The main objective of the course is to prepare students for reading, writing and communicating academic texts.

The course will cover various types of scholarly material and its representation. Students will familiarize themselves with different aspects of academic writing and learn to distinguish between different genres. Students will be trained in independent and critical reading of different texts. Copyright, plagiarism, and fake news will also be discussed.

Students will acquire skills in working with academic texts, such as abstracts and summaries and in using sources when writing their own texts. They will also receive instructions in making bibliographies and using citation systems. Students will also be trained in using source material in their own writing and distinguish between their own voice and the source. 

The course aims at supporting students to acquire new knowledge about vocational teaching and training, increase their understanding of its characteristics and critically re-examine their own views towards learning and teaching a trade or vocation.

CONTENT

Various trends, views and theories on learning and teaching. How do people learn, what can teachers do to help people learn? Curricula and their making. Writing instructional objectives. Teaching methods. Assessment. The use of IT for teaching. These themes will be studied both from the point of view of philosophy and didactics.

PROCESS

The course is divided into modules, each with its own theme. Students are supported in their learning through lectures, discussions, both on-line and locally. Students work in groups and individually on various projects.

I

The aim of this course is to deepen the students understanding of the pedagogy of vocational subjects and allow them to connect their own practical experience to topics, theories, and research on pedagogy and educational science.

The aim of the course is to provide students with training in vocational teaching at schools and assist them in developing their own theory of practice and professional identity as vocational teachers.

The module is organized as flipped classroom. Every other week students acquire information from videos and reading material. And every other week there will be real-time classroom or online activities. Students who are not able to participate in real-time activities will have to rely on self-study (journaling). Students can complete this module as distance learning.

Objective and course description

The object of this module is for students to gain practical and theoretical knowledge of policy planning, ideology, and support services for students with various learning needs in upper secondary schools.

The official education policy of inclusive education will be introduced together with the idea of universal design for learning, as well as laws and regulations that apply to students in upper secondary schools. In the module’s discussions, emphasis will be placed on the support services that secondary schools offer to students. The diversity of upper secondary school students will be discussed and explained how teachers can accommodate students on an individual basis. The participants in this module will also examine the causes and consequences of high drop-out rates in upper secondary schools.

The aim of this course is to deepen the students understanding of the pedagogy of vocational subjects and allow them to connect their own practical experience to topics, theories, and research on pedagogy and educational science.

The aim of the course is to provide students with training in vocational teaching at schools and assist them in developing their own theory of practice and professional identity as vocational teachers.

Thematic learning is a learning method in which students acquire certain knowledge and skills by working together, usually interdisciplinarily, on a specific project for a longer period of time than is generally the case in schools, where knowledge and skills are drawn from more than one subject. They seek answers to a complex question, find a solution to a problem (problem based learning), create or create something that tests their abilities and ingenuity. In this context, the learning environment, procedures and tools in thematic studies, teaching methods, such as consensus studies and democratic teaching, the organisation of thematic projects and students' project work are discussed. Various ways to arouse students' interest and work in a creative way in school work will be presented, e.g. in creative workshops, with computer games and game creation, or with the involvement of museums, and other educational and cultural institutions. The course discusses the integration of subjects and methods for integrating subjects through the use of information and communication technology, the role of teachers and students, the development of learning objectives, and their relationship to academic performance and assessment in integrated schooling.

Participants in this course plan the projects to be undertaken, how they organise their work and make lesson plans, and discuss how they use information and communication technology to gather, process and communicate it. It is imperative that participants are very interested in seeking answers each time, consider it important to solve a specific problem or create an original work.

Projects of this kind put a lot of pressure on collaboration, initiative, problem-solving and an open or multifaceted approach. At the same time, critical and creative thinking are very important. The projects that will be created could be, for example, a short film, a radio play, a film, a video game production, a web or a musical, and will be made available to the Icelandic public or, as the case may be, to netizens wherever they live.

Two projects will be carried out. Work on the first lasts for one to one and a half months, while the second lasts for two and a half to three months.

The course focus on leisure activities for teenagers in Iceland, the meaning of leisure, roles of leaders, leisure studies, how to help troubled youth and visits to various organisations. Students will get training in how to organizise and evaluate leisure activities for this age group.

The course focuses on practical professional communication, especially as it relates to prospective work in the fields of social pedagogy and youth work.

The students use several methods and media in their work, including drama, speech and digital media, analysing their own and others' ways of interacting in order to increase their communicative competence.

xx

This course is about moral philosophy with emphasis on consequentialist and deontological theories, human rights and ethical concepts, e.g. autonomy, welfare, right to privacy, and human dignity. It also deals with the relationship between ethics and professionalism.

