ARLE SIG TALE Symposium 2025

MARIA ALEXIOU	Digital literacies, language, and education
Natalie Bellis	Teaching Writing in an Age of Automation
Rawya Burbara Rima Baransi	Technology as a Mediator: Bridging Teachers, Students, and Learning Materials in the Digital Age
Maria Christoforou Elena Ioannidou	Virtual Reality-mediated literacy: introducing a new multimodal literacy for meaning-making
Maria Georgiou Sviatlana Karpava	The Potential of Artificial Intelligence Integration in Higher Education
Marina Georgiou Moria	Ahampoum! Exploring Children’s Meaning-Making Through Meaningless Words
Anna-Lena Godhe Ylva Lindberg Maria Bäcke	Co-authoring a school assignment with AI
Anna-Lena Godhe	AI technologies and information seeking
Monica Hansen	Responding to “Newness”: Novelty and the Structure of Memory
Kristian B Kjellström	Teacher support for digital text production in middle school: A collaborative design
Stavroula Kontovourki Theoni Neokleous	Newness as assemblage: Some insights from case studies of children’s digital play experiences
Dimitrios Koutsogiannis	From videogames to Aritificial Intelligence in (literacy) education: ephemerality or diachronicity?
Nikos Papadopoulos Anastasia Topalidou Laskaridou	Teenagers, AI, and digital literacies: Emerging practices in formal and shadow education settings
Nikos Papadopoulos	Narrative in school and out-of-school contexts: New narrative reality, teenagers’ literacy practices, and language education
Evie Poyiadji	Blurring boundaries in L1 Classrooms: spatial hybridization, mediation and materiality in literacy practices
Annie Sjöö	Perceptions and values of the audiobook in Swedish media
Sylvana Sofkova Hashemi	Fostering AI literacy in higher education: students’ multimodal prompting
Sylvana Sofkova Hashemi Petra Magnusson Anna Åkerfeldt	Teachers’ Designing and Assessment of Digital Multimodal Meaning Making: models for collaborative meta-thinking in action
Juliane Tolle	Responding to ‘Newness’ in Primary Writing Instruction: Potentials and Limits of the Digital Writing Environment Skribi
Marie Wejrum	Professional development for complex digital reading comprehension (more information)

MARIA ALEXIOU (Greece)
DIGITAL LITERACIES, LANGUAGE, AND EDUCATION

As repeatedly highlighted in the literature, technological advancements in the field of digital media have a crucial impact on education and literacy. The concept of digital literacy or digital literacies (DL), depending on the theoretical tradition one adopts, constitutes a critical element in the field of related discourse. My doctoral thesis titled "Language Educational Policies for Digital Media in the European Union and Greece" investigates the connection between DL and language teaching in selected policy texts: What position does language hold in the perception of these texts regarding digital literacies? What position do digital literacies hold in educational policy texts for language? Specifically, I investigate how the concept of DL is understood in selected official texts at both European and local levels, focusing on explicit or implicit perceptions of language and trends for its teaching in school as presented in these texts.
More specifically, I examine reference texts of the European Union for the DL (DigComp, DigCompEdu, DigCompOrg), and for language teaching (CEFR), as well as selected curricula for Greek secondary education (Curricula for Modern Greek Language, Literature, Informatics, and Foreign Languages). At the same time, I analyze the Digital Education Action Plan 2021-2027 as an umbrella text for the perception of DL in the European Union. There is no corresponding umbrella text specifically for education in Greece, but the Digital Transformation Bible (Βίβλος Ψηφιακού Μετασχηματισμού) provides a clear understanding of how DL is perceived at a central level.
My work includes a review of the literature on DL in education and educational policy. I will use analysis tools provided by the frameworks of Critical Discourse Analysis and Nexus Analysis. I will rely on text analysis with qualitative analysis software. The keywords I will use for text annotation come partly bottom-up, from finding ontologies in the texts with the Sketch Engine software (ontology research, see e.g. Gang & Zing (2022)), and partly top-down, from the literature review (see also the method of developing a keyword list according to Stierer & Bloome in Street & Lefstein (2008)).
References
Council of Europe. (2020). Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, teaching, assessment – Companion volume. Council of Europe Publishing. https://www.coe.int/en/web/common-european-framework-reference-languages
Digital Education Action Plan 2021 - 2027. (2020). European Commission. https://education.ec.europa.eu/focus-topics/digital-education/action-plan
Gang, W., & Jing., H. (2022). A Bibliometric Analysis on Research Trends of Digital Literacy in Higher Education from 2012 to 2021. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning, 17(16). https://doi.org/10.3991/ijet.v17i16.31377
Kampylis, P., Punie, Y., & Devine, J. (2015). Promoting Effective Digital-Age Learning - A European Framework for Digitally-Competent Educational Organisations. European Union. https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2791/54070
Πρόγραμμα Σπουδών για τις Ξένες Γλώσσες στο Γενικό Λύκειο. (2022). (2η έκδ.). Ινστιτούτο Εκπαιδευτικής Πολιτικής. https://iep.edu.gr/el/nea-ps-provoli
Πρόγραμμα Σπουδών για το Μάθημα της Πληροφορικής στις Α΄, Β΄και Γ΄Τάξεις Γυμνασίου. (2022). (2η έκδ.). Ινστιτούτο Εκπαιδευτικής Πολιτικής. https://iep.edu.gr/el/nea-ps-provoli
Πρόγραμμα Σπουδών για το Μάθημα της Πληροφορικής στις Α΄, Β΄και Γ΄Τάξεις Λυκείου. (2022). (2η έκδ.). Ινστιτούτο Εκπαιδευτικής Πολιτικής. https://iep.edu.gr/el/nea-ps-provoli
Πρόγραμμα Σπουδών Λογοτεχνίας στις Α΄, Β΄και Γ΄Τάξεις Γυμνασίου. (2022). (2η έκδ.). Ινστιτούτο Εκπαιδευτικής Πολιτικής. https://iep.edu.gr/el/nea-ps-provoli
Πρόγραμμα Σπουδών Λογοτεχνίας στις Α΄, Β΄και Γ΄Τάξεις Λυκείου. (2022). (2η έκδ.). Ινστιτούτο Εκπαιδευτικής Πολιτικής. https://iep.edu.gr/el/nea-ps-provoli
Πρόγραμμα Σπουδών Νεοελληνικής Γλώσσας στις Α΄, Β΄και Γ΄Τάξεις Γυμνασίου. (2022). (2η έκδ.). Ινστιτούτο Εκπαιδευτικής Πολιτικής. https://iep.edu.gr/el/nea-ps-provoli
Πρόγραμμα Σπουδών Νεοελληνικής Γλώσσας στις Α΄, Β΄και Γ΄Τάξεις Λυκείου. (2022). (2η έκδ.). Ινστιτούτο Εκπαιδευτικής Πολιτικής. https://iep.edu.gr/el/nea-ps-provoli
Redecker, C. (2017). European framework for the digital competence of educators: DigCompEdu, (Punie, Y., ed.) Publications Office of the European Union. https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2760/159770
Street, B.V. & Lefstein, A. (2007). Literacy. An advanced resource book. Routledge.
Vuorikari, R., Kluzer, S., & Punie, Y. (2022). DigComp 2.2, The Digital Competence framework for citizens. Publications Office of the European Union. https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2760/115376
Υπουργείο Ψηφιακής Διακυβέρνησης. (2021). Βίβλος Ψηφιακού Μετασχηματισμού 2020-2025. https://digitalstrategy.gov.gr/


Natalie Bellis ()
TEACHING WRITING IN AN AGE OF AUTOMATION

As generative AI technologies interact with the everyday practices of secondary English teachers in Australia, how will they mediate what subject English is and could be? Evocatively described by McQuillan as “the steam hammer of limited imagination” (2022, p. 115), how might generative AI technologies interact with existing automated perspectives and processes, such as standardised assessment, that already mediate writing in classrooms? In contrast, how might the everyday creativity and “improvisatory modes” (Pink, 2023, p. 18) of English teachers open up possibilities for resistance (Robinson, 2023)?

This research project seeks to explore the ways in which this ‘new’ technology is mediating the teaching of writing in secondary English classrooms. In particular, the project investigates how the increasing ubiquity of synthetic text is shaping the practices and identities of secondary English teachers as teachers of writing. Bakhtinian perspectives on language (Bakhtin, 1981; 1986) are employed to speculate about the implications of GenAI for meaning-making practices in English classrooms in light of the monologic nature of texts produced by LLMs. Institutional ethnography (Smith, 1987; 1999) is utilised as a method of inquiry to make sense of how generative AI is textually mediating the practices of English teachers.

References:

Bakhtin, M. (1981). The dialogic imagination: Four essays (M. Holquist, Trans.). University of Texas Press.

