Special Needs Education 2 Programme description

External practical training at a pharmacy takes place in the course FARBPRA in the third year of programme.

The students carry out supervised practical training at a community pharmacy. Supervised practical training entails supervision, assessment and the exchange of reflections between student and supervisor. The supervisor is an authorised pharmacist.

Practical training is an important arena for learning and developing action competence, a process that takes place when alternating between theory and practice. The student will have an opportunity to train in a real work situation, apply theoretical knowledge and improve their knowledge of the professional field. Practical training must be evidence-based and related to situations and issues of relevance to professional practice in order to provide experience of the pharmacist’s duties and responsibilities. The student will gradually develop a basis for professional discretion as a pharmacist and work towards fulfilling the pharmacist's professional role.

A manual for practical training at a pharmacy has been prepared, which contains guidelines for the period of practical training.

The practical training establishments are mainly located in Oslo and in the Eastern region of Norway, but it is also possible to carry out the training in other parts of the country. The students may need to commute to and from the practical training establishment. Students must comply with the clothing regulations in force at the practical training establishment. Vaccination may also be required. Separate requirements for attendance apply to practical training; see the section ‘Assessment of practical training’.

Internationalisation improves the quality of education and strengthens the academic community pertaining to the programme, at the same time as it prepares the students to become global citizens. The increasing globalisation of the labour market also makes international professional experience, language skills and cultural knowledge more and more important.

The study programme boasts a multicultural student environment and focuses on multicultural and global issues. This contributes to greater understanding and improves the students’ ability to work in a professional capacity in a multicultural society. The students gain access to specialist terminology in English through the use of an English syllabus, which comprises both textbooks and international research literature. Some courses will also be taught in English.

The staff’s network, research collaboration and cooperation with colleagues in other countries contribute to internationalisation. The programme is represented in international pharmacy education networks.

OsloMet has exchange agreements in place with universities and university colleges in Europe. The programme is adapted for study abroad during the entire or parts of the fifth semester, in connection with the courses:

• FARB3110 Social Pharmacy, Technology, Epidemiology and Statistics (15 credits) and
• FARB3900 Bachelor's Thesis (15 credits)

Students can only go on an exchange if the partner institution offers courses in subject areas corresponding to those covered at OsloMet in the semester the exchange applies to. Reference is otherwise made to the criteria that apply to student exchanges and the information about stays abroad.

In the fifth semester, the institution will also receive students from foreign educational institutions. For incoming students, the programme might for instance offer the following course combinations:

• NVHIN Supervised research project in the life sciences (15 credits) and FARB3900 Bachelor's Thesis (15 credits).
• FARB3110 Social Pharmacy, Technology, Epidemiology and Statistics (15 credits) and FARB3900 Bachelor's Thesis (15 credits)

In addition, FARB1300 Biochemistry, Cell Biology and Microbiology (15 credits) in the second semester is offered to incoming students, alternatively in combination with other courses offered at OsloMet in the spring semester.

The course FARB1300 Biochemistry, Cell Biology and Microbiology is taught entirely in English. Teaching in other courses can be adapted to English for international students as needed.

The students can decide whether they wish to write their bachelor’s thesis in English or Norwegian. Students who go on exchanges must write their thesis in English if the exchange is in a country outside Scandinavia.

Required coursework is all types of work, tests and compulsory attendance that are requirements for being permitted to take the exam. Required coursework is assessed as approved/not approved. The coursework requirements for each course are described in the respective course descriptions.

The primary purpose of coursework requirements is to contribute to the students' progress and academic development, and to stimulate the students to master the subject matter. The programme has coursework requirements in the form of compulsory attendance and laboratory assignments. Other coursework requirements may apply; see the course descriptions for more information.

Compulsory attendance

Attendance is compulsory for teaching activities that cover subject matter that the student cannot acquire on his or her own, or in teaching activities where cooperation with fellow students is a precondition for carrying out the activities.

A minimum attendance of 80% is required at seminars and compulsory scheduled and supervised group work. A minimum of either 80% or 90% attendance is required for skills training (laboratory courses and practical handling of prescriptions). Other activities may also be subject to compulsory attendance requirements. Detailed provisions on compulsory attendance are set out in the course descriptions and teaching plans.

