Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences (HiOA): Open Access Journals
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Exploring gender equity in higher education pedagogy: A co-constructed comparative case study of Kazakhstan and India
No full textHigher education spaces are embedded within the larger ecosystem of societies, and they simultaneously endorse, question, critique, and transform societal norms. Exploring gender equity in higher education curriculum and pedagogy involves examining the systemic, social, and cultural dynamics that influence gender disparities within academic spaces and society. Examining gender mainstreaming in higher education pedagogy is essential to address systemic biases, promote inclusive teaching practices, and ensure that all students, regardless of gender, have equal opportunities to succeed. A co-constructed comparative case study of Kazakhstan and India provides a unique lens to understand these disparities and devise strategies to address them. In this study, we analyzed data collected from two universities to understand the challenges and curriculum and pedagogic practices that can create more equitable spaces. By adopting a collaborative research approach, this comparative study reveals common challenges, successful strategies, and practices that can help create gender equity and inclusivity in higher education. Findings indicate that while gender awareness and sensitivity are in the minds of the stakeholders, they are not embedded in the curriculum. Data analysis further demonstrates the need to incorporate more representative voices from different genders across the curriculum, both as textual material and as more diverse faculty. We argue that deep-rooted patriarchal norms and systemic barriers that continue to hinder gender inclusivity can be addressed not by creating specific courses or programs but by a holistic, inclusive curriculum that embeds gender equity in every aspect of higher education
Contradictions of Progress: Perspectives of an Educational and Diversity-Sensitive Critique of Digital Capitalism
No full textThe fact that the digital transformation of culture and society will influence the way people learn in the future has become a truism in education policy and society. The question of whether digital media belong in a contemporary pedagogical practice is undisputed – after all, digital media have long since become an integral part of the lives of children, young people and adults. In regard to digital ubiquity in our world, the aim of this article is to develop a critical position towards the capitalist tendencies of the digital. This perspective will be developed by the way of analysis of the inherent contradictions of individual and collective media practices.[1]
[1] The following considerations are a thematically adapted translation of my article "Widersprüche des Fortschritts. Perspektiven einer medienpädagogischen Kapitalismuskritik" (cf. Leineweber, 2024a). I am grateful to guest editors Valentin Dander, Nina Grünberger, Theo Hug, Lilli Riettiens, and Rachel Shanks for the opportunity to publish my thoughts in English. I used the DeepL program for the translation. I thank Anna-Lena Brown for the final proofreading
Made by entangled words and wool: Rhizomatic relations in writing and making with(in) the phenomenon of wool felting
No full textIn this essay, I highlight a performative and rhizomatic approach to my art-based research using the phenomenon of wool felting to address entangling words and wool fibres as a material-discourse. I address drifting movements from the notion of a/r/tography as I perceive it, through echo, resonance and re-emergence in my art-based research design. This is done by querying, and caring for, the idea of identity, as I carry many of them, of various nature and various intensities. Furthermore, I decentralise the human in the art-based research methodology that I have been using in recent years in artistic, scholarly and pedagogical contexts. This text dialogues with the recent work of Stephanie Springgay (2020 and 2022), especially her work related to the concept of feltness, and more broadly research-creation (Manning, 2016).
Photo: Samira Jamouch
Interprofessional Collaboration in Health Care: Clinical Pharmacists’ Brokering Activities in Medication Reviews
No full textIn hospitals, several professions collaborate on patients’ medication treatment. We explore clinical pharmacists’ work and ask what opportunities and challenges arise when clinical pharmacists participate in interprofessional medication reviews. Findings from observations and interviews in two hospitals reveal that medications were discussed in greater depth in pre-rounds where clinical pharmacists were present as they negotiated medication treatment, leading to collaboration with physicians and boosting nurses’ engagement. Clinical pharmacists’ brokering activities created knowledge-sharing opportunities and aligned perspectives across professional boundaries. However, clinical pharmacists also experienced challenges being heard by physicians, highlighting professional conflicts regarding jurisdictional claims to medication decisions. This challenge was accentuated by a lack of adaptation for clinical pharmacists’ occupational role on a structural level. We argue for consistent adaptation for clinical pharmacists’ occupational roles to support their professional jurisdiction and utilise comprehensive work practices in medication treatment
Capitalism and Digital Inequality: Implications for Inclusive Education
