Mia Johansen was born with Down syndrome. This means that she has some challenges when she has to talk to others. And that is precisely why she has now become a co-researcher. She will help a research team to strengthen children’s learning. – It will be very exciting, says Johansen. Preoccupied with how to communicate, Johansen has just signed a contract as a co-researcher in the research project DiCoTe at the University of Stavanger. The project will increase digital competence in Norwegian kindergartens. They will research how children with developmental disabilities can be included in play with technology. Kåre Riibe Ramskjell What is the project about? The DiCoTe project aims to increase the digital competence in Norwegian kindergartens and aims to develop resources that will help kindergarten teachers to enrich and support children’s play with technology in the kindergarten. Kåre Riibe Ramskjell Who is the project for? The project focuses on play with code toys that children aged 3-5 years, in cooperation, can program by giving logical messages to a robot via direct interaction with the toy. Johansen is very concerned about how people talk to each other. Especially how to talk to someone who has language challenges. – It is important that you speak to us correctly. That it is not condescending or childish. She emphasizes that you need some time to answer questions, and that they need calm during the conversation. This is one of the robots they are working with to increase digital competence in Norwegian kindergartens. Photo: Kåre Riibe Ramskjell / news – What do you expect from adults when they talk to you? – Don’t think that we have a disability. Just imagine that we are perfectly normal people. I am also a human being. Now she will use her own expertise to help others. An important part of understanding Some of the difficulties people with Down syndrome can have are hearing difficulties, communication difficulties and learning difficulties. Therefore, project manager, Francesca Granone, believes that Johansen can be an important piece in developing the new tools. Francesca Granone, associate professor at the Faculty of Educational Sciences and Humanities at the University of Stavanger, says that the toys can be used by all children regardless of developmental level. Photo: University of Stavanger – Johansen has helped us to be even clearer about when to give notice. Granone and the research team believe Johansen can use his own experiences and expertise to make the project easier to understand for others. In the project, they focus on play with code toys that children aged three to five can play with. The toys the research team is developing will help the children, among other things, with number comprehension. Photo: Kåre Riibe Ramskjell / news Together they can program by giving logical messages to the robot via direct interaction with the toy. – Are we talking about children with disabilities or children in general? – Children in general, regardless of developmental level, should have the opportunity to be included, says Granone. She believes that more people with disabilities should be involved as co-researchers. A role model and an inspiration Ingrid Marvin, general manager of Down syndrome Norway, is very positive that Mia is helping to develop the new toys to include all children in the game. – Mia’s life experiences are valuable. It is therefore important that she is included in this research. – Do you think she is an inspiration to others? – She is probably both an inspiration and a role model. She shows that her voice is of great importance for national research. Mia Johansen works daily in a nursing home. The job as co-researcher will therefore be her second job. Photo: Kåre Riibe Ramskjell / news Marvin says that more people now see that it works to have people with, for example, Down’s syndrome in ordinary business life, but that it is a challenge that employers do not always dare to give this chance. – There are many people who are unemployed, but who don’t need to be. Hope others can learn Mia Johansen says that she now creates tasks for children that they can learn from. – I know myself how difficult it is to learn about language and numbers. She has never been a co-researcher before, and she thinks this will be very exciting. – I hope the project benefits the kindergartens, and that someone learns from this.
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Mia has Down syndrome and will be a co-researcher in a project on inclusive toys – news Nordland
