Course content

This course provides insight into how diversity, language, culture, and identity influence children’s and young people’s opportunities for participation and their sense of belonging, and how inclusive solutions can contribute to safe and supportive environments for all.

Students learn how collaboration with colleagues and effective communication with parents can promote inclusion, well-being, and development. Through practical exercises, case studies, and reflection, students gain tools to build bridges and reduce barriers in encounters with diversity.

Learning outcome

Knowledge

The student has:

• knowledge of the relationship between language, culture, identity, and participation in work with children and young people
• understanding of the principles behind inclusive design and how these can be applied in professional practice
• insight into how communication with colleagues and parents can promote inclusion, well-being, and development

Skills

The student can:

• analyze and assess how language and identity influence children’s and young people’s opportunities for participation
• apply inclusive methods in the planning and implementation of work with children and young people
• communicate and collaborate constructively with colleagues and parents in inclusive processes
• reflect critically on their own role and practice when encountering diversity and ethical dilemmas

General Competence

The student can:

• contribute to the development of inclusive practices in professional environments
• identify and reduce barriers to children’s and young people’s participation
• build bridges between different stakeholders (children, parents, colleagues, institutions) to promote equality and inclusion

Learning methods and activities

The course is online and has no fixed teaching schedule. This allows students to access digital learning resources whenever it suits them. It also makes it possible for students to work while studying.

Learning methods include videos, recorded lectures presenting theoretical content, podcasts, exercises, quizzes, and self-study of the syllabus literature.

Students will be encouraged to share experiences and real-life challenges with fellow students. This will take place in small groups and will be organized and conducted digitally within the group.

Throughout the course, there will be assignments and mandatory tasks to complete and submit to the instructor. There will be four mandatory tasks submitted as part of a portfolio. These tasks, together with a final reflection, constitute the portfolio exam for the course.

Specific conditions

Recommended previous knowledge

Experience working with children and adolescents, preferably while employed in such work during the course of study.

Required previous knowledge

The student must have general university admission qualifications (GSK) and at least two years of experience in direct work with children and adolescents, for example from kindergarten, school, health or social services, institutions, voluntary work, or similar.

Course materials

Literature will be presented in Canvas at the start of the course.