Special emphasis is on relating the theoretical knowledge with issues and dilemmas in the work of professionals who work with diverse groups in the society

The course aims at enhancing students ability to plan and prepare event with tools of project management. Emphasis is on collaboration and group projects so students should be more prepared for further studies, future jobs and diverse organisational participations. The course is mandatory for students in leisure studies and social education and aims at meeting the demand for skills in event and project management in the field of leisure, recreation and youth work. It´s also available for other students within the University of Iceland at their choice.

The course requires students active participation in discussions and assignments for building a good and supportive learning environment and success for all. We also focus on positive interactions and communications and responsibility of all students for their actions and study. 

Subject matter
During the course, issues of organising event projects will be discussed. A main focus is on preparation, analysing, planning, performing and evaluationg events, fx. in the field of leisure, recreation and culture. Cases such as meetings, conferences, concerts, festivals, sports events, annual dates and festivals will be discussed and looked into. Discussion about law environment, regulations and safety issues and the role of events for leisure, recreation and travel along with educational and social meaning and influence of events.

How?
Lectures, discussions, assignments and field trips. In the course students work on their own event in groups, planning, preparing, performing and evaluating it, and also peer reviewing co-students plans and events and on line "reading-exams".

The course is for both distant students and on field students. Attendance is mandatory to 80% for on field students and for distance students in on field sessions. 

Mininum grade og 5.0 is required for every assignment.

The course focus on leisure activities for teenagers in Iceland, the meaning of leisure, roles of leaders, leisure studies, how to help troubled youth and visits to various organisations. Students will get training in how to organizise and evaluate leisure activities for this age group.

Aim: To learn to design and make toys in a pedagogical context. 

General Description: The main undertakings are to help student to develop their knowledge and skill to design educational toys and build it. Students learn to use simple cad, which enables them to draw up their own designs in a professional and easy manner. Students design and make educational toys for different age. 

Ways of working: Teaching methods are based on lectures and practical work. 

Support material: Websites and photocopies from the teacher.

The main objective of this course is to prepare students for a critical approach to ideas and methods in pedagogy and education. Students will be introduced to the main ideas that have shaped schools and education in the western tradition and made able to locate contemporary currents in an ideological context. The main objective of this course is to prepare students for a critical approach to ideas and methods in pedagogy and education. Students will be introduced to the main ideas that have shaped schools and education in the western tradition and made able to locate contemporary currents in an ideological context.

The course is organized around three basic topics: (i) The human being as a rational, sentient and ethical being, (i) the aims of education and (iii) freedom and democracy. Among the philosophers and educational theorists discussed in the course are Plato, Rousseau, Kant, Dewey, Key, Neill and Freire.

Sociology of education is the subject matter of this course. Fundamental theoretical perspectives will be introduced and explored in the context of various themes and educational debates through time. Among themes are the role and purpose of education, different trends in parenting, the foundation of schools and school systems, the role of families and society, access to education, modernization and individualism, equality, and social mobility. An emphasis will be on combining historical and theoretical perspectives on upbringing and education, where distinctive features of education will be explored in the context of societal development. The focus will be on the Icelandic context, but in relation to development in neighbouring countries. 

The course will aim to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the developmental changes that take place from birth through adolescence.

Content:
The course will cover a broad range of developmental changes during different phases of childhood and adolescence, and theories that describe and explain those changes. Theories of cognitive development, emotional and social development, the development of self, and moral development will be discussed. The approaches of behaviourism and ecological theory will also be highlighted. The origins and nature of individual differences, continuity and discontinuity of development, as well as plasticity of development will be discussed. The interaction between development and learning, motivation, parenting practices, culture, and different social environments will be addressed. A strong emphasis will be placed on the importance of understanding child development when working with children in applied settings.

Procedure:
The course will consist of lectures and recitations. Students' will have a chance to discuss the topics of the course and deepen their understanding of the age group they plan to focus on during their studies and work.

Students will become competent in organizing outdoor education and outdoor activities for people of all ages in both summer and winter. The focus is on the one hand, enjoy nature, and to identify how nature can be a platform for upbringing and education (such as the focus on plants, animals or landscapes).

Emphasis is on the value of outdoor and adventure education and how it can be used as an important and successful tool in working with people, theories about outdoor education and experiential learning, group processes, personal and social growth and development. Focus is on connection to nature, group work and cooperation, team building and improving self-esteem and self-image. Also on practical matters, such as clothing, finding your way in the outdoors and environmental and safety issues.

Students are encouraged to use a reflective journal in the course for reflection, notes and ideas.

Students take one two-night journey 1.10.-3.10. and one overnight stay 11.11.-12.11, 2025.

