MBIB4240 Institutions Promoting Information and Culture Course description

This course adopts a sociological perspective, with a specific focus on archives, libraries, and museums, examining the emergence of the information-disseminating profession, institutionalization, and roles.

The language of instruction for the course is both Norwegian and English.

None.

After completing the course, the student should have the following overall learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The student

• has advanced knowledge of information and culture disseminating institutions, first and foremost archives and libraries and these institutions values and social roles
• has specialist knowledge and understanding of the relationship between the different institutions and how this relationship is influenced by their political, demographic, cultural, technological surroundings
• has in-depth knowledge about the respective professionals' roles and practice in the three different types of institution
• has knowledge of relevant theories from the social sciences such as theory of the public sphere and cultural theory, as well as theories and methods for assessing and evaluating the usefulness of information and cultural disseminating institutions

Skills

The student

• masters relevant theoretical terms and perspectives that are used in research in the field in order to analyse and understand the relevant institutions, their history, development and change processes, etc.
• is capable of reflecting on the professional practice in archives and libraries
• has developed a knowledge base in relation to the empirical field and to theory and methods that enable them to design and conduct research projects on topics pertaining to information and culture disseminating institutions
• is capable of leading complex planning processes leading to the ability to update the archives and libraries' role in relation to social changes

General Competence

The student

• has the ability to cooperate across information science specialisations
• has the ability to enage in professional and scholary discussions and debates
• has greater awareness of innovative projects and activities happening in Scandinavian archives, libraries and museums, as well as internationally

The course is organised as a series of three over three days.

Teaching methods alternate between lectures, seminars, study visits, discussions, group work, presentation and independent study.

The following coursework requirements must have been approved in order for the student to take the exam:

1. A 10 minute oral group presentation of a small group project (approximately 3-4 students in each group)
2. A 15 minute oral presentation of the semester paper. Presentations are done individually, or in groups of two if writing the term paper together.

Presentations can be done on Zoom, in the classroom or recorded beforehand (ppt or video) and shall be submitted to Canvas afterwards for approval by course responsible (pass/fail).

All required coursework must be completed and approved by the given deadline in order for the student to take the exam. If one or more coursework requirements have not been approved, the student will be given the opportunity to submit an improved version once by the given deadline.

Assessment is a semester paper. The paper can be written individually, the length should then be about 20 pages, or it can be written in a group of 2 students, the length should then be about 25 pages. Font and font size: Arial / Calibri 12pkt. Line spacing: 1.5.

Candidates who do not receive a passing grade on the semester paper can resubmit the paper once.

The semester paper can be written in Norwegian or English.

All aids are allowed as long as the source reference rules are followed.

Letter grading A-F.

An internal and external examiner make the assessment of all exams.

Emnet skal danne grunnlag for arbeid med masteroppgaven og for at studentene skal kunne oppdatere seg på ny forskning og forholde seg kritisk til den gjennom et langt yrkesliv. Emnet har to hovedområder, vitenskapsteori og forskningsmetode.

I området vitenskapsteori vil det i tillegg til generell vitenskapsteori fokuseres særlig på ulike teoretiske retninger med særlig relevans for skole- og utdanningsforskning. I området forskningsmetode skal studentene få oversikt og forståelse av en bredde av forskningsmetoder, sett i sammenheng med vitenskapsteorien, slik at de både kan gjøre bevisste metodevalg i tilknytning til masteroppgaven og senere forholde seg til forskning som har ulike metodiske tilnærminger.