Introduction

This specialization study programme emphasizes knowledge and skills in creative work using clay. It focuses on practical creative work in clay where students can acquire motor skills, technical and aesthetic knowledge in a continuous process from idea to finished product. Students will acquire an understanding of the relationship between function, form, surface and colour, and aesthetic expression.

Target Group and Admission Requirements

Admission requirements: Clay 1 - Art and Design or equivalent university college course within art, design and crafts. Suitable prior experiential learning may qualify for admission and will be considered on a case-by-case basis. The study programme may be taken as part of an independent advanced study programme.

The study programme is aimed at:

• Primary and secondary school teachers in arts and crafts who want to take continuing education
• Students who wish to take a multidisciplinary Bachelor’s degree
• Students who wish to pursue an education in the field of the arts and design with a focus on clay

Aim of the Programme

The candidate will:

• Further develop their knowledge, experience and creative skills in order to strengthen their understanding and experience of aesthetic values ​​related to materials, communication, function and didactics
• Develop their awareness of the subject’s possibilities and values, in which man, learning, culture and the environment are central

Learning outcome

After successfully completing the study programme, the candidate will have achieved the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence.

Knowledge

The candidate has:

• Increased their knowledge, awareness and ability to express themselves through aesthetic creative work using clay
• Acquired knowledge of art and design culture within the specialist subject field
• Acquired knowledge of relevant research and development work within the subject field.

Skills

The candidate has/can:

• Mastered the use of creative processes in problem-solving, product development and aesthetic creative work
• Systematically developed the necessary motor skills and technical knowledge to enable them to realise ideas and produce concrete results
• Developed the ability to independently formulate and solve problems
• Draw on theories of form, colour and composition in order to evaluate their own creative work and that of others
• Acquired active skills regarding our culture’s traditions and renewal
• Acquired knowledge and experience of relevant research and development work within the subject field.

General competence

The candidate has:

• Increased their knowledge of creative work using clay
  

Curriculum and structure

Code Course title Credits O/V *) Credits pr. semester   S1(A) S2(V) S3(A) S4(V) S5(A) S6(V) S7(A) 964EPER Working with Clay from an Ethnographic Perspective 15.00 O 15             964SKFU Sculptural Expression in Clay 15.00 O 15             964LEIR Throwing Clay 15.00 O   15           IFFBACH Bachelor’s Thesis – Final project 15.00 V               Total: 30 30 0 0 0 0 0 *) O - Mandatory course, V - Optional course

The study programme is organized into courses which are related to each other theoretically and professionally. In order to take the last course of the study programme, the Bachelor’s Thesis, the student must first pass all the other study programme courses.

• Clay from an Ethnological Perspective
• Sculptural Expressions
• Throwing Clay
• Bachelor’s Thesis

The courses are taught in the spring semester (30 ECTS) and autumn semester (30 ECTS).

The subject content of the various courses may be covered within the same study period.

Some of the subject material may be considered common for all of the courses covering the various materials. This will be communicated largely through the seminars/lectures.

In addition to the courses, activities such as ‘Open Door’ and ‘Research Days’, and possibly other activities, will be included in the study programme.

Academic affairs committee

Students will elect their own academic affairs committee consisting of 2-3 students who will function as intermediaries between the teaching team and the class in matters such as the planning and execution of class activities.

Please also refer to the the study programme’s website for more information.

Internationalization

Students have the opportunity to take part of their studies at an educational institution abroad. Telemark University College is associated with NORDPLUS, Nordflo and Edda that offer students the option of studying at an equivalent educational institution in Denmark, Finland, the Faeroes, Iceland, Greenland or Sweden. This exchange may be accommodated at various points during the course of the study programme, preferably during the second year of study. The principle of parity applies, i.e. the student will be awarded the equivalent number of ECTS credits. Mobility and travel grants are available. More information is available on the following website: http://www.nordfo.org/no

Teaching and Learning Methods

The students’ attendance and participation is an important basis of the study programme. The study programme comprises 1,600 working hours, including approximately 320 teacher-directed hours.

Individual work by students in the workshops and theoretical component constitute the main teaching and learning methods. Through independent and supervised practical activities in the workshop sessions, theory and reflection will be related to the student’s creative work. Group work and guidance involving fellow students in various learning situations, in small seminars, discussions and common exhibition projects will be emphasised.

The study programme includes demonstrations, practical exercises, skills training, lectures, and discussions.

In addition to class teaching, supervision will be given individually and in groups. The teaching is done in parallel to the assignments, and includes an introduction to the practical work methods and lectures in subject theory. The interaction between creative activity, theory and reflection constitutes an important part of the study programme. The formulation of the assignments is aimed at providing the students with greater detailed knowledge of the subject and a broader perspective of their creative activities. Visits to exhibitions are also part of the study programme, and possibly short excursions.

Theory and Practical Training

The academic year does not include a practice period.

Assessment Methods

There should be consistency between the objectives, content, teaching and learning methods and assessment in the study programme. The assessment constitutes part of the actual learning process, and will allow individual students to gain insight into the aims of the study programme, and their aptitude for further study within the subject area.

Students are responsible for keeping themselves informed about assignments, deadlines, study programme requirements, etc. All the assignments must be completed and submitted before the deadline specified in the semester plan / year-plan/ period plan before the student will be allowed to complete the final course, the Bachelor’s Thesis. The student must receive passing marks in all the courses before he/she will be awarded a diploma for successfully completing the study programme.

The courses may be assessed in different ways, including portfolio assessment and written examinations (please refer to the individual course descriptions).

The course grades and the title of the Bachelor’s Thesis will be entered on the diploma. The courses will be graded on a scale from A to F, where A is the highest grade, and E the lowest passing grade. The course Subject or Professional Didactic Practice will be assessed pass/fail. Practice must receive a passing mark before the student will be awarded a diploma. Students who do not complete the study programme will receive a transcript of the grades for the courses they have passed.

Please refer to Telemark University College Examination Regulations for further information.

Suitability

The study programme does not include suitability assessment.

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