ØAETI2000 Ethics, Sustainability and Social Responsibility Course description

Approved by the Doctoral Committee 28.03.2019. Minor changes approved 27.04.2020 and 27.01.2021.

This PhD-course is open for candidates at the PhD Programme in Educational Sciences for Teacher Education, PhD candidates from other relevant programmes, and academic employees.

Language: English (and Norwegian, dependent on the language of participants).

The course introduces arts-based research (ABR) and processes related to ABR that are relevant in traditional qualitative research as well. Accepting knowledge as also being tacit, and the arts as important fields of understanding, today’s educational research often include aesthetical and arts-based processes. ABR is an umbrella term covering different research methodologies that draw their inspiration, concepts, processes or representational forms from the arts. To satisfy the expected transparency in research, processes involving arts-based media also need to be discussed and made explicit, whether one considers oneself to be an artist or not.

In this introductory course, methodologies such as aesthetically based research, a/r/tography, practice-led research and artistic research will be presented and discussed, as will onto-epistemological issues related to ABR in general and the different methodologies. Furthermore, the students will participate in workshops investigating core elements of ABR, such as embodiment, empathy and material, formal and relational sensitivity. There will also be workshops exploring writing processes in ABR, related to narrative, poetical, fictional and essayistic genres. Finally, seminars presenting and discussing the participants’ projects will amount to parts of the course.

On completion of the course, the candidate will have achieved the following learning outcomes:

Knowledge

The candidate:

• is in the forefront of knowledge concerning core elements of ABR and master the theory behind such elements in research
• has in-dept knowledge of ontological, epistemological and ethical issues related to ABR
• can evaluate the expediency and application of different methodological and analytical approaches within the umbrella term ABR
• has in-dept knowledge of different alternative writing genres, relevant in ABR and can contribute to the development of new forms of documentation in the field

Skills

The candidate:

• can handle complex ABR issues, challenge established ABR practices and critically analyse relationships between theories of knowledge and ABR
• can use relevant techniques to enhance and elicit their own embodiment, empathy and material/formal/relational sensitivity in research and artistic development
• can formulate problems, plan, carry out and critically discuss relevant ABR processes in their own research
• can use writing processes of a high international standard as reflection tools throughout their research phases

General competence

The candidate:

• can identify and discuss relationships and conflicts between other scientific theories and theories in ABR, related to his/her field of research with scholarly integrity
• can give well-structured presentations and participate in debates in international forums assessing the need for practice innovation in ABR
• can communicate research and development work through recognized Norwegian and international channels, relevant for ABR
• can assess the need for, and manage, interdisciplinary assignments and project involving ABRs

Studenten skal etter å ha fullført emnet ha følgende totale læringsutbytte definert i kunnskap, ferdigheter og generell kompetanse:

Kunnskap

Studenten har

• kunnskap om sentrale begrep og teorier innen etikk, samfunnsansvar og bærekraft i privat og offentlig sektor
• kunnskap om interessentanalyse og sentrale teorier om bedriftens plass i samfunnet
• kunnskap om lover, normer og praksis for næringsliv om menneskerettigheter, personvern m.v.
• kunnskap om lover, normer og praksis om korrupsjon, konkurransekriminalitet og skattekriminalitet og andre etiske trusselbilder
• kunnskap om yrkesetikk for kandidater med økonomiske og administrative fag
• kunnskap om ansvar og institusjonalisering av etikk, samfunnsansvar og bærekraft

Ferdigheter

Studenten kan

• finne, vurdere og henvise til informasjon og fagstoff og framstille dette slik at det belyser en problemstilling
• anvende faglig kunnskap og relevante resultater fra forsknings- og utviklingsarbeid på praktiske og teoretiske problemstillinger og treffe begrunnede valg og beslutninger
• reflektere over egne beslutninger og faglig utøvelse
• gjennomføre en interessentanalyse og en vurdering av samfunnsansvarets omfang for en virksomhet deskriptivt og normativt
• anvende faglig kunnskap til å utvikle etiske retningslinjer (Code of Conduct) og praksis for etterlevelse av regler (Compliance) i offentlig og privat virksomhet
• reflektere over og anvende FNs bærekraftsmål på virksomheter og prosjekt

Generell kompetanse

Studenten

• har innsikt i utfordringer knyttet til sosial dumping, arbeidslivskriminalitet og arbeidslivsorganisering
• har innsikt i praksis for etiske fond og etiske investeringer
• har innsikt i utfordringer knyttet til globalisering og ulikhet
• kan formidle sentralt fagstoff som teorier, problemstillinger og løsninger både skriftlig, muntlig og gjennom andre relevante uttrykksformer, kan utveksle synspunkter og erfaringer med andre med bakgrunn innenfor fagområdet, og gjennom dette bidra til utvikling av god praksis

Coursework requirement are:

1. 80 % attendance on the course. Absence beyond 20 % can be accepted in certain cases, after application and additional work.

2. Accepted oral presentation: During the seminar, the candidate prepares a 10-15 minutes’ oral presentation of their project/topic relevant to ABR. The presentation can be in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish or (preferable:) English. Following the presentation there will be a sequence in which the candidate responds to questions and receive comments from the course leader and others.

The candidate writes an individual essay or alternative text, 2000 - 4000 words plus reference list. Arts-based writing processes are encouraged. The essay/text must be written in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish or English and reveal significant knowledge and use of the course's content and reading list.

In case of failed exam/legal absence, the candidate may have a new exam under the same conditions when a new/postponed exam is arranged. If the essay/text is graded with "fail", the candidate must submit a revised version within a given time limit.

The grades are "pass" or "fail". The requirement for "pass" is that the essay/text builds on the learning outcomes and on parts of the syllabus.

The essay/text will be assessed by the course coordinator and a member of the academic staff with relevant genre competence.

Target group

The target groups are PhD candidates/students and scientific staff who want to learn about arts-based research processes and thereby expand their research tool kit. The course aims at PhD candidates admitted to the PhD Program in Educational Sciences for Teacher Education and other relevant programmes. It is also open to staff members at OsloMet and other universities/colleges. The course is also open to candidates from other universities in Norway and abroad.

Admission requirements

The requirements for admission include completing a five-year master's program (integrated or consisting of a three-year bachelor's program and a two-year master's program, in total 300 ECTS) in the fields of teacher education, other pedagogical disciplines, educational science, development studies, social sciences, or other relevant areas related to the PhD programme. The master's degree should include a substantial independent project equivalent to a master's thesis (minimum 30 ECTS). An internationally completed master's degree that corresponds to at least four years in the Norwegian education system may also be considered for admission (please check the grounds for enrollment on the website of the Directorate for Higher Education and Skills). https://hkdir.no/en/foreign-education/lists-and-databases/higher-education-entrancequalification-gsu

In case of a large number of applicants, PhD-students enrolled in the PhD programme in Educational Sciences for Teacher Education will be prioritized, then students in other PhD programmes, then academic employees at the Faculty of Teacher Education and International Studies.

Applicants who are not enrolled in the PhD programme at the Faculty of Education and International Studies at OsloMet must send a summary in English of maximum one A4 sheet with relevant information about their own project/area of interest, containing topic, methodology, theoretical approach, and why this course might be relevant for their project.

Det benyttes intern og ekstern sensor til sensurering av besvarelsene.

Et uttrekk på minst 25% av besvarelsene sensureres av to sensorer. Karakterene på disse samsensurerte besvarelsene skal danne grunnlag for å fastsette nivå på resten av besvarelsene.

Erik Friis Fæhn