Bakhtin, M. (1986). Speech genres and other late essays (V. McGee, Trans.; M. Holquist & C. Emerson, Eds.). University of Texas Press.

McQuillan, D. (2022). Resisting AI: An anti-fascist approach to artificial intelligence. Bristol University Press.

Pink, S. (2023). Emerging technologies / Life at the edge of the future (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003182528

Robinson, B. (2023). Speculative propositions for digital writing under the new autonomous model of literacy. Postdigital Science and Education. 5(1), 117-135. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42438-022-00358-5

Smith, D. (1987). The everyday world as problematic: A feminist sociology. Northeastern University Press.

Smith, D. (1999). Writing the social: Critique, theory, and investigations. University of Toronto Press.


Rawya Burbara & Rima Baransi (Israel)
TECHNOLOGY AS A MEDIATOR: BRIDGING TEACHERS, STUDENTS, AND LEARNING MATERIALS IN THE DIGITAL AGE

Technology as a Mediator: Bridging Teachers, Students, and Learning Materials in the Digital Age
Context
The educational landscape has undergone a profound historical transformation from the traditional classroom setup to today's technology-infused learning environments. This evolution reflects not merely technological advancement but a fundamental shift in how knowledge is created, disseminated, and internalized. In subjects like Arabic language instruction, where historical and cultural dimensions add complexity through phenomena like diglossia, technology serves not merely as an instructional tool but as a crucial mediator transforming otherwise distant content into accessible, engaging learning experiences.
Aims
This presentation examines technology's role as a mediator in the educational triad of teacher-student-content, demonstrating how digital tools can transform passive learning experiences into active, engaging interactions. Through three distinct projects implemented by us at the Israeli Ministry of Education, we illustrate how technology can enhance teaching methodologies, expand learning opportunities, and foster student autonomy while addressing specific educational challenges.
Methods
The study presents three complementary technological initiatives:
1. The Writing Initiative: A pioneering computerized model for teaching Arabic as a mother tongue that employs a four-stage approach (preparatory, reading comprehension, writing, and evaluation).
2. Digital Teaching Units: An innovative platform enabling teachers to rapidly create rich, interactive lessons incorporating multiple engaging activities. These units provide structured yet flexible frameworks that allow teachers to customize content while maintaining pedagogical coherence.
3. Digital Courses for Independent Learning: Student-centered digital courses that promote autonomous learning through technology. These courses shift the educational paradigm from teacher-centered instruction to student-led exploration, allowing learners to progress at their own pace while developing digital literacy skills.
Findings
These three projects demonstrate technology's potential as a mediator between teachers, students, and learning materials:
• Makes lesson preparation experience for teachers easier and more engaging
• Transforms the learning experience for students to be more interesting and effective
• Makes learning materials more attractive and accessible
Discussion
The findings suggest that successful digital integration in education requires attention to the specific needs of different subject areas, thoughtful consideration of user experience for both teachers and students, and ongoing adaptation to emerging technologies. As education systems worldwide respond to digital "newness," these projects offer valuable insights into creating balanced approaches that leverage technology's strengths while preserving educational fundamentals.
Keywords: educational technology, digital mediation, teacher-student-content triad, Arabic language education, digital literacy, autonomous learning, Israeli education system


Maria Christoforou & Elena Ioannidou (Cyprus)
VIRTUAL REALITY-MEDIATED LITERACY: INTRODUCING A NEW MULTIMODAL LITERACY FOR MEANING-MAKING

This proposal is part of a PhD study in progress, and explores how Virtual Reality (VR) can transform the instruction of English for Specific Purposes (ESP), specifically in the course “English for Fine Arts”, foregrounding the embodied and multimodal dimensions of foreign language learning. Traditional ESP instruction often centers on decontextualized linguistic practice with emphasis on logocentric texts (Christoforou, 2022), yet VR enables a multimodal, immersive learning experience (Jauregi-Ondarra et al., 2024) that challenges these conventions. In this study, students engage in simulated Fine Arts experiences: the first environment provides an embodied, simulated navigation within Salvador Dali’s painting “Archaeological Reminiscence of Millet’s Angelus” and the second environment enables students to create multimodal compositions in a 360-degree space, allowing students to transfer their knowledge in a new context (Lim & Tan-Chia, 2022). Apart from language, students also incorporate gestures, spatial awareness, visual cues, and interaction with virtual artifacts. As a result, language becomes sensorial, rooted in experience, movement, and perception, rather than abstract or detached from context. Multimodality emerges as a critical response to newness (Kress, 2003), offering a lens through which we understand language learning as a material, embodied, and situated process. Students’ linguistic performance is co-constructed through the interplay of bodies, immersive spaces, and artifacts, merging language and literacy. By examining students’ recorded think-aloud interviews in the VR environment, and their written description of pre- and post-texts, the aim of this paper is to explore how their understanding and use of English shifts since literacy extends beyond reading and writing to encompass doing, sensing, and creating. As a result, learners become designers of meaning, and their multimodal outputs, both verbal and non-verbal, become artifacts of learning.
Through an action research framework involving two rounds of VR-based interventions, we investigate how VR introduces Virtual Reality-mediated literacy, not only in terms of the tool, but also in terms of how students conceive of literacy, language, and learning itself through embodiment (Mills et al., 2022). This embraces “new technical stuff” (what VR technology can offer) and the “new ethos stuff” (how it can change learning) (Lankshear & Knobel, 2011). This research aims to contribute to the way education responds to newness by embracing multimodal pedagogies and redefining literacies.






References:
Christoforou, M. (2022). University students ’ transformation of meanings within an ESP digital context. Professional and Academic English, 29(2), 23–47.


Christoforou, M., & Efthimiou, F. (2023). Introducing Dreams of Dali in a Tertiary
Education ESP Course: Technological and Pedagogical Implementations. In Zaphiris, P., & Ioannou, A. (Eds.), Lecture Notes in Computer Science: Vol. 14041. Learning and Collaboration Technologies. HCII 2023. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-34550-0_4


Jauregi-Ondarra, K., Meijerink, J., & Christoforou, M. (2023). Using high-immersion
social virtual reality environments for researching interculturality. In Sadeghi, K. (Ed.), The Routledge Handbook of Technological Advances in Researching Language Learning (pp. 403-419). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003459088-36


Kress, G. (2003). Literacy in the New Media Age. Routledge.
Lankshear, C., & Knobel, M. (2011). The New Literacies: Everyday Practices and Social Learning (3rd ed.). Open University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/deafed/enj039

Lim, F.V., & Tan-Chia, L. (2022). Designing Learning for Multimodal Literacy:
Teaching Viewing and Representing (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003258513


Mills, K. A., Scholes, L., & Brown, A. (2022). Virtual Reality and Embodiment in
Multimodal Meaning Making. Written Communication, 39(3), 335-369.
https://doi.org/10.1177/07410883221083517


Maria Christoforou is a PhD Candidate researching the pedagogical use of Virtual Reality (VR) in English language learning. She holds an MA in Applied Linguistics from the Open University, UK, and a BA in English Language and Literature from the University of Cyprus. She has taught English in secondary and tertiary education, and since 2012 she has been involved in the teaching of ESP and curriculum development at the Cyprus University of Technology. She has participated in High Immersion Social VR intercultural projects and she is also the representative of EuroCALL in Cyprus. Her interests include VR-assisted language learning (VRALL), immersive technologies, and multimodality.


Elena Ioannidou is Associate Professor in Language Education at the University of Cyprus. She holds a BA in Education (University of Cyprus), and an MA and PhD in Applied Linguistics and Sociolinguistics (University of Southampton, UK). A trained ethnographer, her research focuses on sociolinguistics, multilingualism, language and identity, and linguistic ethnography. She explores language as performance and its links to social groupings and networks. Her pedagogical interests include literacy, genre-based education, and metalinguistic awareness. She has led EU- and nationally funded projects, is a founding member of the Literacy Association of Cyprus, and served on the board of the Linguistic Society of Cyprus.


Maria Georgiou & Sviatlana Karpava (Cyprus)
THE POTENTIAL OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE INTEGRATION IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Previous research on the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into Higher Education (Crompton and Burke, 2023; McGrath et al., 2023) has concluded that both students and academic staff recognize the potential of AI in Higher Education, even though certain ethical issues and concerns should be properly addressed (Zawacki-Richter et al., 2019; Rasul et al., 2023). This study investigated perceptions of students and faculty regarding the use of AI in Higher Education. The research employed a mixed-methods approach combining closed-ended and open-ended questions in a survey for data collection. The sample consisted of 28 faculty members and 200 students of various courses from a private university in Cyprus. Key findings reveal that both students and faculty generally hold positive attitudes towards AI integration in Higher Education. Students primarily use AI chatbots for academic research, and as writing assistants. Faculty members recognize AI's potential in providing personalized learning opportunities, as well as its capacity to generate educational materials and content. However, the participants also expressed several concerns. Initially, students expressed worries about the potential negative impact on their critical thinking skills and the possibility of their data privacy and security being compromised. In addition, faculty members emphasized the need for training and support on the proper use of AI technologies in Higher Education. Both students and faculty stressed the importance of regulating the use of AI to ensure ethical practices. Overall, these results highlight the importance of developing AI integration strategies regarding proper training, as well as establishing clear ethical guidelines.

