PhD Programme in Innovation for Sustainability Programplan

The PhD programme in Innovation for Sustainability at OsloMet is a full-time, 180 ECTS credit programme based at the Faculty of Technology, Art and Design (TKD), in cooperation with The Centre for Welfare and Labour Research (SVA). The goal of the programme is to qualify candidates for research, teaching, development work, and other highly qualified work in the field of innovation for sustainability. The programme is based on core competence from the departments of Product design, Art, design and drama and Computer science at TKD, and SVA.

The courses are also offered to other PhD programmes at OsloMet and to candidates outside OsloMet, provided there are vacant places.

The overall aim of the PhD programme is to contribute to sustainable development and welfare for all through human-centred and cultural research and innovation strategies. The programme combines theoretical and practice-oriented perspectives through a social constructivist approach with various types of knowledge suitable to a diversity of contexts and professional practices. It is thus rooted in OsloMet’s position as a university directed towards professional studies, with close links to the community and working life outside academia. The PhD programme will prepare the candidates for societal needs, related to private and public sector as well as academia.

The programme’s unique approach is its combination of design and aesthetics with computer science and social sciences in an interdisciplinary setting. The programme is characterized by interdisciplinarity and ethical awareness, and by theoretical and methodological pluralism. It offers 3 mandatory courses, each 5 ECTS, in philosophy of science, method, and innovation, which introduce basic theories and practices with a special focus on sustainability and interdisciplinarity. Additionally, the programme offers 5 elective courses addressing different perspectives on sustainability: place-based, social, individual, aesthetic, and educational.

Sustainability is understood as a result of cultural, social, artistic, technological, economic and environmental factors and contains an awareness of ethicality and responsibility. Culture, defined here as human thinking, behavior, habits, and attitudes, is regarded as the foundational component. Innovation, understood as ideas or inventions that are practically implemented for value creation, is necessary to achieve transformation to a sustainable development. The programme will push the candidates to develop new and improved products, systems, and processes through interdisciplinary approaches and various technologies. Design thinking, creativity and entrepreneurship are key elements, and interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary, and problem - based methodologies that involve a broad spectrum of societal stakeholders in defining and executing research, are central. Sustainability science is an emerging field of research dealing with the interactions between natural, social, and cultural systems, and with how those interactions affect the challenge of sustainability. The field is in constant development, and the programme will therefore be continuously revised and updated.

Interdisciplinarity is a foundational factor in the programme, both as a competence and a skill. The courses constitute a main factor to develop interdisciplinary skills. Multidisciplinarity, transdiciplinarity and co-design will also be included. Multidisciplinarity will constitute a starting point for developing interdisciplinarity and transdiciplinarity. In this way the candidates will be able to share their own fields of interest and thereby learn to integrate their competences in larger projects with different participants.

Innovation is understood as new or improved solutions and practices that are practically implemented to create value or to meet societal needs or challenges. The values can be ecologic, economic, social, cultural, or ethical. Innovation is recognized as necessary to achieve a transition to a more sustainable society. The programme will enable the candidates to find improved solutions.

The programme will have a certain flexibility within its frame and scope. The content of the courses will be adapted to the candidates' field of interest, and thereby subject to minor variations. It will also be developed according to response from the candidates, teachers and external stakeholders as well as the scientific development of the topic and the research agendas of the departments and research institutes involved in the programme.

The PhD programme consists of an educational (coursework) component (30 ECTS credits) and a research component comprising the doctoral thesis (150 ECTS credits). The programme is intended to be completed within an effective researcher training period of three years, alternatively four years including mandatory duties such as teaching and applications for external funding. The requirements for the PhD degree are established in the Provision for the Degree of Philosophiae doctor (PhD) at OsloMet - Oslo Metropolitan University.

Upon completion and passing of the programme, the candidate will be awarded the degree “PhD in Innovation for Sustainability”. The candidate’s specialization will be named on the transcript and diploma. Reference is made to Section 2 of the Regulations Relating to the Degree of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) at Oslo Metropolitan University (hereinafter referred to as the Regulations relating to the PhD Degree at OsloMet).