The attendance requirements must be met before the student can take the exam in the course. Students will be contacted if they are at risk of exceeding the maximum limit for absence. If it emerges that a student has exceeded the limit for absence, the lecturer must assess whether and how the student can compensate for the absence. Whether or not it is possible to compensate for absence depends on the extent of the student's absence and which activities they have missed. Absence from compulsory teaching activities that cannot be compensated for may lead to delayed progress in the programme.

Laboratory reports

In certain laboratory courses, the student must document his/her laboratory work through written reports (lab reports).

Reports that are not approved after the first submission must be improved and re-submitted.

Different forms of assessment are used in the programme that are adapted to the learning outcomes of the different courses. The forms of assessment used are intended to support learning and document that the students’ competence is adequate in relation to the applicable learning outcomes. The students will receive advice and supervision and have their performance assessed during the programme. It is important and necessary to assess students’ knowledge and skills often, so that they receive feedback on whether their performance is in line with the programme's requirements and whether they have achieved the learning outcomes.

Exams and practical training are assessed in accordance with the applicable rules set out in the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges, the Regulations relating to Studies and Examinations at OsloMet and the Guidelines for Appointment and Use of Examiners at OsloMet.

The forms of assessment are described in the individual course descriptions. All exams taken will be stated on the diploma, along with the title of the student's bachelor's thesis.

Exams

All courses conclude with an exam. The assessment is based on the learning outcome descriptions for the course, and it is assessed whether the student has achieved the stipulated learning outcomes. The grades pass/fail or letter grades from A to F are used, with A being the highest grade and E the poorest pass grade. The grade F means that the student has failed the exam.

In some courses, the exam consists of more than one part. The student's performance in each part of the exam is assessed by a separate grade, before a final overall grade is awarded. For courses that use exams consisting of more than one part, the course description will state how the final grade for the course is arrived at on the basis of the separate grades awarded for the different parts of the exam.

Most courses have required coursework that must be approved before the student can take the exam. See the course descriptions for more details.

Resit and rescheduled exams are carried out in the same manner as the ordinary exam unless otherwise specified in the course description.

For exams where a percentage of the exam papers are selected for assessment by an external examiner, the external examiner's assessment must benefit all the students. In such cases, one external and one internal examiner will first grade the selected papers. The internal examiner then continues grading the remaining papers together with another internal examiner. The assessments from the first part are summarised to serve as guidelines for the assessments carried out by the two internal examiners.

Grades awarded for written exams can be appealed, cf. Section 11-10 of the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges. It is not possible to appeal the grades awarded for oral and practical exams. In a group exam, the result of an appeal will only have consequences for the candidates who have submitted the appeal. This means that all members of the group do not have to participate in the appeal.

Assessment of external practical training

Supervised external practical training is assessed as pass/fail. The assessment is based on the course’s learning outcomes, the assessment criteria and the continuous suitability assessment conducted throughout the practical training period.

To pass the practical training, the student must have met the compulsory attendance requirement. The student must attend at least 90% of the scheduled time. The attendance requirement applies both to time spent at the practical training establishment and any teaching activities provided as part of the programme. The following also applies to absence:

• Less than 10% absence: The student can complete the practical training course as normal.
• Between 10–20% absence: The student can make up for the practical training/teaching missed, if this is doable. This must be agreed with the practical training supervisor and the person responsible for the course at the university.
• More than 20% absence: The student must normally retake the whole practical training course. This will result in delayed progress in the programme.

If the student exceeds the maximum limit for absence, the practical training course will be registered as failed and count as an attempt. Other criteria for passing the practical training are set out in the manual for practical training at a pharmacy and the programme’s own practical training compendium.

Suitability

Diplomas for the completed programme will only be awarded to graduates who are suited to practise the profession. A student who represents a potential threat to the physical or mental health, rights and safety of their patients and colleagues is not suited for the profession.

