B 24 Digitalization and practices of inclusion (2 ECTS)

Course description

New technologies are developed and implemented to solve a range of tasks in society, and digitalization processes exist in various contexts and forms. Technology is used to facilitate participation in different arenas, from Health and mobile banking services to improve living conditions to robot pets to improve elderly care and dementia patients’ care. New language technologies, such as generative AI, is thought to bridge linguistic gaps and give access. Digitalization is often considered as the solution to several problems, but how does this play out in the practical technology use? Is the focus on hardware and software or on the human and social systems (cf. Warschauer 2003, p. 6)? 

In this cross-disciplinary PhD course, we focus theoretically and empirically on digitalization and inclusion. We are particularly interested in digital Bildung, critical digital literacy, multilingualism, and linguistically diverse practices, but other perspectives are also welcome. The concept of inclusion encompasses policies or ideologies “used by governments and other policymakers to change or improve schools, workplaces, housing, or other community institutions so as to adjust them to meet human diversity, and in particular, to embrace people who experience exclusion” (Haualand 2017, p. 317). The concept in itself is not unproblematic; who should “be included” and who is responsible for this inclusion, into what?

In the PhD course, we investigate practices of inclusion critically, examine and discuss empirical work and theoretical approaches in studies of technology’s role in practices of inclusion. Inclusion is thus considered as social practice, related to digitalization processes, and it is viewed from different theoretical perspectives, with a focus on educational contexts and linguistic aspects of inclusion (Krüger et al. 2021, etc.).

What expectations do we have to technology and how do these affect our practices? How are digital tools used for practices of inclusion and do they lead to experienced inclusion? Does the supposition that “everyone” has access to technology and digital literacy prevent participation and lead to exclusionary practices, accompanying digital exclusion (Helsper and Reisdorf 2017)? How do persistent inequalities and global dynamics shape practices (Deumert 2014)? What experiences can we draw from digital practices during the covid-19 lockdowns (Bucholz et al. 2020)?

On the first day of the course, there will be an open seminar with guest lectures by experts in the field. 

Participation

This is a course at the PhD level, which means that it is primarily intended for those who are admitted to a PhD-programme. PhD candidates from programmes other than UTVIT may participate as single course (“enkeltemne”) students and earn ECTS credits as detailed above. 

In the event that there are more applicants than spaces, candidates will be prioritized as follows:

• PhD candidates at UTVIT
• Other PhD candidates at INN
• PhD candidates from other institutions
• Employees at INN with a relevant master and involved in active research

Programme: Open seminar on 15 September

Place: Room 2M227 Midtbyen skole, Hamar Campus

Organized by Østfold University College, Language in learning, and University of Inland Norway, DIALOGUES, Language Teaching and Learning in Multilingual Contexts

• 10-10.15 Welcome and introduction to the seminar. By organizers Jessica P. B. Hansen & Kristin V. Lexander. Participants present themselves
• 10.15-10.45 Ida Jahr: «Artificial» «intelligence»: Exploring the language we use to describe the language machine 
• 10.45-11.15 Vander Tavares: Bodyless Generative AI texts: Implications for Minorities in Educational Contexts
• 11.30-12.30 Joke Dewilde: Human and AI Translation in Multilingual Contexts: Lessons for Developing Inclusive Teaching Materials
• 12.15-13.15 Lunch served for all participants. Please use this form to register: https://nettskjema.no/a/537903 
• 13.15 – 14.15 Juhar Yasin Abamosa: Epistemic injustice and its implication for exclusion of certain groups from knowledge production
• 14.15-14.30 Coffee break
• 14.30-15.00 Marianne Eek: The linguagram - a tool in adult refugees' language learning outside the classroom
• 15.00-15.30 Siri Klausen: How can use of VR simulations prepare student teachers to deal with racism in everyday school life?
• 15.30-16.00 Concluding discussion

Seminar lecturers

Juhar Yasin Abamosa is Associate Professor in the Department of Pedagogy, University of Inland Norway. His research interests include exploring the role of various institutions and policies in hindering or facilitating the social inclusion of refugees into higher education in Western host countries, social inequalities created and sustained or reproduced by unjust social systems and unequal power relationships, equity in educational opportunities to disadvantaged groups such as refugees, hidden – albeit intentional – prejudices that result in exclusion of refugees from boundaries of opportunities in Western host nations, deskilling of non-Western refugees, and institutional racism.

Joke Dewilde is Professor of Multilingualism in Education at the Department of Teacher Education and School Research, University of Oslo. Her research spans multilingual teaching staff, multilingual literacy and identity work, and the development of multilingual teaching materials. Working from a linguistic ethnographic perspective, she has recently investigated how inclusive translations and grassroots initiatives can support linguistic diversity in education.
Marianne Eek is Associate Professor at University of Inland Norway, where she teaches in teacher training programmes. She has previously worked as a teacher in elementary school and adult education. Her research interests include second language learning and multilingualism, with a particular emphasis on the challenges and opportunities for language learning among adult newcomers with limited formal schooling. 

Ida Jahr is Associate Professor of English at University of Inland Norway. Her background is in Cultural Studies and American Studies and she is the head of the Digital Communication and Culture MA programme. She is deputy director of the newly NRC-funded research centre MishMash: Centre for AI and Creativity. Her most recent publication is «‘I’ve never felt the sun on my face’: AI and embodiment in Donald Cammell’s Demon Seed (1977).  Entanglements: Journal of Posthumanities, no 1 issue 2 (July Issue), 2025. ISSN 3107-488X (online)

Siri Wieberg Klausen is Associate Professor (Ph.D.) in social studies at the Department of Social Studies, Religion and Ethics at INN University, Hamar. Her research interests are education policy, social studies didactics, use of various digital tools in teaching and digitization of the school. She is currently the work package leader for the Virtual Reality part of the ongoing study Critical Examination of Race and Racism in Teacher Education (CERiTE). The CERiTE project is funded by the Norwegian Research Council. 

Vander Tavares is Associate Professor of education in the Department of Educational Studies in Teacher Education at the University of Inland Norway. He is a multidisciplinary researcher and educator with interests in issues of language, culture and identity that intersect language, teacher, and higher education.

Responsible for the course

Kristin Vold Lexander

Professor

E-post

kristin.lexander@inn.no

Jessica Hansen

Administrative contact

Tove Lain Knudsen

Advisor

E-post

tove.knudsen@inn.no

Telefon

+47 61 28 75 61