Introduction

Many are experts on teaching in the sense of having been taught. However, becoming an expert on the art of teaching and creating favourable conditions for learning is quite different. There is no single recipe for crossing this gap. Doing so requires personal effort, freedom from bias and an appetite for professional challenges.

Target Group and Admission Requirements

General admission requirements or accreditation for prior experiential learning; a minimum of 35 ECTS credits and a grade 3 or above score in mathematics and Norwegian.

Aim of the Programme

The study programme is based on the 4-year National Curriculum for General Teacher Education programme, 2003.

The Web-based General Teacher Education study programme is an educational project with children and adolescents which opens opportunities for positive actions and significant improvements. The general teacher student is a future cultural worker who learns both from a subject and about a subject. The programme is designed to increase professional pride and identity.

Professional education

The study programme is a professional education that combines courses in various subjects, subject didactics, pedagogical theory and supervised teaching practice in the school. Professional teaching is realised both through understanding the subject areas and by acquiring insight through actual practice in teaching the subjects.

The core of the study programme consists of five areas of education which are developed in the training school: subject and didactic expertise are developed through the study of the subject areas; social skills are developed through communication and empathy; change and development skills are developed by adapting to a constantly-evolving field of education; and professional ethics are developed through encountering and interacting with the programme’s professional diversity.

The subject, pedagogy, will provide students with an understanding of how children learn and develop. It covers general didactics, basic teaching and learning methods, the teacher as leader and the social role of schools.

In the subject courses, students will develop solid academic knowledge, which is a prerequisite for effective teaching and learning.
Subject didactics in all subjects builds a bridge between the academic subject area and how the subject is taught in schools; it analyses the unique characteristics of the subject and its content and working methods; and considers what is most valuable in planning and teaching.

The study programme addresses the Knowledge Promotion Curriculum and the relationship between academic subjects, college subjects and school subjects; and elucidates the changes in professional roles, basic skills and values in the teaching profession.

The period of practical training consists of 20 weeks and has a separate teaching plan.

Further Education opportunities

The study programme provides ample opportunity for further study at Master’s degree level.
From the fifth year of the programme students may select courses that form part of the first year of Master’s programme, if they have completed sufficient specialisation courses earlier. Telemark University College offers the following Master’s degree programmes: MA Art & Design Education; MA Physical Education, Sport & Outdoor Life Studies; MA Cultural Studies; MSc Environmental Health; and MA Traditional Arts. Several more programmes are in the planning stages.

Curriculum and structure

Obligatory Courses Code Course title Credits O/V *) Credits pr. semester   PEL 101 Pedagogy in Teacher Education: The Teacher’s Facilitation of Pupils’ Learning and Development 15.00 O PEL 102 Pedagogy in Teacher Education: Pupils’ Formal Skills, and Social and Personal Learning and Development 15.00 O MAT 101 Mathematics 1 Module 1: Numbers, Geometry and Measurement 15.00 O MAT 102 Mathematics 1: Module 2 - Algebra, Functions, Statistics and Probability 15.00 O NOR 101 Norwegian 1: Oral, Written and Composite Texts 15.00 O NOR 102 Norwegian 1: Language Development in Children – Teaching Reading and Writing 15.00 O Total: *) O - Mandatory course, V - Optional course

Optional courses Code Course title Credits O/V *) Credits pr. semester   S-1(A) ENG 101 English 1 – with an Emphasis on Phonetics and Grammar 15.00 V   ENG 102 English 1 with an Emphasis on Literature and Society 15.00 V   IKT 301 ICT in Education - Introduction to Information and Communication Technology 15.00 V   K&H 101 Art and Crafts: Sculpture and Images; Visual Communication and Innovation 15.00 V   K&H 102 Art and Crafts 1 – Crafts, Design and Architecture 15.00 V   MUS 101 Music 1, autumn 15.00 V   MUS 102 Music 1 - spring 15.00 V   RLE 101 Religion, Beliefs and Ethics 1 - Western Religions, Ethics and Philosophy 15.00 V   RLE 102 Religion, Beliefs and Ethics 1: Eastern Religions, Christianity, Ethics and Views of Humanity 15.00 V   SAM 101 Social Studies 1: Norwegian Society 1-7 15.00 V   SAM 102 Social Studies 1 – Norway in the World – grades 1-7 15.00 V   Total: *) O - Mandatory course, V - Optional course

Optional courses

Study programme model:

Year	Course
1	Norwegian 30 ECTS	Pedagogy 15 ECTS					Practice
2	Mathematics 30 ECTS	Pedagogy 15 ECTS					Practice
3	The 3 R’s 10 ECTS	CRE 20 ECTS	Elective 30 ECTS				Practice
4	Elective school subject/school subject area 30 -60 ECTS						Practice
5	Elective school subject/school subject area 30 –60 ECTS

The Web-based General Teacher Education study programme is a 5-year part-time study of 240 ECTS credits. Of these, 120 ECTS credits are obligatory courses and 120 ECTS credits represent elective courses. Of the elective courses, at least 60 ECTS credits should involve primary/lower-secondary school subjects. The obligatory courses are The Fundamentals, of Reading, Writing and Arithmetic (the ‘3 Rs’); Christianity, Religion and Ethics; Mathematics; Norwegian and Pedagogy.

