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2025-2026 / AESS1217-1

Special didactics in biology : course and exercises (1st part)

Duration

40h Th

Number of credits

 Master in biochemistry and molecular and cell biology, teaching focus (Réinscription uniquement, pas de nouvelle inscription)3 crédits 
 Master in biology of organisms and ecology, teaching focus (Réinscription uniquement, pas de nouvelle inscription)3 crédits 
 Certified upper secondary education teacher (Réinscription uniquement, pas de nouvelle inscription)3 crédits 

Lecturer

Marie-Noëlle Hindryckx

Language(s) of instruction

French language

Organisation and examination

All year long

Schedule

Schedule online

Units courses prerequisite and corequisite

Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program

Learning unit contents

In DS part I course, we'll cover some of the key issues involved in becoming a teacher of biological sciences:
-What is teaching? What does it mean to learn? Examining scientific knowledge and its didactic transposition, from the point of view of the teacher and that of the student; giving meaning to learning
-How can we place our actions within a legal framework, with official references, and within the framework of research into science didactics?
-What active methods should be used in today's teaching, in line with the realities of the field? How should practical situations and learning exercises be organised?
How can we learn to live in multi-disciplinary groups to enrich our training, share our experience, compare ideas and build tools together?
-How can we establish contacts and exchanges between colleagues and with people working in the field? How can science be taught throughout the compulsory curriculum?

These questions will be addressed through practical situations, teaching exercises, readings, lectures and testimonies from people working in the field. These approaches will enable future teachers to gradually develop specific tools for taking on first teaching exercices.

 

Learning outcomes of the learning unit

After completion of the DD partim I course, students should be able to:
- use all necessary referencies in order to make sure that biology is taught in an up-to-date fashion which is focused on students, and intended to help them acquire the skills required at their level of instruction.
- practice effective communication, master the use of effective didactic tools, manage learning by students in class effectively
- develop notions of themselves in order to start to construct their professional identities as biology teachers.

Prerequisite knowledge and skills

Prerequisites include high-quality scientific training gained during university-level study (animal and plant biology, biochemistry, biomedicine, veterinary medicine, etc.), and this scientific knowledge will be tested at the beginning of the course in order to allow students to remedy gaps in their preparation; sufficient facility in the course language of instruction (French) is required, and this will also be tested at the beginning of training leading to qualification.

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

The training is intended to be a concrete training in active methods:
- Practical scenarios are organised on topics such as investigative approaches in the classroom, problem-solving, conceptual changes, epistemology, models and diagrams in biology, and the development of teaching materials.
- Work related to research in teaching methods and the epistemology of science is organised.
- Development of effective teaching materials for learning.

Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)

Blended learning


Further information:

Face-to-face courses, presence required. Classes for the course and for exercises are on Wednesdays (defined in schedule on Celcat at the begining of school year). Part of courses will be self training (personal works...). Enthusiastic participation from each student is necessary in order for the training staff to do their job.

Course materials and recommended or required readings

Platform(s) used for course materials:
- eCampus


Further information:

Presentation slides are available to students on eCampus. The documents required for various activities and instructions can be downloaded from eCampus; assignments must be submitted via eCampus

Exam(s) in session

Any session

- In-person

written exam ( multiple-choice questionnaire, open-ended questions )

Other : This is an assessment that will constitute the DS1 note.


Further information:

A written examination with a multiple-choice section and an open-ended section. This assessment will cover the theoretical courses at the end of the first term

 

This option is available to students enrolled since 2024/2025 who have not yet taken the course or passed DS1.

 

Students enrolled since 2024/2025 who have participated in the course must write an assessment report, as stipulated in 2024-2025 

Work placement(s)

Organisational remarks and main changes to the course

The didactic's rules and necessary instructions for activities can be downloaded from eCampus

Contacts

Teacher :

Marie-Noëlle HINDRYCKX
MN.Hindryckx@uliege.be


Teaching instructors:

Mélanie Laschet
melanie.laschet@uliege.be
Clara Cravatte
clara.cravatte@uliege.be
Mercedes Avignon
mercedes.avignon@uliege.be

Thierry Gouders

tgouders@uliege.be


Quartier Agora, 7 allée du Six Août
B6C bureau 2/5
B-4000 Liège
04 366 34 89

Association of one or more MOOCs