3500.16 - Introduction to Academic Skills, Philosophy of Science and Ethics


Course number
3500.16
Title
Introduction to Academic Skills, Philosophy of Science and Ethics
ECTS
7.5
Prerequisites
A) Admitted to a bachelor programme at the University of the Faroe Islands, and following the normal study progression or B) Students following single courses need to fulfill the general requirements for admission to the university.
Purpose
To provide the students with knowledge of different academic skills that give a basis for understanding the structure and functions of academic studies, academic work and academic thinking, and make the students able to perform these skills themselves.
Content
Study techniques. Search for literature and information. Ethics in studies and science. Scientific conduct and misconduct. Natural sciences, linquistics and social sciences compared and contrasted. Philosophy of science. Examples from practice in research and academia.
Learning and teaching approaches
Lectures. Discussions in class. Essays. Group work. Student presentations.
Learning outcomes
On completion of the course, the successful student should be able to: 1. Self-organize and use different approaches to learn and integrate a curriculum. 2. Search in a library and use web search tools in appropriate databases to find relevant literature and information. 3. Understand and avoid the problems and dangers of scientific misconduct, like plagiarism and cheating, during the studies and in later work. 4. Describe and explain some basic ideas and concepts in science theory and ethics, and put them into a philosophical perspective. 5. Analyze a scientific or ethical argumentation, and evaluate the strength and validity of the arguments. 6. Outline the main ideas of some important philosophers of science and ethics and discuss their influence on science and its interpretation. 7. Recognize philosophical and ethical questions that the student may meet during their studies, in research settings, or in future work outside academia, and discuss their implications. 8. Compare and contrast approaches and methods (e.g., qualitative and quantitative), and their underlying philosophies, in different scientific areas, like natural sciences, language sciences, social sciences or humanities.
Assessment method
Compulsory essays and/or other exercizes/tasks must be handed in on time for evaluation and be accepted in order to be allowed to sit the examination. Written four-hour examination. Except for University computers, all auxiliary materials are allowed, e.g., own computer, internet, text books, papers, essays, notes. The computers of the University of the Faroe Islands are prohibited. Earlier evaluated and accepted written coursework can be used in a re-examination.
Examination
External
Marking scale
7-
Bibliography
- Jacobsen, Jógvan í Lon. (2012). Ærligt talt, who cares. En sociolingvistisk undersøgelse af holdninger til og brug af importord og afløsningsord i færøsk (selected pages). - Rollin, BE (2006) Science and Ethics. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-67418-8. - Rosenberg, A (2012) Philosophy of Science: A Contemporary Introduction. Routlegde - Taylor & Francis. ISBN: 978-0-415-89177-6. (Also available as e-book.) - Hand-outs
Contact
Hóraldur Joensen