The study programme has the same aims as the regular General Teacher Education programme, but is a Web-based part time programme based on workshops; consequently, its organisation, teaching and learning methods, and assessment differ from the regular programme. 120 ECTS credits obligatory courses are spread over three years. 120 ECTS credits elective courses are spread over 2-3 years dependent on the progression in the studies. The fourth and fifth years focus on specialisation courses up to 60 ECTS credits. Completion of the programme is achieved after 4 or 5 years dependent on the study progression.

Selection of courses

Of the elective courses, at least 60 ECTS credits should involve primary/lower-secondary school subjects. The students have access to all the subjects that are taught at the faculty, but the Web-based programme currently offers the following courses:

• Digital Image Editing
• Art and Handicrafts 1
• ICT in Teaching and Learning
• Norwegian 2
• Social Studies 2
• Special Needs Education

Students will be given an introduction to basic ethical approaches, research-methodological approaches and scientific theory equivalent to 10 ECTS credits.

Students will complete a Bachelor’s Thesis (10 ECTS) during their third and fourth year of study, which constitutes part of one of the elective subjects.

Multi-disciplinary elective courses

The study programme includes obligatory multidisciplinary topics which are focused on in the professional courses. Study programme subjects and teaching practice help illuminate these topics, and together with the subject curricula they constitute the Faculty of Art, Folk Culture and Teacher Education’s professional profile.

Professional themes taught in the study programme:

Subject didactics	ICT in teaching and learning
Professional writing/R&D	Professional ethics
Adapted teaching	Teaching materials evaluation

Professional topics at Faculty of Art, Folk Culture and Teacher Education, organisation

and section/subject/faculty responsible for organisation

Professional courses	Main responsibility	Organisation
1st year
The library and learning	Course 1st year/library	Course/theme day/practical experience
Drama as a method	Drama	16 hour course
Intoxication issues	Faculty	Theme day
Language and learning	Subject	Multi-subject theme work
2nd year
Pupil evaluation/pupil counselling	Multi-subject/practice school	Practice seminar
Multicultural school/Internationalisation	Faculty/subjects	Multi-subject theme work/lectures
Bullying	Pedagogy	Course unit /lecture
3rd year
Children in crisis	Faculty	Theme day
Cooperation with parents	Faculty	Theme day/practice
School management; Education Act	Pedagogy/practice school	Practice project lecture

Programme subjects are composed of knowledge and skills which are different, and which are also dependent on other subjects. Each year-level organises therefore at least 1 multi-subject theme/ project work of 1-2 weeks duration. This work will be followed up by a documentation exercise and assessed through an oral presentation or written work.

Teaching and Learning Methods

This part-time study programme is aimed at students who wish a flexible and Web-based course of studies. The study programme will require considerable self-study, and communication via the Web between students and teachers, and between students is important. Students must have a laptop computer with fast Internet access and a Web camera. The study programme is based on workshops, obligatory coursework completed online between the workshops, portfolio requirements and projects. Teaching and learning methods vary between individual and group work, and lectures. The studies are based on the obligatory syllabus and students will work in groups reviewing and discussing the course material.

Active use of a Web room on Classfronter is obligatory, and it will supplement the teaching in between workshops.

The programme’s teaching and learning methods relate to both single and multi-discipline subjects and an important aim of the programme is to stimulate critical reflection. The teaching and learning methods include:

• Polyphony
• Narration
• Specialisation

Polyphony in this context may be interpreted as “multiple meaning”. Education depends on the ability to focus interest. The programme will stimulate the student’s ability to be taken aback and consequently dare to express with his/her own voice. Much of the time allocated to the programme subjects is spent working with theory, tools and texts. The programme’s ECTS credits correspond to the amount of study needed; i.e. 1 ECTS credit comprises 25 hours’ study; 45 ECTS credits comprises an academic year of 1125 hours. The subject teacher’s role is to function as a supervisor and a source of inspiration, and the organised teaching will support the acquirement of knowledge, which to a large extent will take place between the workshops. Teaching will alternate between lectures, seminars, group work and individual supervision face-to-face and online via Classfronter.