Students have to pay all travel costs.

Course Assessment

To finish the course students need to:
- Plan, prepare and carrie out an outdoor learning project with peer-students.
- Write a chapter about defined subject in "a student book" on Outdoor Education.
- Reflection and self evaluation about the mutual trips / journeys and the course.
- Go on the mutual trips / journeys and attend classes.
- Distance students have to write summaries from lectures and participate in a class and/or web discussions.
- Reading exames.
5.0 is the minimum grade for each assignment.
Minimum attendanse is 80%

This course is intended to introduce students to Engineering Psychology and Human Factors. Engineering psychology focuses on how psychological research can be applied to the design and use of tools, technology, and man-made environment. In particular, how the understanding of the capabilities and limitations of human performance through research on perception, cognition, and behavior, can inform design with the aim of usability and accessibility. In this course the emphasis will be on how learning and design intersect. That is, how the design of educational settings and materials influence learning and how design must take prior knowledge and training into account, as well as accommodate learning.

The course is organized as a seminar and students are expected to both contribute and participate in the discussion. Student work mainly consists of readings, discussions in class and independent course work.

This course is intended for students in educational sciences, psychology, and engineering.

The main objective of this introductory course is to educate students about electricity and magnetism to prepare them for teaching these subjects in Icelandic compulsory school. Participants are expected to develop a thorough scientific understanding of these issues and scientific concepts related to them such as electricity, charges, electrical forces, electric currents, magnets, magnetic force, interaction of electricity and magnetism, and production and utilization of electricity. Besides they will be taught how to illustrate these concepts in practice by carrying out simple experiments. Emphasis will also be paid to the ideas young people have about these concepts and phenomena and how they may be helped to develop those ideas toward scientific understanding. Approaching these issues the participants will be encouraged to inquire into their own understandings of these phenomena and concepts and develop those understandings and their practical teaching competences.

Aim: To prepare students for their teacher training. 

General Description: Students learn about the pedagogy of the subject Design and Craft via lectures including the National Curricula, teaching methods, and assessment of students work and about health and security when working with children at schools. Students prepare for their training at schools by making examples of projects for elementary students and with descriptions. 

Support material: Websites and photocopies from the teacher. 

Method(s) of work: Lectures and craft.

The course covers the following aspects:

• Learning in cyberspace. Special emphasis is placed on open online courses intended for self-study (MOOCs). The main types of such courses are presented. Their status and development, distribution channels, teaching systems and the pedagogical basis on which they are based are examined.
• Open educational material (OER). Research, ideas and culture on open learning are presented. It examines how remixing, free authorship and large material collections with open educational material can change learning and teaching and access to learning and knowledge.
• Cloud-based solutions. The focus is on what happens when the framework of learning and teaching is moved to a web-based environment, into the cloud, what tools and solutions are suitable, and how teachers, schools and school communities can organise learning processes and teaching in such an environment.
• Blended teaching (e.g. flipped teaching). Research and development regarding blended teaching and working methods for recording and sharing such material are discussed. Students make recordings that could be used in flipped teaching and gain experience of teaching with online conferencing equipment/real-time broadcasts in teaching.

The main objective of the course is to prepare students for reading, writing and communicating academic texts.

The course will cover various types of scholarly material and its representation. Students will familiarize themselves with different aspects of academic writing and learn to distinguish between different genres. Students will be trained in independent and critical reading of different texts. Copyright, plagiarism, and fake news will also be discussed.

Students will acquire skills in working with academic texts, such as abstracts and summaries and in using sources when writing their own texts. They will also receive instructions in making bibliographies and using citation systems. Students will also be trained in using source material in their own writing and distinguish between their own voice and the source. 

The course aims at supporting students to acquire new knowledge about vocational teaching and training, increase their understanding of its characteristics and critically re-examine their own views towards learning and teaching a trade or vocation.

CONTENT

Various trends, views and theories on learning and teaching. How do people learn, what can teachers do to help people learn? Curricula and their making. Writing instructional objectives. Teaching methods. Assessment. The use of IT for teaching. These themes will be studied both from the point of view of philosophy and didactics.

PROCESS

The course is divided into modules, each with its own theme. Students are supported in their learning through lectures, discussions, both on-line and locally. Students work in groups and individually on various projects.

I

The aim of this course is to deepen the students understanding of the pedagogy of vocational subjects and allow them to connect their own practical experience to topics, theories, and research on pedagogy and educational science.

The aim of the course is to provide students with training in vocational teaching at schools and assist them in developing their own theory of practice and professional identity as vocational teachers.

The module is organized as flipped classroom. Every other week students acquire information from videos and reading material. And every other week there will be real-time classroom or online activities. Students who are not able to participate in real-time activities will have to rely on self-study (journaling). Students can complete this module as distance learning.

