Learning outcome

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

Knowledge

The candidate has knowledge of:

• The relationship between art, culture, aesthetics, and creative processes
• How culture influences children’s different expressions
• Musical, dramatic and visual media, and associated forms of expression
• Children’s need to express themselves physically, vocally and through external materials
• Art and culture for children.

Skills

The candidate can:

• Plan, implement and reflect upon their own, and children’s, creative processes
• Create environments that encourage children to wonder, explore, express themselves and play
• Use photos and texts that document their own, and children’s, creative processes
• Express themselves visually with materials, tools and techniques
• Express themselves using body, voice and props in dramatic play
• Express themselves musically using body, voice and instruments.
  

General competence

The candidate can/is:

• View children as competent participants who can contribute within the kindergarten’s cultural arena
• Understand the kindergarten teacher’s importance as a partner and role model in children’s exploratory activity and expression
• Aware of gender issues and multicultural perspectives in the organisation of creative meetings and culture dissemination
• Understand research and development work as a prerequisite for strengthening creative work in the kindergarten
• Understand that the arts, culture and creativity all contribute to a child’s education.
  

Course Description

Dramatic, visual and musical forms of expression are central to this course. These skills will develop the student’s ability to reflect on children’s play, exploration, learning and creative activities. The student will understand the connection between their own experience, expertise and theoretical subjects on the one hand, and their practical training on the other. Children should be viewed as competent participants who can be involved in the cultural life of the kindergarten. The kindergarten teacher’s roles as arts and culture disseminator, co-creator, participant and role model to children in cultural activities is central. The knowledge area emphasizes documentation of children’s activities as a tool in educational work, and organization of the physical environment as an important pedagogical approach.

During the period of practical training, the student’s own experiences form the basis for understanding and facilitating the child’s meeting with different forms of expression adapted to interests and backgrounds.

Teaching and Learning Methods

Practical creative work: experience and knowledge is achieved primarily through the student’s own practical creative work in workshops related to dramatic, visual and musical expressions. The student will be able to acquire a repertoire of different forms of expression.
Using digital media: the student will gain experience in documenting their own creative processes.
Reflection and documentation related to practical training: knowledge of children is acquired through practical training in kindergartens and through working with documentation, using photos and practical training stories from the kindergarten.

Theoretical knowledge and understanding is acquired through the student’s study of the subject literature, lectures and discussions and reflections in seminars.

The work will be carried out in groups and individually.

The mandatory parts of the course are described in the semester plan.

Assessment Methods

• Individual practical training portfolio examination, weighted 40%
• Individual home examination, weighted 60%

A single letter grade (A to F) will be entered on the diploma, where A represents the highest and E the lowest passing grade. Each element of the course must be completed with a passing mark in order for the student to achieve a passing mark in the course. Please refer to the Telemark University College Examination Regulations for further information.
The course is subject to minor changes.

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