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After completing the PhD programme, the candidates are expected to have gained the following knowledge, skills, and general competence:

Knowledge

The candidate

• is at the cutting edge of knowledge within his/her field of specialization and can relate relevant sustainability issues to philosophy of science
• can evaluate the expediency and application of different methodological approaches and/or artistic research to the development of innovation for sustainability
• can critically reflect on implications in practice of various epistemological perspectives to contribute to the development and production of new knowledge, theory, and methods for innovation in sustainability

Skills

The candidate

• can function as an independent researcher planning and carry out research in his/her field of sustainability, including formulating problems and research questions and assessing the appropriateness of various theories and methods for innovation
• can carry out research for innovation in sustainability at a high international standard and in an interdisciplinary context
• can deal with complex academic questions in advanced collaborative sustainability projects that challenge existing knowledge and practice in the specific field of sustainability and innovation in the professional field

General competence

The candidate

• can identify and reflect on ethical issues in his/her own and others’ research and carry out his/ her research with scholarly integrity to contribute to responsible research and innovation (RRI)
• can undertake or contribute to complex interdisciplinary assignments and projects
• can disseminate research through recognized national and international scholarly and/or professional publication channels, and to the professional field(s) and the general public in popular science form
• can participate in debates in the field in international forums and present research at national and international research conferences in the field of sustainable innovation
• can assess the need for, initiate and practice innovation for sustainability in a policy relevant context

References

Correct use of source references and verifiability are required in all research.

• candidates must comply with the guidelines for correct referencing and use of quotations in both their training component and research component. Inadequate references can be deemed to constitute plagiarism and cheating and can constitute a breach of research ethics guidelines, cf. the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges Sections § 4-13.

The PhD programme consists of a training component (30 ECTS credits) and a research component (150 ECTS credits).

The training component is intended to underpin and strengthen the PhD candidate' s research. The training component comprises a mixture of mandatory courses and elective courses. The elective courses are chosen in collaboration with the supervisors. The training component must be completed and approved before the doctoral thesis is submitted, cf. Regulations Relating to the Degree of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) at OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University.

Mandatory courses

The mandatory and common requirements at the programme level is in total 15 ECTS credits. Candidates must take these courses unless an exemption is granted from the TKD Faculty’s Doc toral Committee (DGU). The examination for each of the courses will consist of a paper that will be evaluated pass/fail.

The course Philosophy of Science in Sustainability (5 ECTS credits) will give the PhD candidates an epistemological basis for sustainability studies. It will give them a deeper understanding of foundational philosophical and ethical issues in knowledge production in the field and enable them to problematize and analyse the underlying premises and assumptions of their own and others’ research projects.

The course Research Methodology and Research Design for Sustainability (5 ECTS credits) is closely related to the course on the philosophy of science. The course will provide the candidates with knowledge on and skills in inter-, multi and transdisciplinary research. It will enable the candidates to understand and make use of mixed methods for a multitude of approaches especially suited to illuminate complex phenomena, and responsible research and innovation (RRI).

The course Sustainable Innovation: Interdisciplinary Research in practice (5 ECTS credits) builds on the two previous courses. The course will give insight into methods that will enable innovation, entrepreneurship, and transition management. It will provide the candidates with a solid theoretical basis and practical ability to manage, design and carry out research projects within various fields of sustainability. It will enable them to relate to the UN Sustainability goals in a theoretical and operational way.

The goal of the mandatory courses is to provide candidates with an understanding of the foundational theories, concepts, and approaches within the field of study, including how these relate to methodological choices. The courses will also socialize the candidates into the research environment at TKD and SVA and facilitate connections with doctoral candidates at OsloMet and other institutions.

Elective courses

The following are brief descriptions of the elective, specialized courses. Candidates must take these courses at OsloMet unless an exemption is granted from TKD’s Doctoral Committee (DGU). Unless otherwise noted, the examination for each of the courses will consist of a paper that will be evaluated pass/fail.

The course Site-specific Governance and Co-creation (5 E CTS credits) will address sustainability in a site-specific, regional, and urban context. The focus will be on governance and co-creation in cities, rural areas, and regions. It will enable the PhD candidates to understand and take part in co-creative processes with citizens and stakeholders to find concrete solutions for accessibility and meaningfulness for all.

The course Societal Perspectives on Sustainability (5 ECTS credits) will address sustainability from a societal perspective. The course will provide the candidates with perspectives for critically analysing the role these societal frames have in inhibiting and enabling social transition towards sustainability, and for engaging in constructive discussions on how sustainable practices can be facilitated at a societal level. Cases will be used to stimulate interdisciplinary investigation of these issues.

The course Well-being and Sustainability (5 ECTS credits) will address sustainability from an individual perspective. It will explore the interrelation between technologies, materials, human actions, and the environment from a broad perspective of health such as public health, quality of life and daily functioning from a critical perspective. The course will introduce innovative approaches for developing products and services to enhance critical reflection about well-being, to make them accessible to all people regardless of age, gender, or ability.

