Education

Nature of Iceland: Students learn about the weather and climate, geology, vegetation, and animal life. They attend lectures about the geology of Iceland and go on fieldtrips to see volcanoes, hotsprings, and lava, and they study the geography of the country. Environmental problems and nature conservation in Iceland are discussed. Field trips are an important ingredient of this part of the course, including birdwatching. Cultural legacy: The course gives an overview of Icelandic history and culture from medieval times to the present. Field trips are made to historical museums and art exhibits.

The course addresses the complex relationship between systems of education and the society in which these systems are located. Students study theories concerning the form and use of education systems. By studying historical and more contemporary examples, they are introduced to the varying social influences that shape school systems.

This course provides a fundamental knowledge of philosophies and concepts for human development and social policy – its definition, theory, approaches and methods for studying social issues and development. The course also discusses the interdisciplinary nature and relevance of social policy for government policy and civil society engagement, based on global and regional frameworks – including case studies of national social policy and practices in various fields.

This course offers a study of the basic concepts and educational value of physical education in primary education, such as its development through different motor activities. It discusses motor activities and how to incorporate them into curriculum and lesson plans. It also explores resources to promote lifelong participation in physical sports activities in and out of school. 

This course covers the purpose, methodological aspects, and critical issues within the fields of comparative and international education. Students will examine currents trends in these areas, including international large-scale assessments (ILSAs) such as the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), coordinated by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA). The core themes and implications of these ILSAs for education will be a key focus of the course.  

Additionally, selected themes, such as culture and learning will be briefly covered, providing a comprehensive overview of the diverse factors influencing education worldwide. The course aims to sharpen students’ analytic and research skills while cultivating independent and comparative insights into education on an international scope. 

This course covers the problems and challenges faced in practice by administrators of adult education programs. Topics include recruitment and retention of learners, diverse learner needs, funding constraints, program evaluation, and policy and regulatory changes, all of which affect program maintenance and management. Adult education administrators or practitioners are expected to navigate these challenges by leveraging innovative practices, advocating for relevant policy support and resources, and employing effective management and leadership skills. 

In this course, students develop a comprehensive overview of the challenges outlined above and how to handle them timely and efficiently. This course prepares students to understand what organizing and administrating education programs in adult education context means, and to identify common challenges adult education administrators face in practice and how to handle them. 

The course is designed to prepare students for leadership in a globally interdependent and culturally diverse workforce. Throughout the course, students are challenged to question, think, and respond thoughtfully to the issues they observe and encounter in the internship setting, and the designated city in general. Students have the opportunity to cultivate the leadership skills as defined by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), such as critical thinking, teamwork, and diversity. Assignments focus on building a portfolio that highlights those competencies and their application to workplace skills. The hybrid nature of the course allows students to develop their skills in a self-paced environment with face-to-face meetings and check-ins to frame their intercultural internship experience. Students complete 45 hours of in-person and asynchronous online learning activities and 225-300 hours at their internship placement.

This course explores the concepts of sustainability and social responsibility through a multidisciplinary approach, examining them from a scientific, social, economic, political, and artistic viewpoint. This course investigates the relationship between planetary boundaries, resource consumption and social development, and explores the range of interdisciplinary approaches to address these global challenges. It also covers the topics of sustainability metrics, personal contributions and sustainable lifestyles, as well as considering systems thinking, ways of knowing, power and responsibility as well as systemic structures and biases that may hold us in particular ways of thinking, being, and doing.

This course studies the physical and mental characteristics of gifted students and their learning needs. It discusses the methods to identify gifted students and analyzes the timing of using assessment tools, as well as the development trends of gifted education. It also explores the ways to cultivate giftedness among people.