"This book has been the most demanding book project I have ever been involved in, but also the most instructive, and perhaps the most successful" says, Jon Olav Sørhaug.
He is one of the authors behind the textbook Dimensjoner, which was awarded a silver medal at the Frankfurt Book Fair on 8 October.
In total, three of the five authors are from UiA. The three are Jon Olav Sørhaug, Leonora Onarheim Bergsjø and Einar Duenger Bøhn. The other two authors are Ingrid Holm Roan from Kuben Upper Secondary School and Inger-Lill Husøy from Sandvika Upper Secondary School.
The book is intended for the religion and ethics course in the third year of upper secondary school.
“The book conveys subject knowledge, but also provides scope for contemplation and reflection on the big questions in life,” says Sørhaug.
A major textbook award
Belma (Best European Learning Materials Awards) has been presenting awards for the best European teaching materials for 24 years. The award is regarded as one of the most important given to textbooks.
The jury consists of experts from the fields of education, teacher training, curriculum development and the publishing industry. ‘Dimensjoner’ presents well-considered discussions that encourage pupils to engage with complex and sensitive topics thoughtfully, writes the jury in its citation for the award.
"From the jury’s comments, it appears they have placed great emphasis on the sensitive topics we discuss in the book, such as euthanasia, gender and the body, social exclusion and religious conflicts. Such topics must be rethought and rewritten for each generation of pupils at school", says Sørhaug.
The jury also believes that the book clearly sets out what pupils are expected to learn, and that it provides guidance on study techniques and working methods which pupils can also apply in other subjects.
The jury praises the book and the website
According to the jury’s terms of reference, they are to assess both content and educational structure when selecting the winning books. In addition, they evaluate supporting resources such as websites featuring exercises, video clips and other background material.
“I think the book is both well-written and thoroughly researched, and I hope that the young people who read it will be satisfied with the content. One of my pet subjects is that the text should take centre stage, and that other elements in the book should not compete with it, but rather supplement and illustrate the subject matter,” says Sørhaug.
He is pleased with the working process, not least the time set aside for discussing and revising the texts.
"We’ve managed to make everything fit together well, not least in terms of reaching the target audience, which is pupils aged around 18. Of the three years it has taken to produce the book, at least two have been spent revising, amending and improving the texts", he says.
Extensive internal discussions
"We have worked closely with the teachers who will be using the book, and tested parts of it in classrooms together with pupils. This collaboration has provided us with a working method that has been both enjoyable and meaningful along the way, and I also believe it is a key to the book’s success," says Leonora Onarheim Bergsjø, associate professor at both the University of Agder (UiA) and Østfold University College.
Bergsjø has written the chapter on the central ethical schools of thought in Western philosophy.
“I present a global and power-critical perspective on ethics, such as ethical reflection on new technologies like artificial intelligence,” she says.
Bergsjø says the group of authors has spent a great deal of time together discussing and developing approaches that benefit the pupils, and says this has contributed to a good outcome.
“Pupils should learn to think critically about theories, but also be helped to see the connection between the theories and problems that are relevant to them in their everyday lives. The jury says that is precisely what we have succeeded in doing, and that is an important recognition,” says Bergsjø.
References:
- Press release from Gyldendal (NTB)
- The jury’s statement (Silver Award)
- The book Dimensjoner published by Gyldendal