EPN-V2

VERB1600 Pedagogy, Psychology, and Mental Health Work Course description

Course name in Norwegian
Pedagogikk, psykologi og psykisk helsearbeid
Study programme
Bachelor's Programme in Social Education
Weight
10.0 ECTS
Year of study
2025/2026
Curriculum
FALL 2025
Schedule
Course history

Introduction

In this course, students will get a general introduction to basic psychological knowledge and central directions in pedagogy with emphasis on language development, cognitive and sociocultural development, learning and behaviorist learning theories and theories of motivation, abnormal psychology (clinical psychology and treatment methods) in normal populations and in populations with intellectual disabilities and developmental disorders.

The course runs over 6 weeks.

Required preliminary courses

The student must have been admitted to the programme.

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of the course, the student has the following learning outcomes classified as knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The student

  • can give an account of different pedagogical theories of motivation and learning
  • can describe biological, cognitive, socio-emotional and sociocultural normal development
  • can give an account of motivational theories and learning
  • can describe comorbid disorders, both somatic and psychological, in people with disabilities
  • can describe mental health in a life-course perspective and can give an account of empirically supported treatment methods for the most common mental disorders and substance use disorders
  • can give an account of how mental illness and substance abuse disorder affect the individual's everyday life

Skills

The student

  • can describe different pedagogical perspectives and approaches
  • can discuss key explanatory models in psychology and pedagogy
  • can present current research in mental health
  • can give an account of relevant legislation in mental health and substance abuse care

General competence

The student has

  • an understanding of the relationship between development and learning, and psychology and biology, in a cultural context

Teaching and learning methods

The teaching and learning methods include lectures, self-study and student-active methods.

Course requirements

None.

Assessment

Individual written exam with invilgation, 4 hours.

Permitted exam materials and equipment

None.

Grading scale

Graded scale A-F

Examiners

Each answer is assessed by an internal examiner.

An external examiner is used regularly, and at least for every third completion of the course. When selecting answers for external grading, the selection must include a minimum of 10 per cent of the answers, but in any case not fewer than 5 answers. In the event of exclusion, the external examiner's assessment shall benefit all students.

Overlapping courses

None.