No full textIn recent decades, the deep interconnection between capitalism, digital media, and digital infrastructures has become increasingly evident. The capitalist utilization of digital media and technology brings profound social and socio-ecological impacts worldwide, including the worsening of social inequalities. Inclusion, understood as a guiding principle of social transformation, aims to address and reduce both social and digital inequalities. This approach demands ongoing reflection on the processes of social transformation in societies shaped by capitalist economies, particularly in educational settings. This article explores the links between capitalism in the digital age and social and digital inequality, with a specific focus on their implications for education
Experimenting with a Multi-User Virtual Environment for Collaborative Online International Learning: A Case Study from Ireland and Norway
No full textThis study applies Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) as an analytical lens to explore the extent to which a Multi-User Virtual Environment (MUVE) platform could facilitate collaboration within the context of the Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) framework. Students from University of Limerick (UL) and Oslo Metropolitan University (OsloMet), used the OpenSimulator MUVE platform for collaboration. The students were divided into four groups comprising a mix of students from both universities. Methodologically, this case study is informed by pre- and post- survey data, screen recordings from two plenary sessions, as well as a final oral presentation and discussion in OpenSimulator. Findings show mixed experiences by the students and point to three pillars of project design that can facilitate CSCL: the platform, the international dimension, and opportunities for collaboration. While students reported that being represented as an avatar had some positive affordances over other video-based platforms, students also faced usability challenges with the platform. In terms of internationalisation and collaboration, students valued working with peers from another country, with their interactions mediated by a platform they otherwise would not have used. Overall, findings show that factors such as time, the usability of the MUVE platform, the assigned task, and the international dimension, are all essential considerations when using a MUVE to facilitate COIL projects
Exploring opportunities and pitfalls of nurturing empathy through Virtual Reality in higher education in Norway
No full textNew media, such as virtual technologies (VR), are increasingly used with the aim of providing more immersive experiences in learning in schools and universities, including the nurturing of empathy, which is considered important for strengthening democracy, tolerance and social justice. In this article, we explore how students in higher education in Norway understand and interpret empathy in VR immersion. Students at two Norwegian universities watched three examples of VR videos designed to foster empathy, and our analysis is based on focus group discussions with these students. Our analysis is guided by anthropological and sociological conceptualisations of empathy, as well as decolonial perspectives on empathy that emphasise the need for cultural ‘translation’ for empathy to be meaningful across geopolitical contexts. Our results show that the concept empathy is more complex than often recognized by producers of VR content. For empathy to be transformative rather than result in ‘virtual othering’, it is essential to consider the significance of positionality and contextuality of those involved in empathic relations and encounters, rather than assume universality, both in terms of the actors involved (who the empathiser is) and conceptualisations of empathy (what empathy is)
Demodernizing Schooling: Educating for future worlds without colonial empires’ resources
No full textDigitalisation-ready legislation in Denmark: When political ambitions meet reality
No full textSom et af de første lande i verden fik Danmark i 2018 en erklæret politik om digitaliseringsklar lovgivning, som hviler på en aftale mellem alle Folketingets partier. Intentionen er, at lovgivning skal formuleres således, at den tilvejebringer rammebetingelser for en hel eller delvis digital offentlig administration, hvor teknologi understøtter en bedre og mere effektiv opgaveløsning. Med udgangspunkt i den lovgivningsmæssige realisering og implementering af den politisk høj-profilerede, såkaldte ”Tidlig Pension” (”Arne-Pension”) undersøger artiklen, hvad der sker når ambitionerne om digitaliseringsklar lovgivning møder virkeligheden. Tidlig Pension er særlig interessant fordi der allerede som led i den politiske promovering af ideen blev lagt vægt på betydningen af objektive kriterier. Artiklen er baseret på analyse af bl.a. politiske aftale-tekster, lovgivning, forarbejder og dokumenter fra de involverede myndigheder. Konklusionen ér, at ambitionen om digitaliseringsklar lovgivning udfordres af, at den virkelighed, som lovgivningen skal anvendes på, ikke er enkel og ligetil, og det derfor i praksis er vanskeligt at udforme enkle og objektive regler. Desuden nødvendiggør implementeringen af digitaliseringsklar lovgivning en grundighed og detailviden om data og teknologi, som udfores af en stigende hastighed i lovgivningsprocesser. Artiklen understreger betydningen af samspillet mellem lovgivningsprocessen og ambitionen om digitaliseringsklar lovgivning, herunder at dette samspil underkastes offentlig såvel som forskningsmæssig debat.In 2018, Denmark was one of the first countries in the world to have a declared policy on digital-ready legislation, which is based on an agreement between all parties