Sofie Wass

• Steig, Marianne Hovet; Radianti, Jaziar; Safari, Mugula Chris & Wass, Sofie (2026). Using 360-Degree Virtual Reality for Ethical Reflection in Undergraduate Social Educator Study Program : Preparing Inclusive Practitioners. In Mizza, Daria (Eds.), Adopting Virtual Reality in Inclusive Higher Education: Research-Based Principles for Design and Instruction. Routledge. ISSN 9781032699394. p. 193–217. doi: 10.4324/9781032699394-9. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This chapter explores the integration of 360-degree Virtual Reality (VR) immersive content as a tool for facilitating ethical reflection among undergraduate students in the social educator program at University of Agder. The VR-based intervention was integrated into the second-semester course “Practice: Functional Impairment, Environmental Work, Coping, and Welfare Technology” at a critical juncture before the students’ first clinical placement. The three-stage educational intervention comprised: (1) theoretical introduction to ethical challenges, (2) 360-degree immersive video depicting an interaction scenario between a person with intellectual disabilities and a caregiver, and (3) guided group reflection using the Systematic Ethical Reflection Model (SME). A total of 54 students across nine groups participated in the intervention, with 15 students participating in focus group interviews to evaluate their experiences. This formative evaluation reveals mixed results. Students demonstrated strong emotional engagement, empathy development, and recognition of ethical tensions related to autonomy and self-determination. However, students struggled to systematically apply ethical theories without substantial facilitator prompting, and the assessment methods did not adequately capture evidence regarding communication practices or independent use of the SME framework. The chapter identifies both promising outcomes and areas requiring pedagogical refinement, discussing practical implementation challenges (cost, technical issues, preparation needs) and pedagogical limitations (theory application, framework transfer). The chapter concludes with implications for professional education programs and recommendations for integrating VR-based ethical reflection in similar contexts, emphasizing the importance of scaffolded theoretical preparation, structured reflection protocols, and longitudinal assessment of learning transfer to clinical practice.

• Wass, Sofie; Safari, Mugula Chris; Radianti, Jaziar & Steig, Marianne Hovet (2025). IMMERSIVE ENVIRONMENTS AND ETHICAL REFLECTION SKILLS–A STUDY IN HIGHER EDUCATION. Proceedings of European Conference on Information Systems (ECIS). Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This study explores the use of immersive environments to cultivate ethical reflection skills among university students. To better understand the students’ deeper learning, we applied the four-component model of moral behaviour encompassing aspects of ethical sensitivity, judgement, motivation, and action. Our case involved 360-video materials delivered in head-mounted Virtual Reality (VR) devices, combined with guided group reflections, in a bachelor’s program for social educators. Data was collected through four focus group interviews. The findings indicate that the immersive environment facilitated ethical sensitivity and judgment, and when combined with group reflections, further elaborations on ethical judgment as well as motivation. However, lacking interactivity in the immersive environment limited the ability for ethical action. Based on our analysis, we propose a set of mechanisms to cultivate ethical reflection in immersive environments: evoking emotions, incorporating ambiguous actions, maintaining narrative simplicity, and creating a safe reflective space.

• Safari, Mugula Chris; Wass, Sofie & Thygesen, Elin (2024). One Size Does Not Fit All—Facilitating Participation of People with Intellectual Disability in Design of Digital Technology. International Journal of Design. ISSN 1991-3761. 18(1), p. 23–38. doi: 10.57698/v18i1.02. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  While marginalized groups are increasingly involved in design processes, established methods and techniques require several cognitive and sensory abilities that may not fit when designing with people with intellectual disabilities. Earlier research on design of technology with people with intellectual disabilities has primarily focused on the technological outcomes and less on the techniques and adjustments made by facilitators. In this study, we explore facilitators’ experiences of supporting adults and younger adults with intellectual disabilities during participation in digital technology design. The facilitators and users in this study participated in the design of a digital self-reflective career tool and a digital transport support tool. We conducted individual interviews with facilitators who had participated in various design activities and thematically analyzed the data. The findings show that facilitators focus on adapting to individual needs, experience a process of personal development, and learned by doing throughout the design activities. We argue that while the role of facilitating was duty- and task-oriented and challenging, the facilitators also experienced several essential gains. Experienced gains include the development of design-related knowledge, professional development, and a change in attitudes toward people with intellectual disability. This paper provides recommendations for guiding facilitators, considering both structural and individual needs, and offers insight into lessons learned.

