Background and experience
Nils Rune Birkeland has served at the Faculty of Humanities and Education since 2003. 2003-2004 as a University Lecturer at the Department of Nordic and Media Studies. 2004-2008 as a research fellow at the Department of Education, with two longer stays abroad; at the American Institutes for Research, Palo Alto/California, and at Berkeley, University of California, respectively. From 2009 to date served as Associate Professor, later Professor, at the Department of Nordic and Media Studies.
Areas of responsibility
Professor in applied linguistics; Norwegian didactics and communication subjects at the Department of Nordic and Media Studies.
Teaching
- Norwegian for primary school teachers, additional/continuing education: NO-910, NO-911, NO-915 and NO-916
- Bachelor in Communication: Interpersonal Communication (KOM-112) and Bachelor Thesis (KOM-207)
- Master's guidance: Master's in society communication (KOM-501), Teacher training for primary school teachers, master's thesis in Norwegian didactics (NO-504)
- Decentralized competence development (Dekomp): Further development of reading skills among students in upper secondary education (Lister region), Development of Writing Center (KKG)
Research
Participation in several major research projects at the intersection between text science / communication and teacher training / pedagogy (ASAP, MULTIKUL, DigiGLU). Interest in the function of external organisations/interest groups and test systems in mangement of the school system, with a particular focus on the role of the media in connection with national tests in schools as well. Critical Discourse Analysis has been an important tool here. Interest in multimodality and digitzation in general and the role increased digitization has played in teacher education in recent years. Further interest in University Pedagogy with exploration of the function of the bachelor's thesis as a link between theory and practice in kindergarten teacher training as well as knowledge sharing in the field of practice in connection with workplace-based kindergarten teacher training (ABLU). Mixed Methods Design has been an important tool here. Also interested in the importance of "Kunnskapsløftet 2020" (LK20) for the Norwegian subject in schools, with a particular focus on linguistic diversity and "language as system and opportunity". Finally, also an interest in Linguistic Landscapes as a starting point for exploring the conditions of multilingualism in Norwegian schools as well as linguistic diversity in Norwegian textbooks / teaching aids.