Objective and course description

The object of this module is for students to gain practical and theoretical knowledge of policy planning, ideology, and support services for students with various learning needs in upper secondary schools.

The official education policy of inclusive education will be introduced together with the idea of universal design for learning, as well as laws and regulations that apply to students in upper secondary schools. In the module’s discussions, emphasis will be placed on the support services that secondary schools offer to students. The diversity of upper secondary school students will be discussed and explained how teachers can accommodate students on an individual basis. The participants in this module will also examine the causes and consequences of high drop-out rates in upper secondary schools.

The aim of this course is to deepen the students understanding of the pedagogy of vocational subjects and allow them to connect their own practical experience to topics, theories, and research on pedagogy and educational science.

The aim of the course is to provide students with training in vocational teaching at schools and assist them in developing their own theory of practice and professional identity as vocational teachers.

Thematic learning is a learning method in which students acquire certain knowledge and skills by working together, usually interdisciplinarily, on a specific project for a longer period of time than is generally the case in schools, where knowledge and skills are drawn from more than one subject. They seek answers to a complex question, find a solution to a problem (problem based learning), create or create something that tests their abilities and ingenuity. In this context, the learning environment, procedures and tools in thematic studies, teaching methods, such as consensus studies and democratic teaching, the organisation of thematic projects and students' project work are discussed. Various ways to arouse students' interest and work in a creative way in school work will be presented, e.g. in creative workshops, with computer games and game creation, or with the involvement of museums, and other educational and cultural institutions. The course discusses the integration of subjects and methods for integrating subjects through the use of information and communication technology, the role of teachers and students, the development of learning objectives, and their relationship to academic performance and assessment in integrated schooling.

Participants in this course plan the projects to be undertaken, how they organise their work and make lesson plans, and discuss how they use information and communication technology to gather, process and communicate it. It is imperative that participants are very interested in seeking answers each time, consider it important to solve a specific problem or create an original work.

Projects of this kind put a lot of pressure on collaboration, initiative, problem-solving and an open or multifaceted approach. At the same time, critical and creative thinking are very important. The projects that will be created could be, for example, a short film, a radio play, a film, a video game production, a web or a musical, and will be made available to the Icelandic public or, as the case may be, to netizens wherever they live.

Two projects will be carried out. Work on the first lasts for one to one and a half months, while the second lasts for two and a half to three months.

The course focus on leisure activities for teenagers in Iceland, the meaning of leisure, roles of leaders, leisure studies, how to help troubled youth and visits to various organisations. Students will get training in how to organizise and evaluate leisure activities for this age group.

The course focuses on practical professional communication, especially as it relates to prospective work in the fields of social pedagogy and youth work.

The students use several methods and media in their work, including drama, speech and digital media, analysing their own and others' ways of interacting in order to increase their communicative competence.

xx

This course is about moral philosophy with emphasis on consequentialist and deontological theories, human rights and ethical concepts, e.g. autonomy, welfare, right to privacy, and human dignity. It also deals with the relationship between ethics and professionalism.

Special emphasis is on relating the theoretical knowledge with issues and dilemmas in the work of professionals who work with diverse groups in the society

The course aims at enhancing students ability to plan and prepare event with tools of project management. Emphasis is on collaboration and group projects so students should be more prepared for further studies, future jobs and diverse organisational participations. The course is mandatory for students in leisure studies and social education and aims at meeting the demand for skills in event and project management in the field of leisure, recreation and youth work. It´s also available for other students within the University of Iceland at their choice.

The course requires students active participation in discussions and assignments for building a good and supportive learning environment and success for all. We also focus on positive interactions and communications and responsibility of all students for their actions and study. 

Subject matter
During the course, issues of organising event projects will be discussed. A main focus is on preparation, analysing, planning, performing and evaluationg events, fx. in the field of leisure, recreation and culture. Cases such as meetings, conferences, concerts, festivals, sports events, annual dates and festivals will be discussed and looked into. Discussion about law environment, regulations and safety issues and the role of events for leisure, recreation and travel along with educational and social meaning and influence of events.

How?
Lectures, discussions, assignments and field trips. In the course students work on their own event in groups, planning, preparing, performing and evaluating it, and also peer reviewing co-students plans and events and on line "reading-exams".

The course is for both distant students and on field students. Attendance is mandatory to 80% for on field students and for distance students in on field sessions. 

Mininum grade og 5.0 is required for every assignment.

The course focus on leisure activities for teenagers in Iceland, the meaning of leisure, roles of leaders, leisure studies, how to help troubled youth and visits to various organisations. Students will get training in how to organizise and evaluate leisure activities for this age group.

