Type of course

Admission requirements

Course content

Learning takes place in all kinds of contexts in lots of different ways: at school, at work, at home, during leisure activities, alone and with others. Given the complexity of where and how learning occurs, how do we decide which are the"best" ways to learn or teach others? The question has been posed from numerous points of view, and, as a result, the answers are many and varied. Accordingly, no one theory of learning has ever been sufficient. This course therefore presents multiple approaches to the concept of learning (and learner-based teaching). Instruction will focus on what we know so far, and how we know it, presenting the findings in terms of their value and implications for applied use.

In order to nuance student understanding of the concept of learning (and learner-based teaching), students will be involved in both the learning and teaching of the course material. The goal is to use the opportunity to mindfully apply the course content to actual instructional practice.

Recommended prerequisites

Objectives of the course

At the end of the course, the student should be able to:

Knowledge

• Explain the basic principles, concepts and mechanisms of multiple theories of learning and educational psychology.
• Describe how this scientific work is done (how we know what we know)
• Illustrate their understandings with concrete examples from the literature and from everyday life.

Skills

• cooperate and collaborate with others in the learning process of this course · read and appraise scientific texts
• compose a short academic text
• use principles of learning from the course when teaching others
• convey central theoretical perspectives on learning through discussion, writing and class presentations.

Competence

• apply learning theories to explain and understand human behavior and processes of change.
• apply learning theories and evidence-based principles across educational, clinical, work settings and everyday life.
• communicate sophisticated reflections on what you know about learning in clear and compelling ways

Language of instruction and examination

Teaching is in English.

Exam can be answered in English, Norwegian, or another Scandinavian language.

Teaching methods

The form of instruction will include lectures, varied classroom activities, independent work, group work, and micro-teaching exercises.

All students are expected to participate in a colloquium group regularly throughout the semester.

Information to incoming exchange students