MECH4104 Structural Integrity and Impact Emneplan

This PhD course addresses some fundamental contemporary questions within the inclusion and diversity debate and relates these to some main controversies in the field of education.

More specifically, the course focus on theories, methods, and ethical considerations regarding cultural diversity, social class, gender, language, religion, and disabilities. The aim is to provide the participants with a profound understanding of inclusion and diversity based on international research and the Nordic education traditions. In addition, the aim is to develop participants' understanding of how intercultural issues and participation pertaining to inclusive education in light of the special education tradition.

The course goal is to develop participants' knowledge and understanding of posing fundamental questions on diversity and inclusion and to examine issues at stake in this field of research.

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

Approved by LUI's educational committee 23.02.2023.

Knowledge

The candidate

• can explain the primary concepts of structural integrity, fatigue, and creep
• can identify the relevance of sustainable design to structural integrity through enhancing performance and mitigating long-term accumulative damage
• can explain plasticity, fracture, and damage qualitatively at material and structural levels
• can distinguish between statics and dynamics and judge when dynamics is relevant
• can explain viscoplasticity, fracture toughness, and size-dependence and identify their relevance to a problem at hand
• can identify research ethical issues related to one’s own project.

Skills

The candidate

• can formulate a static problem and calculate the plastic collapse load in a beam, plate or shell using the bound theorems of plasticity
• can explain qualitatively the principles of damage mechanics, fatigue, and creep
• can apply the methods of plastic analysis to solve problems concerning structural integrity and impact
• can calculate the permanent and maximum deflections in a beam or plate under pulse or impact loads using analytical methods and FEM
• can interpret the results of and assess analytical and numerical solutions obtained and corroborate them against experiment for instance in permanent displacement or level of damage due to cyclic or impact loads
• can quantify strain-rate sensitivity effects during high-rate deformation of blast and impact loaded structures
• can calculate stresses, strains and displacements in problems involving cyclic loading, using the FE software ABAQUS
• can solve real-size problems and report on the results in the format of a scientific report.

General competence:

The candidate

• can explain the results of research in a simple and efficient way to be communicable and perceptible to peers
• can reflect on a solution and the meaning of its implications for design
• can communicate their work and can master language and terminology of the field in a suitable academic format.

A practical course in analyzing text and talk.

Approved by the Doctoral Committee October 25, 2018. Minor changes approved 27.04.2020.

This is a practical course where the students will be offered analytical tools to carry out analyses of documents, observations and/or interviews on the topics of their own research, in comparison with leading discourses as well as research knowledge and other contextual aspects. The course will also focus on strategies for discussing explanations and implications of findings. The content of the course is based on a combination of insights to discourses and power from social sciences and humanities.

Individual essay.

The candidate writes an individual paper (as outlined in the section "Course Requirements") of 4000 words (+/-10 % and excluding references and appendices) written in English. The essay must be related to the theme "Inclusion and diversity", and the course syllabus.

New/postponed examination

In case of failed exam/legal absence, the candidate may submit a revised version when a new/postponed examination is arranged.

The course consists of two parts. Students are expected to participate actively in both parts.

The first part consists of a two-days workshop at OsloMet with mandatory participation. In lectures and discussions the students will be introduced to relevant theories and methods.

The last part is a one-day workshop at OsloMet a few weeks later. This is also mandatory. External students will be given the opportunity to participate by electronic means.

Between the two parts, the students will write an individual paper that outlines how they may conduct an analysis based on knowledge and skills from the course and own empirical material. These papers will in part two be discussed with fellow students and teachers.

Preparations for the course

Students are expected to read the syllabus before the first part of the course to be able to participate actively in discussions.

Work requirements

Mandatory participation at the two-days workshop in the first part of the course.

Mandatory participation at the one-day workshop in the last part of the course. External students will be given the opportunity to participate by electronic means.

Attendence

80 % attendence of the time of the course is required. If a student has attended at least 60 % of the course but less than 80 %, he/she must submit an extra paper of at least 3000 words plus reference list on a given topic.

The essay will be assessed by the course coordinator and a member of the academic staff involved in the PhD program.

Target group

The target group is PhD candidates at OsloMet, as well as PhD candidates associated with the Center for Welfare and Labour Research (SVA) and candidates from collaborating universities and university colleges. In addition, non-PhD-candidates can be admitted if there are available study places.

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 and PhD students at the Centre for Welfare and Labour Research (SVA) will be prioritized, then students at collaborating universities and 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 500 words 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.