Aim: To learn to design and make toys in a pedagogical context. 

General Description: The main undertakings are to help student to develop their knowledge and skill to design educational toys and build it. Students learn to use simple cad, which enables them to draw up their own designs in a professional and easy manner. Students design and make educational toys for different age. 

Ways of working: Teaching methods are based on lectures and practical work. 

Support material: Websites and photocopies from the teacher.

The main objective of this course is to prepare students for a critical approach to ideas and methods in pedagogy and education. Students will be introduced to the main ideas that have shaped schools and education in the western tradition and made able to locate contemporary currents in an ideological context. The main objective of this course is to prepare students for a critical approach to ideas and methods in pedagogy and education. Students will be introduced to the main ideas that have shaped schools and education in the western tradition and made able to locate contemporary currents in an ideological context.

The course is organized around three basic topics: (i) The human being as a rational, sentient and ethical being, (i) the aims of education and (iii) freedom and democracy. Among the philosophers and educational theorists discussed in the course are Plato, Rousseau, Kant, Dewey, Key, Neill and Freire.

Sociology of education is the subject matter of this course. Fundamental theoretical perspectives will be introduced and explored in the context of various themes and educational debates through time. Among themes are the role and purpose of education, different trends in parenting, the foundation of schools and school systems, the role of families and society, access to education, modernization and individualism, equality, and social mobility. An emphasis will be on combining historical and theoretical perspectives on upbringing and education, where distinctive features of education will be explored in the context of societal development. The focus will be on the Icelandic context, but in relation to development in neighbouring countries. 

The course will aim to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the developmental changes that take place from birth through adolescence.

Content:
The course will cover a broad range of developmental changes during different phases of childhood and adolescence, and theories that describe and explain those changes. Theories of cognitive development, emotional and social development, the development of self, and moral development will be discussed. The approaches of behaviourism and ecological theory will also be highlighted. The origins and nature of individual differences, continuity and discontinuity of development, as well as plasticity of development will be discussed. The interaction between development and learning, motivation, parenting practices, culture, and different social environments will be addressed. A strong emphasis will be placed on the importance of understanding child development when working with children in applied settings.

Procedure:
The course will consist of lectures and recitations. Students' will have a chance to discuss the topics of the course and deepen their understanding of the age group they plan to focus on during their studies and work.

Students will become competent in organizing outdoor education and outdoor activities for people of all ages in both summer and winter. The focus is on the one hand, enjoy nature, and to identify how nature can be a platform for upbringing and education (such as the focus on plants, animals or landscapes).

Emphasis is on the value of outdoor and adventure education and how it can be used as an important and successful tool in working with people, theories about outdoor education and experiential learning, group processes, personal and social growth and development. Focus is on connection to nature, group work and cooperation, team building and improving self-esteem and self-image. Also on practical matters, such as clothing, finding your way in the outdoors and environmental and safety issues.

Students are encouraged to use a reflective journal in the course for reflection, notes and ideas.

Students take one two-night journey 1.10.-3.10. and one overnight stay 11.11.-12.11, 2025.

Students have to pay all travel costs.

Course Assessment

To finish the course students need to:
- Plan, prepare and carrie out an outdoor learning project with peer-students.
- Write a chapter about defined subject in "a student book" on Outdoor Education.
- Reflection and self evaluation about the mutual trips / journeys and the course.
- Go on the mutual trips / journeys and attend classes.
- Distance students have to write summaries from lectures and participate in a class and/or web discussions.
- Reading exames.
5.0 is the minimum grade for each assignment.
Minimum attendanse is 80%

This course is intended to introduce students to Engineering Psychology and Human Factors. Engineering psychology focuses on how psychological research can be applied to the design and use of tools, technology, and man-made environment. In particular, how the understanding of the capabilities and limitations of human performance through research on perception, cognition, and behavior, can inform design with the aim of usability and accessibility. In this course the emphasis will be on how learning and design intersect. That is, how the design of educational settings and materials influence learning and how design must take prior knowledge and training into account, as well as accommodate learning.

The course is organized as a seminar and students are expected to both contribute and participate in the discussion. Student work mainly consists of readings, discussions in class and independent course work.

This course is intended for students in educational sciences, psychology, and engineering.

The main objective of this introductory course is to educate students about electricity and magnetism to prepare them for teaching these subjects in Icelandic compulsory school. Participants are expected to develop a thorough scientific understanding of these issues and scientific concepts related to them such as electricity, charges, electrical forces, electric currents, magnets, magnetic force, interaction of electricity and magnetism, and production and utilization of electricity. Besides they will be taught how to illustrate these concepts in practice by carrying out simple experiments. Emphasis will also be paid to the ideas young people have about these concepts and phenomena and how they may be helped to develop those ideas toward scientific understanding. Approaching these issues the participants will be encouraged to inquire into their own understandings of these phenomena and concepts and develop those understandings and their practical teaching competences.

