Erasmus+ scheme and visit at Technical University of Denmark in Copenhagen – part 1|Cynllun Erasmus+ ac ymweliad â Phrifysgol Dechnegol Denmarc, Copenhagen – rhan 1

Rhan 1/2 | Part 1/ 2
*Fersiwn Cymraeg isod | Welsh version below*
Rhan 2 | Part 2

Inspired by our very own Marianna who visited Leiden University in the Netherlands last year and encouraged by my own visit to the University of Jyvaskyla Finland 10 years ago, I decided to apply for a grant from the Erasmus+ scheme here at Cardiff University.

This scheme is supported by the EU and allows every academic or professional services staff member to visit a University or Higher Education institution within the EU. Basically, there are two strands of this scheme, staff teaching mobility (suitable for academics) and staff training mobility (suitable for professional services staff). The main aim of this scheme is to inspire and explore how other institutions operate. Application information is available on the staff intranet: https://intranet.cardiff.ac.uk/staff/your-employment/staff-mobility

The first step before I even started my application was to find an institution, department or unit with a similar focus to the Centre for Education Support and Innovation (CESI). Primarily I was interested to gain as much experience and inspiration around digital education and learning analytics. I found a few departments with a similar focus to the CESI and contacted them with my interest. Luckily, I received a couple of responses and arranged skype calls to discuss further. Eventually I chose the Centre for Digital Learning Technology at the Technical University of Denmark in Copenhagen. The main focus of the Centre is data analysis and learning analytics. As soon as I had a partner institution, I could start my application.

The application is pretty straight forward. You need to think about the value of your visit for your team, and the wider benefit to the institution. Of course, your line manager must support your applications and activities. I was allocated a grant for my visit that covered my expenses including travel and accommodation, which can get very expensive in Copenhagen.

My week at DTU passed really quickly. I had a lot of meetings, discussions and inspirational chats, mainly around digital education with very keen academics. Here are some basic data about the university I visited:

• Total enrolments in 2017 – 11 221 students, 6008 staff, 24 departments and centres;
• As a technical university it offers only engineering programmes. 37 BSc programmes, 29 MSc programmes – majority taught in English, 20 PhD programmes – only in English;
• THE World University Ranking – 163^rd in world.

Ar ôl cael fy ysbrydoli gan ein Marianna ni, a fu ar ymweliad â Phrifysgol Leiden yn yr Iseldiroedd y llynedd, ac ar ôl cael fy annog gan fy ymweliad innau â Phrifysgol Jyvaskyla yn y Ffindir ddeng mlynedd yn ôl, penderfynais ymgeisio am grant gan gynllun Erasmus+ yma ym Mhrifysgol Caerdydd.

Mae’r cynllun yn derbyn cefnogaeth yr UE ac mae’n caniatáu i bob aelod o staff academaidd neu’r gwasanaethau proffesiynol ymweld â Phrifysgol neu Sefydliad Addysg Uwch yn yr UE. Yn y bôn, mae dwy ffrwd i’r cynllun, symudedd addysgu staff (addas ar gyfer academyddion) a symudedd hyfforddi staff (addas ar gyfer staff gwasanaethau proffesiynol). Prif nod y cynllun hwn yw ysbrydoli ac archwilio sut mae sefydliadau eraill yn gweithredu. Ceir gwybodaeth ymgeisio ar fewnrwyd y staff: https://intranet.cardiff.ac.uk/staff/your-employment/staff-mobility

Y cam cyntaf cyn i fi hyd yn oed ddechrau ar fy nghais oedd dod o hyd i sefydliad, adran neu uned â ffocws tebyg i’r Ganolfan Arloesedd a Chefnogaeth Addysg (CESI). Yn bennaf roedd gen i ddiddordeb mewn sicrhau cymaint o brofiad ac ysbrydoliaeth â phosib ynghylch addysg ddigidol a dadansoddeg dysgu. Des i o hyd i nifer adrannau â ffocws tebyg i CESI a chysylltais â nhw i fynegi diddordeb. Yn ffodus, fe dderbyniais gwpwl o atebion a threfnais alwadau skype i drafod ymhellach. Yn y pen draw, dewisais y Ganolfan Technoleg Dysgu Ddigidol ym Mhrifysgol Dechnegol Denmarc (DTU) yng Nghopenhagen. Prif ffocws y Ganolfan yw dadansoddi data a dadansoddeg dysgu. Cyn gynted ag oedd gen i sefydliad partner, roedd yn bosib i fi ddechrau ar fy nghais.

Mae’r cais yn eithaf syml. Mae angen i chi feddwl am werth eich ymweliad i’ch tîm, a’r budd ehangach i’r sefydliad. Wrth gwrs, rhaid i’ch rheolwr llinell gefnogi eich ceisiadau a’ch gweithgareddau. Dyfarnwyd grant i fi ar gyfer fy ymweliad oedd yn talu fy nhreuliau gan gynnwys teithio a llety, a all fod yn ddrud iawn yng Nghopenhagen.

Aeth yr wythnos yn DTU yn gyflym iawn. Cefais lawer o gyfarfodydd, trafodaethau a sgyrsiau ysbrydoledig, yn bennaf yn ymwneud ag addysg ddigidol gydag academyddion brwd iawn. Dyma rywfaint o ddata sylfaenol am y brifysgol yr ymwelais i â hi:

• Cyfanswm y cofrestriadau yn 2017 – 11 221 o fyfyrwyr, 6008 o staff, 24 o adrannau a chanolfannau;
• Fel prifysgol dechnegol, mae’n cynnig rhaglenni peirianneg yn unig. 37 o raglenni BSc, 29 o raglenni MSc – y mwyafrif yn cael eu haddysgu yn Saesneg, 20 o raglenni PhD – Saesneg yn unig;
• Safle Prifysgolion y Byd THE – 163ain yn y byd.