner. Overall, I argue that AI is a useful tool that makes simulations more accessible for all teachers to motivate students in the classroom and to help them meet degree programme and course-specific learning objectives.
Art
This project explores how to teach controversial topics in productive ways. Research has shown that a growing number of topics are perceived as potential minefields by professors. Teaching topics such as extremism, racism, gender, pornography, the Holocaust or satirical depictions of Muhammad can cause offence, arouse anger, and, in the worst case, lead to violent reactions. Therefore, it is critical that professors are prepared to navigate conversations about controversial topics.
However, at the University of Copenhagen, no counselling or toolkit is provided to educators specifically for this. I have therefore interviewed five professors, all of whom have taught controversial topics, to collect, systematize and share their experiences. From their experiences, I derive a number of recommendations for how to prepare courses on controversial topics; how to inform students about the content; how to present and discuss controversial material in class; how to create a productive learning space; how to mitigate violent material and much more.
Department of Psychology
This project focuses specifically on student participation in course design. The involvement of students in designing course and curricula has been tested across different educations, with varied results. In general, and independently of specific results, studies have not refuted the principle that student participation is productive of active learning environments. This project aims at involving students in course design. It derives from a genuine interest in having the students’ input in what they would be interested in learning. Responding to current demands from psychology students for courses that demonstrated sensitivity to cultural diversity, ethnic and racial inequality and minoritised peoples’ experiences, and for content that could deepen their understanding of these themes, I proposed a course on how psychological phenomena is understood, practiced and treated in different cultures, based on anthropological literature and knowledge. I needed the students to help me fine-tune the offer and help me create a course balanced on the contrast between anthropological and psychological perspectives. The students’ participation in the design of the course relied on a preliminary course description and a planned 2-hour workshop with the students to redefine it. The goal was to: i) fine-tune the content accounting for students’ interests; ii) rely on students’ knowledge of their discipline to select meaningful course content; and iii) engage the students from the start, making them active contributors to the content and learning process. The workshop and the elective were unfortunately cancelled.
Department of Psychology
Attachment theory is one of the most popular development theories among psychologists and other professionals. However, a gap exists between the scientific understanding and practical application of attachment concepts and methods, potentially leading to unintended consequences. To address this gap, this study aimed to explore students' understanding of attachment theory and its practical application, identifying areas needing further emphasis in the psychology education.
An online survey was conducted with 80 psychology students, including 26 BA students, using convenience sampling. Descriptive statistics identified items that students were certain about (highest median indicating that most students agreed with the item) and uncertain about (largest interquartile range or most "not sure" responses).
Results indicated that students were most certain about items related to basic attachment theory concepts, such as definition and multiple attachment. However, uncertainties arose around disorganized attachment and balancing the importance of the quality of the child-caregiver relationship with other factors affecting child development, like separation from the caregiver.
To address these uncertainties, a seminar course at the clinical psychology track at the MA-level is proposed. This course would focus on providing students with knowledge about disorganized attachment, skills in applying attachment theory to clinical problems, and competences in critically reflecting on attachment theory’s scope and limitations. Practice integration could be achieved through value creation pedagogy, where students collaborate with external stakeholders to identify and develop solutions for real-life problems related to attachment theory.
The main limitations of this study include 1) the selected group of students who answered the survey, 2) the lack of qualitative data, which could have provided more in-depth insight into student understandings, 3) the possibility that some of the lacking knowledge, skills, and competences are covered later in the education. Future research could survey students who have completed their education and examine how the proposed MA-course target student uncertainties by doing a pre-post test using the same questionnaire.
Department of Sociology
This project investigates whether integrating a policy-oriented focus into a thematic BA course can enhance students’ learning and motivation by creating clearer connections between theoretical concepts and practical applications. Using survey responses from participants in the Sociology of Education course in spring 2024 (n = 15), the analysis shows that students generally view the policy focus as a valuable addition to the course. Most students report that it supports important learning objectives, particularly understanding policy issues and recognizing the role of research in policy development, as well as motivation objectives, such as increased interest in the subject matter and engagement in lectures. However, students felt the course was less effective in preparing them to form an oral discussion about a specific policy, which led to challenges for some in the exam format. Based on these findings, I offer suggestions for refining the course and propose that other thematic courses may similarly benefit from a policy-oriented approach.
