Collaboration challenges are quite common in student groups, sometimes at the expense of learning outcomes. Selection and composition of groups affect their efficiency and climate. We present two studies of groups composed on the basis of self-reported ambition level. The focus is on student experiences with two methods of composing groups. A 9-item questionnaire with open-ended and likert scale response options was used to obtain student perceptions of the methods and group functioning. The results indicate that group functioning was significantly improved over time. They also provide information of the students’ view on important premises for good collaboration in groups.

The Norwegian Association of Higher Education Institutions (UHR) has decided that Criterion Based Assessment is to be used in all higher education in Norway; however, without any guidance on its implementation. This study introduces four interpretations of Criterion Based Assessment as an analytical framework, and two courses are randomly selected to provide evidence of the effects of the different interpretations of the assessment principle. Yet the purpose of the study is principal and theoretical, it also brings evidence on the effects of various interpretations of the assessment principle. While the use of an external examiner has been considered the primary quality assurance measure in assessment and grading, this study shows that the interpretation of the selected assessment principle may be of even greater significance. This article should therefore be of interest to all with a stake in assessment.

The aim of this article is to map the terrain of research on the importance of reflection in professional development and to discuss what consequences this research-based knowledge ought to have for how we work with reflection processes in initial Teacher Education. The studies analysed and the research based examples presented are mainly from Teacher Education, but the findings are presumably relevant for most professional programs. The concept of reflection is frequently used both in everyday talk and in academic contexts, even so, I assert that the concept represents an unclear linguistic category. Therefore, the article opens with a review of the concept of reflection, of how the concept has developed within the field of “bildung”, and of which roots we can find for the concept as it is presented within education today.

In this article, we describe and discuss factors that motivate students to choose and to complete online science studies in teacher education. Results show that online students report a high level of intrinsic motivation for choosing science studies. Our analyses suggest that external factors play a minor role for the selection of online courses. Students say that varied experiences of nature have played a major part in making them interested in science. There seems to be a connection between experiences in nature and the choice of science courses. Topics such as Diversity in Nature and Body and Health are perceived as more motivating than Chemistry and Physics as learning activities for students. Students feel they have insufficient prerequisite knowledge of chemistry and physics, and consider these topics to be academically demanding, while courses in biology are perceived as tangible and more understandable. Students report that practical work creates commitment and motivation throughout the program.

This article examines the challenges and measures for more effective teaching of information skills, and is based on experience from working at Gjøvik University College.

Results from this work indicate that information skills should be taught in the academic context, and that students are more engaged and motivated to learn these skills if the instruction comes at the right time. The collaboration between teachers and librarians are essential in this setting. The experiment was done on a limited group of very few students, and a similar experiment with larger group of students would be required to measure the quantitative learning effect of integrated courses.

The article focuses on how to strengthen the relationship between college tuition and student practice. The background for this article is participation in the national project “Practice as an integral element in Teacher Education” (PIL) initiated by the Ministry of Education in 2007. The intention of the PIL- project was to strengthen the relationship with the field of practice. Participants in the project were teacher students, in-service teachers responsible for placement and higher education lecturers. The project sought to examine and develop the three-part dialogue. That is an academic conversation where student's practice teacher and lecturer are present. Three-part dialogue seeks to ensure that students reflect upon their practice experiences. Via dialogue, students can discover the connection between theory and practice. Based on the experience gained, it is argued that through structural changes, focusing on the participants' conceptual understanding, and reflection and guidance, offer students a greater sense of the connection between the education they receive at college and the reality they encounter in practice.

Key competencies are emphasized specifically in the latest guidelines for elementary school teacher education in Norway. This emphasis has challenged the teacher education programs in terms of understanding of what the key competencies are, how they should be handled in the subjects in the education programs, and who should take responsibility for ensuring that they are attended to. In this article the focus is on these questions by examining what characterizes the descriptions and management of key competencies given by teachers in teacher education. The results show that there is a request for clear leadership and collaboration between disciplines. Based on this work, a plan for organization of a comprehensive implementation of the key competencies in the teacher education programs at the University College in Sogn og Fjordane was designed. It has been implemented from the academic year 2012/13.