Course Description

Introduction

The course will equip students who already have vocational qualifications in Norwegian with the formal competence required to teach Norwegian in primary and secondary schools. The course will introduce students to Norwegian didactics issues that are a necessary prerequisite for the teaching profession, such as the ability to work harmoniously with colleagues and pupils; develop local curricula; and develop ethical professional skills. The course consists of a theoretical part and a period of teaching practice, which are closely linked.

Aims and target areas

The nature of the subject, development and legitimisation

Students will:

• Become familiar with the basic trends in the development of the school-subject of Norwegian in order to place their practice as a Norwegian teacher in perspective.
• Develop the ability to read the curricula in a critical and constructive way, in order to decide how the curricula may be applied in actual teaching situations.
• Explore Norwegian as a subject related to matters of identity, culture and general education, and reflect on how this insight may be applied in practical teaching.
• Develop a reflective approach to the role that Norwegian should play in more comprehensive interdisciplinary teaching plans.
• Develop an awareness of how Norwegian may be used to help encourage tolerance in fields such as equal opportunities between the sexes, the multicultural society and internationalisation.
• Learn to understand the relationship between the nature of the subject and the various teacher-roles.

IT and other teaching aids

Students will:

• Develop an awareness of the new ICT world.
• Learn to evaluate ICT-based teaching aids for Norwegian.
• Learn to discuss the role that Internet and online communication forms will play in tomorrow’s school.
• Learn to evaluate Norwegian textbooks and other relevant publications in Norwegian.

Literature didactics

Students will:

• Acquire textual skills and be able to analyse literature in order to prepare effective learning situations, such as literary discussions.
• Develop an awareness of how the various literary genres may be used in classroom situations.
• Become aware of the opportunities that literature may provide for a wide variety of students with different requirements, providing them with experiences, food for thought and ethical engagement.
• Develop an open attitude to working with mythical and mythological material in teaching, including the Sami cultural heritage.

Language didactics

Students will:

• Learn to plan and teach traditional language disciplines such as language history, grammar and dialects.
• Develop knowledge regarding didactic aspects of Norwegian as a second language, and discuss how a comparative and international perspective with regard to first-language teaching may be achieved.
• Learn to plan teaching that aims to offer practise of both oral and written skills.
• Learn to discuss and develop didactic strategies regarding the teaching of New Norwegian and secondary language forms.

Assessment

Students will:

• Acquire knowledge of national and important assessment arrangements for the subject Norwegian.
• Be able to discuss the assessment of oral and written texts.
• Develop an awareness of how response and pupil assessment should function within process-oriented writing training.
• Learn how portfolio assessment as an assessment method of written work may be used.

Learning Methods

The course is organised into lectures and combined with seminar activities. In addition, there will be Internet-based activities using Classfronter; the extent of these activities may vary.

Assessment Methods

The final assessment of the course is based on a 6-hour written examination that counts for 60% of the final grade, and a collection of written texts which students have written during the course - a presentation portfolio - which counts for 40%. The semester plan provides information concerning the guidelines for portfolio assessment. In order to register for the written examination, students must first have carried out an oral presentation in which they provide a description of a specific teaching plan.

A final grade will be entered on the diploma, graded from A to F, where A represents the highest grade, and E the lowest passing grade. Each part of the assessment must receive a passing grade in order to achieve a final passing grade for the course.

Please refer to Telemark University College’s examination regulations for further information.

Supplementary 15 ECTS credits

Students who take 30 ECTS credits must in addition to the 15 ECTS course write a project assignment. The semester plan provides guidelines on how to write a large project assignment. The theme of the project must be approved by the subject teacher.

The final grade for 30 ECTS credits is achieved by adding the grade for the project assignment to the grade for the 15 ECTS course. The final grade will be entered on the diploma, graded from A to F, where A represents the highest grade, and E the lowest passing grade. Each part of the assessment must receive a passing grade in order to achieve a final passing grade for the course.

Please refer to Telemark University College’s examination regulations for further information.

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