The team
University of Warsaw
prof. ucz. dr. hab. Joanna Nijakowska – project coordinator
Joanna Nijakowska is a university professor in the Centre for Foreign Language Teacher Training and European Education, University of Warsaw, Poland. Her research and publications focus is on foreign language acquisition and didactics, special educational needs, specific learning difficulties, inclusive foreign language classroom practices as well as foreign language teacher training and professional development. She was an initiator and co-ordinator of the award-winning (ELTons, European Language Label, Success Story) international projects (co-financed by the European Commission) and DysTEFL teacher training materials.
j.nijakowska@uw.edu.pl
dr Ewa Guz
Ewa Guz is assistant professor and director of studies at the Centre for Foreign Language Teacher Training and European Education at the University of Warsaw. She received her Phd in linguistics in 2011. Her research has focused on the acquisition of L2 speech and classroom-based foreign language learning. She has authored publications on L2 speech fluency, classroom discourse, young learner engagement and academic literacy at the tertiary level. Her most recent publication is focused on the role of the teacher and power dynamics in young learners’ foreign language classrooms. She currently teaches courses on language acquisition, language assessment and general didactics and is in charge of a master’s degree seminar in foreign language teaching.
e.guz@uw.edu.pl
Dorota Sidor
In the e-learning industry since 2007. At the Digital Competence Centre of the University of Warsaw, she manages a team of experts responsible for supporting academic staff in the field of online teaching. Dorota is also responsible for the development of the DCC UW training offer. Together with a group of wonderful people, she has participated in shaping the University’s online teaching & learning policy during the COVID-19 crisis. Her main focus areas in SCALED project are: digital accessibility of Learning Management Systems, e-learning course design and Universal Design for Learning.
d.sidor@uw.edu.pl
dr Agnieszka Kałdonek-Crnjaković
Agnieszka’s research interests include special educational needs with a focus on specific learning difficulties, language learning strategies in reading and spelling, and strategy and differentiated second or foreign language instruction. Before joining academia, she worked as a foreign/second language and special needs teacher. She held the positions of a director of studies in language schools in Poland and Croatia, and of a special educational needs and English as an additional language coordinator in an all-through school in London, UK.
a.kaldonek2@uw.edu.pl
mgr Małgorzata Kolera
Is a psychologist and german philologist who for the past 18 yeast has worked at the Centre for Foreign Language Teacher Training and European Education and schools run by the AlterEdu Foundation. Her research interests include such topics as: workig with students with special educational needs (especially those with autism spectrum disorder), implementing and popularising public school care standards regarding students with SEN, interpersonal relations and emotions in foreign language teaching, preparing teachers for the role of class supervisors, and development of social competencies of foreign language teachers.
m.kolera@uw.edu.pl
Zbigniew Drzazga
Zbigniew has worked at the Office for Persons with Disabilities since 1997. He supports blind and visually impaired students in using modern technology. He specializes in braille and tactile graphics production and preparation, web accessibility, electronic material standardization.
zbigniew.drzazga@uw.edu.pl
dr Michał Kuźmicki
Michał Kuźmicki is an academic teacher at the Centre for Foreign Language Teacher Training and European Education, University of Warsaw. He received his PhD in linguistics (generative phonology) and is an author of the Linguistics for Teachers course offered at his faculty. He has also taught English to adults using traditional teaching methods and through special thematic courses. Michał is an enthusiast of modern digital technology and social media, and provides training to university staff in such areas as digital presentation tools, promoting science using social media, English for scientific purposes. In the SCALED project he is responsible for digital dissemination, including the administration of the project website, graphics and formatting of project publications.
m.kuzmicki@uw.edu.plOslo Metropolitan University
prof. Dina Tsagari – Partner coordinator
Dina Tsagari, PhD, is a Professor at Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway. She has also worked for the University of Cyprus, the Greek Open University and the Polytechnic University of Hong Kong. She has researched and published in the field of learning difficulties (journal articles and book chapters) and has offered undergraduate and postgraduate courses, workshops and conference presentations in teaching and assessing EFL students with learning difficulties. She has supervised MA thesis and has participated in EU-funded projects (DysTEFL 1 and 1) in the field. Her research interests also include language testing and assessment, materials design and evaluation, differentiated instruction, multilingualism, and distance education. She coordinates research groups, e.g. CBLA SIG – EALTA, EnA – OsloMet and is involved in other EU-funded and other research projects (e.g. Kids4All, KriT, DINGLE, ENRICH, TALE, PALM, etc).
dina.tsagari@oslomet.no
prof. Weiqin Chen
Weiqin Chen is Professor at Department of Computer Science at Oslo Metropolitan University and leader of the research group Universal Design of ICT. She has many years of teaching and research experiences in human computer interaction, assistive technology, and universal design of ICT. Her current research interest is focused on digital accessibility in higher education.
weiche@oslomet.no
dr Norun Christine Sanderson
Associate professor Norun Christine Sanderson is currently teaching a master level course on diversity and ICT barriers. She has been teaching courses and supervised students within the area of universal design of ICT and human-computer interaction since 2013, and was academic coordinator for a master program in universal design of ICT for several years. Relevant research within universal design of ICT include accessibility of digital learning management platforms and MOOCs from the teacher’s perspective, teachers’ awareness of universal design and their knowledge about how to make their courses and teaching materials universally designed, and the use of digital learning tools among dyslexic students. She has also participated in a pilot project on training and supporting university staff in making their digital learning materials universally designed and contributed to a university staff course on universal design of ICT. She has a PhD in Informatics from the University of Oslo.
nsand@oslomet.no
dr Hege Knudsmoen
Hege Knudsmoen is Associate Professor at Department of Primary and Secondary Teacher Education, Oslo Metropolitian University. She has conducted research in the field of inclusive and special education. More recently, she has had a special focus on international perspectives, practice and study exchange, as well as internationalization at home. Her research interests also includes educational governance and education policy. In the SCALED project she is responsible for developing the theoretical concept of governance to enhance inclusive education.
hegknu@oslomet.no
dr Astrid Gillespie
Astrid Gillespie (PhD) is an Associate Professor at Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway. She has also worked for The University of Agder in Norway and she received her PhD in 2016 from The University of Oslo. She has experience from several roles in the Norwegian school system, among others as schoolteacher, school counsellor and deputy head teacher. She is currently working in the Department of Primary and Secondary Teacher Education, teaching pedagogy and supervising MA students. Her research interests include collaboration between general educators and special educators in lower secondary school, assessment for learning, national policies for inclusion in education, inclusive language education and teacher education. She is involved in different research projects founded by the Research Council of Norway (e.g. TEQ21, RECONNECT, Speaking up for the quiet ones).
astridg@oslomet.no
dr Veerle Garrels
An associate professor in special needs education at Oslo Metropolitan University. Her doctoral study at the University of Oslo explored self-determination for students with intellectual disability. Her research interests include neurodevelopmental disorders, quality of life, quality of special education, student-participation and self-determination, school-work transition for students with special needs, and research on vulnerable groups. As a teacher in higher education, Veerle is especially interested in how we may accommodate our teaching to a diverse student population, and she enjoys being creative in her course design.
veerle.garrels@oslomet.no