Photo: Johan Persson
What issues does DEC work with, specifically?
The Digital Education Content (DEC) expert group has been set up by the European Commission. The group works with the Digital Education Action Plan 2021- 2027, which aims to "address the digital divide and inequities in education and training, and highlights the potential of technology to facilitate more accessible, safe, flexible, personalised and learner-centred teaching and learning.
This particular expert group comprises developers, leaders and users of digital content at all levels of education from across the EU, and will propose guidelines that help teachers and school leaders find, select, acquire, and use high-quality digital education content. The aim is to help both those who produce digital content and those who choose and use it to have confidence in their choices.” Says Rachel Forsyth.
What can be of significance to their work for Lund University?
“The significance for LU is that our work in the development of digital content is recognised, that we learn from other experts in this area, and that we also have the opportunity to shape guidance which will be used across the EU.” Says Rachel Forsyth.
What would you like to change during your participation?
“I would like to ensure that there is a strong focus on accessibility and inclusion when digital content is designed and purchased, for both teachers and students. Accessible content is better for everyone and to achieve this, we need to understand a range of user perspectives and abilities.
Inclusive design is not just about disability, it is also about understanding how people feel about using technology, assumptions we make about prior experiences of education and technology, and acknowledging societal, ethical and environmental issues relating to digital content.” Says Rachel Forsyth.
How do you think Lund University and Sweden stand on these issues in a European comparison?
“I think LU and Sweden are in a strong position in terms of thinking about and using educational technology. By definition, this is a fast-moving field and it is always tempting to choose the newest, shiniest products but in my experience, the most effective approach is to focus on the university's purposes and principles when designing and choosing digital content: how does the product help us to support our students more effectively? That way you end up with products that you can support and sustain for longer, where you build up a good understanding of how things work and can support users effectively.
Here at LU we are open to new educational technologies but always try to situate them in a pedagogic context, focusing on the potential benefits for our work with colleagues and students. As well as focused support for digital tools from the Unit for Educational Services, we work closely with Avdelningen för högskolepedagogisk utveckling (AHU) and the faculty-based pedagogical units CEE, MedCUL and PLUS to support digitalisation in teaching.” Says Rachel Forsyth.
Rachel Forsyth's research profile at Lund University – portal.resesrch.lu.se
The article was first published on 28 August 2024 on Staff Pages – staffpages.lu.se