• Radianti, Jaziar; Wass, Sofie; Steig, Marianne Hovet & Safari, Mugula Chris (2024). Exploring Immersive VR-based Emphatic Learning Using Interpersonal Reactivity Index. In Bui, Tung X. (Eds.), Proceedings of the 57th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences. The Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS). ISSN 9780998133171. Full text in Research Archive
• Wass, Sofie; Thygesen, Elin & Imre, Özgün (2023). Designing towards social inclusion - Insights on employers' willingness to recruit people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, Proceedings of the European Conference on Information Systems ECIS 2023. Association for Information Systems (AIS). ISSN 9781958200087. Full text in Research Archive
• Wass, Sofie; Thygesen, Elin & Purao, Sandeep (2023). Principles to Facilitate Social Inclusion for Design-Oriented Research. Journal of the AIS. 24(5), p. 1204–1247. doi: 10.17705/1jais.00814. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  We develop principles that facilitate socially inclusive design-oriented research with marginalized groups. Building on the recognition that the research process must be informed by theoretical perspectives about social inclusion, our effort begins with an empirical investigation of a multiyear research project that designed several IT-based solutions for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. We treat the efforts to design each solution as a “case,” capture primary data from multiple sources, and analyze it in light of three facets of social inclusion drawn from prior work: self-determination, belongingness, and social capital. The findings are interpreted to derive five principles for a socially inclusive design-oriented research process: (1) respecting multi- perspective problem ownership and integrated solution design, (2) surfacing emic contributions to guide artifact design, (3) leveraging the support network to shape artifact design and refine research conduct, (4) customizing design-evaluate cycles with inclusive practices, and (5) pursuing authenticity in research collaborations. We elaborate each principle with connections to different facets of social inclusion, guidelines suggested by our empirical investigation, and a mapping against contemporary design-oriented research approaches. The five principles suggest key directions to facilitate a socially inclusive design-oriented research process when working with marginalized groups. The paper concludes with a discussion of implications for IS scholars, and pointers for using design-oriented approaches for greater social inclusion of marginalized populations.

• Safari, Mugula Chris; Wass, Sofie & Thygesen, Elin (2023). Digital technology design activities—A means for promoting the digital inclusion of young adults with intellectual disabilities. British Journal of Learning Disabilities. ISSN 1354-4187. 51(2), p. 238–249. doi: 10.1111/bld.12521. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Information and communication technology has become an important aspect of everyday life, including community living and social participation. However, people with intellectual disabilities face several societal inequalities, including digital exclusion. Even if people with intellectual disabilities still do not have the same access as others, this group is increasingly involved in digital technology design activities. Although digital technology design activities can lead to several user gains, little is known about how such activities affect digital inclusion. Therefore, we explore whether and how participation in digital technology design activities can support the digital inclusion of young adults with intellectual disabilities. We interviewed seven young adults with intellectual disabilities about their participation in ten digital technology design sessions. We also collected reflective notes from eight support workers who participated in the same design activities. The interviews were analysed thematically. Thematic analysis generated four themes describing how participation in technology design activities can support the digital inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities: improving digital skills and knowledge, displaying skills and competence, increased interest in technology use, and influencing and adapting technology. Participation in digital technology design activities with support workers can provide new opportunities for young adults with intellectual disabilities and can help overcome several digital activity barriers. Designers and researchers should increasingly, and actively involve people with intellectual disability in digital technology design activities as it can support and promote digital inclusion.

