Competences
Hjørdis Hjukse is an Associate Professor of Education at the University of South-Eastern Norway (USN). She has a professional background as a teacher and school leader in primary and upper secondary education, and extensive experience from higher education both as an academic staff member and in a range of leadership positions. She has taught in teacher education programmes for primary and lower secondary schools, subject teacher education, the practical-pedagogical education (PPU), as well as in courses in university and college pedagogy.
She has served as Vice Dean for Education and Academic Quality at the Faculty of Humanities, Sports and Educational Sciences, led the establishment of eDU – the Unit for Digitalisation and Educational Quality – and played a central role in the development of the university’s strategic initiatives in education. In addition, she has led and participated in numerous internal and external development projects.
In her academic work and in many of the projects she has been involved in, her main focus has been on digitalisation in higher education, development of educational competence, and professional digital competence. Through various roles within the higher education sector, she has developed particular expertise in:
- Organisational development
- Quality enhancement in higher education
- Development of campus-based and online study programmes
- University and college pedagogy and educational competence development
- Teacher education
- Project management
CV
University of South-Eastern Norway
2020 – present
Associate Professor of Education, Faculty of Humanities, Sports and Educational Sciences
2021 – 2025
Fixed-term appointment: Vice Dean for Education and Academic Quality, Faculty of Humanities, Sports and Educational Sciences
2017 – 2020
Head of Section, Unit for Digitalisation and Educational Quality (eDU)
Telemark University College / University College of South-Eastern Norway
2009 – 2016
Senior Lecturer, Coordinator for Online Study Programmes and Project Manager for institutional e-learning projects
2002 – 2009
Lecturer and Project Manager
Kreativ i Notodden AS
2001 – 2004
Managing Director and Supervisor
Primary and Upper Secondary Education
1987 – 2002
Teacher at Marienlyst School, Notodden Lower Secondary School, Notodden Upper Secondary School, and Teacher and Team Leader at Sauherad Lower Secondary School
Research Groups and Networks
- Member of the Universities Norway (UHR) Network for Teacher Education, as Vice Dean for Education and Academic Quality (2021–2025)
- Member of the research group Learning, Learning Design and Digital Media (LÆDIME) (2017–present)
- Member of the Norwegian Network for University and College Pedagogy (2010–present)
- Initiator and member of a national network for educational development and support units in the higher education sector (2018–2020)
Leadership of Academic Development Projects
- Project Leader, LIN – Life Skills Communities in the Local Environment (01.01.26–present). A development project on interprofessional collaboration across professional education programmes at USN within health, social work, and teacher education.
- Project Leader, Can We Improve Recruitment Through Increased Collaboration? (01.08.25–present). An academic and administrative project focusing on internal and external collaboration in recruitment to the Faculty of Humanities, Sports and Educational Sciences.
- Chair, Rector-appointed working group on the future academic profile of the Notodden campus (01.01.24–30.06.24).
- Project Leader, e@USN, University College of South-Eastern Norway (01.08.16–31.12.16). Continuation of the e@HIT e-learning initiative.
- Project Leader, Subproject 5 “E-learning and e-campus” in the institutional merger project HBV + HIT (01.08.15–01.11.15).
- Project Leader, e@HIT, a three-year e-learning project at Telemark University College (01.08.13–31.07.16).
- Chair, interdisciplinary review group evaluating and recommending a new organisation of the institution’s e-learning initiatives, Telemark University College (11.03.14–06.10.14).
- Head of Development, establishment of online study programmes at the Faculty of Arts, Folk Culture and Teacher Education (01.08.09–31.07.13).
- Project Leader, Online Studies in Design, Art and Crafts (01.04.08–01.08.11), funded by Norway Opening Universities (2008–2010).
- Network Leader, Learning Networks Telemark (2005–2009), part of the national Learning Networks initiative and the Ministry of Education’s Programme for Digital Competence, coordinated by the Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training and later ITU.
Contributions to Selected Projects
- Member of the expert group for SIMPROF (2023–2026); contributor to the application process
- Member of the National Advisory Committee for Education, advising the Digitalisation Board strategically on the implementation of the national digitalisation strategy (25.09.18–31.12.20)
- Contributor to the Birkeland Initiative, a collaborative project between USN, the Grenland region and Southern Vestfold, including work to establish a donated professorship in professional digital competence (2018–2020)
- Member of the working group for USN Digital, part of the development agreement with the Ministry of Education and Research, including development of the USN Digitalisation Strategy 2019–2021
- Contributor to the design of a MOOC in Professional Digital Competence for teachers (Grades 1–10), including subject expert in Concurrent e-Learning Design (CCeD). This work contributed to USN being awarded the national programme for teacher specialist education in professional digital competence
- Member of the project group for LUDO – Learning and Teaching in Digital Environments (2018–present)
- Member of the reference group for the national Higher Education Cloud Programme (UH-sky), led by Uninett (24.11.16–13.12.18)
- Contributor to the establishment of DigTekLab, a technology-rich learning space for exploration, learning, and creation (opened 12.01.18)
- Member of the national steering group for procurement of a new LMS in the higher education sector, led by Uninett (01.01.16–01.02.17)
- Member of expert group appointed by the Ministry of Education’s working group on ICT strategy and integrated solutions (2016)
- Participant in the NUV project New Learning Formats – Competence Building in Practice (2014–2017)
- Subject expert in Concurrent e-Learning Design (CCeD) in the NUV project MOOC in ICT in Learning, Sør-Trøndelag University College (2014)
- Initiator and academic lead of the NUV project Online-Supported Practice Supervision in Teacher Education (2012–2014)
- External member, Centre for Digital Development and Learning (DDU), University of Agder (2012–2014)
- External member, LA2020 Council, University of Agder (2009–2012)
- Participant in the NUV project New Forms of Assessment – A Catalyst for Change in Learning Practices (2006–2007)
- Participant in the e-learning network at Telemark University College, Faculty of Arts, Folk Culture and Teacher Education (25.05.11–31.07.13)
- Participant in the project Pedagogical Use of ICT in Teacher Education, Institute of Education, Telemark University College (2005–2007