Doctoral Research Fellow (Ph.D.) in AI Technology-Enhanced Formative Assessment

A Doctoral Research Fellowship in AI Technology-Enhanced Formative Assessment is available at the Faculty of Teacher Education and Languages at Østfold University College (ØUC).

The Doctoral Research Fellowship is associated with the project Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Assessment for Learning (AfL) to Improve Learning and Teaching in 21st Century (AI4AfL) funded by the Norwegian Research Council.

The AI4AfL project aims to develop new Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology that is able to analyse written texts and provide various types of automatic feedback (syntactic, semantic and sentimental). The project will also develop new knowledge about how teachers organise and facilitate AfL practices with AI technology to enhance students' capacity in learning to learn. The research in the project will provide a broader insight among teachers, school owners and teacher educators into how AfL practices supported by AI technology may contribute to the development of students' understanding about what it means to learn in English as a second/foreign language (ESL/EFL) writing classes.

Applicants are required to develop a research proposal that must be submitted with the application. The proposal must be linked to the project. Interested applicants should contact the project coordinator: Professor Irina Engeness irina.engeness@hiof.no,  +47 696 08 098 or Professor Ingeborg Krange ingeborg.h.krange@hiof.no, +47 696 08 435. The Faculty of Teacher Education and Languages will hold a research proposal seminar with information and advice on how to develop a research proposal at B R A Veien 4, 1757 Halden, room C2-210 on 03.02.2023, at 11.00 - 13.00. Those interested in attending this seminar should register via the following link:https://nettskjema.no/a/306595. The deadline for registration is 02.02.2023.

The PhD scholar will be part of the research group ICT and Learning.

The Doctoral Research Fellowship is a full time (100%) fixed term position for 3 years and funded by the Østfold University College.

Starting date: 01.09.2023

The candidate is expected to apply and be accepted to a Doctoral Programme The Digital Society at Østfold University College. The successful candidate will receive assistance in the application process to the Doctoral Programme.

• Completed a Master's degree or second degree (equivalent to 120 credits according to Norwegian standard definitions) within the field of Educational Sciences, English Didactics or similar.
• Candidates with Master's degree in the fields of Social or Political Sciences who possess approved pedagogic qualification are also encouraged to apply.
• The average grade point for courses included in the Master's degree must be B or better in terms of the Norwegian grading scale
• Admission to the PhD programme The Digital Society is a prerequisite
• A final project plan for the scholarship period is required, completed, and acknowledged within three months after accession
• Fluent oral and written communication skills in English. For international candidates (outside of EU/EEA area), approved TOEFL English proficiency test with min score 90 or IELTS test with min. score 7.5
• Scandinavian language skills are desirable.

 When assessing and ranking the qualified applicants emphasis will be placed on the following:

• The project scientific merit and relevance to the NRC funded project
• The project's feasibility within the standard period (three years)
• Prior academic and/or research experience particularly within the field of formative assessment, feedback, assessment for learning and learning and teaching English with digital technology
• Attached scientific work
• Other relevant publications
• Prior work experience in schools
• The applicant's ability to complete research training
• Good collaboration skills and an ability to join interdisciplinary academic communities

Desired qualifications:

• Motivation and potential in the field of research
• Personal qualities that, among other things, show the ability to complete tasks
• Ability to work independently and in collaboration with other researchers, as well as the ability to be innovative and creative
• Ability to work systematically
• Capacity to work under pressure

• The fixed term of appointment is three years of pure research training.
• Admission to a doctoral degree programme is a condition for appointment as a research fellow. The final plan for research training shall be approved and regulated by contract at the latest three months after the appointment is taken up.

• PhD Candidates (code 1017) are remunerated with a gross annual salary of minimum NOK 501 200 and automaticly development for up to 4 years with a 3% annual increase.  In addition to taxes, a further 2% is deducted for the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.
• An exciting job opportunity at Østfold University College.
• Participation in a new interdisciplinary doctoral program and a research group where the project is located. Beneficial pension arrangements with the Norwegian State Pension Fund
• Good employee welfare arrangements
• Working location at Østfold University College, Halden, and downtown Oslo with multiple cultural offers

In order to apply, please click on the 'Apply for this job' button. You will need to create an account, if you do not have one already, in order to log on.