References:
Crompton, H. & Burke, D. (2023). Artificial intelligence in higher education: The state of the field. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 20, 22.
McGrath, C., Pargman, T.C., Juth, N., & Palmgren, P.J. (2023). University teachers' perceptions of responsibility and artificial intelligence in higher education: An experimental philosophical study. Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 4, 100139.
Rasul, T., Nair, S., Kalendra, D., Robin, M., de Oliveira Santini, F., Ladeira, W.J., Sun, M., Day, I., Rather, R.A., & Heathcote, L. (2023). The role of ChatGPT in higher education: Benefits, challenges, and future research directions. Journal of Applied Learning and Teaching, 6(1), 41-56.
Zawacki-Richter, O., Marín, V.I., Bond, M., & Gouverneur, F. (2019). Systematic review of research on artificial intelligence applications in higher education–where are the educators?. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 16(1), 1-27.


Marina Georgiou Moria (Cyprus)
AHAMPOUM! EXPLORING CHILDREN’S MEANING-MAKING THROUGH MEANINGLESS WORDS

The aim of my presentation is to share with you a part of my doctoral dissertation which delves into the sociomaterial assemblages that are continually reassembling while digital writing is materialized in the classroom and explores children’s ever emerging meaning-making. It draws on the sociomaterial theory (Burnett & Merchant, 2020· Fenwick & Landri, 2012) which challenges the human superiority against the matter and emphasizes that all matter has some form of agency and all entities emerge from their relations with other bodies. In order to understand this relational connection, my dissertation borrows the concept of “intra-action” from Barad’ s theory (2007) which assumes that no “person” pre-exists as such, but rather is realized through intra-action, that is, its relationship with all other entities that are also active agents in any “assemblage” (Deleuze & Guattari, 1987) emerged in literacy-as-event encounters (Burnett & Merchant, 2020). My research work is also interested in the affective, embodied and material dimensions of digital writing practices as part of any emerging literacy assemblage (Boldt & Leander, 2020. Burnett & Merchant, 2020. Leander & Ehret, 2019. Lenters & McDermott, 2020).
While my work is still “in progress”, I will attempt to present an early analysis of a literacy-as-event (Burnett & Merchant, 2020) through the theoretical lens of transmediation (Siegel & Panofsky, 2009) focusing on the ephemerality and emergence of meaning-making. Using footages, the analysis will revolve around a seemingly meaningless word, produced by a student, while he and his team were writing their own twisted fairy tale on a laptop. I will examine the children’s creation of “code” from already available codes and the ways they give meaning to them. Also, I will discuss how this “code” is mediated by the way the children defined the situation as "play", by their friendships, their interests, and the way they defined themselves as writers. Finally, the affective, embodied and material dimensions of this literacy-as-event will be highlighted through a sociomaterial perspective in order to map the relationships between the “things” involved in the changing assemblage, i.e. students, teacher, digital device, WiFi, curriculum, pedagogies, practices, time and space.

REFERENCES
Barad, K. (2007). Meeting the Universe Halfway. Quantum Physics and the
Entanglement of Matter and Meaning. Duke University Press.
Boldt, G. & Leander, K.M. (2020). Affect Theory in Reading Research: Imagining the Radical Difference.  Reading Psychology, 41(6), 515-532.
Burnett, C. & Merchant, G. (2020). Undoing the Digital-Sociomaterialism and Literacy Education. Routledge.
Deleuze, G. & Guattari, F. (1987). A Thousand Plateaus: Capitalism and
Schizophrenia. Translated by B. Massumi. University of Minnesota Press.
Fenwick, T. & Landri, P. (2012). Materialities, textures and pedagogies: sociomaterial assemblages in education. Pedagogy, Culture and Society,20 (1), 1-7.
Leander, K., & Ehret, C. (Eds.). (2019). Affect in literacy learning and teaching: Pedagogies, politics and coming to know. Routledge.
Lenters, K., & McDermott, M. (2020). Affect, embodiment, and place in critical literacy. Routledge. https://doi. org/10, 4324(9780), 4.
Siegel, M., & Panofsky, C. P. (2009). Designs for multimodality in literacy studies: Explorations in analysis. In 58th yearbook of the national reading conference (pp. 99-111). Oak Creek, WI: National Reading Conference, Inc.


Anna-Lena Godhe & Ylva Lindberg & Maria Bäcke (Sweden)
CO-AUTHORING A SCHOOL ASSIGNMENT WITH AI

Currently, great attention is given to what AI tools may mean for educational practices,
not least when it comes to writing. Since tools like ChatGPT have proved to create texts of
good quality when prompted to create common school tasks, questions arise about how
algorithmic collaborations, and authorship will play out in the writing process
(Henrickson 2021).

This presentation builds on an analysis of Swedish teenagers writing stories about Futures together with AI tools (Lindberg & Haglind 2024) and a forthcoming chapter (Lindberg, Godhe & Bäcke in press) where the writing process is analysed with a post-humanist (cf Haraway 2016) and postdigital perspective (cf Jandrić et al. 2018). The analysis revealed three phases of the co-authoring process involving humans and AI-tools. In the first phase, the students were in a discursive closure (Markham 2022) that tied them to the present practices and technology, keeping them at a distance from futures imagination. The second phase gave rise to collaborative intra-actions (Barad 2007) where prompts facilitated communication between humans and technology. In this phase, authorship, writing practices, and narratives were reshaped due to the coming together of students’ agency and computational creativity (Sweeney 2023). The entanglement of the creative process came into focus in the third phase when students attended to stylistic differences in the co-created text. Writing within a school assignment, the students were aware of rules and regulations that made them re-write the co-written text to adhere to the evaluated position as sole authors.

Referenses
Barad, K. (2007). Meeting the Universe Halfway: Quantum Physics and the Entanglement of Matter and Meaning. Durham. NC: Duke University Press. https://doi.org/10.1215/9780822388128.

Haraway, D. J. (2016). Staying with the Trouble: Making Kin in the Chthulucene. Durham, NC: Duke University Press.
Henrickson, L. (2021). Reading Computer-generated Texts. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108906463.

Jandrić, P., Knox, J., Besley, T., Ryberg, T., Suoranta, J., & Hayes, S. (2018). Postdigital Science and Education. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 50(10), 893–899. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131857.2018.1454000.

Lindberg, Y., Godhe, A.- L. & Bäcke, M. (in press). The Unbearable Lightness of Imagination in a GenAI Era. Changing Creative Writing Practices in School. In Jandrić, P., Suoranta, J., Teräs, H., & Teräs, M. (in press). Postdigital Imaginations: Critiques, Methods, and Interventions. Cham: Springer.

Lindberg, Y., & Haglind, T. (2024). Who Holds the Future? Value Enactment through Futures Framing by Upper Secondary School Teachers. In A. Buch, Y. Lindberg, & T. Cerratto Pargman (Eds.), Framing Futures in Postdigital Education: Critical Concepts for Data-driven Practices (pp. 21–37). Cham: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-58622-4_2.

Markham, A. (2021). The Limits of the Imaginary: Challenges to Intervening in Future Speculations of Memory, Data, and Algorithms. New Media & Society, 23(2), 382-405. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444820929322.

Sweeny, R. W. (2023). Digital and Postdigital Media in Art Education. Studies in Art Education, 64(4), 401–405. https://doi.org/10.1080/00393541.2023.2273706.


