Spring Semester 2009
1 st of February – 31th May 30 ECTS
Investigating Practices is a multidisciplinary international
course for students studying for qualifications in the educational and caring
professions.
Using the methods of fieldwork enquiry, this course allows students to
investigate areas of social practice. The course includes two weeks’ practice in
an educational/social institution.
This course has been successfully given by VIA University College, Education and
Socialstudies (former Viborg-Seminariet) for the past six years, attracting
students worldwide and achieving excellent student evaluations. The language of
instruction is English.
Aims and Learning Outcomes
- lessons and field trips acquire a comprehensive
understanding of the social educational field in Denmark – of for instance
day-care centres, schools, reach-out activities to the youth, drop-in
centres for abusers etc.
- That the students obtain experience with field work –
exploring problems and possibilities of different approaches to educational
enquiry and developing skills of collection, analysis and interpretation of
various data material – for example video recordings, observations and
interviews
- That the students acquire knowledge
of didactic planning by using for instance Natural Science and Visual Arts
- That the students obtain experience in the traditional
Danish study
methods: working project-oriented, group-oriented and problem-based in
co-operation with fellow students
- That the students develop an understanding of cultural
diversity by working in an intercultural learning environment.
Case – potential project
My group could write a project on how to improve the way of handling children
with difficulties developing social competences. Through two weeks of
fieldwork we observe the effort of teachers and social educators with
experience in this field and interview them. Back on the school bench we
combine our results with the newest research on how to use role play to
develop social competences.
Outline Syllabus
-
The
Danish institutional, cultural and societal conditions
-
Fieldwork: 2 weeks’ practice in an educational/social institution
-
Methods
for data collection and data analysis. Among these video analysis in
educational settings
-
The
central concepts in the Danish social educational field – among these
inclusion and exclusion mechanisms
-
Knowledge
of reach-out activities and intervention forms
-
Didactics
and learning processes in the social educational field with focus on for
example Natural Science and Visual Arts
-
Culture
expressed through play, rituals and traditions
-
Field
trips that are relevant for the aims of the course.
Case – potential project
My group could write a project where our point of departure is a method to
improve qualifications of social educators in their work with children’s
development. This method attaches great importance to the use of video
recordings for analysing the educational effort. Through two weeks of
fieldwork we visit different kindergartens to make video recordings of
children’s play. We analyse recordings in relation to the concept »appreciative
pedagogy« in cooperation with the kindergartens.
Assessment
The students are divided into groups and each group writes a research report
based on their field work. Each student will then take an individual oral
examination defending the report.
All students who complete the course will receive a detailed Transcript of
Records with specification of the 30 ects.
Case – potential project
My group could write a project on how to strengthen the integration of
bilingual children. During the two weeks of fieldwork we observe Danish social
educators’ reach-out activities to bilingual children in local institutions.
In the project we use the most recent theories on inclusion in relation to
marginalized groups and observe how you work with inclusion in the reach-out
activities.
Fees and Housing
There are no tuition fees for bilateral partners of VIA University College,
Education and Social Studies.
For students coming from institutions without a bilateral partner agreement with
VIA University College and for all non-European students the tuition fee is 3.200 Euro.
VIA University College can offer accommodation within walking distance from the campus.
The rent per month is app. 190 Euro.
Application
Deadline for application is
17th November 2008.
How to
get here (doc)
Arrival
form (doc)
Academic Questions
Download Subjects-ECTS-Comments (doc)
If you have academic questions please contact Senior Lecturer in Education, Ms.
Amela Slot:
amsl@viauc.dk
More information on our beautiful city Viborg is available online at:
www.viborg.dk
Application
Form (doc)
Download
brochure (pdf)
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