Course Objectives

Knowledge of the subject

Through their own creative work in two- and three-dimensional materials, students will acquire practical and aesthetic experience in expressing themselves. The techniques and materials chosen will be suitable for use in working with small children. During the teaching practice, students will be able to experiment with arts and crafts’ techniques in working with children.

During the course, the student will gain experience and understanding of:

· The creative processes involved in two- and three-dimensional arts and crafts work

· Working with a variety of materials and techniques

· The development of children and how they use materials to express themselves

· The concepts of creativity, fantasy and aesthetics, viewed in relation to the development of children

· Various forms of expression in the arts and media

· The aesthetic and pedagogical significance of the physical environment

Pedagogical work with children

Students will gain insight into how creative processes yield an opportunity to process impressions and facilitate learning. An important aspect of the work involved under this objective is understanding and practice in documenting the experiences of children, and learning through creative arts and crafts activities. The expressive forms used by children will be viewed both in a historical perspective and in relation to the current National Curriculum for Pre-school Teacher Education, as specified by the Ministry of Education and Research in April 2003 and the National Curriculum for Primary School (L-97).

The students will be able to:

· Take as their starting point a child’s preconditions, interests and curiosity in their pedagogical work with children

· Plan, execute, evaluate and document the creative processes of children with different needs and different cultural backgrounds

· Teach and use a variety of arts and crafts activities in their work with children

· Be capable of planning a stimulating, aesthetic and functional environment

Cooperation and reflection

The students will practice recognising the relationship between the actions and practical organisation carried out by adults, and the experiences and activities of children and their identity and personality development.

Students will be able to:

· Reflect on the necessary conditions for creative processes for children of different ages and from different cultural backgrounds

· Analyse and critically evaluate the possibilities and limitations of arts and crafts activities in indoor and outdoor areas of day-care centres.

· Reflect on the connection between the images and styles prevalent in the community and its’ importance in children’s perception and modes of expression

· Receive and provide supervision related to creative work with children.

Course Description

The curriculum for Arts and Crafts is based on the National Curriculum for Pre-school Teacher Education, approved by the Ministry of Education and Research on April 3rd, 2003 and functions as the students’ and teachers’ working plan for carrying out the study.

Arts and crafts are about people’s ability and need to create and communicate through images, sculpture and utility objects. Historically and culturally, the subject is based on values and traditions within art, architecture, design and handicrafts. The subject stresses visual and tactile expressions in two- and three-dimensional forms. Students will be introduced to examples of creative work ranging from a child’s first scribbling to our culture’s advanced works of art.

The course will help students develop into competent communication partners for growing children, as regards creative arts and crafts activities. Students will develop professional competence through experience with their own creative work, by learning about children development theories concerning and through their own practical work with children. Students will be trained to understand how children perceive their surroundings, and thereby gain insight into the needs of both children and their parents. Students will learn how the shaping of the day-care centre promotes the mediation of cultural and aesthetic values which are significant for the exploration and play of children.

Learning Methods

The course is organised as a coordinated study in which the subject material from the target areas is presented. The course’s 10 ECTS correspond 6-7 hours of work per week. Not all of the study periods are supervised by the teaching staff. It is assumed that students will also work independently on the assignments and seek supervision from the teachers if necessary.

Student centred teaching methods will prevail in the course. The teachers will often introduce creative work using theoretical introductions and demonstrations of work with various materials and techniques. Topics from subject-theory may be presented in lectures and in supervision of students’ work.

The students’ own practical and theoretical work may be carried out individually or in groups. Throughout the course students will be responsible for studying the theoretical subject material and for seeking supervision, as they need time to become acquainted with the material, tools and techniques. Students are also responsible for maintaining the school’s material, equipment and workshops.

The course is organised either into units of intensive arts and crafts activities over several days or on one day per week basis over longer periods. Assignments and contact with students may periodically take place over Internet. During the course of the study, a multi-media group project such as puppet theatre, dramatisation or similar work in cooperation with the drama or music studies course will be executed.

Mandatory work

The practical part of the course is mandatory. All assignments given throughout the year must be completed with supervision by the teacher and approved before the student may receive a final assessment for the course.

Assessment Methods

Throughout the course, students and teachers will participate in an informal assessment of practical creative work, assignments, projects and study methods. Two students from each group will be chosen to be members of an Academic Affairs Committee that will formalise the groups’ assessment of the course. Practical creative work may, in some parts of the course, be carried out in groups, but the log with didactic-theoretical descriptions is to be kept individually by students. All assignments must be completed, and the results approved by the teacher before students will be allowed to participate in the final assessment.

Final Assessment

A final formal assessment is made when the following work has been submitted at the end of the second semester, and is assessed according to specified criteria:

1. The student’s logbook with documentation

2. The student’s written didactic/theoretical assignment

3. Two of the student’s practical creative pieces of work (one product related to the collaboration with drama/music and one selected by the student)

Criteria for the assessment of the log with documentation:

- Aesthetic crafts, performance, creativity, quality of documentation and professional level

Criteria for assessment of written didactic/theoretical assignment:

- Reasoning ability and understanding of subject theory

Criteria for assessment of practical creative work:

- Performance, technical execution, creativity and aesthetic expression

In the final assessment, the three components will be weighted as follows:

Log 3/7, theory 2/7 and practical creative work 2/7. All three components must receive passing grades in order for the course to be approved.

A single grade will be recorded on the diploma. The grading scale ranges from A to F, where A is the highest grade and F is the lowest passing grade.

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