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SDU Metaverse Lab invites applications for a PhD fellowship in research and development of educational material towards implementation of programming and hardware competences in the Danish and German school systems.

The application deadline is May 15, 2025, at 11.59 PM / 23.59 (CET/CEST

The PhD project is part of a 3-year research project, STEPS (STEM-perspectives on primary and secondary school education) funded under the Interreg 6A program.

The interreg project primarily aims to develop and implement pilot projects, thereby contributing to measure:

a) Development and implementation of pilot projects to create a better connection between working life and primary education (primary level) and secondary education (secondary level), thus enabling young people to achieve a better and more informed basis for their choice of education and career.

b) Development, testing, and implementation of educational offerings for use across borders in the program region within school education, vocational orientation, education, and further education (including pilot projects), for example, by developing cross-border content, that strengthens young people's interest in STEM subjects with a view to choosing education, for example, through internship and labor market-oriented educational courses.

The topic of the PhD will be: “Use of Technology in Education: Children’s Education in STEM and Technology in the Danish and German Primary and Secondary Schools” with a primary focus on the teacher’s role as well as knowledge, competences, and skills needed for the teacher to conduct teaching within this topic.

Main Objective

Investigate the need to educate the teaching staff in primary and secondary schools in teaching facilitated by technical prototypes, more specifically micro:bit with related programming and hardware circuit skills.

This, as well as to research proper methods for educating teachers to apply knowledge, competences, and skills needed to conduct and develop effective and applicable technology-based learning experiences for the Danish and German primary and secondary school. This, with a close cooperation with IPN Leibniz-Institute in Flensburg among other external partners.

Expected Results

A specific guide with developed and tested technology enhanced learning experiences for primary and secondary school teachers to improve technology-based teaching and learning in Danish and German schools.

A recommendation of methods and educational plan to upskill Danish and German teachers’ knowledge, competences, and skills, which are needed in order to use technology-based learning experiences in the classrooms.

Qualifications

Applicants for the positions should document their skills and previous experience with respect to:

  • STEM teaching and research
  • Pedagogical and technical approaches to STEM teaching
  • User-centric development and interaction design.
  • Research dissemination
  • Software and Hardware development

Applicants should hold an MSc degree in engineering and ICT (equivalent to a Danish master's degree) and have demonstrated relevant technical skills.

Workplace description

The Metaverse Lab is a small, interdisciplinary research, academic and impact-generating organization. The Metaverse Lab pursues research focusing on creating experiences and technologies that enable people to shape and engage with the future. In the Metaverse Lab, staff and students work together with companies and organizations on projects across disciplines - from games to health, learning to robotics, data to code – in an environment designed for collaboration and technology transfer.
The overall goal of the SDU Metaverse Lab is to explore and address the challenges and opportunities related to digital technology and virtual environments, and their impact on society, well-being, and economies. Our research is divided into three multidisciplinary themes or streams of critical R&D, each focused on delivering societal benefit:

  • Digital and Technical Literacy in Society: as our world becomes increasingly digital, a substantial portion of the population lacks the essential skills to effectively engage with technology, impacting their ability to participate in the digital economy, access information, and fully engage in society.
  • Digital Pathways to Wellbeing: Globally, the rise in mental health challenges and physical disabilities demands urgent attention. Leveraging digital innovations, such as innovations like virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR), adaptive systems, and behavioral analytics, can help address these critical gaps in healthcare provisions or health technologies.
  • Virtual environments and economies: The rapid developments across online realities, AI and digital economies create pivotal challenges in ensuring that future digital realities are supportive, safe spaces for users and creators.

Further information

For further information, please contact Jacob Nielsen < jani@mmmi.sdu.dk >, Associate Professor at the SDU Metaverse Lab department of the Maersk McKinny Moeller Institute.

If you experience technical problems, please contact hcm-support@sdu.dk.

Application procedure

Before applying the candidates are advised to read the Faculty information for prospective PhD students and the SDU information on how to apply.

Assessment of the candidates is based on the application material, and an application must include:

  • Motivated application.
  • Curriculum Vitae.
  • A statement/documentation of other qualifications relevant to the position.
  • Completed TEK PhD application form for 5+3 applicants. Find the form at the Faculty website.
  • Completed TEK PhD form for calculation grade point average. Find the form at the Faculty website.
  • An official document describing the grading scheme of the awarding universities (if not Danish).
  • Only for applicants from programmes that evaluate thesis/examination project by approved/not approved: An official written assessment of the thesis or dissertation project from the grade giving institution. The statement must clearly state that the candidate has been among the top 30 pct. in the graduation class for the study programme.
  • References may be included, you're welcome to use the form for reference letter at the Faculty website.
  • List of publications and maximum 2 examples of relevant publications (in case you have any publications).
  • Master’s and bachelor’s degree or equivalent (copy of original/official English translation).

All documents must be in English and PDF format, no more than 5 MB per file. Documents should not contain a CPR number (civil registration number) – in this case, the CPR number must be crossed out.

UPLOAD GUIDE: Motivated application shall be uploaded as ‘Cover letter’, Curriculum Vitae shall be uploaded as ‘Resume’. All other documents shall be uploaded as ‘Miscellaneous documents’.

The application deadline is May 15. 2025, at 11.59 PM / 23.59 (CET/CEST)

Assessment and selection process

Applications will be assessed by an assessment committee. Shortlisting may be applied, and only shortlisted candidates will receive a written assessment. Read about shortlisting at SDU. Interviews and tests may be part of the overall evaluation.

Read about the Assessment and selection process.

Conditions of employment

Appointment as a PhD fellow is a 3-year salaried position, and the monthly gross salary incl. pension is 35.707DKR. If you have relevant postgraduate experience, you may be placed on a higher salary step.

The position is open from May 1, 2025, and start date will be agreed with the successful candidate.

Applicants must hold a master’s degree (equivalent to a Danish master's degree) at the time of enrollment and employment. Employment of a PhD fellow can only happen after the PhD School has approved the candidate for admission.

Enrollment will be in accordance with Faculty regulations and the Danish Ministerial Order on the PhD Programme at the Universities (PhD order).

Employment will be in accordance with the collective agreement between the Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations for academics in the state with the associated circular on the job structure for academic staff at Danish universities and the provisions for PhD fellows as described herein as well as the Protocol on PhD fellows signed by the Danish Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (AC). Further information about salary and conditions of employment.

The person employed in the position may, based on a specific individual managerial evaluation, be exempted from time registration, also known as a “self-organiser”.

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The University of Southern Denmark wishes our staff to reflect the surrounding community and therefore encourages everyone, regardless of personal background, to apply for the position. SDU conducts research in critical technologies, which, due to the risk of unwanted knowledge transfer, are subject to a number of security measures. Therefore, based on information from open sources, background checks may be conducted on candidates for the position.

Further information for international applicants about entering and working in Denmark. You may also visit WorkinDenmark for additional information.

Further information about The Faculty of Engineering.

Please note in your application that you found the job at Jobindex

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