HCR is an independent contract research organization, owned 100% by Sør-Trøndelag University College, Trondheim. HCR wishes to contribute to the development of new technologies and methods that promote sustainable development within the society, by linking local problems with global research topics. HCR offers applied research in pedagogy and social psychology, engineering disciplines and ICT. The includes research is knowledge engineering and intelligent interfaces, with a particular focus towards exploiting e-learning, flexible mobile learning and training solutions, and high quality streaming video. The organization has a high level of competence and experience in development and production of elearning services for company adapted training, and inclusion of mobile learning methods that utilize video or response systems. HCR has been the key developer in successful DOI project iQSim (2008-10), KA3-ICT projects EduMecca (2009-10) and Done-IT (2011-12), and Commenius cMinds (2010-12).
HCR`s role is to prepare the project with the promoter, to contribute its significant experience in identifying learning requirements for teachers and learners. HCR will add requirements ensuring the benefits of the proposed methodologies reach all identified stakeholder groups, including teacher trainers, policy makers, educational administrative authorities, and the general public. HCR participates in translation, course adaptation, and testing of pilots. HCR provides best practice development towards the training of teachers on the integration of ICT in education aiming at building skills for trainers. HCR contributes towards identifying post project exploitation strategies through the adaptation of methodologies and technology to the needs of additional target sectors and specifically professional skill development in VET education. HCR contributes to dissemination through publications, presentations and with a HCR stand at selected international conferences.
Dr. Stav is a researcher in HCR, and associated prof. in physics at Sør-Trøndelag University College. He has lead several Lifelong Learning pilot projects in the area of combining state of the art information technologies with new pedagogical methods. The most recent ones are iQSim (A new environment for a simulator tools in VET, 2008-2010), EduMECCA (Effective integration of Student Response Systems – SRS – on iPod/iPhone, 2008-2010), and Done-IT (Developing the first Peer Learning Assessment System – PeLe- that utilize students own mobile devices to turn tests into a creative learning tool). Dr. Stav is a specialist in response technologies, visual communication and collaboration technologies, assessment for learning solutions, and pedagogical utilization of mobile learning methods into training and assessment. The services from iQSim are currently used by more than 50 organizations in Europe, while more than 100 organizations in 16 countries in Europe want to test the SRS prototype. More than 30 organizations in Europe have signed up for testing of PeLe. The Lifelong Learning program, Norwegian Research Foundation, as well as several national programs targeting distance education have supported his research. He has during the last 9 years lead and initiated:
- 20 national projects (budget in total 6.0 mill Euros) addressing new training methods and mobile learning methods, content management systems, math and physics on web, statistics reasoning, online video knowledgebase, construction of video networks in Norway and Romania, developments of new services in VET, etc.
- 10 international R&D projects (budget in total 5.0 mill euros) addressing development of new pilots and prototypes within e-learning, m-learning and flexible training solutions.
Dr. Stav has participated in 10 international projects (budget in total 2,5 mill euros) within the lifelong learning sector. Dr. Stav has during the last 9 years published more than 100 scientific articles, and offered numerous talks at international conferences within e-learning, mobile learning, videotechnologies, simulator solutions, content management systems, vocational and education and training methods, in company training solutions.
Dr. Roger Bergh holds a Ph.D. in Applied Computer Science Modelling, The Norwegian Institute of Technology, The University of Trondheim, in 1990. From 1991 to 2011 he has worked as Associate Professor, Sør-Trøndelag University College. He has 10 years of wide Experience with vocational education in the field of physics and mathematics. He has participated in several large industrial and scientific projects at The Norwegian Institute of Technology, The University of Trondheim in the period 1986-1990, as well as 10 EU founded projects at Sør-Trødnelag University College.
Dr. Trond M. Thorseth holds a Ph.D. in Applied Computer Science Modelling, The Norwegian Institute of Technology, The University of Trondheim (NTNU)., 2001. He was research fellow at Norwegian Technical University of Science and Technology from 2001 to 2002. He has worked as associate professor at Sør-Trøndelag University College since 2003. He has participated in several large industrial and scientific projects at NTNU in the period 1997 – 2007, as well as 10 EU founded projects at Sør-Trødnelag University College. He is an expert in FLEX and AIR programming, and been one of
the key persons behind the services that has been developed in several international pilot projects during the last 5 years.
MSc. Hansen Nygård is a PhD student at Sør-Trøndelag University College. She has been working as a scientific assistant at Faculty of Technology since 2009. She has a master in social psychology, and has been working with research targeting motivation, group interactions and new evaluation methods in on-site training classes for 4-5 years. She is currently involved in several EU-funded projects, focusing on human-machine interactions. Her PhD study addresses use of mobile technology to measure and change students goal orientation.