• Course requirements are stipulated in the course descriptions and the semester plans, and the number of ECTS credits is given.
• Each period corresponds to 45 ECTS credits; this includes portfolio submissions, course assignments and activities, and final assessment.
• Information regarding course material, timetables/practical information may be accessed online via Classfronter-
• Students are required to log into their online classroom at least twice a week during the academic year in order to read and send messages, or participate in class discussions.
• The study programme includes obligatory participation in student work as stipulated in the curriculum, teaching practice, practice preparation/follow-up work and portfolio submissions. It is the student’s responsibility to maintain the level of work in the student group both online and during the workshops.
• Teaching and learning methods include writing-talking, discussion groups, Web seminars and information on the Web.
• Obligatory use of the forum – discussion room – questions asked the teacher, which may also be of interest to other students; ideas for the solution of assignments; discussion of questions related to the studies.

Each period has a contact-teacher who has a supervisory function for the students. The contact teacher will meet the seminar group at each workshop and hold at least one meeting with each base-group every semester.
Internationalisation

The study programme provides students with the possibility of taking 30 ECTS (one semester) at an educational institution abroad, for instance during the sixth semester. The Faculty of Art, Folk Culture and Teacher Education has reached agreements with institutions in Scandinavia and Europe through the exchange programmes Socrates/Erasmus and Nordplus. The agreements cover all subject areas. The student may obtain a scholarship to study abroad.

The principle of time parity applies, i.e. the time spent studying abroad is equivalent to the time that would have been spent in the Norwegian institution.

Theory and Practical Training

The teaching practice is integrated into the study programme and the students will have supervised teaching practice in the primary and lower secondary school: At least one period of practice will be carried out in a different school than where the student has his/her place of work. The practice is carried out in the practice-placement school, in the teaching and preparation, and in the execution and reviewing of the practice period. The practice is organised into blocks throughout the academic year.

The teaching practice is organised in relation to specific professional themes – for instance, basic reading, writing and arithmetic skills in the primary school in the third year, the multicultural school in the second year and language and learning in the first year.

Teaching practice plan

Year of study	Autumn weeks	Spring weeks	Flexible	Total number of weeks
1	1	3	5 days	5
2		4	5 days	5
3	2	2	5 days	5
4	2	2	5 days	5
5			Subject didactics assignment

* Please refer to the teaching practice plan for more information.

Assessment Methods

An important aspect of the programme is individual written work carried out by the students for their portfolios, which may form a basis for both continuous and final assessment. Continuous assessment, which is the response from the teacher regarding the student’s work, consists of 60% of the assessment. Each student will complete a portfolio for each academic year. Two different types of portfolios are used: work portfolios and presentation portfolios. The work portfolios document the student’s development throughout the course of the programme and may include various types of work which the student must complete before he/she can be finally assessed. The presentation portfolio contains those documents which have been formally evaluated as part of the final assessment. Please refer to the respective curricula for the portfolio requirements of the various courses.

The course of studies includes various forms of documentation such as, written portfolios, oral presentations and dramatisations. Various forms of feedback will provide students with training in justifying, mediating and documenting their work. The student uses the period of flexible teaching practice to acquire knowledge and to try out theories, which are part of the syllabus.

Quality and suitability

In order to assure the quality of the study programme the following measures will be implemented:

Individual teaching plans will be drawn up, supervision, evaluation of the studies in an academic affairs committee, assessment in the year-levels and seminar groups, and external evaluation of the study programme at least once every five years.

The student can expect that the faculty:

• Provides information on course material and academic expectations.
• Provides relevant teaching, supervision and examinations that correspond to the curriculum.
• Uses Classfronter as a means of providing supervision and information.
• Uses a Web camera in the supervision process.
• Uses Metcon in the teaching.
• Organises varied types of examinations.
• Provides objective and fair assessment.

The faculty expect that the student will:

• Organise their time effectively, acquire the necessary course literature and be well prepared for learning activities.
• Complete assignments for the portfolio, keep deadlines, and follow guidelines.
• Cooperate with other students in activities and learning processes.
• Participate in the workshops, as well as the synchronous teaching and asynchronous teaching between the workshops.
• Log into the online classroom in Classfronter at least twice a week during the academic year.
• Participate in the teaching on the web two to three times a week, 6-9 teaching hours during the working day.

The suitability assessment is included as part of the total assessment of the student’s professional and personal aptitude and pedagogical skills which will enable him/her to function as a teacher. Continuous assessment of suitability will be carried out throughout the whole of the study programme (cf. Regulations for Suitability Assessment, July 2003).

Minor adjustments may occur during the academic year, subject to the decision of the Dean