Anna-Lena Godhe (Sweden)
AI TECHNOLOGIES AND INFORMATION SEEKING

The project, ReSearch: Researching the transforming landscape of information seeking – AI technologies and learning in Swedish schools, which starts in July 2025, seeks to understand what generative AI technologies used for information-seeking entail for Swedish compulsory school. Seeking information is a taken-for-granted activity in many learning exercises, but the introduction of AI unsettles conditions for how information can be sought and evaluated.
The presentation will focus on the general setting of the study and aim to generate a discussion amongst participants on how AI affects search and the implications for L1-teaching and learning. Previous research shows the difficulties young people face in evaluating and reasoning about the sources they encounter while looking for information on the internet (e.g., McGrew, 2020). Haider and Sundin (2022) distinguish between the sceptical approach to evaluating sources, which states that you cannot trust anything unless you have experienced it yourself, and a pragmatic approach, which emphasises the importance of reasonable trust in established sources. A sceptical approach runs the risk of contributing to a loss of trust in expertise, established sources, and public institutions; at the same time, it is important that the pragmatic approach does not end in a naïve trust in the same actors. Research has also underlined the importance of people understanding how algorithms work on different platforms (e.g., Lomborg & Kapsch, 2020), and more specifically in relation to chatbots and voice assistants (Parnell et al., 2022).
A central question is how to make students aware of the different infrastructures of AI-technology like ChatGPT and search engines like Google. How does the infrastructure affects the “answers” we get when posing questions in the different settings and how does this matter in an educational context? Search engines are often seen as neutral (e.g., Hillis et al., 2012), despite research showing that such neutrality is impossible (e.g., Noble, 2018). When pupils receive the results of their questions in the form of AI generated text rather than a series of clickable links, the underlying machinery is likely to become even more invisible (e.g., Tlili et al., 2023). Shah and Bender (2022) argue that chatbot responses to user queries risk masking search engine bias and making it extremely difficult for users to discern the information sources. Research has also reported challenges in creating information-seeking content for teaching and learning in Swedish schools (Sundin & Carlsson, 2016). Seeking information is seen by many pupils as a simple look-up task rather than an activity involving understanding, interpretation, and evaluation (Marchionini 2006) and information seeking in schools is often taken for granted and rarely problematised (Alexandersson & Limberg, 2012). How can source criticism be developed and taught in a digital environment that increasingly is saturated with AI-technology and how can we as users act if we want to avoid AI-generated answers?

References
Alexandersson, M., & Limberg, L. (2012). Changing conditions for information use and learning in Swedish schools: A synthesis of research. Human IT: Journal for Information Technology Studies as a Human Science, 11(2).
Hillis, K., Petit, M., & Jarrett, K. (2012). Google and the Culture of Search. Routledge.
Lomborg, S. & Kapsch, P. H. (2020). Decoding algorithms. Media, Culture & Society, 42(5), 745-761.
Marchionini, G. (2006). Exploratory search: from finding to understanding. Communications of the ACM, 49(4), 41-46.
McGrew, S. (2020). Learning to evaluate: an intervention in civic online reasoning. Computers & Education, 145(103711).
Noble, S. U. (2018). Algorithms of oppression. New York University Press.
Parnell, S. I., Klein, S. H., & Gaiser, F. (2022). Do we know and do we care? Algorithms and Attitude towards Conversational User Interfaces: Comparing Chatbots and Voice Assistants. In Proceedings of the 4th Conference on Conversational User Interfaces (pp. 1- 6).
Shah, C., & Bender, E. M. (2022). Situating search. In ACM SIGIR Conference on Human Information Interaction and Retrieval (pp. 221-232).
Sundin, O., & Carlsson, H. (2016). Outsourcing trust to the information infrastructure in schools: How search engines order knowledge in education practices. Journal of Documentation, 72(6), 990-1007.
Tlili, A., Shehata, B., Adarkwah, M. A., Bozkurt, A., Hickey, D. T., Huang, R., & Agyemang, B. (2023). What if the devil is my guardian angel: ChatGPT asa case study of using chatbots in education. Smart Learning Environments, 10(1), 15.


Monica Hansen ()
RESPONDING TO “NEWNESS”: NOVELTY AND THE STRUCTURE OF MEMORY

What is newness? Novelty is “newness.” In human cognition, novelty and habituation are the poles around which human learning surges, Novelty causes us to attend to a sensory signal, whereby it can be perceived, recognized, and interpreted as experience. In artificial cognition, does novelty function the same way?
Memory for meaning-making/sense-making derives cumulatively from our experiences of being human (Fini et al., 2023). What we have heard, seen, felt, and read before, is what grows commonplace. As we become habituated to technology, we no longer attend to what we know of a process which has been integrated into our routines; we can enter a password on a keypad in our sleep. Even after TBI affects our memories and functions, others remain, the trace of how they were created—not direct transmission or copy and paste—but encoded in individuals through sensory experience, marked indelibly by time and place.
In this paper, I use a framework from embodied cognition (Gomez Paloma, 2017; Macrine & Fugate, 2021) and neuroscience to contrast the effects of newness on the structure of knowledge used by students and teachers in language learning: both human and artificial (Siemens et al., 2022). Excerpts from preservice teachers’ reflections on constructing lesson plans using their own knowledge and AI illustrate themes for discussion including the evolution of models of memory and knowledge, how they are used in education and educational theory, and how the structure and place of memory may shift for future students who use AI to supplement, compliment, subsume, or replace their own knowledge.

Fini, C., Caruana, F., & Borghi, A. M. (2023). Editorial: Rising ideas in: theoretical and philosophical psychology. Frontiers in Psychology, 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1269309
Gomez Paloma, F. (2017). Embodied Cognition: Theories and Applications in Education Science. Nova Science Publishers, Inc; eBook Academic Collection (EBSCOhost). https://unk.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=e000xna&AN=1443841&site=ehost-live
Macrine, S. L., & Fugate, J. M. B. (2021). Translating Embodied Cognition for Embodied Learning in the Classroom. Frontiers in Education, 6, 712626. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2021.712626
Siemens, G., Marmolejo-Ramos, F., Gabriel, F., Medeiros, K., Marrone, R., Joksimovic, S., & De Laat, M. (2022). Human and artificial cognition. Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 3, 100107. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2022.100107


Kristian B Kjellström (Sweden)
TEACHER SUPPORT FOR DIGITAL TEXT PRODUCTION IN MIDDLE SCHOOL: A COLLABORATIVE DESIGN

Abstract:
Teachers in Swedish middle schools often juggle diverse classrooms, ever-changing digital infrastructure and improving students’ literacy at the same time. This requires the teacher to possess competencies that integrate pedagogical, subject-specific, and digital knowledge and skills. The present study explores a middle school teacher’s competencies related to supporting students in digital text production during assessment situations.

This study is the final part of a larger design project, using Educational Design Research (McKenney & Reeves, 2019). The empirical material was collected during three separate assessment-occasions. Following the first occasion, the teacher reported experiencing difficulties supporting students in using the digital tools available, related to a change in the digital platform for testing. In response to this, the teacher and researcher collaboratively created a re-design of the test-situation which was applied and evaluated during the two subsequent assessment-occasions. The re-design included, among other elements, a multimodal scaffolding structure that students could use independently of the teacher to be supported in their technical skills. The data consists of transcribed interviews, observational field notes, photographs, classroom material and student texts produced during the assessment-occasions. The material is analysed using a modified version of the framework Technological, Pedagogical and Content Knowledge, TPACK (Mishra & Koehler, 2006, 2009), adding teachers contextualised knowledge and knowledge of context (Brianza et al., 2022, 2024).

The material is still being analysed, but interviews and observations indicate that the collaborative re-design improved the test-situation, making it possible for the teacher to offer additional support to students. While the students where not observed to actively use the scaffolding structure the teacher-student dialogue concerning the technical aspects seems to have improved the digital test-situation, leaving the teacher more time to offer support students on a pedagogical and content level. As the empirical data and analysis are still being processed, for this symposium, excerpts of data and analysis will be presented and discussed in relation to the theoretical framework and the theme of the symposium.

References
Brianza, E., Schmid, M., Tondeur, J., & Petko, D. (2022). Situating TPACK: A Systematic Literature Review of Context as a Domain of Knowledge. Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 22(4), 707–753.
Brianza, E., Schmid, M., Tondeur, J., & Petko, D. (2024). Is contextual knowledge a key component of expertise for teaching with technology? A systematic literature review. Computers and Education Open, 7, 100201. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeo.2024.100201
Koehler, M. J., & Mishra, P. (2009). What is technological pedagogical content knowledge? Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education (Vol. 9, Issue 1). http://www.tpck.org/.
McKenney, S., & Reeves, T. C. (2019). Conducting Educational Design Research (2nd ed.). Routledge.
Mishra, P., & Koehler, M. J. (2006). Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge: A Framework for Teacher Knowledge. Teachers College Record, 108(6), 1017–1054. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9620.2006.00684.x


Bio:
Kristian B. Kjellström is a PhD-student in Pedagogical work at Kristianstad University in Sweden. Kristian is an also certified teacher of Swedish L1 and English L2. His research revolves around teachers’ work and competencies in using digital tools in inclusive literacy environments. The research is practise oriented and involves how teachers realise support and scaffolding for reading- and writing activities in a full-class teaching context.


Stavroula Kontovourki & Theoni Neokleous (Cyprus)
NEWNESS AS ASSEMBLAGE: SOME INSIGHTS FROM CASE STUDIES OF CHILDREN’S DIGITAL PLAY EXPERIENCES

The purpose of the presentation is to discuss how a case study methodology allows the understanding of newness as emergent and potentially morphed in the mundane details of children’s digital play. Focusing particularly on the affordances of the specific methodological approach, it explores two issues in researching children’s digital literacies: (a) children’s visibility and “voice” in research; and (b) their positioning in relation to new technologies. Both of these issues have been problematized from the perspective, first, that children enter a particular adult-child relationship when they participate in research (Kontovourki & Theodorou, 2019), and, second, that they are both receivers/consumers and creative users/producers of new digital tools (e.g., Marsh, 2016; Rowsell & Harwood, 2015).

