EDUINTRO – Introduction to Comparative and International Education
Schedule, syllabus and examination date
Course content
The introductory semester unit is the first component of the two-years Master programme in Comparative and International Education. It can also be credited as an independent, one semester unit. The introductory semester comprises three units:
- Unit 1: Introduction to the field of Comparative and International Education
- Unit 2: Introduction to Education and Development
- Unit 3: Introduction to Education Policy and Planning
The aim of Unit 1 is to provide an introduction to the field of comparative and international education by making the students familiar with (i) the history of the field, (ii) the concepts and terminology relevant to the field, and (iii) the range of orientations/specialisations within the field, and to provide an introduction to curriculum theory, emphasising the major differences in curricula traditions globally.
Unit 2 will primarily deal with education in developing countries. The first week of the course will concentrate on theories and concepts in the field. The second week will give a brief introduction to education in pre-colonial and colonial times and state the situation in the developing countries at independence. The third week discusses re-colonisation, globalisation and the role of aid to the education sector in developing countries.
The aim of Unit 3 is to introduce concepts and issues of educational policies and planning, related to economic and cultural globalisation and the skills of management and evaluation. The topic is aproached from a Scandinavian, a European, and a global prespective. Main foci are the tensions between equality and the quality of education, the role of the Welfare State and private schooling. Educational consequences of the recent ideological changes are explored. Particular attraction is given to globalisation?s effect on tertiary education. Different models of planning and changing school laws are examined.
Learning outcome
This course is meant as an introduction to the field of comparative and international education.
Admission
Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for in Studentweb.
If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures.
Prerequisites
Formal prerequisite knowledge
Acceptance to the course is based on either a foreign university degree based on no less then 3 years of study beyond the Norwegian matriculation level, or a bachelor degree, or equivalent Norwegian education qualification, or equivalent educational qualifications approved by the institute.
A good command of English is required. Students from non-English speaking countries are required to have passed one of the following tests: TOEFL test with at least 550 points, or IELTS test with at least 6.0 points. For Norwegian applicants there is a request for grade 4 or better in English from Upper Secondary School.
Teaching
Each of the three courses will be taugh for three weeks.
Examination
After attending three weeks of lecture on each course mentioned, the students are given one week to write a minor cours paper (6-8 pages) pertaining to the content of the part they have been working on. The papers will be reviewed by the involved teaching staff. If a student fail a paper, he/she will have a chance to improve the paper on basis of the comments given.
In order for the students to sit for the final examination on the semester unit, all three papers must have been approved by the involved teaching staff. After 13 weeks of working on the thee units, students are given one week to prepare for the oral examination. The oral exam is aimed at determining the level the student has reached by the end of the course. The oral examination is comprised of a) discussion of the three papers submitted previously, b) discussion of the content of the three courses (readings, lectures/discussions, films, and other learning materials). Grades given are: A, B, C, D, E, or F(ail)