This May USN’s institutional coordinator of the EDUC cooperation at USN Heidi Tovsrud Knutsen had the pleasure of hosting ESL teacher/researcher in Didactics, Nicole Divoux-Ringuette, from our EDUC partner Paris-Nanterre University (UPN), as she was job shadowing Knutsen for an entire week.
The job shadowing took place as a part of the Erasmus+ staff mobility scheme.
“The institutional coordinator of EDUC at USN, Heidi Tovsrud Knutsen, is an extraordinary machine. Her dedicated grace and focus on the EDUC mission was continually displayed throughout my visit, and she made great efforts to place the alliance at the forefront of every meeting I attended, regardless of discipline or department. I find that USN is an excellent addition to our alliance’s vision,” Ringuette says.
New professional links
Nicole Divoux-Ringuette holds a PhD in linguistics and has developed courses in cross-cultural communication both for students and staff in EDUC. Born Canadian, she has a bilingual background, in both English and French, which should be perfect for research in linguistics and languages.
“The first thing that struck me in Norway was that everyone spoke English, even though their daily lives were conducted in Norwegian. In this respect, I was well received, able to converse with strangers in the street, and exchanging experiences with people sharing not only a common goal but also a common language. All in all, I felt sincerely welcomed,” she says.
Apart from job shadowing, the main objectives of Ringuette’s trip were to develop new professional links, and discussing the function and applicability of the E-Tandems being developed at UPN, and also the the E-Tandem Staff Takeover by USN in autumn 2023.
The E-tandem is a course in cross-cultural communication/English language, which will be offered to EDUC staff members, from early 2024 onwards.
“Perfect examples”
Ringuette had a chance to visit four of the eight campuses at USN.
“Apart from the spectacular nature scenery the campuses are located in, I was fascinated to see how the campuses are perfect examples of openness towards the community,” she says.
Ringuette spent most of her visit in Campus Drammen:
“In Drammen, the campus library is a part of the community library that is filled with children, seniors, and students reading, browsing, and studying – all in the same space. In addition, the canteen is open to all, and finally, there's an entire floor of offices dedicated to the municipality. The university represents not only a hub for continued education but a pillar of continuity within the community itself,” she says.
Already planning her next visit
Ringuette also points out USN’s centralized Unit for Digitalisation and Education (eDU), who works to address issues related to learning, teaching and assessment in digital contexts. eDU focuses primarily on development and work in close dialogue with USN’s teaching community.
“This to me eDU is a great example of centralized efficiency,” she says.
“All in all, it was an enriching experience and I hope to return soon. Perhaps already during the summer vacation,” Ringuette says.