Postdoctoral Fellow in Artificial Intelligence, Assessment, and Professional Digital Competence
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At NTNU, 9,000 employees and 43,000 students work to create knowledge for a better world.
You can find more information about working at NTNU and the application process here.
About the job
The Department of Teacher Education, Section for English and Foreign Languages offers a full time, 3-year position as a postdoctoral fellow to take part in the project “Artificial Intelligence, Assessment, and Professional Digital Competence in Language Education” in cooperation with the research group NTED: New Technologies and Educational Design. The project leader is Associate Professor Fredrik Mørk Røkenes.
The postdoctoral fellowship position is a temporary position where the main goal is to qualify for work in senior academic positions.
The postdoctoral fellow will be affiliated with the research group NTED and connected to the group’s research activities. NTED’s main objectives are to:
- develop new knowledge about emerging technologies, formative design, and learning processes in all levels of education.
- investigate the use of information and communications technology for teaching and learning using diverse methodological approaches.
- explore the development of teachers’ professional digital competence across subject disciplines and educational contexts.
- identify the impact of digitalization on processes related to teaching and learning.
Teaching and supervision duties will be related to the department’s master program in primary and lower secondary school teacher education (MGLU) for English language education, and the master program in English and foreign language didactics (MDID).
The successful fellow will contribute to the project with individual and collaborative research to explore the relationship between artificial intelligence (AI), assessment, and professional digital competence (PDC) in language teacher education and language education in the school. The fellow may consider pursuing any project that investigates to what extent AI affects formative and summative assessment practices and teachers’ PDC in different language education contexts, including (but not limited to) primary and secondary school, and teacher education. The fellow should pursue practices with emerging AI-enabled language learning technologies (for instance assignments, coursework, and/or examinations supported by content creation tools such as ChatGPT chatbot, Grammarly virtual writing assistant, Hivemind AI writing tool) and discuss how PDC is relevant for the design of language teaching and learning processes. This research will contribute to the discourse of language education, AI and technology-enhanced language learning, assessment, and teachers’ PDC in education.
The candidate will work closely with the New Technologies and Educational Design research group and contribute to seminars, workshops, and conferences. Research areas may include related topics such as the use of AI-supported digital learning resources and learning environments in language learning, the role of AI in language assessment and academic integrity, the professional development of teachers’ PDC, and AI-enabled language assessment practices.
You will report to the Head of Section for English and Foreign Languages. You can read more about the Department of Teacher Education and the sections here.
Duties of the position
- Develop and carry out a postdoctoral project on the topic “Artificial Intelligence, Assessment, and Professional Digital Competence in Language Education”
- Participate in the New Technologies and Educational Design research group
- Participate in interdisciplinary research and dissemination duties
- Take part in teaching and supervision activities
- Other duties may arise in discussion with the project leader and the head of section
- The Department of teacher education expects postdocs to contribute actively to obtaining external funding
Required selection criteria
- You must have completed a Norwegian doctoral degree or corresponding foreign doctoral degree recognized as equivalent to a Norwegian PhD. If you can document that the PhD thesis has been submitted, your application can be assessed even if you have not yet defended your dissertation. Documentation of the obtained doctoral degree must be presented before you can take up the position.
- You must have a professionally relevant background in English and/or foreign language education, educational sciences or teacher education
- The fellow’s proposed research project should be closely connected to the research topic and NTED’s research profile
- Excellent written and oral English language skills
The appointment is to be made in accordance with Regulations on terms of employment for positions such as postdoctoral fellow, Ph.D Candidate, research assistant and specialist candidate.
Preferred selection criteria
- Knowledge of a Scandinavian language
- Experience in educational research investigating artificial intelligence, assessment, computer-assisted language learning, and/or teachers’ professional digital competence
- Experience with design-based, mixed methods, and/or multi-method research
- Knowledge about the Norwegian education system in general
- Teaching experience from higher education and/or the school is desirable
Personal characteristics
- Ability to work independently
- Collaborative skills and ability to participate in academic communities within and across disciplines
- Academic ability to complete the project within the given time frame
- Communication skills
- Personal suitability and motivation for the position
Emphasis will be placed on personal and interpersonal qualities.
We offer
- exciting and stimulating tasks in a strong international academic environment
- an open and inclusive work environment with dedicated colleagues
- favourable terms in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
- employee benefits
Salary and conditions
As a Postdoctoral Fellow (code 1352) you are normally paid from gross NOK 594 500 per annum before tax, depending on qualifications and seniority. From the salary, 2% is deducted as a contribution to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.
