Many international students find the learning environment and teaching style to be different in Sweden. Below you will find a summary of what to expect.
Student-centred education:
The student is at the centre of the education provided at Lund University. There is a lot of support in terms of pedagogy and the teachers make themselves available to help students and ensure course content is fully understood. There is a focus on enabling students to develop their critical and analytical thinking skills, independent research skills, group work, problem solving and leadership skills so as to prepare them for their career.
open environment:
Students experience an open, informal study environment with teachers and students usually on a first-name basis. The traditional academic hierarchy is replaced by a more collaborative approach, where students are respected as junior colleagues and their opinions valued and encouraged by more experienced peers. This approach encourages dialogue and collaboration between students and teachers and creates opportunities to bring forward new ideas and innovations.
Course load:
Studies at Lund University are usually undertaken one course (unit/module) at a time, with an examination or essay at the end of each individual course. Studies at the Faculty of Engineering are an exception in that two or more courses are often studied in parallel. Courses can be anything from two to 20 weeks long, with five, 10 and 20 weeks being the most common lengths.
Lectures
The most common form of instruction is lectures to groups of 25-30 students. Attendance at lectures is required but students are also expected to work independently and develop an in-depth knowledge of their subject through independent study. Some courses, mainly in engineering, have as many as 30 formal lecture hours per week as well as laboratory work, while some, for example in the social sciences, may have as little as 10 hours, and rely more on the students’ individual reading.
Independent study
A large part of the learning process takes place outside the classroom as students read and discuss the course material with each other. Students at Lund University are trained to efficiently assess large amounts of information. Study techniques are taught in the classroom and also by study advisors and through workshops.
Group work
Group work is common for many of our degree programmes. The goal is for students to practise teamwork in small groups, across different cultures within the class, and also to develop problem solving and leadership skills. Group work is an important aspect to the learning experience in order to simulate the real dynamics of an international work place.
Our Virtual Learning Environment provides access to all course learning materials and e-learning packages, offering lecture capture, interactive feedback and electronic clinical portfolios. Our use of virtual reality offers a truly immersive learning experience, enabling you to visualise a range of different clinical situations in real time.
Our course and clinical learning environment are designed to help you to become a well-rounded graduate who aspires to make a positive and valued contribution in a complex and rapidly changing world, whichever spheres of life you engage in after your studies are completed.