Aim: To prepare students for their teacher training. 

General Description: Students learn about the pedagogy of the subject Design and Craft via lectures including the National Curricula, teaching methods, and assessment of students work and about health and security when working with children at schools. Students prepare for their training at schools by making examples of projects for elementary students and with descriptions. 

Support material: Websites and photocopies from the teacher. 

Method(s) of work: Lectures and craft.

The course covers the following aspects:

• Learning in cyberspace. Special emphasis is placed on open online courses intended for self-study (MOOCs). The main types of such courses are presented. Their status and development, distribution channels, teaching systems and the pedagogical basis on which they are based are examined.
• Open educational material (OER). Research, ideas and culture on open learning are presented. It examines how remixing, free authorship and large material collections with open educational material can change learning and teaching and access to learning and knowledge.
• Cloud-based solutions. The focus is on what happens when the framework of learning and teaching is moved to a web-based environment, into the cloud, what tools and solutions are suitable, and how teachers, schools and school communities can organise learning processes and teaching in such an environment.
• Blended teaching (e.g. flipped teaching). Research and development regarding blended teaching and working methods for recording and sharing such material are discussed. Students make recordings that could be used in flipped teaching and gain experience of teaching with online conferencing equipment/real-time broadcasts in teaching.

The main objective of the course is to prepare students for reading, writing and communicating academic texts.

The course will cover various types of scholarly material and its representation. Students will familiarize themselves with different aspects of academic writing and learn to distinguish between different genres. Students will be trained in independent and critical reading of different texts. Copyright, plagiarism, and fake news will also be discussed.

Students will acquire skills in working with academic texts, such as abstracts and summaries and in using sources when writing their own texts. They will also receive instructions in making bibliographies and using citation systems. Students will also be trained in using source material in their own writing and distinguish between their own voice and the source. 

The course aims at supporting students to acquire new knowledge about vocational teaching and training, increase their understanding of its characteristics and critically re-examine their own views towards learning and teaching a trade or vocation.

CONTENT

Various trends, views and theories on learning and teaching. How do people learn, what can teachers do to help people learn? Curricula and their making. Writing instructional objectives. Teaching methods. Assessment. The use of IT for teaching. These themes will be studied both from the point of view of philosophy and didactics.

PROCESS

The course is divided into modules, each with its own theme. Students are supported in their learning through lectures, discussions, both on-line and locally. Students work in groups and individually on various projects.

I

The aim of this course is to deepen the students understanding of the pedagogy of vocational subjects and allow them to connect their own practical experience to topics, theories, and research on pedagogy and educational science.

The aim of the course is to provide students with training in vocational teaching at schools and assist them in developing their own theory of practice and professional identity as vocational teachers.

The module is organized as flipped classroom. Every other week students acquire information from videos and reading material. And every other week there will be real-time classroom or online activities. Students who are not able to participate in real-time activities will have to rely on self-study (journaling). Students can complete this module as distance learning.

Objective and course description

The object of this module is for students to gain practical and theoretical knowledge of policy planning, ideology, and support services for students with various learning needs in upper secondary schools.

The official education policy of inclusive education will be introduced together with the idea of universal design for learning, as well as laws and regulations that apply to students in upper secondary schools. In the module’s discussions, emphasis will be placed on the support services that secondary schools offer to students. The diversity of upper secondary school students will be discussed and explained how teachers can accommodate students on an individual basis. The participants in this module will also examine the causes and consequences of high drop-out rates in upper secondary schools.

The aim of this course is to deepen the students understanding of the pedagogy of vocational subjects and allow them to connect their own practical experience to topics, theories, and research on pedagogy and educational science.

The aim of the course is to provide students with training in vocational teaching at schools and assist them in developing their own theory of practice and professional identity as vocational teachers.

Thematic learning is a learning method in which students acquire certain knowledge and skills by working together, usually interdisciplinarily, on a specific project for a longer period of time than is generally the case in schools, where knowledge and skills are drawn from more than one subject. They seek answers to a complex question, find a solution to a problem (problem based learning), create or create something that tests their abilities and ingenuity. In this context, the learning environment, procedures and tools in thematic studies, teaching methods, such as consensus studies and democratic teaching, the organisation of thematic projects and students' project work are discussed. Various ways to arouse students' interest and work in a creative way in school work will be presented, e.g. in creative workshops, with computer games and game creation, or with the involvement of museums, and other educational and cultural institutions. The course discusses the integration of subjects and methods for integrating subjects through the use of information and communication technology, the role of teachers and students, the development of learning objectives, and their relationship to academic performance and assessment in integrated schooling.

