Study Quality Award Goes to Sociology

The award recognises academic communities that actively and innovatively work to enhance the quality of their educational programmes. The winner is also nominated for the University of Bergen’s Award for Educational Quality, the Ugle Award.

SOS100A/B is the introductory course for sociology bachelor’s and teacher education students and represents their first encounter with university studies. In recent years, the department has tested several initiatives to strengthen student learning and achievement, including a dedicated workbook, alternative forms of assessment, and extensive evaluations of the course.

«Receiving the Study Quality Award for our work with first-semester students is a great honour. At Sociology, we are committed to motivating students to read. At the same time, research on class and education shows that students have very different prerequisites for experiencing autonomy and mastery, which in turn foster motivation», says Head of Department Katharina Sass.

She highlights the course workbook in particular, which provides students with concrete tasks and tools for independent learning.

In its assessment, the award committee emphasised that the initiatives target first-year students and help strengthen motivation and achievement, particularly among students who may not already have strong academic advantages. The committee also noted the strong transfer value of the initiatives to other academic disciplines and praised the department’s willingness to test new approaches, evaluate the results, and adjust its practices based on feedback.

The award was presented by the Faculty Board on 9 June.