An expert committee will assess applicants. The following documents must be uploaded with your application by the final date for applications:

• Letter of Intent that includes your qualifications and motivation for the advertisedposition
• Project proposal max. 10 pages. The project proposal must be written in English or a Scandinavian language and include the following:

Title of the project

1. Main objective and summary of the project
(Present the main objective of your project and a brief summary, explaining how you intend to attain this goal. The purpose is to give the reader sufficient information to decide whether the project is of interest. You need to be clear and precise in formulating the project objectives. )

2. Background to the project
(Provide a brief account of the existing knowledge in the field the project is part of and show how the project will contribute to new knowledge. Explain how your project is relevant to the project AI4AfL.)

3. Theoretical framework
(Outline the theoretical foundation of the project and the reasons you have chosen this particular foundation.)

4. Research question(s) and expected findings (hypothesis)
(Describe the question(s) you want to answer through your project, and briefly outline what answer(s) you expect to find or what outcomes you might expect on the basis of previous research and theoretical background. Your research questions or hypotheses should focus and delimit the topic.)

5. Method
(Give an account of the methodological foundation for your project and any research-ethical problems linked to the project. Describe the underlying data, source material and sampling approaches that will be used and how these will be collected and analyzed)

6. Proposed dissemination
(Outline your proposed outputs: your plans for dissemination and publishing your doctoral project - articles, monographs, lectures, etc.)

7. Progress plan
(Outline briefly how you intend to organize your doctoral work over six semesters, including any planned or anticipated periods of study outside Østfold University College and/or field work. We do not expect you to know about individual courses, seminars, etc. that will be included in the training component, but you should include course work in your overall timeframe.)

• Curriculum Vitae , references and all pages of certificates/diplomas. The certificates/diplomas must include ECTS grades (A-F). Foreign diplomas must be translated into English by the degree-conferring institution. Education taken abroad should preferably be recognised in advance by NOKUT, and a confirmed copy of the letter of recognition should be enclosed.
• List of publications (if applicable). Include a short description of your contribution in multi-authored publications.
• Copies of degree certificates and transcripts of academic records (all certified and translated to English if not awarded in the Scandinavian region)

All attachments should be included electronically within the application deadline. Other documentation may be claimed at a later stage, e.g. proof of claimed English proficiency. Original documents must be presented if you are invited for an interview. Østfold University College performs document inspections in order to give you as a candidate a proper evaluation and ensure fair competition.

Please note that incomplete applications will not be considered. The application must state your reasons for applying to the project and what makes you particularly qualified to carry out this PhD work.

Admission and appointment

The application process will be assisted by the Faculty of Teacher Education and Languages and processes by the Programme Committee The Digital Society at Østfold University College

The appointment is to be made in accordance with the State Employees law, the act relating to Universities and Universities Colleges and the national guidelines for appointment as a Ph.D. student, a postdoctoral fellow or a research assistant.

Interested candidates are encouraged to contact the Project Leader Professor Irina Engeness or Professor Ingeborg Krange concerning the details of the AI4AfL project. For other information, please contact Human Resources.

• Project Leader: Professor Irina Engeness +47 48078749, irina.engeness@hiof.no
• Professor Ingeborg Krange +47 696 08 435, ingeborg.h.krange@hiof.no
• Human resources senior advisor Jenny Eriksen Langeland +47 696 08 060, jenny.h.eriksen@hiof.no

Østfold University College practices an inclusive working life and conforms to the government's inclusion efforts. This means that we welcome qualified applicants with disabilities, different national or ethnic backgrounds, and candidates who, for various reasons, are unable to document an unbroken professional career.

We practice open government in the state. If you require any confidential processing of your application, please note that information about you may still be disclosed. You will then be notified of this, cf. §25 of the Freedom of Information Act

If you state that you have disabilities, an immigrant background or gaps in your CV, your information may be used for statistical purposes.