Participants in this course plan the projects to be undertaken, how they organise their work and make lesson plans, and discuss how they use information and communication technology to gather, process and communicate it. It is imperative that participants are very interested in seeking answers each time, consider it important to solve a specific problem or create an original work.

Projects of this kind put a lot of pressure on collaboration, initiative, problem-solving and an open or multifaceted approach. At the same time, critical and creative thinking are very important. The projects that will be created could be, for example, a short film, a radio play, a film, a video game production, a web or a musical, and will be made available to the Icelandic public or, as the case may be, to netizens wherever they live.

Two projects will be carried out. Work on the first lasts for one to one and a half months, while the second lasts for two and a half to three months.

The course focus on leisure activities for teenagers in Iceland, the meaning of leisure, roles of leaders, leisure studies, how to help troubled youth and visits to various organisations. Students will get training in how to organizise and evaluate leisure activities for this age group.

The course focuses on practical professional communication, especially as it relates to prospective work in the fields of social pedagogy and youth work.

The students use several methods and media in their work, including drama, speech and digital media, analysing their own and others' ways of interacting in order to increase their communicative competence.

xx

This course is about moral philosophy with emphasis on consequentialist and deontological theories, human rights and ethical concepts, e.g. autonomy, welfare, right to privacy, and human dignity. It also deals with the relationship between ethics and professionalism.

Special emphasis is on relating the theoretical knowledge with issues and dilemmas in the work of professionals who work with diverse groups in the society

The course aims at enhancing students ability to plan and prepare event with tools of project management. Emphasis is on collaboration and group projects so students should be more prepared for further studies, future jobs and diverse organisational participations. The course is mandatory for students in leisure studies and social education and aims at meeting the demand for skills in event and project management in the field of leisure, recreation and youth work. It´s also available for other students within the University of Iceland at their choice.

The course requires students active participation in discussions and assignments for building a good and supportive learning environment and success for all. We also focus on positive interactions and communications and responsibility of all students for their actions and study. 

Subject matter
During the course, issues of organising event projects will be discussed. A main focus is on preparation, analysing, planning, performing and evaluationg events, fx. in the field of leisure, recreation and culture. Cases such as meetings, conferences, concerts, festivals, sports events, annual dates and festivals will be discussed and looked into. Discussion about law environment, regulations and safety issues and the role of events for leisure, recreation and travel along with educational and social meaning and influence of events.

How?
Lectures, discussions, assignments and field trips. In the course students work on their own event in groups, planning, preparing, performing and evaluating it, and also peer reviewing co-students plans and events and on line "reading-exams".

The course is for both distant students and on field students. Attendance is mandatory to 80% for on field students and for distance students in on field sessions. 

Mininum grade og 5.0 is required for every assignment.

The course focus on leisure activities for teenagers in Iceland, the meaning of leisure, roles of leaders, leisure studies, how to help troubled youth and visits to various organisations. Students will get training in how to organizise and evaluate leisure activities for this age group.

Aim: To learn to design and make toys in a pedagogical context. 

General Description: The main undertakings are to help student to develop their knowledge and skill to design educational toys and build it. Students learn to use simple cad, which enables them to draw up their own designs in a professional and easy manner. Students design and make educational toys for different age. 

Ways of working: Teaching methods are based on lectures and practical work. 

Support material: Websites and photocopies from the teacher.

The main objective of this course is to prepare students for a critical approach to ideas and methods in pedagogy and education. Students will be introduced to the main ideas that have shaped schools and education in the western tradition and made able to locate contemporary currents in an ideological context. The main objective of this course is to prepare students for a critical approach to ideas and methods in pedagogy and education. Students will be introduced to the main ideas that have shaped schools and education in the western tradition and made able to locate contemporary currents in an ideological context.

The course is organized around three basic topics: (i) The human being as a rational, sentient and ethical being, (i) the aims of education and (iii) freedom and democracy. Among the philosophers and educational theorists discussed in the course are Plato, Rousseau, Kant, Dewey, Key, Neill and Freire.

Sociology of education is the subject matter of this course. Fundamental theoretical perspectives will be introduced and explored in the context of various themes and educational debates through time. Among themes are the role and purpose of education, different trends in parenting, the foundation of schools and school systems, the role of families and society, access to education, modernization and individualism, equality, and social mobility. An emphasis will be on combining historical and theoretical perspectives on upbringing and education, where distinctive features of education will be explored in the context of societal development. The focus will be on the Icelandic context, but in relation to development in neighbouring countries. 