• Safari, Mugula Chris; Wass, Sofie; Thygesen, Elin & Haugland, Silje (2023). Intellectual Disability, Digital Technologies, And Independent Transportation – A Scoping Review. In Bui, Tung X. (Eds.), Proceedings of the 56thAnnual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences. HICSS Conference Office. ISSN 9780998133164. p. 1983–1992. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Transportation is an essential aspect of everyday life. For people with intellectual disabilities transportation is one the largest barriers to community participation and a cause of inequality. However, digital technologies can reduce barriers for transportation use for people with intellectual disabilities and increase community mobility. The aim of this scoping review was to identify and map existing research on digital technology support for independent transport for people with intellectual disabilities and to identify knowledge gaps relevant for further research. The authors conducted a scoping review of articles presenting digital technologies designed to assist in outdoor navigation for people with intellectual disabilities. The search yielded 3195 items, of which 45 were reviewed and 13 included in this study. The results show that while a variation of design elements was utilized, digital technologies can effectively support individuals with intellectual disability in transport. Further research should focus on multiple contexts and types of transportation, different support needs during independent travel, real-world settings, participatory approaches, and the role of user training to enhance the adoption of digital technologies.

• Hansen, Lise Amy & Wass, Sofie (2022). Enactive methods towards situational learning - engaging people with intellectual and developmental disability in design. Procedia Computer Science. 196, p. 598–605. doi: 10.1016/j.procs.2021.12.054. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In this paper we explore how enactive methods may support and enhance the design of mobile solutions for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Our project deals with supporting independent public transport and applies enactive methods in order to account for the interdependent nature of technology, disability, and environment. We staged three iterations of a bus workshop and one theatre workshop where real, everyday scenarios were acted out to gain tacit yet crucial insights. These enactive workshops and the prototype testing showed that transport activities are context dependent and unique to each individual. In our case, enactive methods revealed that independent public transport goes beyond a need for reminders, time management and communication, towards the management of unforeseen events. Our work shows how a closer realistic setting may provide more nuanced, personal, and detailed design insights that support emotional and situational understandings of user experiences.

• Safari, Mugula Chris; Wass, Sofie & Thygesen, Elin (2022). Motivation of people with intellectual disabilities in technology design activities: the role of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Behaviour and Information Technology. ISSN 0144-929X. p. 1–19. doi: 10.1080/0144929X.2021.2015442. Full text in Research Archive
• Safari, Mugula Chris; Wass, Sofie & Thygesen, Elin (2021). ‘I Got To Answer the Way I Wanted To’: Intellectual Disabilities and Participation in Technology Design Activities. Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research. ISSN 1501-7419. 23(1), p. 192–203. doi: 10.16993/sjdr.798. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  User involvement in technology design processes can have positive implications for the designed service, but less is known about how such participation affects people with intellectual disabilities. We explored how 13 individuals with intellectual disabilities experienced participation in the design of a transport support application. The study is based on qualitative interviews, photovoice interviews, participant observations, and Smileyometer ratings. A thematic analysis generated the following themes: a sense of pride and ownership, an experience of socialization, and a sense of empowerment. The findings suggest that participation in design activities is a primarily positive experience that develops the participants’ skills. However, experiences such as boredom may occur. The variability within the experiences of the participants show that it is crucial to be aware of individuality, preferences, and personal interests when designing with people with intellectual disabilities.

