MJ5200 Klimajournalistikk, teori og praksis Emneplan

Climate change and the environment are closing in on society in both space and time, becoming a relevant dimension of ever more areas of life. Significant transformations need to take place over the next decade and here journalism will have a key role to play. This course will help students pursue both the theoretical and practical development of climate journalism, including the understanding of its own role in society, in a time of declared and perceived crisis.

The course will provide the students with an understanding of what a mathematical model is and how we use models to gain insights into systems and processes in science and engineering. The course will train the students in using analytical and computational methods for analyzing and solving differential equations and prepare them for developing, analyzing and simulating mathematical models in their own projects. The models and methods taught in this course are generic and applicable not only in science, but also in various industrial contexts.

The student should have the following learning outcomes upon successful completion of the course:

Knowledge

• has advanced interdisciplinary knowledge of the different perceptions and experiences of global climate change, with a particular focus on the Arctic, and from the Arctic (Arctic Lenses)
• has thorough knowledge of both the difficulties and the possibilities of climate change communication in the media and in journalism

Skills

The student

• is able to critically analyze different perceptions and experiences of global climate change in the media
• is able to relate these differences to the global and universal dimensions of climate change for the past, present and future of humanity and life on earth
• can explain and communicate global dimensions of climate change with a focus on the Arctic and/or from the Arctic
• can convey climate change journalistically as a dimension to a host of different climate change stories
• can find new and innovative ways to approach global climate change

General competence

The student

• is able to understand the basics of global climate change, with the help of knowledge from both the natural, social and human sciences.
• is well qualified to approach climate change as a justice issue, for example between the North and South, the developed and the developing world
• is well qualified to discuss ethical questions in both science and journalism
• has acquired journalistic skills of combining observations of different experiences of climate change with broader, theoretical perspectives

The course will be based on two to three gatherings of 2-5 days at Oslo Metropolitan University, including lectures, exercises and group work. One of the gatherings, or part of one gathering, may also entail field work/excursions.

No course requirements

The course is organized as a series of lectures and seminars where the subject material is presented and discussed. Between these sessions the students should work with problem solving, implementation of numerical methods and model simulations. The last part of the semester students will work with a compulsory individual project supervised by the course lecturer. The project will involve studies and analyses of a mathematical model and a rather extensive implementation of the numerical solution of the model. This will result in a report that should be 2000 - 4000 words of length plus figures.

None

The exam consists of two parts:

1. An individual project report of about 2000 - 4000 words. The report counts 50% towards the final grade.

2. A 30 minute individual oral exam, which includes a 10 minute presentation of the candidates project. The oral exam counts 50% towards the final grade. Both exams must be passed in order to pass the course. The oral exam cannot be appealed.

New/postponed exam

In case of failed exam or legal absence, the student may apply for a new or postponed exam. New or postponed exams are offered within a reasonable time span following the regular exam. The student is responsible for applying for a new/postponed exam within the time limits set by OsloMet. The Regulations for new or postponed examinations are available in Regulations relating to studies and examinations at OsloMet.

In the event of a postponed examination in this course the exam may be held as an oral exam. Oral exams cannot be appealed.