PSYK1200 The History of Psychology Course description

The course provides an introduction to the methodological and theoretical basis of psychology, and its origin and development as a scientific discipline. This includes looking into the philosophical forerunners of psychology, the beginnings of experimental psychology, psychoanalysis, behaviourism, learning theories including social-cognitive, developmental psychology, humanistic psychology and cognitive psychology. It also provides a short introduction to philosophy of science approaches to psychology and behaviour analysis.

Admission to the programme.

After completing the course, the student is expected to have achieved the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and competence:

Knowledge

The student

• has knowledge of the difference between rationality and empiricism
• has knowledge of structuralism and functionalism
• has knowledge of the most important contributors to psychology as a discipline
• is familiar with different experiments in learning and memory
• is familiar with different phenomena and experiments in gestalt psychology (e.g. pi)

Skills

The student is capable of

• describing and reflecting on the difference between essentialism and operationalism
• describing and reflecting on science and the rejection of case studies, the importance of specific predictions and characteristics of an experiment

Competence

The student is capable of

• reflecting on the history of psychology, and psychology as a science today

Work and teaching methods used in the course are lectures and self-study and student-initiated group work. Seminars will also be held where the students present subject matter. Participation in these seminars is compulsory. Students will present texts from the syllabus and encourage discussion, and will receive guidance on further reading. During the course, the students can submit four practice assignments related to key topics in the syllabus. The assignments will be set by the lecturer. The students’ learning outcomes will be documented through presentations and the exam.

The bachelor's thesis is the concluding course in the engineering programme. The students choose the topic for their theses and the work is carried out in groups. It will give students training in carrying out a large project independently and in using relevant methodology tools, and will be organised so that the students are able to use knowledge and skills from several fields.

The bachelor's thesis can be linked to assignments at OsloMet or be written in cooperation with business and industry or other institutions. It must be grounded in real engineering questions that are relevant to the chosen programme option and it can be related to design or contractor operations, orto a research or development project.

The bachelor's thesis is based on knowledge acquired through all five previous semesters.

Students must be registered in the third year of study and have completed at least 100 credits from the first and second years of study by 1 October before they can register for the bachelor's thesis.

All three-semester courses must be passed.

After completing the course, the student is expected to have achieved the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The student:

• has good technical knowledge relating to energy and the environment
• knows about different ways of addressing technical energy and environmental challenges
• demonstrates engineering insight and an overall system perspective and different alternative solutions
• is familiar with available literature and ongoing research and development within the problem
• is capable of applying old and new knowledge to generate new knowledge and arrive at practical overall solutions

Skills

The student is capable of:

• carrying out an engineering task and addressing a practical or research question, in an independent and systematic manner
• defining a research question, the scope and goal of the project and planning progress
• mastering appropriate methods and tools
• using relevant academic theory and literature
• describing the thesis, analysing results and discussing them to arrive at a conclusion
• clearly communicating the objective of the thesis, findings and conclusion, both orally and in writing

General competence

The student:

• masters working in a team on planning and executing a project
• demonstrates independence and initiative, creativity and innovation
• assesses technological solutions in a life-cycle/environmental, social and financial context
• analyses and quality assures results and demonstrates an ability to reflect

Project work in groups. The groups will normally consist of three students. In exceptional cases and on application, students can be permitted to write the bachelor's thesis alone.

The project work amounts to 500 hours per student and is concluded with a project report and oral presentation. The assignment of bachelor's theses is based on the guidelines applicable to the faculty and the study programme. This process begins at the end of the fourth semester and lasts until the end of the fifth semester, when information is provided about the guidelines and the groups and assignments are selected. A supervisor from the study programme will be appointed. An external partner will normally also help with supervision and follow-up.

Students are expected to plan and carry out their work in an independent manner and to keep time sheets. The report must be in writing in accordance with the faculty's procedures. Sources must be cited in the correct manner. An abstract must be written in English. A digital version of the bachelor's thesis and all appendices and supporting documents shall be submitted to the internal supervisor.

The assessment of learning outcomes will be based on the project execution and report, the oral and visual presentation, including a poster presentation in plenary session and an oral individual examination.

1) The report counts for 70%.

2) The execution and oral and visual presentation in the group and the oral individual examination count for 30%.

Part 1) of the exam: The exam results can be appealed.

Part 2) of the exam: The exam results cannot be appealed.

Both parts of the exam must be awarded grade E or better for the student to pass the course.