The course will aim to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the developmental changes that take place from birth through adolescence.

Content:
The course will cover a broad range of developmental changes during different phases of childhood and adolescence, and theories that describe and explain those changes. Theories of cognitive development, emotional and social development, the development of self, and moral development will be discussed. The approaches of behaviourism and ecological theory will also be highlighted. The origins and nature of individual differences, continuity and discontinuity of development, as well as plasticity of development will be discussed. The interaction between development and learning, motivation, parenting practices, culture, and different social environments will be addressed. A strong emphasis will be placed on the importance of understanding child development when working with children in applied settings.

Procedure:
The course will consist of lectures and recitations. Students' will have a chance to discuss the topics of the course and deepen their understanding of the age group they plan to focus on during their studies and work.

Students will become competent in organizing outdoor education and outdoor activities for people of all ages in both summer and winter. The focus is on the one hand, enjoy nature, and to identify how nature can be a platform for upbringing and education (such as the focus on plants, animals or landscapes).

Emphasis is on the value of outdoor and adventure education and how it can be used as an important and successful tool in working with people, theories about outdoor education and experiential learning, group processes, personal and social growth and development. Focus is on connection to nature, group work and cooperation, team building and improving self-esteem and self-image. Also on practical matters, such as clothing, finding your way in the outdoors and environmental and safety issues.

Students are encouraged to use a reflective journal in the course for reflection, notes and ideas.

Students take one two-night journey 1.10.-3.10. and one overnight stay 11.11.-12.11, 2025.

Students have to pay all travel costs.

Course Assessment

To finish the course students need to:
- Plan, prepare and carrie out an outdoor learning project with peer-students.
- Write a chapter about defined subject in "a student book" on Outdoor Education.
- Reflection and self evaluation about the mutual trips / journeys and the course.
- Go on the mutual trips / journeys and attend classes.
- Distance students have to write summaries from lectures and participate in a class and/or web discussions.
- Reading exames.
5.0 is the minimum grade for each assignment.
Minimum attendanse is 80%

This course is intended to introduce students to Engineering Psychology and Human Factors. Engineering psychology focuses on how psychological research can be applied to the design and use of tools, technology, and man-made environment. In particular, how the understanding of the capabilities and limitations of human performance through research on perception, cognition, and behavior, can inform design with the aim of usability and accessibility. In this course the emphasis will be on how learning and design intersect. That is, how the design of educational settings and materials influence learning and how design must take prior knowledge and training into account, as well as accommodate learning.

The course is organized as a seminar and students are expected to both contribute and participate in the discussion. Student work mainly consists of readings, discussions in class and independent course work.

This course is intended for students in educational sciences, psychology, and engineering.

The main objective of this introductory course is to educate students about electricity and magnetism to prepare them for teaching these subjects in Icelandic compulsory school. Participants are expected to develop a thorough scientific understanding of these issues and scientific concepts related to them such as electricity, charges, electrical forces, electric currents, magnets, magnetic force, interaction of electricity and magnetism, and production and utilization of electricity. Besides they will be taught how to illustrate these concepts in practice by carrying out simple experiments. Emphasis will also be paid to the ideas young people have about these concepts and phenomena and how they may be helped to develop those ideas toward scientific understanding. Approaching these issues the participants will be encouraged to inquire into their own understandings of these phenomena and concepts and develop those understandings and their practical teaching competences.

Aim: To prepare students for their teacher training. 

General Description: Students learn about the pedagogy of the subject Design and Craft via lectures including the National Curricula, teaching methods, and assessment of students work and about health and security when working with children at schools. Students prepare for their training at schools by making examples of projects for elementary students and with descriptions. 

Support material: Websites and photocopies from the teacher. 

Method(s) of work: Lectures and craft.

The course covers the following aspects:

• Learning in cyberspace. Special emphasis is placed on open online courses intended for self-study (MOOCs). The main types of such courses are presented. Their status and development, distribution channels, teaching systems and the pedagogical basis on which they are based are examined.
• Open educational material (OER). Research, ideas and culture on open learning are presented. It examines how remixing, free authorship and large material collections with open educational material can change learning and teaching and access to learning and knowledge.
• Cloud-based solutions. The focus is on what happens when the framework of learning and teaching is moved to a web-based environment, into the cloud, what tools and solutions are suitable, and how teachers, schools and school communities can organise learning processes and teaching in such an environment.
• Blended teaching (e.g. flipped teaching). Research and development regarding blended teaching and working methods for recording and sharing such material are discussed. Students make recordings that could be used in flipped teaching and gain experience of teaching with online conferencing equipment/real-time broadcasts in teaching.