in the Danish Parliament. The intention is that legislation should be drafted in such a way that it provides framework conditions for a fully or partially digital public administration, where technology supports better and more efficient task solving. Based on the legislative realization and implementation of the politically high-profile, so-called "Early Pension" ("Arne-Pension"), the article examines what happens when the ambitions for digital-ready legislation meet reality. Early Retirement is particularly interesting because the importance of objective criteria was already emphasized as part of the political promotion of the idea. The article is based on analysis of, e.g., political agreement texts, bills, legislation, preparatory works and documents from the authorities involved. The conclusion is that the ambition of digital-ready legislation is challenged by the fact that the social reality to which the legislation is to be applied is not simple and straightforward, and it is therefore difficult in practice to formulate simple and objective rules. In addition, the implementation of digital-ready legislation necessitates a thoroughness and detailed knowledge of data and technology, which is challenged by the increasing speed of legislative processes. The article emphasizes the importance of the interaction between the legislative process and the ambition of digital-ready legislation, just as it emphasises the need for this interaction to be subject to public as well as scholarly debate
Å fylle på den yrkesdidaktiske «verktøykassa» : en studie av yrkesfaglærerstudenters kompetanseutvikling på tvers av campusundervisning og skolepraksis
No full textSince ancient times, people have distinguished between theoretical knowledge and practical skills. This divide is still evident in the field of vocational didactics, even though literature often argues that the goal of vocational education and training (VET) is to develop a holistic vocational competence consisting of both knowledge and skills. The gap between theory and practice in VET and VET teacher training can be reinforced by the fact that knowledge acquisition is often associated with learning activities in a classroom context, while the development of practical skills is frequently linked to training in realistic settings.This study aims to investigate how learning across campus-based higher education and teaching practice in upper secondary school can support the development of vocational didactic competence among VET teacher students within the field of restaurant and food industry. This study is designed as a qualitative, exploratory case study. The data consist of field notes from campus-based teaching and written reports from VET teacher students’ teaching practice. The findings show that: 1) campus-based learning must be practice-oriented and relevant for the teacher profession, 2) students must be able to apply the learning outcomes from campus-based learning in their own teaching practice, and 3) campus-based learning and students teaching practice in school must promote a connection between didactic theory and practice. We understand vocational didactics as a tool-oriented discipline and assume that students develop vocational didactic competence through boundary crossing between learning arenas. We argue that VET teacher education must recognize the vocational didactic competence that students bring with them into the program and use it as a foundation for further development. The study suggests that it is necessary to challenge the gap between theory and practice in vocational didactics and understand the connection between knowledge and skills as a prerequisite for the existence of this educational field.Helt siden antikken har mennesker skilt mellom teoretisk kunnskap og praktiske ferdigheter. Dette skillet er fortsatt synlig i det yrkesdidaktiske utdanningsfeltet. Litteraturen argumenterer likevel for at målet med fag- og yrkesopplæringen er utvikling av en helhetlig yrkeskompetanse bestående av både kunnskap og ferdigheter. Gapet mellom teori og praksis i fag- og yrkesopplæring og yrkesfaglærerutdanning kan forsterkes ytterligere av at kunnskapstilegnelse gjerne assossieres læringsaktiviteter i klasseromskontekst, mens utvikling av praktiske ferdigheter ofte kobles til opplæring i mer virkelighetsnære arenaer. Hensikten med denne studien er å undersøke hvordan opplæring på tvers av læringsarenaer, henholdsvis på campus og i skolepraksis, kan bidra til å utvikle yrkesdidaktisk kompetanse hos yrkesfaglærerstudenter fra restaurant- og matfag. Studien er designet som en kvalitativ, utforskende casestudie. Datamaterialet består av feltnotater fra tolv undervisningsdager på campus samt praksisdokumenter fra yrkesfaglærerstudentenes skolepraksis. Hovedfunnene viser at: 1) campusundervisningen må være praksisrettet og yrkesrelevant, 2) studentene må kunne benytte læringsutbyttet fra campusundervisningen i skolepraksis, og 3) campusundervisningen og skolepraksisen må fremme sammenheng mellom yrkesdidaktisk teori og praksis. I studien tar vi utgangspunkt i at yrkesdidaktikk er et redskapsfag og at studentene utvikler yrkesdidaktisk kompetanse gjennom boundary crossing mellom ulike læringsarenaer. Videre argumenterer vi for at yrkesfaglærerutdanningen må anerkjenne den yrkesdidaktiske kompetansen yrkesfaglærerstudentene bringer med seg inn i studiet fra arbeidslivet, og bruke denne som utgangspunkt for kompetanseutvikling. Studien peker i retning av at det er nødvendig å utfordre gapet mellom teori og praksis i yrkesdidaktikken og at vi må forstå sammenhengen mellom kunnskap og ferdigheter som et premiss for yrkesdidaktikkens eksistens