To contribute to this problematization, we draw on data from an international research study, funded by the Lego Foundation and underpinned by the Responsible Innovation in Technology for Children (RITEC) (2021) child-centred framework. The research adapted an ecocultural case study methodology to generate data through interviews with children and their families, videorecordings of children’s play, documentation of children’s digital play with given games, as well as from families themselves as they were asked to share and reflect on clips of videorecorded observations. In this presentation, we focus specifically on cases from the Republic of Cyprus where children’s ecologies of (digital) literacies were reconfigured by the introduction of digital devices and play experiences that were new to them.

We analyze data along two axes and attempt to answer the following questions: what happens to the everydayness of children’s digital literacies when “new” is introduced? How is the house, as a literacy space, transformed upon the introduction of “new” devices and “new” forms of digital play? And, how do our methods for researching this new digital experience, seen as an assemblage of material/immaterial human/nonhuman forces, matter? We thus discuss the potential of different ecocultural methods, including map-making and walking interviews, as forms of representation of children’s digital literacy and play experiences, as well as sites for children’s engagement with texts, material objects, and more-than-human forces. Hence, we contribute to understanding newness as intra-acting with existing ecologies of digital literacies and play, which sheds light to a lived and embodied experience rather than a top-down perspective of continuity and change.

References
Kontovourki, S., & Theodorou, E. (2019). Performative politics and the interview: Unraveling immigrant children’s narrations and identity performances. In S. Spyrou, R. Rosen, & D. Cook (Eds.), Reimagining Childhood Studies (pp. 153-166). London, UK: Bloomsbury Publishing.

Marsh, J. (2016) ‘Unboxing’ videos: co-construction of the child as cyberflâneur, Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, 37(3), 369-380, DOI: 10.1080/01596306.2015.1041457

Rowsell, J., & Harwood, D. (2015). “Let It Go”: Exploring the Image of the Child as a Producer, Consumer, and Inventor, Theory Into Practice, 54(2), 136-146, DOI: 10.1080/00405841.2015.1010847


Dimitrios Koutsogiannis (Greece)
FROM VIDEOGAMES TO ARITIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN (LITERACY) EDUCATION: EPHEMERALITY OR DIACHRONICITY?

A prominent trend in studies examining digital technologies within literacy education is ephemerality, in the sense that emphasis is given on exploring the pedagogic possibilities of every new technology (e.g., Word Processing, Internet, Social Media, Video Games, A.I.). This presentation advocates for the necessity of an ontological shift toward identifying enduring parameters not tied to specific technologies but rather transcendent and diachronic in nature. To illustrate this perspective, I will examine scholarly discourse on videogames in education over the last two decades (e.g. Cole et al., 2024; Nash 2025) and argue that this examination could be essential for feeding the ongoing discussions surrounding the role of artificial intelligence in literacy education.

I will draw on data from two large-scale research projects. The first project (2011-2015) involves a combined analysis of quantitative (1,185 questionnaires) and qualitative data (6 ethnographic case studies) from children aged 11-15 (see Koutsogiannis & Adampa, 2022). The second project utilizes data from a survey conducted with 912 children aged 10-18 in June 2020, immediately following the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Based on these data, I will challenge two prevalent assumptions. The first posits that videogames characterize children’s out-of-school literacy practices; however, my analysis reveals that children's engagement with videogames is not uniform but intertwined with aspects of their multifaceted literate identities (Koutsogiannis & Adampa, 2022). The second assumption suggests that the integration of videogames into education will positively impact teaching by making it more attractive for children and facilitating learning. My analysis reveals that this perspective is simplistic, primarily because it overlooks the "grammar” of educational systems (see Koutsogiannis, in Bacalja et al., 2024).

By addressing these assumptions, I contend that the shift from ephemerality to diachronicity is critical for comprehending the nexus between digital technologies and education, extending beyond the scope of videogames. Therefore, this perspective is instrumental in shaping the current dialogue on the application of Artificial Intelligence within literacy education.


References

Bacalja, A., Nichols, T. P., Robinson, B., Bhatt, I., Kucharczyk, S., Zomer, C., Nash, B., Dupont, B., de Cock, R., Zaman, B., Bonenfant, M., Grosemans, E., Schamroth Abrams, S., Vallis, C., Koutsogiannis, D., Dishon, G., Reed, J., Byers, T., Fawzy, R. M., Hsu, H.-P., Lowien, N., Barton, G., Callow, J., Liu, Z., Serafini, F., Vermeire, Z., deHaan, J., Croasdale, A., Torres-Toukoumidis, A., & Xu, X. (2024). Postdigital videogames literacies: Thinking with, through, and beyond James Gee’s learning principles. Postdigital Science and Education. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42438-024-00510-3

Cole, C., Parada, R. H., & Mackenzie, E. (2024). A scoping review of video games and learning in secondary classrooms. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 56(5), 544–577. https://doi.org/10.1080/15391523.2023.2186546

Koutsogiannis, D., & Adampa, V. (2022). Videogames and (language) education: Towards a critical post-videogaming perspective. L1-Educational Studies in Language and Literature, 22(2), 1–28.

Nash, B. (2025). Video games and literacy learning: Exploring the research. Technology, Knowledge and Learning, 30, 509–537. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10758-024-09787-6


Nikos Papadopoulos & Anastasia Topalidou Laskaridou ()
TEENAGERS, AI, AND DIGITAL LITERACIES: EMERGING PRACTICES IN FORMAL AND SHADOW EDUCATION SETTINGS

Abstract
The growing integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into everyday life is reshaping teenage literacy practices (Proctor & Rish, 2025). From AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants to generative text and image applications, young people interact with AI-driven technologies in ways that influence how they create, interpret, and engage with digital content. While existing literature highlights the evolving nature of digital literacies in this technological-communicational landscape (Lacković et al., 2024), it also raises concerns about the emergence of a “new autonomous model of literacy” (Koutsogiannis, 2007), which emphasizes the transformative potential of digital tools but overlooks the complex historical and socio-cultural dimensions of literacy, communication, and learning. Within this context, the present study examines how seven teenagers (aged 13–17) in Greece engage with AI technologies in both formal and shadow education (Bray, 2011) settings. It explores the literacy practices, identity work, and engagement strategies that emerge in these contexts, focusing on three key aspects: (a) the types of literacy practices fostered by AI tools, (b) the competencies teenagers develop through interactions with AI-generated content, and (c) the broader implications for contemporary literacy education. Employing a qualitative, collaborative ethnographic approach (Guerrero et al., 2023), data were collected through recordings of teenagers’ digital interactions with AI (e.g., chatbot conversations, AI-generated texts and images), supplemented by field notes and reflective informal conversations. Each example is analyzed as a nexus point (Elf et al., 2020), where discourses in place —such as technological advancements and perceptions of ‘newness’— intersect with technological affordances and human – non-human agency (Godwin-Jones, 2024). Findings indicate that teenagers use AI software both creatively and pragmatically. On one hand, they engage in multimodal content generation, leveraging AI for creative expression. On the other, they use AI pragmatically to streamline academic tasks, such as generating essay drafts or automating routine schoolwork (Selwyn et al., 2020). While these practices demonstrate their technical fluency, they also reveal challenges in fully harnessing AI’s pedagogical potential. Ultimately, the study underscores the crucial role of contemporary schooling in fostering literate agents (Kalantzis & Cope, 2025) who can engage mindfully, critically, and ethically with AI technologies.

