Postdoc in Computational Empowerment in Formal Education

The Department of Digital Design and Information Studies within the School of Communication and Culture at Aarhus University invites applications for a two-year postdoctoral position studying computational empowerment in Danish K-12 education. The postdoc position is affiliated with the National Research Center for Technology Comprehension.

The postdoc position is a full time and two-year fixed-term position. The position begins on 1 September 2024 or as soon as possible thereafter.

The School of Communication and Culture is committed to diversity and encourages all qualified applicants to apply regardless of their personal background.

Project

Providing children and youth with the skills and knowledge needed in a digitized society remains a pivotal challenge in formal education. The challenge is manifest across educational institutions all the way from primary education to university. At the National Research Center for Technology Comprehension at Aarhus University we are committed to addressing the challenges of digitization across educational levels, addressing the different institutional foci in close collaboration with practitioners, students and institutions. 

Postdoc position

The postdoc will focus on studying computational empowerment in K-12 education. The main part of the research will consist of empirical work involving interviews and observations taking place in K-12 education in Denmark. Also, the postdoc will take part in facilitating co-design workshops to develop tools and concepts to scaffold computational empowerment.

The postdoc will be a part of the National Research Center for Technology Comprehension led by Professor Ole Sejer Iversen and Associate professor Christian Dindler. Also, the applicant is invited to engage the Center for Computational Thinking and Design which brings together a broad range of researchers across a wide spectrum of Interaction Design, Child-Computer Interaction and Human-Computer Interaction topics. 

Qualifications

Applicants should have a strong proficiency in qualitative research as well as a strong theoretical understanding of child-computer interaction research or similar areas related to technology and education. The applicant must document previous experience in conducting research involving children and youth in relation to digital technologies in real life settings.

The applicant must have a PhD degree or equivalent qualification. Applicants must be able to document, relevant to the position: 

• An internationally oriented research profile within fields such as child-computer interaction, human-computer interaction, interaction design, learning sciences or computer supported cooperative learning documented by a PhD dissertation and/or research publications.
• Experience in the self-directed management of research projects
• Experience in interdisciplinary research projects
• Relevant teaching experience at university level as documented by a teaching portfolio (or equivalent documentation of teaching experience and qualifications) commensurate with the length of the applicant’s academic career
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, to engage productively both within the research team and with external organizations and institutions. 

Furthermore, it will be considered an advantage if applicants can document

• A track record of research publications of a high international standard commensurate with the length of the applicant’s academic career 
• Experience of participation in national and international research networks 
• Time spent abroad working at one or more internationally recognized research institutions. 

Finally, applicants are asked to provide a proposal for research to be undertaken within the stated framework of the research project (max. Three pages). 

Read more at arts.au.dk/en

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