Research interests
My research activities cover four research fields:
- Public communication of science and technology.
- Development, design, and use of information and communication technology, as well as learning in digital environments.
- Science and technology policy studies.
- Local employment systems, focusing on pluriactivity and informal learning in rural communities.
Across these four fields I have published on methodology.
Educational background
- 2017 – Dr. Philos. in Educational Sciences, University of Oslo, Norway
- 1994 – PhD in Social Science, “Doctoral Program in Technology Policy, Innovation, and Socio-Economic Development”, Roskilde University, Denmark
- 1978 – Cand.polit., University of Oslo, Norway (equivalent to M.A. in Social Anthropology)
- 1975 – Cand.mag., University of Oslo and Bergen (equivalent to B.Sc. in Biology, Development Geography and Social Anthropology)
Employment history
- University of Oslo (14.5 years first as lecturer and later as project manager, director, associate professor, head of research, and professor)
- Institute sector: Nordic Institute for Studies in Innovation, Research and Education; Eastern Norway Research Institute; Norce (14.5 years first as senior researcher and later as research professor, deputy director, and director)
- Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences (12 years first as research assistant and later as research adviser, associate professor, head of department, and professor)
- Adjunct Professor at Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences and UiT The Artic University of Norway, adjunct lecturer University of Oslo (12 years in total)
- Visiting Fellow at Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science, Australian National University, Canberra, 2015-2016; Visiting Scholar at Department of Communication, University of California, San Diego, 1999-2000; at Department of Social Sciences and Business, Roskilde University, Roskilde,1993-1994; also for shorter periods at The Nordic Africa Institute, Roskilde University, and the University of Twente
Project history
I have extensive experience with acquiring and running externally financed research projects. Since 1984, I have been the leader of 27 smaller projects (up to one man-year each), one medium-sized project (3 man-years), and four large projects (6, 12, 19 and 20 man-years). Of these 32 projects, FAO has financed one, the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) has financed one, the EU has financed one, the Research Council of Norway has financed ten, different ministries and public institutions have financed eleven, and the private sector has financed seven. A final additional project was financed collaboratively by several partners, among them the Research Council of Norway and different public and private institutions (including the Joint Committee for Nordic Research Councils for the Humanities and the Social Sciences).
Research experience
My research experience includes 39 studies in Norway, one study in Sweden, one trans-European study, and two studies in Africa (Benin and Uganda). I am skilled in qualitative methods, especially ethnography, but also use quantitative methods and triangulation. I have recently been working on two large research projects, the first about natural history museums and citizen science (Norwegian Research Council, 2015-2019) and the second about the use of social experiments developing ICT for special needs education and rehabilitation in East-Africa (Norwegian Agency for Development and Cooperation, 2013-2019).
Teaching experience
I have 15 years of teaching and supervision experience on all levels, in addition to 12 years in adjunct positions. At the Department of Education I am involved in the new master’s program called “Communication, Design and Learning” that was established in Fall 2013.
Organizational skills and experience
A total of 20 years of comprehensive academic leadership experience from the higher education sector and the institute sector. I have been part of the leadership teams during two mergers in each of these two sectors. The first merger was between Norwegian Institute for Studies in Research and Education (NIFU) and the STEP-group (Studies in Technology, Innovation, and Economic Policy) in 2004; the second was between the Department of Educational Research and the research centre InterMedia from 2013
Past or present member of 18 different governing or advisory boards, both professional and voluntary.
- Referee for Environmental Communication, Human Organization, International Journal of Science Education, Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy, Nordic Studies in Education, Public Understanding of Science, seminar.net, Sociologia Ruralis, Science, Technology & Human Values, Science & Technology Studies, Visitor Studies and several books. Member of Editorial Board the International Journal of Science Education Part B: Communication and Public Engagement.
- Referee for the Research Council Faroe Islands, Research Council of Norway, ACE Denmark, and the National Science Foundation
- Member of many application and PhD committees
- Organizer for many seminars and conferences, last member of the Scientific Committee to the preparation of the Science & You Conference (Beijing, November 2018)