References
Bray, M. (2011). The Challenge of Shadow Education: Private Tutoring and its Implications for Policy Makers in the European Union. NESSE Report.
Elf, N., Bulfin, S., & Koutsogiannis, D. (2020). The Ongoing Technocultural Production of L1: Current Practices and Future Prospects. In: B. Green & P.-O. Erixon (Eds.), Rethinking L1 Education in a Global Era (pp. 209-234). Springer.
Godwin-Jones, R. (2024). Distributed agency in language learning and teaching through generative AI. Language Learning & Technology, 28(2), 5–30. https://doi.org/10125/73570
Guerrero, A., L., Peña, I., N., & Dantas-Whitney, M. (2023). Collaborative Ethnography with Children. Building Intersubjectivity and Co-constructing Knowledge of Place. In: A. Skukauskaitė & J. L. Green (Eds.) Interactional Ethnography. Designing and Conducting Discourse-Based Ethnographic Research (pp. 163-182). Routledge.
Kalantzis, M., & Cope, B. (2025). Literacy in the Time of Artificial Intelligence. Reading Research Quarterly, 60(1), Article e591. https://doi.org/10.1002/rrq.591
Koutsogiannis, D. (2007). A political multi-layered approach to researching children's digital literacy practices. Language and Education 21(3), 216-231.
Lacković, N., Olteanu, A. & Campbell, C. (2024). Postdigital Literacies in Everyday Life and Pedagogic Practices. Postdigital Science and Education, 6, 796–820. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42438-024-00500-5
Proctor, C., & Rish, R., M. (2025). The song need not remain the same: AI literacies in the lives of youth. In S. Abas, J. D. DeHart, D. Gibbons Pyles, & R. A. Mora (Eds.), Reimagining Literacy in the Age of AI: Theory and Practice (pp. 135-151). CRC Press.
Selwyn, N., Nemorin, S., Bulfin, S., & Johnson, N. (2020). The 'obvious' stuff: exploring the mundane realities of students' digital technology use in school. Digital Education Review, 37(1). https://doi.org/10.1344/DER.2020.37.1-14

Short Bio – Nikos Papadopoulos
PhD Student, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
Email: nikospap59@gmail.com
T: (+30)6979951860
Nikos Papadopoulos is a secondary education Greek language teacher and a PhD Candidate in Educational Linguistics at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. He holds an MA in Applied Linguistics, and his research explores teenage narrative practices in and out of school through sociolinguistic and discourse-analytic perspectives. His study examines how narrative is taught in school compared to how teenagers engage with storytelling in everyday postdigital contexts, focusing on literacy experiences, semiotic repertoires, and identity roles. His research interests, conference presentations and scientific publications span narrative studies, educational discourse analysis, genre studies, sociolinguistics, and New Literacy Studies.

Short Bio – Anastasia Topalidou Laskaridou
Email: anas.top-lask@outlook.com
T: (+30)6982868817
Anastasia Topalidou Laskaridou is a secondary education Greek language teacher with an academic background in linguistics and semiotics. She holds two MA degrees from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, one in Applied Linguistics and one in Semiotics, Culture, and Communication. Her research focuses on sociolinguistics, New Literacy Studies, genre studies, and social semiotics. She has presented her work at international conferences and contributed to scientific publications, exploring the interplay between meaning-making and communication in diverse social contexts, with a particular interest in multimodal discourse and the evolving nature of literacy in digital and educational contexts.


Nikos Papadopoulos ()
NARRATIVE IN SCHOOL AND OUT-OF-SCHOOL CONTEXTS: NEW NARRATIVE REALITY, TEENAGERS’ LITERACY PRACTICES, AND LANGUAGE EDUCATION

Abstract
This dissertation explores the concept of narrative as it is realized both within and beyond the school context, drawing on sociolinguistic and discourse-analytic narrative traditions (De Fina, 2021; Giaxoglou & Georgakopoulou, 2021). It also integrates perspectives from critical discourse analysis, social semiotics, and New Literacy Studies to provide a comprehensive theoretical foundation. Despite increasing interest in literacy practices, few studies have systematically compared educational approaches to narrative with teenagers' out-of-school storytelling engagement. Against this backdrop, the study aims to critically illuminate the evolving narrative landscape at the intersection of school and out-of-school contexts, addressing a significant gap in the literature. Specifically, it explores: (a) the nature of literacy experiences fostered through narrative instruction, (b) the semiotic resources and affordances employed, (c) how teenage agency is enacted in different narrative engagement contexts, and (d) the interplay of local and global discourses in shaping pedagogical and vernacular narrative practices. Employing a multiple case study approach (Yin, 2018), the research focuses on four students and four teachers. Following ethnographic principles, data is collected in situ through classroom observations, field notes, teaching materials, and semi-structured interviews. In out-of-school contexts, data is gathered via social media monitoring, digital diaries, audio recordings of narrative engagement sessions, and additional semi-structured interviews. Nexus analysis (Hult, 2017; Scollon & Scollon, 2004) serves as the analytical framework for examining narrative practices across contexts. Preliminary findings underscore the need for continued exploration and a more comprehensive mapping of the complex interplay between in-school and out-of-school literacy practices (Bulfin & Koutsogiannis, 2012), emphasizing both continuities and discontinuities. Rather than merely advocating for the integration of out-of-school literacy practices into the classroom, this study critically examines narrative practices across contexts, providing insights into how pedagogical approaches and future educational policies can be refined. By addressing the interconnection between education and social reality, the research advocates for a holistic and critical approach to narrative literacy, with broader implications for fostering engaged and literate citizens.

References
Bulfin, S., & Koutsogiannis, D. (2012). New Literacies as Multiply Placed Practices: Expanding Perspectives on Young People’s Literacies Across Home and School. Language and Education, 26(4), 331–46.
De Fina, A. (2021). Doing narrative analysis from a narratives-as-practices perspective. Narrative Inquiry, 31(3), 49-71.
Giaxoglou, K., & Georgakopoulou, A. (2021). A narrative practice approach to identities: small stories and positioning analysis in digital contexts. In M. Bamberg, C. Demuth & M. Watzlawik (Eds.), Cambridge Handbook of Identity. Cambridge Handbooks in Psychology (σσ. 241–261). Cambridge University Press.
Hult, F., M. (2017). Nexus analysis as scalar ethnography for educational linguistics. In M. Martin-Jones & D. Martin (Eds.), Researching Multilingualism: Critical and Ethnographic Perspectives, (σσ. 89–104). Routledge.
Scollon, R., & Scollon, S., W. (2004). Nexus Analysis: Discourse and the Emerging Internet. Routledge.
Yin, R., K. (2018). Case Study Research and Applications: Design and Methods (6th ed.). Sage.

Short Bio
PhD Student, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
Email: nikospap59@gmail.com
T: (+30)6979951860
Nikos Papadopoulos is a secondary education Greek language teacher and a PhD Candidate in Educational Linguistics at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. He holds an MA in Applied Linguistics, and his research explores teenage narrative practices in and out of school through sociolinguistic and discourse-analytic perspectives. His study examines how narrative is taught in school compared to how teenagers engage with storytelling in everyday postdigital contexts, focusing on literacy experiences, semiotic repertoires, and identity roles. His research interests, conference presentations and scientific publications span narrative studies, educational discourse analysis, genre studies, sociolinguistics, and New Literacy Studies.


Evie Poyiadji (Cyprus)
BLURRING BOUNDARIES IN L1 CLASSROOMS: SPATIAL HYBRIDIZATION, MEDIATION AND MATERIALITY IN LITERACY PRACTICES

This paper presentation examines how technology transforms L1 education by reshaping spatial dynamics through hybrid learning environments. In this process, school literacy is reconceptualized as technology-mediated materiality, challenging and enabling hybridization through transitions between physical and digital domains. These transitions reshape literacy, redefining teacher and student identities within evolving spatial frameworks where agency, materiality, and technology mediate learning.
Methodologically, this study draws on a case study of a Cypriot fifth-grade classroom, exploring how technology-mediated transitions (re)configure literacy across offline and online spaces. The theoretical framework integrates post-structural views of literacy as a performative identity practice with sociocultural theories, conceptualizing school literacy as a social and spatial practice. Space is both material and immaterial, shaped by mediation, objects, and embodiment (Burnett, 2011). Simultaneously, literacy is seen as an emergent spatial phenomenon shaped by material and immaterial forces.
In this hybrid learning context, teachers and students engage with digital and non-digital tools, online and offline spaces, and embodied interactions, navigating literacy in an environment where boundaries between traditional and digital practices remain fluid (Burnett & Merchant, 2018). Performativity offers a lens through which classrooms are understood as spaces of constraint and possibility, shaped by literacy identities (Kontovourki & Siegel, 2021; Poyiadji & Kontovourki, in print).
Findings show that technology fosters 'playful' engagement, expanding learning beyond traditional classrooms in paradoxical ways. Rather than disrupting pedagogical structures, digital tools create spaces for teachers and students to reconstitute themselves as literate subjects, while digital literacy is hybridized and reshaped within the school environment. In this hybrid literacy space, where physical classroom merge with digital interactions, shifting roles, identities, and expectations expose tensions between transformation and continuity (Green, 2012).
Ultimately, this study shows how technology redefines school literacy as a dynamic, negotiated process, unveiling new possibilities for reconfiguring it as a fluid construct shaped by material and immaterial forces. By examining the spatial hybridization of literacy classrooms, this study contributes to understanding how these processes challenge and reconfigure dominant conceptions of school space, literacy practice, and student/teacher subjectivities.

Keywords:, school literacy, language arts/L1 education, primary schools, spatial dynamics, technology-mediated literacy, hybrid learning environments

References:

Burnett, C., & Merchant, G. (2018). New media in the classroom: Rethinking primary literacy. SAGE.

