The First English Language Health Education at Bergen University College, Norway
 |
| 16 physiotherapsts from four different countries met in Bergen last week. |
Monday the 13th of October 2003 16 physiotherapists from Finland, Scotland, Sweden and Norway met for the first time for the post-graduate course in "Basic Body Awareness Methodology". This is the first English language post-graduate course at the Department for Health and Social Sciences at Bergen University College.
- According to Liv Helvik Skjærven the new post-graduate course is the result of a conscious investment in the development of English language courses at the Bergen University College. She was one of the first to respond to the request from the College for vocational courses in English. The development of the Basic Body Awareness Methodology course has been given initial support through funding from The Quality Reform - A Reform in Norwegian Higher Education (2002).
The one year post-graduate course in Basic Body Awareness Methodology is awarded 30 EC credits (ECTS). It started on the 13 th of October 2003 with 4 weeks at Bergen University College (BUC) and will be completed next autumn at the college. The course relies on self-study in the intervening period through the student support system "IT's learning".
New learning system
- The course is based on the Basic Body Awareness Therapy approach to physiotherapy presenting a new philosophy to training and education. According to Liv Helvik Skjærven it is answering the needs of the college and is planned to be part of an MSc in physiotherapy at BUC. The course includes new movement principles where the student is directly involved ; it is differently than what is usual in health education. There is emphasis on the development of a new methodology, personal and relational processes and on factual knowledge and experience.
The new post-graduate course is initially directed at all qualified health professionals and social workers working with patients with stress, lifestyle problems, psychological or psychosomatic conditions. The first group of students joining the course at the college last week, are all physiotherapists. A new module is in the planning stages, building on the first and giving a further 30 EC credits. This will be specific to physiotherapy and will lead to therapeutic competence.
Positive enthusiasm
-The start of our first English language course is an event for us in the Department of Health and Social Science, says Liv Helvik Skjærven. - The students are enthusiastic and positive, and the participants from Sweden, Finland and Scotland seem eager to get started. The fact that there is a core of physiotherapists from Norway and especially Bergen is all to the good. The participants are employed in areas of primary care, psychiatry and general medicine.
Liv Helvik Skjærven is personally responsible for most of the teaching during this first intensive 4 week period. She will also be joined by Norwegian and Swedish colleagues in teaching. Lecturers from the University of Lund will be arriving next week to give an intensive course.
For questions about the study, you can mail lhs@hib.no. According to the plan there will start a new course October 2005.
Jon Li
(Translated by Anne Reitan Parker)
Sist endret: 13.03.2008