• Wass, Sofie; Safari, Mugula Chris; Haugland, Silje & Omland, Hans Olav (2021). Transitions from school to sheltered employment in Norway – Experiences of people with intellectual disabilities. British Journal of Learning Disabilities. ISSN 1354-4187. 49(3), p. 373–382. doi: 10.1111/bld.12414. Full text in Research Archive
• Wass, Sofie; Hansen, Lise Amy & Moe, Carl Erik (2021). Generation of Design Principles as Knowledge Conversion - Elucidating Dynamics. In Kruse, Leona Chandra; Seidel, Stefan & Hausvik, Geir Inge (Ed.), The Next Wave of Sociotechnical Design: 16th International Conference on Design Science Research in Information Systems and Technology, DESRIST 2021 Kristiansand, Norway, August 4–6, 2021 Proceedings. Springer. ISSN 9783030824044. p. 149–161. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-82405-1_17. Full text in Research Archive
• Thygesen, Elin; Safari, Mugula Chris & Wass, Sofie (2021). Transport og arbeidsinkludering. In Gjertsen, Hege Kristin; Melbøe, Line & Hauge, Hans A. (Ed.), Arbeidsinkludering for personer med utviklingshemming. Universitetsforlaget. ISSN 9788215046921. p. 117–126. Full text in Research Archive
• Wass, Sofie & Safari, Mugula Chris (2020). Photovoice—Towards Engaging and Empowering People with Intellectual Disabilities in Innovation. Life. 10(272), p. 1–11. doi: 10.3390/life10110272. Full text in Research Archive
• Wass, Sofie; Hansen, Lise Amy & Safari, Mugula Chris (2020). Designing Transport Supporting Services Together with Users with Intellectual Disabilities. In Hofmann, Sara; Müller, Oliver & Rossi, Matti (Ed.), Designing for Digital Transformation. Co-Creating Services with Citizens and Industry. Springer Nature. ISSN 9783030648220. p. 56–67. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-64823-7_6. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Transportation is an important yet challenging aspect in terms of mobility for persons with intellectual disabilities (ID). Despite positive implications of designing services with users, persons with ID are rarely given the opportunity to be involved in such design processes. In this action design research (ADR) study we involve persons with ID in the design through observations, photovoice interviews and in a staged, yet naturalistic user enactments on a bus. Our research contributes with design insights on transport supporting services and insights on user involvement of persons with ID in ADR. The three ADR cycles showed that people with ID is a heterogenous group of users and as such emphasizes the need for customizable solutions that support cognitive functions such as conceptual understanding of time and location, language and communication abilities, and alerts and notifications. There is more work to be done on addressing how the IT artifact is shaped by the situational context and vice versa for issues such as stress management and autonomy. User involvement is time-consuming, especially in settings where participants are asked to independently follow instruction such as in photovoice, and during naturalistic evaluations with several uncontrolled variables, such as prototype testing on a bus. Our work shows that this is vital for gaining insights into the worlds and needs of persons with ID to inform design.

• Wass, Sofie & Moe, Carl Erik (2020). Knowledge Creation - A Perspective on the Development of Design Principles. In Hofmann, Sara; Müller, Oliver & Rossi, Matti (Ed.), Designing for Digital Transformation. Co-Creating Services with Citizens and Industry. Springer Nature. ISSN 9783030648220. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-64823-7_19. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In this paper we reflect on and conceptualize on the development of design principles in a design process. We use the concept of ba to describe how design principles can be created when involving users, domain experts, designers and researchers in the design process. The study applies action design research (ADR) to design and develop a self-reflective career support tool for persons with intellectual disabilities (ID). We have applied processes of knowledge creation and their corresponding ba, the originating ba, the interacting ba, the systemizing ba and the exercising ba to conceptualize the development of design principles. Preliminary findings imply that a structured process of knowledge creation and sharing, applying the concept of ba, can support the development of design principles when users, domain experts, designers and researchers work together to design and develop theory-ingrained artifacts for a class of systems.

• Wass, Sofie; Hansen, Lise Amy & Stuve, Erlend (2020). Me, Myself and I - Supporting People with Intellectual Disabilities Towards Self-determination. In Hofmann, Sara; Müller, Oliver & Rossi, Matti (Ed.), Designing for Digital Transformation. Co-Creating Services with Citizens and Industry. Springer Nature. ISSN 9783030648220. p. 420–425. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-64823-7_40. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The transition into work is challenging for people with intellectual disabilities (ID) and there are few digital services that support this process. The transition involves several organizations and professionals that need to collaborate and coordinate their documentation and their initiatives. This prototype paper describes a self-reflective career tool designed to support young adults with ID towards self-determination and transitions into work. The users are supported through features such as mapping of interests, skills and abilities, goal setting and progress overview. The prototype of the self-reflective career tool has been evaluated formatively and is continuously redesigned and further developed. User tests have shown the importance of enabling an understanding of concepts such as skills, preferences and goals in regard to working life. The tool transfers the ownership of the information to the young adults and enables the users to identify, articulate and present their abilities in a visual and customizable manner.

