Innovation Education and Management of Learning in Worklife Programme description

After completing the PhD programme, the candidates are expected to have gained the following knowledge, skills, and general competence:

Knowledge The candidate

• is at the cutting edge of knowledge within his/her field of specialization and can relate relevant sustainability issues to philosophy of science
• can evaluate the expediency and application of different methodological approaches and/or artistic research to the development of innovation for sustainability
• can critically reflect on implications in practice of various epistemological perspectives to contribute to the development and production of new knowledge, theory, and methods for innovation in sustainability

Skills

The candidate

• can function as an independent researcher planning and carrying out research in his/her field of sustainability, including formulating problems and research questions and assessing the appropriateness of various theories and methods for innovation
• can carry out research for innovation in sustainability at a high international standard and in an interdisciplinary context
• can deal with complex academic questions in advanced collaborative sustainability projects that challenge existing knowledge and practice in the specific field of sustainability and to innovation in the professional field

General competence The candidate

• can identify and reflect on ethical issues in his/her own and others’ research and carry out his/ her research with scholarly integrity to contribute to responsible research and innovation (RRI)
• can undertake or contribute to complex interdisciplinary assignments and projects
• can disseminate research through recognized national and international scholarly and/or professional publication channels, and to the professional field(s) and the general public in popular science form
• can participate in debates in the field in international forums and present research at national and international research conferences in the field of sustainable innovation
• can assess the need for, initiate and practice innovation for sustainability in a policy relevant context

References

Correct use of source references and verifiability are required in all research.

• candidates must comply with the guidelines for correct referencing and use of quotations in both their training component and research component. Inadequate references can be deemed to constitute plagiarism and cheating and can constitute a breach of research ethics guidelines, cf. the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges Sections § 4-13.

The PhD programme consists of a training component (30 ECTS credits) and a research component (150 ECTS credits).

The training component is intended to underpin and strengthen the PhD candidate' s research. The training component comprises a mixture of mandatory courses and elective courses. The elective courses are chosen in collaboration with the supervisors. The training component must be completed and approved before the doctoral thesis is submitted, cf. Regulations Relating to the Degree of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) at OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University.

Mandatory courses

The mandatory and common requirements at the programme level is in total 15 ECTS credits. Candidates must take these courses unless an exemption is granted from the TKD Faculty’s Doc toral Committee (DGU). The examination for each of the courses will consist of a paper that will be evaluated pass/fail.

The course Philosophy of Science in Sustainability (5 ECTS credits) will give the PhD candidates an epistemological basis for sustainability studies. It will give them a deeper understanding of foundational philosophical and ethical issues in knowledge production in the field and enable them to problematize and analyse the underlying premises and assumptions of their own and others’ research projects.

The course Research Methodology and Research Design for Sustainability (5 ECTS credits) is closely related to the course on the philosophy of science. The course will provide the candidates with knowledge on and skills in inter-, multi and transdisciplinary research. It will enable the candidates to understand and make use of mixed methods for a multitude of approaches especially suited to illuminate complex phenomena, and responsible research and innovation (RRI)

The course Sustainable Innovation: Interdisciplinary Research in practice (5 ECTS credits) builds on the two previous courses. The course will give insight into methods that will enable innovation, entrepreneurship, and transition management. It will provide the candidates with a solid theoretical basis and practical ability to manage, design and carry out research projects within various fields of sustainability. It will enable them to relate to the UN Sustainability goals in a theoretic al and operational way.

The goal of the mandatory courses is to provide candidates with an understanding of the foundational theories, concepts, and approaches within the field of study, including how these relate to methodological choices. The courses will also socialize the candidates into the research environment at TKD and SVA and facilitate connections with doctoral candidates at OsloMet and other institutions.

Elective courses

The following are brief descriptions of the elective, specialized courses. Candidates must take these courses at OsloMet unless an exemption is granted from TKD’s Doctoral Committee (DGU). Unless otherwise noted, the examination f or each of the courses will consist of a paper that will be evaluated pass/fail.

The course Site-specific Governance and Co-creation (5 E CTS credits) will address sustainability in a site-specific, regional, and urban context. The focus will be on governance and co-creation in cities, rural areas, and regions. It will enable the PhD candidates to understand and take part in co-creative processes with citizens and stakeholders to find concrete solutions for accessibility and meaningfulness for all.

The course Societal Perspectives on Sustainability (5 E CTS credits) will address sustainability from a societal perspective. The course will provide the candidates with perspectives for critically analysing the role these societal frames have in inhibiting and enabling social transition towards sustainability, and for engaging in constructive discussions on how sustainable practices can be facilitated at a societal level. Cases will be used to stimulate interdisciplinary investigation of these issues.