Suitability assessments are made on a continuous basis throughout the study programme, and will be included in the overall assessment of the students' professional and personal suitability for work as health personnel. Students who demonstrate little ability to master the pharmacist profession must be informed of this at the earliest possible stage of the programme. They will be given supervision and advice on how to improve, or be advised to leave the programme. Special suitability assessments are used in exceptional cases, cf. Regulations to the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges, Chapter 7.

Samlingene vil bygge på temaforelesninger og studentaktive studieformer med refleksjon og erfaringsdeling rundt praksisrelaterte arbeidskrav, samt praktiske øvelser. Mellom samlingene skal studentene arbeide med arbeidskrav på eget arbeidssted.

Arbeidsformene er en viktig del av studiet, og bidrar til studentenes faglige og personlige utvikling og økt refleksjonsnivå. Arbeidsformer kan for eksempel være:

• Forelesning
• Arbeid i læringsgrupper
• Gi og motta veiledning ved egentrening individuelt og i grupper
• Skriftlige oppgaver
• Arbeid med kasusoppgaver
• Studentfremlegg

Studietilbudet er samlingsbasert med fem samlinger i høstsemesteret og fem samlinger i vårsemesteret. Hver samling går over to dager, og det forutsettes at studentene arbeider selvstendig med studiene mellom samlingene, blant annet gjennom refleksjonsoppgaver og aktivt arbeid med pensumlitteratur.

Det kan etter nærmere avtale med administrativ rådgiver legges til rette for at deler av studiet kan gjennomføres ved internasjonale utdanningsinstitusjoner OsloMet samarbeider med. Studenter som er interessert i en slik ordning må påregne at en selv må organisere studieoppholdet. Det kan også være aktuelt med studietur til et utenlandsk spesialpedagogisk miljø.

Arbeidskrav skal bidra til å sikre at studentene er aktive og medansvarlige for studieprogresjon. Alle arbeidskrav må være godkjent for å kunne gå opp til eksamen. Arbeidskrav skal være levert/utført innen fastsatte frister. Gyldig fravær dokumentert med for eksempel sykemelding, gir ikke fritak for å innfri arbeidskrav. Studenter som på grunn av sykdom eller annen dokumentert gyldig årsak ikke leverer/utfører arbeidskrav innen fristen, kan få forlenget frist. Ny frist for å innfri arbeidskrav avtales i hvert enkelt tilfelle med den aktuelle læreren.

Arbeidskrav vurderes til «godkjent» eller «ikke godkjent». Studenter som leverer/utfører arbeidskrav innen fristen, men som får vurderingen «ikke godkjent», har anledning til én ny innlevering/utførsel. Studenten må da selv avtale ny innlevering av det aktuelle arbeidskravet med faglærer.

Nærmere informasjon om arbeidskrav finnes i den enkelte emneplan og i undervisningsplanen studentene får ved semesterstart.

Ettersom studiet har et praksis- og utviklingsorientert fokus, med vekt på studentenes egne erfaringer er det krav om 80% tilstedeværelse hvert semester for å kunne avlegge eksamen.

• Udokumentert fravær som overskrider20 % medfører at studenten ikke får avlegge eksamen
• Studenter som ikke har anledning til å delta på deler av samlingene, kan måtte utføre et skriftligarbeid for å kompensere fraværet, selv om det ikke overskrider 20 %

Studentenes rettigheter og plikter ved eksamen framgår av Forskrift om studier og eksamen ved OsloMet - storbyuniversitetet. Forskriften beskriver blant annet vilkår for ny/utsatt eksamen, klageadgang og hva som regnes som fusk ved eksamen.

Retningslinjer for oppnevning og bruk av sensorer ved OsloMet regulerer bruken av sensorer på studiet.

Godkjent av rektor ved Høgskolen i Akershus 15.03.2007

Revisjon godkjent av Studieutvalget 18.05.2009

Revisjon godkjent av prodekan for studier 29.06.2017

Redaksjonelle endringer 06.03.2019

Redaksjonelle endringer 28.10.2019

Revisjon godkjent av utdanningsutvalget ved LUI 14.12.2020