Burnett, C. (2014). Investigating pupils’ interactions around digital texts: a spatial perspective on the “classroom-ness” of digital literacy practices in schools. Educational Review, 66 (2), p. 192-209. doi: 10.1080/00131911.2013.768959

Burnett, C., Merchant, G., Pahl, K., and Roswell, J. (2014). The (im)materiality of literacy: the significance of subjectivity to new literacies research. Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, 35 (1), 90-103.

Green, B. (2012). Subject-specific literacy and school learning: A revised account; Contextualization and commentary. In B. Green & C. Beavis (Eds.), Literacy in 3D: An integrated perspective in theoy and practice (pp. 2-38). ACER Press.

Kontovourki, S., & Siegel, M. (2021). “B is for Bunny”: Contested sign-making and the possibilities for performing school literacy differently. Reading Research Quarterly. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1002/rrq.376.

Poyiadji, E., & Kontovourki, S. (in print). Human and non-human agency in elementary literacy classrooms: Examining ClassDojo as part of pedagogical practice. In T.P. Nichols & A. Garcia (Eds.), Literacies in the platform society: Histories, pedagogies, possibilities. Routledge.


Annie Sjöö (Sweden)
PERCEPTIONS AND VALUES OF THE AUDIOBOOK IN SWEDISH MEDIA

This presentation is part of a PhD-project with the overall aim of investigating the audiobook’s place in education seeking to deepen knowledge about audiobooks as a medium and audio-reading strategies inside and outside the classroom. The presentation will focus on a work-in-progress article examining perceptions and values of the audiobook that have emerged in Swedish media.

Audiobooks have become increasingly popular, and statistics show that sales have increased with 13,3% in Sweden in 2021 (Wikberg 2022). In parallel, its status in society is getting closer to the one of the printed book (Tanderup Linkis & Pennlert 2022). Although research on the role and function of audiobooks has increased in recent years (see for example Berglund, 2024; Tattersall Wallin, 2022; Tanderup Linkis & Pennlert, 2022) few studies have an educational focus on this issue. Because of media development, audiobooks are an increasingly common medium for literature in society, but in schools there is limited knowledge and uncertainty about which approach(es) to adopt. Previously, this activity was only considered for students in need of support in their reading, but as audiobook reading increases outside of school, it is also moving into the classroom.

Audiobooks are frequently discussed in the Swedish daily press (see Pennlert, 2018).
In these debates, various actors, including school actors, participate and contribute to creating perceptions of the audiobook format and its use among different groups in society. In my work-in-progress article, I am examining articles collected from four major Swedish newspapers and magazines with an educational approach. The data is analyzed through a critical discourse analysis method (Idevall Hagren & Westberg, 2024), with the aim of gaining insight of perceptions and values that are expressed, implicitly and explicitly, concerning the audiobook as a reading format inside and outside school.



References:
Berglund, K. (2024). Reading Audio Readers – Book consumption in the streaming age. Bloomsbury
Idevall Hagren, K. & Westerberg, G. (2024). Kritisk diskursanalys – En språkvetenskaplig introduktion. Studentlitteratur.
Pennlert, J. (2018, 22-23 oktober). Litteratur genom örat: ett pilotprojekt om ljudbokens potential och begränsningar. [Paper presentation] Mötesplats forskning - Profession, Växjö, Sverige. http://hb.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:1271768/FULLTEXT01.pdf

Pennlert, J. & Tanderup Linkis, S. (2022) ”En helt annan upplevelse”: Ljudbokens band till sina läsare. Tidskrift för litteraturvetenskap, Vol. 52, no 1. DOI: https://doi.org/10.54797/tfl.v52i1.2227

Tattersall Wallin, E. (2022) Sound reading: Exploring and conceptualizing audiobook practices among young adults. [Doktorsavhandling, Högskolan i Borås] http://hb.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:1626374/FULLTEXT01.pdf

Wikberg, E. (2022) Bokföräljningsstatistiken helåret 2021. Svenska bokhandlarföreningen och Svenska förläggareföreningen. https://forlaggare.se/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Bokforsaljningsstatstiken-Helaret-2021.pdf


BIO (52/100 words)
Annie Sjöö is a PhD student in pedagogy at Jönköping University and a part of the national graduate school Culturally Empowering Education through Language and Literature. Her former role as a teacher in upper secondary school has inspired and influenced her interest in doing research about literacy, reading and audiobooks.

Contact information:

E-mail: annie.sjoo@ju.se
Phone: +4636 10 15 97

Jönköping University - Department of Language, Aesthetic Learning and Literature, School of Education and Communication


Sylvana Sofkova Hashemi (Sweden)
FOSTERING AI LITERACY IN HIGHER EDUCATION: STUDENTS’ MULTIMODAL PROMPTING

Generative AI (GenAI) is increasingly appealing to students for academic writing supporting source summarization, translation, automated text evaluation, and personalized feedback, potentially fostering critical engagement with literature and content (Rasul et al., 2024). The cognitive offloads of GenAI are, however, considered disrupting students’ learning processes in relation to understanding (interpreting, summarizing) and evaluating of academic texts (Anson, 2024). Research emphasizes the importance of crafting, refining, and iteratively optimizing precise prompts to generate desired outputs from GenAI (Kim et al, 2025). Also, GenAI is primarily text-based but capable of generating multimodal outputs that requires learners to develop multimodal transposition skills crafting effective prompts to translate between modes (Kalantzis & Cope, 2024).

This study examines students’ prompting and their reflective discussions on experiences of GenAI in their study practices in higher education:
1. What are their experiences of generative AI?
2. What prompting strategies they demonstrate?
3. What are their reflections on their emerging AI-literacy?
The study invited international master’s students at a Swedish university (N=28) in collaborative workshop promoting active participation in small groups (N=4/group) crafting prompts to create and iteratively revise a narrative or a poem of their choice and asking GenAI also for creating a relevant image to the AI-generated text.

The analysis revealed pronounced differences in experiences and varying ways
of GenAI use for summarizing course literature in schemes and matrices, prompting explanations on concepts and other content and diverse strategies for feedback. During the generation of narratives/poems, some students applied polite and respectful prompting (please, thank you) to increase the likelihood of getting a helpful response. In their group reflections, they emphasized the importance of developing AI-literacy as skills to “recognize AI” in texts, reflecting on “AI’s strengths and limitations” and realizations about how meanings are shaped and constrained by various systems, policies and algorithms.

Key observations reveal a tension between the potential and limitations of GenAI, with students describing a transitional state in higher education as being “trapped” by technology in terms of “doing prompting”. The students highlighted also issues of transparency and trust, and reliance on individual teachers’ decisions about AI integration in academic courses.

Anson, D. W. J. (2024). The impact of large language models on university students’ literacy development. Higher Education Research & Development, 43(7), 1465–1478. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2024.2332259
Kalantzis, M., & Cope, B. (2025). Literacy in the Time of Artificial Intelligence. Reading Research Quarterly, 60(1), 1-34. https://doi.org/10.1002/rrq.591
Kim, J., Yu, S., Lee, S.-S., & Detrick, R. (2025). Students’ prompt patterns and its effects in AI-assisted academic writing: Focusing on students’ level of AI literacy. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/15391523.2025.2456043
Rasul, T., Nair, S., Kalendra, D., et al. (2023). The role of ChatGPT in higher education: Benefits, challenges, and future research directions. Journal of Applied Learning and Teaching, 6(1), 41–56. https://doi.org/10.37074/jalt.2023.6.1.29


Sylvana Sofkova Hashemi & Petra Magnusson & Anna Åkerfeldt (Sweden)
TEACHERS’ DESIGNING AND ASSESSMENT OF DIGITAL MULTIMODAL MEANING MAKING: MODELS FOR COLLABORATIVE META-THINKING IN ACTION

Research has established the importance of teachers developing a meta-knowledge for talking about, teaching and assessing multimodal texts (Bearne, 2009; Cloonan, 2011; Kalantzis & Cope, 2023) enhancing students’ intermodal awareness and digital literacy to navigate and interpret digital multimodal text designs (Serafini, 2024). Existing models and frameworks recommend assessing meaning through modes beyond just language emphasizing the importance of explicit teaching of form, genre, and the use of a metalanguage (Anderson & Kachorsky, 2019). However, the assessment models that have informed teachers' practice over time often rely on detailed and comprehensive criteria, which poses challenges for teachers to interpret the qualitative aspects of students' multimodal meaning making (Cloonan, 2011). Our scoping review shows that these frameworks vary in assessment focus from formative (the composing process), summative (the completed composition) to the integration of both, that not only adds to the complexity but also highlights the challenges of adaptability to the local conditions (Åkerfeldt et al., under review). Also, the digital aspects are often implicit in the frameworks and thus remain peripheral to the subject content which in turn impacts students' ability to develop digital literacies and effectively navigate a digital multimodal landscape (Tan et al., 2020; Sofkova Hashemi, et al., accepted).