The course Well-being and Sustainability (5 ECTS credits) will address sustainability from an individual perspective. It will explore the interrelation between technologies, materials, human actions, and the environment from a broad perspective of health such as public health, quality of life and daily functioning from a critical perspective. The course will introduce innovative approaches for developing products and services to enhance critical reflection about well-being, to make them accessible to all people regardless of age, gender, or ability.

The course Aesthetics in Innovation (5 ECTS credits) will look specifically on the sensory side of sustainability, seeking to create awareness among designers, researchers, tech developers and other stakeholders of the many possible ethical and interactional consequences and possibilities of aesthetic

choices. The course will enable the PhD candidates to the sensory shaping and material tailoring of our technologic al and digital environments to get aware of and solve societal challenges.

The course Educational Perspectives on Sustainability (5 E CTS credits) addresses sustainability through theoretical perspectives on education. Education has the potential to change current practices and contribute to the transformation of ideas, attitudes, habits, and values in societies. This course discusses the effect of education and invites reflection on changes within and across cultures and societies. The focus will be on critical reflection and literacy. The candidates are invited to identify future-oriented research needs and enable them to make practical use of these theories and approaches.

The research component (doctoral thesis)

The doctoral thesis is the main component of the PhD degree, comprising 150 ECTS credits.

The doctoral thesis consists of independent research work carried out in active cooperation with a supervisor (or supervisors) and other researchers. The doctoral thesis can be submitted in the form of a monograph or a collection of several shorter scientific works (articles). A monograph is a comprehensive text that describes a topic in detail. A thesis written as a monograph is structured in chapters and with an introduction and conclusion, and the candidate is the sole author of the whole work.

A doctoral thesis based on articles usually must consist of a minimum of three articles. In an article- based thesis, the PhD candidate's independent contribution must be identified and documented, there must be a thematic connection between the works, and the connection must be accounted for in an introduction ('supplementary introductory chapter) preceding the articles (as stipulated in the Regulations relating to the PhD Degree at OsloMet). Chapters in peer-reviewed book s are considered as an article, but chapters should not constitute more than half of the total number of articles. The candidate may be the sole author or co-author of the articles included in the dissertation.

The courses are primarily reserved for candidates admitted to the PhD programme, but all courses will be open for application for other candidates who have completed a master's degree (120 credits) or the equivalent.

Teaching and learning methods will vary, but most PhD courses will comprise lectures, workshops, discussions, oral presentations, and written assignment(s) with individual feedback. The seminar form also supports the candidates’ training in presenting their own research, both to fellow PhD candidates in their own programme and to ex ternal participants. A seminar form with a dynamic structure and with PhD candidates from different programmes requires active engagement. This combination of teaching and learning forms enables candidates to engage themselves in multiple ways and thus enhance their learning outcomes. A unique feature of the programme is a practice-oriented and innovative approach, where research is tied to innovation, interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary, and problem-based methodologies. The mandatory course in innovation and some of the elective courses will thus involve collaboration with relevant societal stakeholders in defining and executing research, and presentations outside the university. Syllabus in these courses will include policy documents and guidelines on sustainable developments in the candidates’ different fields of research.

The work on the PhD thesis consists of active research under supervision. The duties of the supervisors are regulated by the Regulations relating to the PhD Degree at OsloMet Section 3. The main supervisor should normally come from the programme' s department or research centre. If not, a co-supervisor from the department will be appointed upon admission. The total time the supervisors spends on the candidate is estimated to be 210 hours, including contact with the candidate, preparations, reading, follow-up work, etc. The standard distribution between the main supervisor and a co-supervisor is 140 and 70 hours respectively. If there are more co -supervisors, a different distribution will apply. The candidate is entitled to a total of 70 hours of direct supervision during the programme. Upon admission to PhD education at OsloMet, a written PhD agreement is formalized regarding their duties and rights during the admission period, cf. the PhD Regulations at OsloMet, § 2-6. A progress schedule is drawn up at the first supervision meeting. The candidate and the supervisor shall submit progress reports annually, cf. the PhD Regulations at OsloMet, § 3-3.

Midway assessments are arranged for each candidate. Here the candidate presents her/his dissertation project and receives comments from an opponent. The opponent should not be employed in the department/ workplace of the candidate or the principal supervisor' s department. Supervisors and researchers in the study's research communities are invited to participate. The mid-term seminar is a central arena for the presentation of the candidate’s progression and professional development and represents an important milestone for the candidate.