Department of Economics
This project evaluates the introduction of data-focused exercises into a third-year undergraduate macroeconomics course at the University of Copenhagen. Historically centered on mathematical problem-solving, the course incorporates tasks that require students to analyze real-world macroeconomic data, such as calibrating parameters in a growth model and comparing economic indicators across countries. Survey results show that 55% of students find the data exercises useful, with nearly 60% reporting improved understanding of theoretical models. Feedback highlights the importance of clear instructions and a balance between theoretical and applied tasks. The findings suggest that data-focused exercises enhance engagement, understanding, and practical skill development.
Department of Political Science
Student evaluations of teaching are influenced by factors beyond instructional quality, including instructor gender and attractiveness. This study investigates whether an instructor’s appearance affects student evaluations through a field experiment conducted among first-year political science students (N = 251) at the University of Copenhagen. During week two of the Fall 2024 semester, I taught four identical exercise classes. In two classes, I dressed professionally, while in the other two, I dressed casually and unkempt. The results suggest that instructor appearance does not significantly impact student evaluations. These findings offer new insights into the limitations of appearance-based biases in student evaluations and their implications for evaluating teaching performance.
Department of Economics
This project explores the integration of generative AI tools into university-level economics exercise classes to enhance active learning. While students widely use AI to solve problem sets, they often do so in ways that fail to foster meaningful learning. Drawing on a literature review and classroom experiments, the project examines the potential of AI tutoring to complement active learning environments. Key findings include insights from Kestin et al. (2024), who reported significant learning gains among physics students using AI tutors, and Ma, Li, and Shin’ichi, who highlighted both benefits and concerns of ChatGPT integration in programming courses. A stakeholder interview at UCPH-ECON emphasizes the need to work with tailored AI tutors and especially rethinking assessments through in-class tests, oral exams, and higher expectations for technology-enabled evaluations. While AI tutoring offers transformative opportunities, its integration must be paired with diverse teaching and testing methods to support effective learning.
Department of Sociology
The teaching of sensitive, sociological problems - related to e.g. sex, race, or violence - remain a thorny issue for the university, both politically and for the individual teacher. On one hand, previous research argues for the benefits of visual methods and data - on the other hand, the teaching of such material have to be adapted to diversity among the students.
In this project, I used audio methods to let the students choose between different ways of learning, which varied regarding the use of sexually explicit data. I made a podcast (about the classic "Deep Throat", which MA student could listen to with or without screening the film at home) and I offered BA students two different versions of my lecture on gender and sexuality - in one, I screened non-explicit music videos and in the other I showed 30 minutes of Deep Throat.
That way, I provided learning opportunities for students who - with good reason - find explicit material triggering. Their reactions are important to incorporate in teaching, because they are part and parcel of the sensitive subject we teach. At the same time, my findings suggest that other students are welcoming the opportunity to be taught how to "get their hands dirty" in a sociological way. I argue that we should try to accommodate those students, too - but to do so, the university needs to engage in some awkward discussions.
Department of Psychology
This research proposal involves a study that examines university students’ perceptions of and attitudes toward diversity-related content in their curriculum, with a focus on the University of Copenhagen (UCPH) Department of Psychology. Drawing inspiration from recent events, including the 2022 student-led blockade protesting perceived gaps in curricular diversity, the proposed study will investigate student perception of and attitude towards diversity-focused materials in their educational experiences.
The study situates these student perspectives within broader contexts of developmental psychology and university pedagogical processes, highlighting how late adolescents’ identity exploration, cognitive development, and social belonging influence their engagement with diversity-related content. Additionally, it will contrast students perceptions may diverge from faculty perceptions—often shaped by pedagogical goals and institutional priorities— and thus creating potential challenges for implementing diversity-focused curricula.
Utilizing a qualitative design, the study will involve semi-structured interviews with 10-15 UCPH psychology students and faculty members. Thematic analysis will be employed to identify patterns and discrepancies in their perceptions, attitudes, and expectations regarding diversity-related learning materials. Findings will inform pedagogical practices at the department level, contributing to ongoing faculty-student dialogue about curriculum designs and reform. Furthermore, the study seeks to offering insights from the Danish context, thereby bridging the gap between Nordic and Anglophone perspectives on diversity in higher education.
Department of Political Science and SODAS
Generative Large Language Models, such as ChatGPT, are already becoming part of the modern classroom across various fields. This poster discusses the potential role of chatbots in social science methods courses. Drawing on my experience designing and teaching the seminar Social Network Analysis and survey feedback from students in the seminar, I map out both student usage of these models and propose a framework for teachers to integrate chatbots into social science methods courses that involve coding.