Project supervision

Project work at TEK

The overall goal of the project working method, and thus the guidance that is exercised in the projects, is described in DSMI. The interaction between subject, project and group is described in DSMI's Part 3 (The Learning Environment) and forms the basis for the supervisor's role in the project guidance.

The learning objectives for the specific course and project are set out in the curriculum (competency profile, semester description, course description), and set the goals for the guidance that is implemented in each program.

The purpose and organization of the project work can be further elaborated in a description of the individual semester project.

Framework for guidance

The good guidance in project work requires that the supervisor organizes the guidance process so that the students are supported in achieving the learning objectives.

This makes demands on the supervisor's professional competences, but also to the supervisor's ability to support a number of processes in the project. It is essential that the supervisor has clarity on the learning objectives of the project and that he/she has the necessary tools and skills to carry out good guidance.

The supervisor's competencies

The supervisor must be able to:

apply situational supervision strategies

It is central to effective learning in project work that the supervisor can assume the supervisor role that best supports learning in a given situation. Situational supervision presupposes that the supervisor is aware of various supervision strategies and is familiar with their use.

There are several useful models for supervision and supervision strategies. The crucial thing is that the supervisor actively decides on which supervision strategy is used.

The following two models are recommended:

Inglars four supervision strategies (Inglar 2012).
SDUUP arrange a Supervision course, that is based on Inglars 4 supervision strategies.

Situational supervision strategies are described in the article  ”Situationsbaseret projektvejledning”, Dansk Universitetspædagogisk Tidsskrift nr. 3. (Danish Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education) no 3 - Article only in Danish!)

actively support students' collaborative processes

Effective collaboration in the project groups is an essential prerequisite for student learning, and is also an independent learning objective with the project groups. It is therefore necessary that the supervisors actively support the processes in the project groups that promote good collaboration.

This requires that the supervisor:

has knowledge of group dynamics including the importance of different roles and personal profiles in project groups.

At TEK, different models are used, among other things, Belbin Team Roles as a tool for understanding and describing the project participants' different profiles and roles in project collaboration.

has knowledge of and tools for conflict management.

The supervisor must have a basic knowledge and sufficient tools to actively support constructive solutions to conflicts that may arise in the project groups.

can provide constructive and effective feedback to students on both process and professionalism.
There are models for effective feedback that the supervisors must be familiar with.
SDUUP offers the course ”Effective Feedback and Feedforward”

create a framework for the project and communicate the working methods of the profession

The supervisor must be familiar with the form of project work, including the purpose thereof and methods used in an education-related context. The supervisor must also use the project as a way of communicating the traditions of the profession, the working methods and self-understanding.

This requires the supervisor to:

have a thorough knowledge of the context in which the project is part of the program.

In this case, the semester team is central to the discussion of how the supervision and project work is implemented and for setting actual requirements for reporting, timetables, mid-term evaluations/phase transfers, opponent groups etc.

be able to create a framework for the project and coordinate and agree expectations for the supervisors’ and students’ roles and distribution of responsibilities.

This may be done by drafting supervision contracts, for example.

be able to communicate the working methods of the profession.

The supervisor must be able to communicate the working methods and traditions typical of professional engineering work, including working systematically on open-ended problems, project management, communication of results, focusing on the creation of solutions, interdisciplinary collaboration etc.