SMUA5010 Urban Mobility Emneplan

Urban mobility refers to the combination of land use, transportation, and technology resulting in the movement of people, goods, and information in our cities. The goals of urban mobility are to create safe, efficient, and sustainable transport systems that meet the needs of all residents. This course will train students to apply the appropriate methods and metrics for understanding and evaluating urban mobility systems from a holistic perspective, emphasizing the larger social, physical, and environmental implications of transportation.

This course provides an overview of urban mobility, its history, key components and functions, and metrics. Existing land uses and transport systems are the result of decades (and centuries) of development, as such this course will also help students to understand the wide variation in form and function of transport systems, and the range of challenges across these systems. Additionally, new technologies, such as increasing levels of connectivity and the emergence of autonomous vehicles, are sure to play important roles in urban mobility, but the implications of these technologies are not yet clear. This course gives students the requisite background to understand the pros and cons of a range of new and emerging technologies in urban mobility.

After completing the course, the student is expected to have achieved the following learning outcomes, defined as knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The student

• has knowledge of environmental, social and economic dimensions of sustainability
• has knowledge of place-based learning as embodied and emplaced
• has knowledge of philosophical, pedagogical and ethical dilemmas in environmental and sustainability education
• has knowledge of central sustainability concepts from natural sciences, social sciences, humanities and aesthetics
• has insight into the key concepts of climate, ecology, biodiversity and technology systems
• has an understanding of how language, texts (in a broad perspective) and educational practices can increase children’s awareness of both nature and current environmental challenges
• has knowledge of social sustainability, citizenship and children’s rights such as the right to education and play
• has knowledge of cultural identity and indigenous and minority perspectives for pedagogical work with sustainability
• has knowledge of international and national policy, such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and teaching curricula

Skills

The student

• can implement outdoor place-based play and learning in kindergartens and schools
• can apply sustainability knowledge in diverse didactic practices such as inquiry-based and dialogue-based learning approaches
• can facilitate active and experience-based learning in various extended classroom environments
• is able to identify and discuss core themes and questions related to social justice and diversity, including indigenous and minority perspectives
• has the ability to engage children in critical dialogue based on encounters with natural and urban environments and literary texts
• can facilitate problem-based learning with the help of technology and digital/virtual spaces
• is able to communicate with children about sustainability issues with the aim of generating hope, solidarity and agency

General competence

The student

• is able to reflect on dilemmas, challenges and possibilities in work with sustainability and place-based education
• can facilitate transformative learning and develop action competence in kindergartens and schools
• can reflect on pedagogical experiences with place-based education and sustainability in early childhood to lower secondary education
• can contribute to an awareness of how local actions have an impact on a global scale through learning activities

No formal requirements over and above the admission requirements.

Upon completing the course, the student should have the following outcomes:

Knowledge:

Upon successfully completion of the course, the student will achieve advanced knowledge about:

• the integration of land use and transportation planning
• theories of transportation, mode choice, and travel behavior
• multi-modal transportation planning
• planning for safe, efficient, equitable, and sustainable cities
• metrics for evaluating urban mobility
• new and emerging technologies in land use and transportation planning

Skills:

Upon successfully completion of the course, the student is capable of:

• making use of travel behavior models
• applying metrics to evaluate transportation policy and planning
• applying appropriate methods and software (e.g., statistics and GIS) to evaluate transportation systems and gaps
• translating theory to practice in urban mobility

General competence:

Upon successfully completion of the course, the student:

• has a broad overview of the current state of urban mobility, its challenges, and future trends
• is able to present academic results and evaluations both to specialists and to the general public

This course is a combination of lectures, seminars, and field-trips in the Oslo area (physically or digitally). The course features 5 weeks lectures, 2 software training sessions to provide theoretical content and preliminary hands-on experience.

4 individual assignments. Students who fail to meet the coursework requirements can be given up to one re-submission opportunity.

The exam consist of two parts:

1) Project report prepared in groups of 2 students (or more), approx. 15-20 pages (excl. appendices), weighted 80%.

2) Oral presentation and examination of the project report, weighted 20%

Grading is individual, which means that grades may differ within each group. Both oral and written examinations can be presented/written in teams. To ensure that individual grading should be possible, each group of students will provide a written and signed statement in where each individual's contribution is clearly stated and explained

All assessment parts must be awarded a pass grade (E or better) to pass the course.

Assessment parts: 1) can be appealed, 2) cannot be appealed

1) All aids are permitted, as long as the rules for source referencing are complied with.

2) None

Graded scale A-F.

1) Two internal examiners for the assignments and the report

2) Two internal examiners for oral presentation

External examiners are used regularly.

This course provides core insights and competencies in the field of sustainability and place-based education from early childhood to lower secondary education. The content and teaching methods are interdisciplinary. The topics covered in the course provide insights into crucial didactic and pedagogical dilemmas related to ecological, social and economic sustainability. Through inquiry-based and student-centred approaches, the course addresses current sustainability challenges in kindergartens and schools.

Nordic perspectives on education for sustainability will be compared with international aspects. The course will also focus on social justice and diversity and promote the joy of being part of nature and coexisting with all life on earth. Realism and agency in sustainabilityissues are also emphasised. The students will work with transformative learning processes. Parts of the course will take place outdoors.