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"The students are co-producers"

Teacher stands up and explains something to four students that are sitting down
"There is a difference between teaching with or to. I want to talk with the students, not to or about them. Learning takes place when they are engaged with the material. Quite simply, we do it together", says Nadja Sörgärde. Photo:Kennet Ruona

Senior lecturer, Nadja Sörgärde, has received the students' award for excellence in teaching. Her students praise her extraordinary level of engagement. She personally believes the engagement is connected to the fact she thinks it is fun to teach – especially through seeing how her students develop. 

Nadja Sörgärde is an engineer who became interested in leadership and organisation while studying for her Master's in technology management.  Today she is a senior lecturer in business management.

"Sometimes I wonder, why didn't I realise earlier that this is what I wanted to do?"

LUM meets Nadja Sörgärde in her office, where lush green plants and books surround her. However, this is not where she spends the majority of her time. If she is not in a classroom, she is leading group training, tending her garden or spending time with her family.  The teaching role comes naturally to her and it is with this confidence she is able to open her teaching up to student contributions. 

"I like to have dialogue. The students are my co-producers and I am convinced they want to learn. However, if you ask for opinions you cannot be scared of what is then revealed." 

Earlier in the day, she participated as course director in an essay seminar. The students discuss each other’s texts, examining different approaches. They have brought cheese, sandwiches and cake with them to celebrate that it is the last time they will meet. Nadja Sörgärde listens, contributes with different perspectives and asks follow-up questions.

"It is fun to follow them for the whole semester. I can see how they have developed since the first day of the course, how they freely use different terms we have discussed. This is a clear sign that the students have learnt things."

"I am driven by more students being heard and getting involved in the classes. In interaction with others, students are challenged to reflect and discuss which means that the learning is raised to another level." 

Woman talking to woman.
For several years, senior lecturer Nadja Sörgärde has experimented with the so-called 'flipped classroom'. Photo: Kennet Ruona
Nadja Sörgärde likes experimenting with different pedagogical approaches such as the 'flipped classroom'. The teaching is built on students reading independently, with online lectures, quizzes and self-study questions as support. They then discuss these with fellow students and the teacher during class time to take the argument further and increase understanding. The teacher acts as the leader in the process. 

"It Is high-tempo, but it works. One of the best ways to learn is when you can share and explain to others what you have learnt. This is something I encourage from day one."

At the core of Nadja Sörgärde's view on teaching are words such as dialogue, engagement and development.

"'Good' is an evaluation that does not provide very much. I would like to know what is good – or bad. I try to understand what the problem is. I do not want to give the students an easier book or easier tasks, I would rather think about how I can provide the conditions they need to better understand. It is about finding their drive and engagement. Only then can learning really take place." 

 

 

 

 

 

Why Nadja Sörgärde is such a good teacher

Young woman
Emelie Adenlöf. Photo:Louise Larsson

EMELIE ADENLÖF, STUDENT

"Nadia's enthusiasm raises the energy in the room and really makes you want to listen. Her passion is also evident in the constructive feedback we students get on all of our assignments. We have had to teach academic material to the class – that was interesting and made the exam feel easy given that the theories were fresh in our minds."

young man
Photo: Louise Larsson

TOBIAS GRAAF, STUDENT

"Nadja is the teacher who has taught me the absolute most at the School of Economics and Management. She focuses on the development of the student and is curious about our experiences. In this way, she manages to tailor discussions to be as enriching as possible." 

 

 

Nadja Sörgärde

PROFESSION: Senior Lecturer at the School of Economics and Management

CURRENT:  Recipient of the Students' award for excellence in teaching presented at the annual University academic ceremony held on 25 January.

UNKNOWN TALENT: Garden design

NO-NO:Never eats meat

cover photo

About LUM

The first edition of Lund University Magazine – LUM – was published 1968. Today, the magazine reaches all employees and also people outside the university. The magazine is published six times per year. Editor Jan Olsson.

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Jan Olsson


046-222 94 79

jan [dot] olsson [at] kommunikation [dot] lu [dot] se

 

Minna Wallén-Widung

046-222 82 01


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