STKD6611 Technology and Society II Course description

Digital competence is a key factor in ensuring the employability of candidates in all professions vital to our society. This course will provide a fundamental understanding of some of the most important concepts, tools and technologies that comprise and influence our increasingly digital world. It gives an overview of how technology affects our lives, our social structures, the way we work and provides grounding for actively engaging with and shaping the development and role of technology in society. Social media, digital governance, eHealth and the explosion of AI applications are all examples of how technology has profoundly changed our everyday lives in the last few decades. An understanding of technology is vital in any profession, regardless of field or specialty. In this course, students will acquire the basic knowledge required to harness the potential of technology and identify the opportunities to use technology to foster inclusion and participation in an increasingly diverse and multicultural society. They will also learn to recognize its limitations and potentially harmful consequences on work and society, and grapple with the social, ethical and moral issues that arise as technology becomes both increasingly complex and integral to the way our society functions.

This course supports OsloMet's ambition to drive progress on the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

No additional course-specific requirements.

After completing this course, the student should have the following learning outcome:

Knowledge

On successful completion of this course the student understands:

• the role of technological innovation with regards to consumption, economic growth and sustainable development
• the idea of digital citizenship, including digital rights and responsibilities, from a local, national and global perspective, both in general and in relation with their field of study
• the democratic principles behind e-inclusion and a universally designed society, both in general and with regards to their future professional practice
• the basics of information security, including precautions to guarantee safety and privacy
• the basic ideas behind algorithms, machine learning and artificial intelligence, how they are used in organizational and societal governance, and how their use may constrain or enable work processes and other aspects of everyday life
• the role that technology plays in professional practice within their profession or field of study.

Skills

On successful completion of this course the student can:

• understand the technological and societal aspects of a case in a specific domain
• discuss and present an overview of ethical challenges at the intersection of technology and society, including issues of integration, participation and multiculturalism
• give examples of how technology is used in the profession(s) related to their field of study, both at the national and the international level
• identify, respond to and limit the negative impact of unethical and harmful online behavior
• evaluate the possibilities and challenges of technological solutions used in the profession(s) relevant to their field of study and present those in a structured form
• retrieve information effectively and efficiently from a variety of online sources, critically assess its quality and credibility.

General Competence

On successful completion of this course the student can:

• be a valuable contributor to the design, planning and implementation of new technology
• be a positive agent of change in their own profession and field of study with regards to leveraging the potential of technology
• participate in innovative processes involving new and emerging technologies and build skills in anticipating and adapting to technological change
• reflect on technology use both within their field and from an interdisciplinary perspective
• actively engage with social, ethical and moral issues related to the development and implementation of technology
• communicate concepts and models related to technology use in a structured manner, both orally and in written form.

The Faculty of Education and International Studies (LUI) at Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences (HiOA) offers a one semester full-time program (30 ECTS) in Religion and Power in Pondicherry, India. The program is a joint venture between LUI/HiOA and Kulturstudier (Culture Studies), an independent Oslo-based organization that offers international academic courses at study centres in Vietnam, India, Ghana, Argentina and Nicaragua.

The program Religion and Power incorporates perspectives from anthropology and religious studies. The objective of the program is to give students an understanding of substantive issues related to the relationship between religion and politics. The program joins a general approach to the topic with a specific regional focus on South Asia. A combination of academic lectures, lectures on topics of contemporary national and international concerns, seminars, discussions, excursions, and interaction with the immediate surroundings offers broad perspectives on the relation between religions and politics and various approaches to its study. The course language is English.

No prerequisites.

The final assessment/examination consists of two parts:

• Oral group presentation of a case in a group, which counts for 50% of the grade. The oral presentation will last 20 minutes and all the members of the group must contribute actively to the presentation. The presentation can be given in either English, Norwegian or a combination of the two languages.
• An individual project report (3 000-4 000 words), which counts for 50% of the grade. The report can be written in either English or Norwegian.

Each group may consist of 2-5 candidates.

Both the oral presentation and the individual report must receive an E or better to be given a passing grade for the course as a whole.

The oral presentation cannot be appealed.

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

• is capable of describing the position of occupational therapy within the practical training establishment´s framework and organisation on different levels
• is capable of describing how organisational and structural circumstances affect occupational therapy in the practical training establishment (spring)
• has knowledge of relevant user groups, academic issues and occupational therapy methods in the practical training establishment

Skills

The student is capable of

• reflecting on the contents of the service provided in the practical training establishment
• using a client-centred approach
• communicating in a therapeutic manner with users
• using and documenting work methods in occupational therapy processes
• using methods specific to the profession and mapping tools and treatment in the practical training establishment
• using and giving grounds for the use of activity-based activity analysis
• looking up and using relevant literature to assess patients/users and issues in the practical training establishment
• looking up and conveying research articles relevant to the practical training establishment (autumn)
• looking up, conveying and critically assessing research articles relevant to the practical training establishment (spring)
• discussing theory, practice and ethics by using clinical reasoning (autumn)
• theory, practice and ethics by using clinical reasoning (spring)
• reflecting on their practice and demonstrating the ability to correct therapeutic approaches in line with supervision (autumn)
• critically assessing their practice and demonstrating the ability to correct therapeutic approaches in line with supervision and identifying their own needs in terms of professional development (spring)

Competence

The student is capable of

• identifying professional and ethical issues and dilemmas (autumn)
• identifying and reflecting on professional and ethical issues and dilemmas (spring)
• practising in accordance with professional ethical guidelines and applicable legislation
• taking responsibility and demonstrating initiative, cooperation skills and independence during practical training and for their own learning
• documenting and presenting user-related work both orally and in writing
• cooperating with other professional groups and parties

The following work requirements must be met before the examination may be set:

A five week self-study period prior to arrival in Pondicherry, where students read assigned parts of the course literature and write a paper of between 500 and 600 words that summarizes the applications of -power- in the readings; and an oral presentation in English of the chosen topic for the Religion, society and power in South Asia course to teachers/seminar leaders and co-students at the study center in Pondicherry. Should the seminar leaders find that either of the work requirements fail to meet satisfactory academic standards, the student will have to revise and resubmit the paper/prepare a new oral presentation based on feedback from the seminar leaders, at a new date set by the seminar leaders.

Anthropology: Religion and power: individual home exam, with deadline ten days after handout. Essay of 3,500 words (+/- 10 %), not including list of references. English or either of the Scandinavian languages is admissible. The paper must be submitted electronically in Word or PDF format within the deadline. More information about it may be obtained from HiOAs web pages. The home exam is graded A-E for passed and F for failed. Two internal examiners will assess the paper.

Religion, society and power in South Asia: essay on topic of choice, with supervision from either lecturer or seminar leader. 6,000 words (+/- 10 %) not including list of references. Deadline Dec. 10/June 1. English or either of the Scandinavian languages is admissible. The essay must be submitted electronically in Word or PDF format within the deadline. More information about it may be obtained from HiOAs web pages. The essay is graded A-E for passed and F for failed. One internal and one external examiner will assess the essay.

Students who fail their examination, or who pass but wish to improve their grade, may submit a new paper in connection with the ordinary examinations the following term. This also applies for students with valid absence.

Regulations for new or postponed examinations are available in Regulations relating to studies and examinations at Oslo University College . Students must register for a new or postponed examination. More detailed information about registration and times for new or postponed examinations is available on the web site.

A-E as pass grades and F as fail grade.