The aim of the course is to increase the students' knowledge of compassion at work, both in their field and others. Another objective is to develop a mindset that is sensitive to the needs of others and self with regard to compassion and emotional labor. A third aim is to introduce and develop practical skills that will aid students in becoming compassionate co-workers, and contribute to compassionate working environments.
Learning outcomes
After completing the course the student: - has gained a theoretical as well as practical understanding of the main concepts: compassion, empathy, sympathy, ethics, and empathy fatigue - can analyze everyday situations, life domains, and work contexts where compassion is needed - demonstrates increased awareness of the important role of compassion at work from three distinct perspectives: for one's own well-being, for the well-being of others, as well as for organizations - has learned to appreciate the benefits of learning from the best practices of other professions - can understand why compassion can be taxing on an individual and what emotional labor is - can understand what emotion regulation is and know of emotion regulation techniques and coping strategies to help sustain one´s own well-being
- can reflect on the ethical aspects of situations where compassion is needed - can understand their personal experiences of compassion in relation to theoretical knowledge and the experiences from other professions
Course contents
The course is a non-stop online course with ItsLearning as the platform. Students take part in the course individually according to their schedule. It consists of two parts, the first is 3ECTS, and the second 2ECTS. The first one consists of five modules that introduce basic theory and concepts relating to compassion in the workplace. The second part consists of one module where the student produces a personal video testimony that recounts a personal experience and observation of compassion.
The first part (3ECTS) modules 1-5 consists of readings and screenings of lectures and taped interviews tailored for the course, followed by a test for each module. The modules introduce different aspects of compassion and related topics, such as emotional labor, ethical considerations, and well-being from different professional contexts.
In the second part (2ECTS) each student produces a personal video testimony of a personal experience of compassion. The course concludes with a written reflection on compassion.