The course Aesthetics in Innovation (5 ECTS credits) will look specifically on the sensory side of sustainability, seeking to create awareness among designers, researchers, technology developers and other stakeholders of the many possible ethical and interactional consequences and possibilities of aesthetic choices. The course will enable the PhD candidates to understand the sensory shaping and material tailoring of our technological and digital environments to get aware of and solve societal challenges.

The course Educational Perspectives on Sustainability (5 E CTS credits) addresses sustainability through theoretical perspectives on education. Education has the potential to change current practices and contribute to the transformation of ideas, attitudes, habits, and values in societies. This course discusses the effect of education and invites reflection on changes within and across cultures and societies. The focus will be on critical reflection and literacy. The candidates are invited to identify future-oriented research needs and enable them to make practical use of these theories and approaches.

The research component (doctoral thesis)

The doctoral thesis is the main component of the PhD degree, comprising 150 ECTS credits.

The doctoral thesis consists of independent research work carried out in active cooperation with a supervisor (or supervisors) and other researchers. The doctoral thesis can be submitted in the form of a monograph or a collection of several shorter scientific works (articles). A monograph is a comprehensive text that describes a topic in detail. A thesis written as a monograph is structured in chapters and with an introduction and conclusion, and the candidate is the sole author of the whole work.

A doctoral thesis based on articles usually must consist of a minimum of three articles. In an article- based thesis, the PhD candidate's independent contribution must be identified and documented, there must be a thematic connection between the works, and the connection must be accounted for in an introduction ('supplementary introductory chapter) preceding the articles (as stipulated in the Regulations relating to the PhD Degree at OsloMet). Chapters in peer-reviewed book s are considered as an article, but chapters should not constitute more than half of the total number of articles. The candidate may be the sole author or co-author of the articles included in the dissertation.

The courses are primarily reserved for candidates admitted to the PhD programme, but all courses will be open for application for other candidates who have completed a master's degree (120 credits) or the equivalent.

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Spesialpedagogikk i barnehagen

Special Needs Early Childhood Education

Videreutdanning for barnehagelærere

30 studiepoeng

Godkjent av utdanningsutvalget 17.12.2019.

Gjeldende fra høstsemesteret 2021.

Revisjon godkjent av utdanningsutvalget 12.12.2022, gjeldende fra høstsemesteret 2023.

Fakultet for lærerutdanning og internasjonale studier

Institutt for barnehagelærerutdanning

Emnekode: BSPE6000

Assessment of examinations in the educational (training) component will be conducted in accordance with the provisions regarding examinations and cheating in the Regulations relating to Studies and Examinations at OsloMet; see the PhD Regulations, section 4.3. The form of assessment for all courses will be a pass or fail.

In all courses, the PhD candidates must hand in a paper based on their own research project, of typical lengths of 4000-5000 words. In the courses with a portfolio exam the candidates must also document the development and execution of a practical workshop.

The standard expectation is that the essay must be submitted within 2 months of course completion, although specification is found in each course description. In addition to passing the essay, course requirements (participation) must also be confirmed to be awarded the ECTS credits.

The form of assessment for the doctoral thesis (including assessment of the thesis by a committee and completion of a trial lecture and public defence) is as follows. Upon submission, the doctoral thesis will be examined by an assessment committee comprising two external members and one internal (OsloMet) member. OsloMet’s existing guidelines for assessment of the doctoral thesis state: To be approved, the doctoral thesis should be of a standard that would justify publication as part of the scientific literature in the given field of research. The thesis must satisfy the minimum requirements of research expertise, expressed through requirements pertaining to formulation of research questions, precision and logical stringency, a good command of relevant methods of analysis and an ability to reflect on their possibilities and limitations, as well as an overview and understanding of, and a reflective attitude to, other research in the field. When evaluating the thesis, emphasis is placed on determining whether the thesis represents an independent and comprehensive piece of scientific work of high academic standard. It is particularly important to consider whether the material and methods applied are relevant to the questions raised in the thesis, and whether the arguments and conclusions posited are valid. If the thesis is found worthy of public defence, a trial lecture and public defence will be held at OsloMet and chaired by the Rector, or someone appointed by the Rector.

The PhD degree is obtained by fulfilling the following requirements:

• approval of the educational component
• approval of the doctoral thesis
• approval of the trial lecture on a given topic
• approval of the public defence of the thesis