BLH3310 Aesthetics and Special Needs – Nordic Childhoods Emneplan

Aesthetics and Special Needs is one of the courses under Nordic Childhoods. It focuses on Nordic culture where nature plays an important role in society, aesthetics and in work with children. Joint events with the other Nordic Childhoods courses are integrated as overnight trips and outdoor excursions. We also visit schools, kindergartens and other institutions. We focus on play, learning by doing, experience and workshops.

Aesthetics has not been a common way of approaching children with special needs. This course tries to change this by focusing on the value of aesthetics for children with special needs. The course is interdisciplinary, and takes a holistic approach to the field.

Aesthetics are important for everybody, including children and young people with special needs. Through literature, storytelling, music, dance, drama and other aesthetic acts, we perceive and understand the world and ourselves. Through aesthetics, we perform and collaborate with others. For some children and young people who lack verbal language; have problems with emotions, communication and interaction or find it hard to take other perspectives; aesthetic communication is particularly important. The aim of this course is:

1) to enhance knowledge about and discuss the relationship between children and young people with special needs and aesthetic expressions,

2) to introduce ways of working in practice with different kinds of aesthetic expressions when targeting various kinds of special needs.

The course is interfaculty and explores different disciplines, and ways of conceptualising and practising aesthetics with respect to a variety of special needs.

The language of all teaching and supervision is English, and the students should therefore have a working knowledge of both spoken and written English.

After completing the course, the student have acquired the following learning outcomes, defined as knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The student

· has knowledge about aesthetics and different aesthetic approaches

· has knowledge about historical changes in the view upon children and young people, normality and deviance, inclusion and exclusion

· has knowledge about receiver orientation in communication and collaboration with children with special needs and media

Skills

The student is able to

· accomplish and perform an aesthetic project for children and young people with special needs

· reflect on work with children and young people with special needs

· communicate with children and young people through aesthetics

General competence

The student

· has a understanding of aesthetics and its value for children and young people with special needs

· has an understanding of the value of autobiography as a means of critically reflecting on one’s own learning

· is able to analyse and discuss how to understand and respond to children and young people with special needs

· Literature studies/theories

· Lectures and supervision

· Excursions, workshops and seminars

· Individual and group papers/performances

· Self-study

· Project work

· Digital blog

· Dramatisation

· Stop-motion animation

Radio theater

· Story telling

· Visits and practice in school, kindergarten and other institutions

· Interactive learning methods, including digital media

Tree individual and four group requirements must be passed in order to take the exam. Aesthetics and/or children and young people with special needs are supposed to play an important part in the work requirements.

Individual:

1. Story telling
2. Theory presentation
3. Participate in excursions
4. Participate in International Week

In group:

1. Production of a drama
2. Production of radio theatre
3. Production of stop-motion animation
4. Blog production
5. Practical work in connection to International Week

Coursework requirements shall be met within fixed deadlines. Coursework requirements are evaluated Passed/Not Passed.

Valid absence documented by such as a medical certificate is not an excuse from not meeting the coursework requirements. Students who, due to illness or other valid and documented reasons, do not meet the coursework requirements within the fixed deadlines, may be given a postponed deadline. A new deadline for meeting the coursework requirements is in each case agreed upon with the relevant teacher.

Students who meet the coursework requirements within the fixed deadline, but are evaluated as Not Passed, shall be given the possibility to meet the coursework requirements one more time. A new deadline for meeting the coursework requirements is in each case agreed upon with the relevant teacher.

The exam consists of three parts:

Part 1: Aesthetic production in group for children and young people with special needs

Part 2: Individual reflection paper about the aesthetic production (around 3000 Words)

Part 3: Individual autobiographical and multimodal (for instance a movie) project where the student documents and reflects about his/|her process about making an aesthetic production for children/young people with special needs (maximum 3000 words or a movie on maximum 15 minutes).

New or postponed examinations

In case of failing the exam or in case of valid absence at the time of the exam, the student is entitled to make a renewed attempt the next semester. The re-examination will be arranged in the same manner as the regular exam, but the group exam will be individual. Regulations for new or postponed examinations are available in Regulations relating to studies and examinations at OsloMet. Students must register for a new or postponed examination.

Suitability assessment

(Applicable to Norwegian students only)

The teacher training institution is obliged to assess whether the students are suitable for the profession. Students who show poor aptitude in mastering the teaching profession, must as early as possible during the study, be informed about their position in relation to the requirements of teacher suitability, and, if applicable, obtain advice and guidance on how to improve, or be advised to terminate their study. Assessments on suitability may be made throughout the study period. The assessment of suitability must be based on a comprehensive evaluation which includes academic as well as pedagogic and personal qualities necessary to be able to function as a teacher.

See also regulations concerning assessment of suitability for teacher training.

All examination support materials are permitted. However, sources must be stated in accordance with applicable rules for source references.

Part 1 will be evaluated pass/fail

Part 2 and 3 will be evaluated according to the ECTS-grading scale, with A-E as pass grades and F as fail grade. Criteria for the different grades will be presented to the students at the beginning of the course.

Part 2 is 60% of the total grade and part 3 is 40%.

The completion of the three parts will result in one final overall grade A- F

Part 1 will be reviewed and approved by internal examiner.

Part 2 will be reviewed and approved by internal and external examiners.

Part 3 will be reviewed and approved by internal examiners.