The period of employment is 3 years (with teaching duties).
The engagement is to be made in accordance with the regulations in force concerning State Employees and Civil Servants, and the acts relating to Control of the Export of Strategic Goods, Services and Technology. Candidates who by assessment of the application and attachment are seen to conflict with the criteria in the latter law will be prohibited from recruitment to NTNU. After the appointment you must assume that there may be changes in the area of work.
It is a prerequisite you can be present at and accessible to the institution on a daily basis.
About the application
The application and supporting documentation to be used as the basis for the assessment must be in English or a Scandinavian language.
Publications and other scientific work must follow the application. Please note that applications are only evaluated based on the information available on the application deadline. You should ensure that your application shows clearly how your skills and experience meet the criteria which are set out above.
If, for any reason, you have taken a career break or have had an atypical career and wish to disclose this in your application, the selection committee will take this into account, recognizing that the quantity of your research may be reduced as a result.
The application must include:
- Application letter with a statement of motivation, summarizing scientific work and research interests, and a specification of how the proposed project connects to the research topic and the research group NTED
- CV (summarizing education, positions, pedagogical experience, administrative experience, and other qualifying activity)
- Certificates, transcripts, and diplomas for bachelor's-, master's- and PhD degrees/copy of PhD Diploma or documentation of thesis submission. Applicants who have not yet defended their PhD dissertation need to include an advisor's letter confirming specific expectations about when the degree will be received
- Independent research project proposal of 5 pages and a progress plan (1 page), grounded firmly within the aims of the research group NTED and relevant to the focus of the postdoctoral fellowship position
- A complete list of publications
- Academic works - published or unpublished - that you would like to be considered in the assessment (up to 5 items), a brief account of their scientific significance, and in case of co-authorship, a description of the applicant's contribution to each publication
- References (list of 3 persons with name, title, email, and phone number)
If all, or parts, of your education has been taken abroad, we also ask you to attach documentation of the scope and quality of your entire education. Description of the documentation required can be found here. If you already have a statement from NOKUT, please attach this as well.
Joint works will be considered. If it is difficult to identify your contribution to joint works, you must attach a brief description of your participation.
In the evaluation of which candidate is best qualified, emphasis will be placed on education, experience, and personal and interpersonal qualities. Motivation, ambitions, and potential will also count in the assessment of the candidates.
NTNU is committed to following evaluation criteria for research quality according to The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment - DORA.
General information
NTNU believes that inclusion and diversity is a strength. We want our faculty and staff to reflect Norway’s culturally diverse population and we continuously seek to hire the best minds. This enables NTNU to increase productivity and innovation, improve decision making processes, raise employee satisfaction, compete academically with global top-ranking institutions and carry out our social responsibilities within education and research. NTNU emphasizes accessibility and encourages qualified candidates to apply regardless of gender identity, ability status, periods of unemployment or ethnic and cultural background.
The city of Trondheim is a modern European city with a rich cultural scene. Trondheim is the innovation capital of Norway with a population of 200,000. The Norwegian welfare state, including healthcare, schools, kindergartens and overall equality, is probably the best of its kind in the world. Professional subsidized day-care for children is easily available. Furthermore, Trondheim offers great opportunities for education (including international schools) and possibilities to enjoy nature, culture and family life and has low crime rates and clean air quality.
As an employee at NTNU, you must continually maintain and improve your professional development and be flexible regarding any organizational changes.
A public list of applicants with name, age, job title and municipality of residence is prepared after the application deadline. If you want to reserve yourself from entry on the public applicant list, this must be justified. Assessment will be made in accordance with current legislation. You will be notified if the reservation is not accepted.
If you have any questions about the position, please contact Associate Professor Fredrik Mørk Røkenes, telephone +47 73 59 81 48, email: [email protected] or Professor/ Head of Section Eivind Nessa Torgersen, telephone +47 73 41 27 75, email: [email protected] If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR Terese Brå, e-mail: [email protected].
If you think this looks interesting and in line with your qualifications, please submit your application electronically via jobbnorge.no with your CV, diplomas and certificates attached. Applications submitted elsewhere will not be considered. Upon request, you must be able to obtain certified copies of your documentation.
Application deadline: 04.09.2023