Understanding – Practice – Assessment – Reflection

Presenter: Emil Folino
Institutionen för datavetenskap, DIDA

UPAR is a method used for designing and structuring course content into repetitive course chunks. The method or adaptations of the method is currently used in both campus and hybrid courses. The UPAR-method has evolved as the primary method for structuring course content into weekly chunks in the web programming education cluster. The method provides a clear and recognisable structure throughout programs and in the individual courses.

 

Each weekly course chunk is divided into four parts:

1. UNDERSTANDING gives the base for each week. In our material it mainly consists of course literature, reference manuals, articles and short videos introducing basic concepts.
2. PRACTICE is used for practical exercises that take the theory from the understanding part and applies it. A byproduct of the practice part is that it establishes a practice of applying theory.
3. ASSESSMENT links understanding and practice together with well designed assignments. It is important that assignments uses the exercises from the practice part as stepping stones especially in courses for novices. In more advanced courses assignments can take greater leaps from the exercises.
4. The last part of the method uses REFLECTION as a tool for repetition. We use four to six reflection questions that the students have to answer as a part of their hand-in.

The UPAR-method can be studied at dbwebb.se and jsramverk.se.

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