Research and Development

Areas of activity

Through interdisciplinary research and practice, PLUS aims to facilitate and support inclusive teaching and learning that meet the diversity of students for a global, substainable future.

PLUS specialises in research and development on topics in particular related to pedagogy, digital learning, and lifelong learning. Through Nord University’s international collaborations, PLUS contributes to a range of local, regional, and international projects, including within the SEA-EU alliance.

Relevant topics

  • The Nord Master Plus program is an annual program that began in 2024 with our first cohort of high achieving students in their first year of their Master’s program at Nord University. The goals of the program emphasize an inclusive approach drawing students from across discplines and backgrounds to enhance academic training and excellence, sense of belonging, and internationalisation. Students are connected with research groups and brought together for hands-on learning research seminars, with a final conference showcasing their learning and growth. To learn more, see here https://www.nord.no/studier/ta-en-master-ved-nord-universitet/nord-master-plus

    For more information, contact Anna S. CohenMiller or Tor Eivind Aaneland

  • At PLUS, many of our team are involved in various tasks within the European Universities of the Seas alliance across nine universities. Select involvement includes developing and leading the BIP: Teaching and Learning in Higher Education for PhD Students, co-leading the task for Science Communication, collaboration on Lifelong Learning, and Sustainability and Education. For more information about the alliance, see here https://sea-eu.org/ .

    Contacts: Anna S. CohenMiller, Tor Eivind Aaneland, Anne Sofie Andaas Elgseter

  • The TEDxBodø event included collaboration across Nord University and the local region for bringing teaching, learning and research to “Ideas Worth Spreading”. To learn more about the event including the organizing team and speakers from across the University, see here www.tedxbodo.com

    You can find the talks from TEDxBodø 2025 here: TEDxBodø Talks

    Contact: Anna S. CohenMiller or Charlotta Maria Langejan

Contact person

BOOK PROJECT

Transformations in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education: Global Narratives and Research for Professional Development  

(forthcoming with Edward Elgar Press)

This book addresses timely directions for inclusive approaches in teaching, learning and professional development in international higher education (HE) by compiling cross-disciplinary pedagogical insights with practical approaches. The chapters are built around case studies/narratives across contexts/academic levels, highlighting research findings, theory, and creative approaches from university centers, individuals, and early career and well-established scholars globally who are actively shaping inclusive and justice-centered strategies.

We integrate “Majority World” perspectives (Alam, 2008), transdisciplinary collaboration embedding culturally and contextually relevant cases, and insights to HEIs as agents of change. The cases equip faculty and educational leaders with insights/tools to develop inclusive and effective strategies for program development, internationalization, digitalization, and lifelong learning. As such, the book is both a collection of academic insights and resources for practitioners, demonstrating how we can learn from one another to address shared challenges, improve practice, and ultimately create more equitable and sustainable futures in education.

Contact: Anna S. CohenMiller or Oddlaug Marie Lingaard

RESEARCH STUDIES

  • This justice-centered mixed methods research project investigates the current experiences of short term professional development in pedagogical practice for faculty members across disciplines at one university. We aim to uncover the current competencies, challenges, and future needs around digital competence for delivering the best content and pedagogical practices to students. Through a multiphase process, our team is using mixed methods research across phases to understand experiences (focus group, critical self-reflection), document analysis, and needs analysis (mixed method survey), along with adaptations of current pedagogical offerings.

    Contact: Anna S. CohenMiller or Arild Johnsen

  • This research project aims to investigate how the academic community can work as a mentoring platform for master’s students. ‘Academic community’ in this context meaning both how students learn from each other, but also from established researchers. The project is being conducted as a multiphase case study, exploring one university’s interdisciplinary program for 1st year master's students.

    Contact: Anna S. CohenMiller

  • LEARN-HigherEd promotes transdisciplinary research grounded in both local relevance and global insight. Taking a proactive, justice-oriented approach, the research group explores key directions for affecting positive change in teaching and learning in higher education, such as:

    • digitalization (including generative AI and dynamic learning environments),
    • professional development,
    • inclusive pedagogy,
    • flexible, future-ready learning environments
    • diverse cultural, contextual, and workforce settings.

    Embedded within the research group is flexibility, both in terms of participation and formats for engagement, which we hope encourages involvement across disciplines and career stages. With this flexibility, we are well-suited to promote both internal synergy and external visibility. As such, we look forward to the ways LEARN-HigherEd can act as a cross-cutting arena connecting and amplifying the work of other research groups, such as Technology and Learning at FSV, and Innovation, Leadership and Technology at FLU, by offering a broad, university-wide platform specifically for topics related to higher education teaching and learning, deeply rooted in inclusive and evidence-based practice. If you are interested to join or collaborate with LEARN-HigherEd’s current research or have an idea for the future, feel free to reach out at any time to us!

    Group leader Anna S. CohenMiller Professor, PLUS anna.cohenmiller@nord.no

    Read about the research group LEARN-HigherEd