Based on the co-design work with teachers (McKenney & Reeves, 2019) in the research project "Teachers' Meta-Knowledge and Assessment Practices in Digital, Multimodal Learning Environments" (2022-2024), this presentation aims to elaborate on tools for collaborative meta-thinking in teaching and assessing students’ digital multimodal meaning making. The empirical evidence includes lesson plans, workshop activities, classroom observations and focus group interviews with teachers (N=60) from three compulsory schools in Sweden. Our contribution will highlight the interconnected assessment process with teachers examining alignment between task design, resources, teaching, and student choices promoting teachers meta-thinking and identifying instructional areas for further development.

References
Åkerfeldt, A., Sofkova Hashemi, S. & Magnusson, P. (under review). Frameworks for Teaching, Learning and Assessment of Digital Multimodal Meaning Making: A Scoping Review.
Anderson, K. T., & Kachorsky, D. (2019). Assessing students’ multimodal compositions: An analysis of the literature. English Teaching, 18(3), 312–334. https://doi.org/10.1108/ETPC-11-2018-0092

Bearne, Eve (2009). Multimodality, literacy and texts: Developing a discourse. Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 9(2), 156-187.

Cloonan, A. (2011). Creating Multimodal Metalanguage with Teachers. English Teaching 10(4): 23–40.

Kalantzis, M. & Cope, B. (2023). Multiliteracies: Life of an Idea. International Journal of Literacies, 30(2):17-89. https://doi.org/10.18848/2327-0136/CGP/v30i02/17-89

McKenney, S. E., & Reeves, T. C. (2019). Conducting educational design research (2nd ed.). Routledge.

Serafini, F. (2024). Developing Metamodal Awareness. Children’s Literature in English Language Education, 12(2), 1-19.

Sofkova Hashemi, S., Magnusson, P. & Åkerfeldt, A. (accepted) Teaching and Assessing Digital Multimodal Meaning Making: Digital literacies in assessment frameworks and teachers’ perceptions. In J. Castek, J. Coiro, E. Forzani, M. S., Hagerman, C. Kiili, and J. Sparks (Eds.) The International Handbook of Research in Digital Literacies, Routledge Taylor & Francis Group.

Tan, L., Zammit, K., D’warte, J., & Gearside, A. (2020). Assessing multimodal literacies in practice: A critical review of its implementations in educational settings. Language and Education, 34(2), 97–114. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500782.2019.1708926


Juliane Tolle (Germany)
RESPONDING TO ‘NEWNESS’ IN PRIMARY WRITING INSTRUCTION: POTENTIALS AND LIMITS OF THE DIGITAL WRITING ENVIRONMENT SKRIBI

The promise of innovation through digital tools often creates a sense of urgency in education, with schools expected to respond quickly to new developments (KMK, 2021). In literacy education - particularly in primary schools - there is a growing need for critical, pedagogically informed responses that move beyond enthusiasm or rejection. This paper explores the digital writing environment Skribi, reflecting on its potential and limitations in shaping young learners' literacy practices.

Skribi enables children to plan, compose and revise texts on tablets. It supports learners by breaking down writing into manageable steps (planning, composing, revising) and encourages digital writing strategies such as reorganising content and engaging in peer feedback (Krelle, 2015). Rather than seeing Skribi as a disruptive innovation, this paper positions it as a site where continuity and change in writing instruction intersect.

Digital writing tools are not neutral - they are embedded in pedagogical and institutional contexts. Building on critical scholarship (Li & Cumming, 2022), the paper situates Skribi within broader debates about how literacy is mediated and experienced in an age of digital schooling.

The paper responds to the symposium theme by asking: What is ‘new’ about digitally supported writing instruction? How can tools like Skribi enable inclusive, student-centred writing practices - and what are their limitations?

Skribi was commissioned by the North Rhine-Westphalia Ministry of Education and is currently being trialled in schools. Skribi stands for a more reflective approach to technology that critically questions digitalisation and focuses on meaningful reading and writing experiences.

KMK (Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs). (2021). Teaching and learning in the digital world: The supplementary recommendation to the strategy "Education in the digital world". Resolution from 09.12.2021. https://www.kmk.org/fileadmin/veroeffentlichungen_beschluesse/2021/2021_12_09-Lehren-und-Lernen-Digi.pdf (in German)
Krelle, M. (2015). Writing competence and digital text types. In J. Knopf (Ed.), Diversity of media in language education: Findings and perspectives for theory, empirical research, and practice (pp. 76–85). Baltmannsweiler. (in German)
Li, L., & Cumming, A. (2022). Effects of digital technology on primary students’ writing performance: A meta-analysis. Computers & Education, 186, 104530. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2022.104530


Marie Wejrum (Sweden)
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR COMPLEX DIGITAL READING COMPREHENSION (MORE INFORMATION)

With new technology and means of communication, the visual image and other modalities has become increasingly important (Unsworth, 2002; Green & Erixon, 2020). In this global and digital society, questions arise about how reliable and truthful online texts are and how readers should relate to them (Luke, 2014). Building on previous results (Wejrum, 2024) there is a need to develop L1 teachers’ work with digital texts.

The purpose of the project is to develop and implement teaching methods to improve students' digital reading comprehension and critical reading skills. The study tries to answer the following research questions: RQ1. What aspects of the tested teaching methods have teachers perceived as successful in helping students improve their digital reading comprehension? RQ2. What aspects of the tested teaching methods have teachers perceived as challenging for students to improve their digital reading comprehension? RQ3. What do the teachers perceive as key components for improving the students’ critical analytical skills?

In the study seven teachers (Year 4-9) at five schools participate in four meetings (one per month) in which there is time for group reflections, a lecture on a specific theme (explicit teaching of reading strategies, media literacy, rhetorical analysis, multimodal analysis) and collaborative lesson planning. After each meeting the teachers conduct the planned lesson. Research materials are notes from classroom observations, the teachers' logbook notes, transcripts of semi-structured interviews and audio recordings of the teachers' group reflections. Qualitative interaction analyses and content analyses of discussions and interviews will be conducted using The Five Resources Model for Critical Digital Literacy (Hinrichsen & Coombs, 2013) together with the concept of Powerful Professional Knowledge (Stolare et al, 2022) as theoretical foundations.

The project is ongoing, but tentative results show that a majority of the teachers lack prior experience of regarding digital texts when teaching about reading and find the explicit reading strategies very useful. Moreover, the teachers of Year 4-6 need to pay extra attention to the structure of the lessons since younger students more often appear to struggle to keep their attention on the text when using digital devices.



References:
Green, B., & Erixon, P. (Eds.) (2020). Rethinking L1 Education in a Global Era: understanding the (Post-)National L1 Subjects in New and Difficult Times. Cham: Springer.
Hinrichsen, J., & Coombs, A. (2013). The five resources of critical digital literacy: a framework for curriculum integration. Research in Learning Technology 2013, 21: 21334. http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/rlt.v21.21334
Luke, A. (2014). Defining Critical Literacy. In J. Z. Pandya, & J. Ávila (Eds.), Moving Critical Literacies Forward: A New Look at Praxis Across Contexts (pp. 19–31). London: Routledge.
Stolare, M., Hudsun, B., Gericke, N., & Olin-Scheller, C. (2022). Powerful Professional Knowledge and Innovation in Teacher Education Policy and Practice. In B. Hudson, N. Gericke, N., C. Olin-Scheller,& M. Stolare (Eds.) (2022). International perspectives on knowledge and quality: implications for innovation in teacher education policy and practice. London: Bloomsbury Academic. http://doi.org/10.5040/9781350178434.0010
Unsworth, L. (2002). Changing dimensions of school literacies. Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, 25(1), 62–77.
Wejrum, M. (2024). Läsa bredvid raderna: Högstadieelevers kritiska läsning av digitala multimodala argumenterande texter [Reading beside the Lines: Lower Secondary Students’ Critical Reading of Digital Multimodal Argumentative Texts]. [Doctoral Thesis, Karlstad University]. DiVA. https://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kau:diva-101258

Bio for the participant
Marie Wejrum has a PhD in Educational Work and is senior lecturer at Karlstad University, Sweden. Her main research interest involves reading skills in a digital world in relation to democracy issues. She defended her thesis in 2024 on adolescents’ meaning making processes of multimodal argumentative texts. Wejrum has been working at Karlstad university since 2013, mainly with teacher education, professional development and research in projects regarding reading skills and the teaching of reading. Wejrum has a background in media and communication followed by a teacher career in lower secondary school teaching Swedish and English.

Complete contact information for the participant
Marie Wejrum, PhD in Educational Work
Karlstad University
Department of Language, Literature and Interculture
SE-651 88 Karlstad Sweden
Phone + 46 54-700 1478, Mobile + 46 70-6659684
marie.wejrum@kau.se