Pedagogical platform and delivery of teaching
The One-Year Programme in Special Education is designed so that the combined set of courses and the associated study work lead students towards the intended learning outcomes described for the programme.

The individual courses are structured to reflect a broad range of knowledge, skills and general competence that mirrors professional practice. Some courses are more oriented towards knowledge acquisition, others focus more on developing specific skills, while some integrate multiple skills through links between theory and practice. This is reflected in the teaching. The learning activities, teaching methods and assessment forms used in each course are selected to ensure meaningful alignment between the intended learning outcomes, the teaching approaches applied and the form of assessment concluding the course. The methodological choices also reflect each course’s contribution to the programme as a whole. As a result, students encounter a varied set of learning activities throughout the programme, which collectively are intended to mirror the professional field for which the students are being educated.

The One-Year Programme in Special Education emphasises the development of broad competence within the field and the strengthening of students’ ability to work independently. The teaching and learning materials available in the learning platform are designed to illustrate, deepen and supplement the syllabus.

As in all higher education, Kristiania places clear expectations on students’ independent learning efforts. Kristiania’s role is to facilitate and support students’ work through well-designed learning structures. Learning itself takes place within the individual student as a result of their own efforts.

Once online students are admitted to one or more courses, they gain access to the relevant courses in the learning platform, including information on how the different topics within each course relate to one another and the recommended order of completion. Each course includes a range of practice tasks and self-assessment tests intended to help students evaluate their own progress and determine whether the learning objectives are being met.

Courses are divided into modules. Each module consists of guidance texts, recorded lectures and/or other types of learning videos. Each course includes compulsory requirements that must be approved before students are permitted to sit the examination. Examples of compulsory requirements may include written assignments, tests, reflective notes or digital presentations. Supervisors provide feedback on students’ compulsory work with the aim of strengthening the learning process and students’ academic skills.

The learning platform provides access to digital tools for communicating with supervisors and fellow students, planning individual study progress, identifying potential collaboration partners, and easily contacting administrative support staff who work specifically with online studies.

Examinations and assessment

Assessment refers to situations in which submitted or presented work is evaluated against a set of criteria. These criteria are derived from the learning outcomes defined for each course. Assessment may be carried out by fellow students, instructors or examiners, who will typically also provide feedback, either in the form of formative guidance or as a final grade (examination).

At Kristiania, a distinction is made between assessment as learning, assessment for learning and assessment of learning. The form of assessment may be the same across these three contexts, while the purpose differs.

Assessment as learning (peer assessment) and assessment for learning (feedback from supervisors) aim to shape the learning process and support students in achieving the best possible learning outcomes. These forms of assessment are considered an integral part of the teaching methods.

Assessment of learning is a summative assessment of the learning outcomes actually achieved, namely the examination. At Kristiania, an examination is defined as “a final assignment within a course or a clearly defined part of a course.” The submitted or presented work is evaluated through formal grading, and the result is recorded on the diploma.

In the One-Year Programme in Special Education, students may encounter the following examination formats:

Oral examination
Take-home examination

In some courses, compulsory activities are defined. A compulsory activity is a requirement that must be approved in order to be eligible to sit the examination. Such activities may include the submission of one or more assignments (coursework), mandatory participation in specified activities and/or teaching sessions, and/or compulsory practical training.

Compulsory activities are assessed as Pass/Fail. Eligibility to sit the examination in a course with compulsory activities requires that these activities are assessed as Passed. If not, the student loses the right to sit the examination until the activity or activities have been approved.

For more detailed information on examinations and compulsory activities, please refer to Kristiania’s website.

Study program NSP

One-Year Study Programme in Special Education