• Wass, Sofie & Omland, Hans Olav (2019). Eliciting potential innovation benefits - a case study of employment for persons with intellectual disabilities. In Thygesen, Elin (Eds.), Proceedings from InnArbeid International Conference on work inclusion for persons with intellectual disabilities. Linköping University Electronic Press. ISSN 9789176850176. p. 15–21. Full text in Research Archive
• Imre, Özgün & Wass, Sofie Sara Terese (2019). Trends in Patient Generated Data – An Initial Review. In Bui, Tung X. (Eds.), Proceeding of the 52nd Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS 2019). AIS Electronic Library. ISSN 9780998133126. p. 4146–4154. doi: 10.24251/HICSS.2019.502. Full text in Research Archive
• Wass, Sofie; Omland, Hans Olav & Moe, Carl Erik (2019). Understanding the Problem – Innovation in the Welfare Sector Through Action Design Research. In Rodriguez-Abitia, Guillermo & Ferran, Carlos (Ed.), MCIS 2019 PROCEEDINGS. Association for Information Systems (AIS). ISSN 9780996683180. Full text in Research Archive
• Wass, Sofie Sara Terese; Moe, Carl Erik; Thygesen, Elin & Haugland, Silje (2018). Use of welfare technology to increase employment of individuals with intellectual disabilities. Linköping Electronic Conference Proceedings. ISSN 1650-3686. p. 11–15. Full text in Research Archive
• Wass, Sofie Sara Terese & Vimarlund, Vivian (2018). Same, same but different: Perceptions of patients’ online access to electronic health records among healthcare professionals. Health Informatics Journal. ISSN 1460-4582. p. 1–11. doi: 10.1177/1460458218779101. Full text in Research Archive
• Wass, Sofie Sara Terese & Vimarlund, Vivian (2018). The Role of PAEHRs in Patient Involvement. Journal of Medical Systems. ISSN 0148-5598. 42(210), p. 1–6. doi: 10.1007/s10916-018-1070-y. Full text in Research Archive

View all works in NVA

• Safari, Mugula Chris; Wass, Sofie; Johnsen, Hege Mari & Ersfjord, Ellen Margrete Iveland (2026). Co-design of a virtual reality scenario: User-involvement of people with intellectual disability through storyboarding. Full text in Research Archive
• Safari, Mugula Chris & Wass, Sofie (2023). VR-based Scenarios in Education. Full text in Research Archive
• Thygesen, Elin & Wass, Sofie (2020). InnArbeid - innovasjon i offentlig sektor Behovsdrevet innovasjon for inkludering av personer med utviklingshemming i arbeidslivet ved bruk av teknologi. Full text in Research Archive
• Wass, Sofie (2020). InnArbeid - User-driven Innovation. Full text in Research Archive
• Wass, Sofie (2020). InnArbeid - Samskaping & Innovation. Full text in Research Archive
• Holen-Rabbersvik, Elisabeth; Haugland, Silje; Wass, Sofie Sara Terese; Fredwall, Terje Emil & Omland, Hans Olav (2019). InnArbeid- User needs and user insights as a base for innovation of technology supported services for includingpersons with disabilities in working life - Work package 2. Full text in Research Archive
• Holen-Rabbersvik, Elisabeth; Omland, Hans Olav; Haugland, Silje; Wass, Sofie Sara Terese & Fredwall, Terje Emil (2019). InnArbeid - Behovsdrevet innovasjon for inkludering av personer med utviklingshemning i arbeidslivet ved bruk av teknologi -status fra arbeidspakke 2. Full text in Research Archive
• Thygesen, Elin; Wass, Sofie Sara Terese; Hansen, Lise Amy; Moe, Carl Erik; Holen-Rabbersvik, Elisabeth & Ludvigsen, Ann-Elisabeth [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2019). InnArbeid - need-based innovation of technology-supported services with intellectual disabillities in working life. Full text in Research Archive
• Wass, Sofie; Omland, Hans Olav & Moe, Carl Erik (2019). UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEM–INNOVATION IN THE WELFARE SECTOR THROUGH ACTION DESIGN RESEARCH. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Action design research is a method to produce knowledge and solve real-world problems through developing innovative IT/IS artifacts. However, the method does not provide detailed guidance in the early stages of the problem formulation. This makes the initial problem formulation process challenging, especially in situations of innovating new artifacts in complex settings. The paper explores how the Work Systems (WS) snapshot can be used as a tool for identifying and understanding a problem domain. The study leans on a project that focuses on the welfare sector and the transition from school to employment for persons with intellectual disability. The study shows that the WS snapshot can provide some basic guidance and structure in such situations and that user journeys can assist in communicating the findings. The complexity of the welfare sector demands that significant time is spend on understanding not only the problem domain itself but also its surrounding settings.