The programme will host an information seminar about submission and dissertation at least once a year. Seminar meetings can be held on ‘suplementary introductory chapter’ writing, which can complement corresponding seminars at OsloMet. Regular research seminars will be organized at the departmental/ research unit/ research group levels, where candidates may also participate and present their own research

Candidates are required to keep up to date about international research in the subject area and to network with foreign colleagues in the field. Periods of study abroad will be facilitated, and the department will invite researchers from foreign institutions to give lectures.

In a sustainability perspective the PhD candidates will be encouraged to find new and low carbon footprint ways of communicating with the international research community in their field, such as alternative forms of exchange and meetings on digital platforms and long term stays instead of frequent short-term ones.

Candidates are encouraged to present at least one paper at an international conference. Candidates are also encouraged to communicate about their projects via relevant forums and channels.

The fundament of the PhD is independent work. Candidates must take an independent and active role in his/her learning process, both in the doctoral thesis and in the educational component/coursework. All courses therefore require the active participation of candidates in a multitude of ways, such as identifying relevant research questions and problems, deducing the best way to analyse problems, and structuring and writing a research paper. All courses in the training component are intended to underpin the PhD candidates’ own research.

The courses are/ will be seminar-based and have a standard duration from three to five days, with a ty pical participation level of 10-15 candidates. Candidates are expected to actively participate in the course, via advance preparation (doing the readings and other preparatory work), participation in course discussions, and respectful engagement with other candidates’ ideas and work. Participation is mandatory, and candidates are expected to attend all day s of teaching. Unless stated otherwise in the course descriptions, a minor absence (up to 20 percent of the course duration) can be accepted in special cases such as documented illness/ sick leave (upon application). In the event of absences that are not approved, candidates will lose their right to have their essays assessed. Digital attendance can be offered to candidates if possible. Course requirements are assessed as confirmed or not confirmed.

Assessment of examinations in the educational (training) component will be conducted in accordance with the provisions regarding examinations and cheating in the Regulations relating to Studies and Examinations at OsloMet; see the PhD Regulations, section 4.3. The form of assessment for all courses will be a pass or fail.

In all courses, the PhD candidates must hand in a paper based on their own research project, of typical lengths of 4000-5000 words.

In the courses with a portfolio exam the candidates must document the development and execution of a practical workshop, a long side the written part.

The standard expectation is that the essay must be submitted within 2 months of course completion, although specification is found in each course description. In addition to passing the essay, course requirements (participation) must also be confirmed to be awarded the ECTS credits.

The form of assessment for the doctoral thesis (including assessment of the thesis by committee and completion of a trial lecture and public defence) is as follows. Upon submission, the doctoral thesis will be examined by an assessment committee comprising two external members and one internal (OsloMet) member. OsloMet’s existing guidelines for assessment of the doctoral thesis state: To be approved, the doctoral thesis should be of a standard that would justify publication as part of the scientific literature in the given field of research. The thesis must satisfy the minimum requirements of research expertise, expressed through requirements pertaining to formulation of research questions, precision and logical stringency, a good command of relevant methods of analysis and an ability to reflect on their possibilities and limitations, as well as an overview and understanding of, and a reflective attitude to, other research in the field. When evaluating the thesis, emphasis is placed on determining whether the thesis represents an independent and comprehensive piece of scientific work of high academic standard. It is particularly important to consider whether the material and methods applied are relevant to the questions raised in the thesis, and whether the arguments and conclusions posited are valid. If the thesis is found worthy of public defence, a trial lecture and public defence will be held at OsloMet and chaired by the Rector, or someone appointed by the Rector.

The PhD degree is obtained by fulfilling the following requirements:

• approval of the educational component
• approval of the doctoral thesis
• approval of the trial lecture on a given topic
• approval of the public defence of the thesis

Arbeidskravene skal bidra til refleksjon og læring, samt sikre at studenten er aktive og medansvarlige for studieprogresjonen. Arbeidskravene skal være levert/utført innen fastsatt(e) frist(er). Arbeidskravene må være godkjent før eksamen kan avlegges.

Faglig innhold og arbeidsmåter i studiet er knyttet til erfaringsdeling og utvikling av praktiske ferdigheter. Slike læringsferdigheter kan ikke tilegnes ved selvstudium, men må opparbeides gjennom reell dialog med medstudenter og lærere og ved tilstedeværelse i undervisningen. Det er derfor krav om 80 % tilstedeværelse. Fravær ut over 20 % må kompenseres ved et ekstra arbeidskrav etter avtale med faglærer

Bestemmelser om eksamen er gitt i lov om universiteter og høgskoler og forskrift om studier og eksamen ved OsloMet - storbyuniversitetet

• Redaksjonelle endringer foretatt 12. februar 2019
• Godkjent av prodekan for studier ved LUI 19. april 2017
• Redaksjonelle endringer foretatt 8. januar 2020