Type of course

Course content

Virtual exchange means that students and staff learn and teach online for a limited time at another institution, without physical travel or presence. It is a plausible and inclusive alternative to physical exchanges that contributes to climate change mitigation and enables any student to engage with an international experience, including those who might not have the means to participate in a physical mobility program. This virtual exchange course will provide students a unique opportunity to connect online with peers at the University of Portsmouth. They will develop diverse and personal relationships and build transferable skills that will prepare them for future work and civic engagement in a global context.

This course will enable students to approach their thesis topic and more generally, any research question in psychology from a developmental perspective and using the tools of modern developmental science. This may include explaining how various thoughts, feelings, and behavior transition in a human's life, learning about developmental prerequisites of adult skills and about how they are analyzed and operationalized when studied in much younger populations. These are crucial aspects that enhance the quality of any student thesis in the field of psychology.

Part 1

In Part 1, students will explore their chosen topics from a developmental perspective. After an introductory meeting with the whole class, students will work individually under the supervision of one of the lecturers. The outcome of Part 1 is a short (1 page) written reflection on the student’s chosen topic from a developmental perspective. This part takes place during the same time but separately at the two universities.

Part 2

In Part 2, students will participate in a virtual exchange with students from the University of Portsmouth (England). In addition to further elaborating the developmental perspective on students’ topics, this part will include content related to psychology in the two countries: psychology in the education system, as a career, and as a scientific field. After a warm-up session, students from the two universities will be assigned to pairs or small groups who will work together throughout Part 2. We will have a session approximately every two weeks on topics such as careers in research and in applied areas, famous psychologists or scientific achievements and traditions in the two countries, etc. In later sessions, students will lead journal clubs where they present a paper related to their topic from a developmental perspective and discuss it with the group. At the end of Part 2, students will present the results of their work throughout the course, i.e., a revised and elaborated version of the reflection they had handed in at the end of Part 1.

Objectives of the course

The expected learning outcomes are as follows:

Knowledge

Upon completion of the course, students should be able to:

● understand psychological phenomena from a developmental perspective

● reflect on a psychological topic of their choice from a developmental perspective

● have advanced knowledge about different academic systems and career paths for psychologists

Skills

Upon completion of the course, students should be able to:

● identify relevant literature and write a short reflection on a chosen topic

● identify an interesting and relevant field in developmental psychology to inform their work with their thesis

● formulate questions and ideas in oral as well as written form about their topic

● moderate a discussion

● provide academic feedback to peers on their writing

● establish a professional relationship with people from another country through hands-on experience

● maintain a productive collaboration with an international partner

● collaborate internationally on shared projects, for example through chatting, posting, and journaling

● analyze similarities and differences in diverse cultural communities

In addition, students should become inspired to explore cultures other than their own and the cultures encountered in the collaboration.

General competence

Upon completion of the course, students should be able to:

● work in multinational teams

● give informative and engaging presentations

● review others’ work and give constructive feedback

● communicate efficiently in a professional context

● be aware of cross-country differences in research and education

● manage working in a virtual environment

● communicate with colleagues/peers at a distance and maintain working relationships

● read psychological articles and think about scientific topics critically

● communicate and collaborate with people who have a different background than their own

● develop intercultural awareness through framing of key concepts with international partners

● develop awareness of different cultural and learning styles through group work and other activities

Language of instruction and examination

Teaching methods

Information to incoming exchange students

This course is available for inbound exchange students.

There are no academic prerequisites to add this module in your Learning Agreement.

Do you have questions about this module? Please check the following website to contact the course coordinator for exchange students at the faculty: https://en.uit.no/education/art?p_document_id=510412