• Thygesen, Elin; Wass, Sofie Sara Terese; Hansen, Lise Amy; Moe, Carl Erik; Holen-Rabbersvik, Elisabeth & Ludvigsen, Ann-Elisabeth [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2019). InnArbeid - Userdriven technology innovation for including people with intellectual disability in working life. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In Norway, a national objective is to facilitate the participation of the entire population in the workforce, including people with intellectual disabilities (ID). However, it is difficult to find, enter and retain suitable employment for people with ID and the majority start their disability pensions directly after high school. The aim of the InnArbeid project is to develop services and technologies to facilitate a different transition: from high school to a sustained working life for people with ID. A new service model that includes technological support will be developed to facilitate a smoother transition to working life. This implies an opportunity for better coordination of plans and services for this group. In addition, a digital communication solution will be developed to improve the communication between employees in the housing service, employees at the school or at the workplace, relatives and the people with ID. A job search tool will also be developed to connect jobseekers with potential employers. Finally, studies will be conducted on how technological solutions can simplify the work situation for people with ID. This may include existing and newly developed solutions. Methods The methodological approach in the InnArbeid project is based on Action Design Research (ADR). ADR methodology combines action research and design research and includes user-need mapping, co-creation, evaluation and implementation through iterative processes whereby users participate in all stages. Through such extensive user involvement, we aim to gain insights and commitment from all actors, thereby enhancing the possibilities for realisation of the innovations. It is a challenge to develop technology for people with ID since they have reduced learning ability and individual needs. An important part of the project will therefore be to develop new methods for involving this user group. Results In the first phase of the project we have identified relevant actors in the transition from school to working life - as well as their positive and negative experiences of the transition. Key research questions were: What are the needs, barriers, and opportunities for increased work participation for people with ID? More than 60 people have participated in workshops, interviews and observations. At the conference, we will present some preliminary user insights and our mapping of user needs towards the project innovations. Discussions & implications InnArbeid aims to contribute to innovation and improvements in several areas: Better coordination and closer cooperation between actors to make work adaptations more efficient. A new service model for providing greater predictability and security for people with ID and their relatives. Technology-based services to support individual skills and greater participation for people with ID. As more people with ID can join the workforce instead of daycentres, municipal expenses may be reduced and new engagements in society made available for people with ID.

• Wass, Sofie Sara Terese (2019). InnArbeid - an Action Design Science Project. Full text in Research Archive
• Wass, Sofie Sara Terese (2019). InnArbeid - Need-based innovation of technology supported services for including persons with disabilities in working life. Full text in Research Archive
• Wass, Sofie Sara Terese (2019). InnArbeid - Behovsdrevet innovasjon for inkludering av personer med utviklingshemming i arbeidslivet ved bruk av teknologi. Full text in Research Archive
• Wass, Sofie Sara Terese & Hansen, Lise Amy (2019). Inclusive worklife innovation – reflections on problem framing and solution spaces across systems. Full text in Research Archive
• Wass, Sofie Sara Terese (2019). InnArbeid - innovasjon genom samskaping. Full text in Research Archive
• Wass, Sofie Sara Terese; Moe, Carl Erik; Thygesen, Elin & Haugland, Silje (2018). Use of welfare technology to increase employment of individuals with intellectual disabilities. Full text in Research Archive

View all works in NVA