Euronews (August 28^th, 2024) reports that there is a lack of teachers in at least 24 EU countries. They report that the teaching profession suffers from problems like low pay and high workload. The solution is not to lower the standards for pedagogical qualifications to compensate for the shortage of staff (Euronews, 2024).

Bøje et al. (2023) claim that there is a shortage of teachers in the Nordic countries, thus this is a threat to the welfare states as well as the democracy in those countries. It is crucial that countries educate teachers for the future.

One of the measures Norway has started utilising, is supervision of new teachers by experienced, often professional, supervisors. Rambøll (2016) states that the newly educated teachers both in schools and kindergarten are more content at work than those who do not receive supervision. About 60% of the new teachers claim that it is of great importance that supervisors are educated within the field of supervision.

Our main goal with this study is to strengthen the education in supervision. During the education in this field, you learn how to use methods, questions and awareness when meeting people. These are communication skills and people knowledge that are to be developed throughout life. Skagen (2011) emphasizes the importance of words, body language and ethics in supervision, and that professional knowledge is crucial in professional supervision. Acquiring methods and questions that are suitable in supervision to assure professional communication with the aim to provide development both personally and professionally, the supervisor must automatize a selection of methods and questions.

There has previously been a tradition of the education in this field where students practice practical communication skills on other students. Some of the situations during these practices are unnatural and comical. Some students receive supervision from other students who are not sufficiently trained, thus the situations can ruin the motivation and the insight in supervision as a field of study.

In this study we will train an AI avatar by using We are learning (https://wearelearning.io/). We are learning has provided technical ability and guidance through the making of the avatar. The goal is that students will be able to supervise the avatar by using communication skills that are taught during their education. The avatar will have certain personality features and requires the students to ask questions and use methods that will give guidance to the avatar in its professional development. As researchers we have written AI prompts to humanize the avatar as a student of the kindergarten teacher education.

To supervise an avatar will be an important digital simulation in supervising without interacting with fellow students during the supervision training. The participants will train their communication skills within the field of supervision and reflect on their actions afterwards. Farbu et al. (2020) claims that simulation is an important way of learning technical skills. Theory highlights three specific areas where simulation has great potential: 1) it facilitates the students’ understanding of the connection between theory and practice; 2) it creates actual situations that acquires action from the students; 3) and it creates emotional tension, involvement and offers reflection on action and debrief as a way of learning (Stalheim & Nordkvelle, 2019).

We are fully aware of the fact that communication skills cannot rule out the intuition and the awareness in meeting people, as Salmon & Young (2011) emphasizes. This is simply the use of artificial intelligence to develop better human communication skills with complete presence and to listen to feelings.

Our study utilises design-based research methodology (DBR). This type of study is used to produce new theory or practice for teaching and learning through real-life settings (Squire & Barab, 2004). DBR has recently gained more significance in the field of educational research. The potential of this methodology is great within the field of supporting the development of research processes with considerable practical applicability (Tinoca et al., 2022). In this study we will use feedback from kindergarten teachers who are studying to become professional supervisors for students within the kindergarten teacher education. DBR helps us grasp the coherence between theory and practice. The designed artifact in our study is educational resources in the shape of digital didactic material, digital tools for pedagogical use, and simulation to learn about fundamental knowledge about complex connections (Design-Based Research Collective, 2003). Bradley & Reinking (2011) have descriptions of features for DBR: 1) there is an instruction video where data gets collected; 2) a theory is used to contribute to the project’s success; 3) there is an aim to improve education and learning; 4) there is a method that adjusts through repetition; 5) both weaknesses and strengths are used to develop theory; 6) the method is both inclusive and flexible; 7) and the method is appropriate because there is a pragmatic research that acquires flexibility and has its focus on useful goals and involves testing with people. Through the development of the avatar, we constantly alter the solutions to simulate the pedagogical challenges we meet. Both positive and negative results are emphasized equally. This provides a holistic understanding of the avatar’s function and potential. We will use both quantitative and qualitative data collection through interviews and questionnaires. The results from this research will adjust the further development of the product. We acknowledge that there is a challenge in being objective as a researcher when we conduct the research and are the producers of the product. This may cause a double role to champion and criticize the product (Design- Based Research Collective, 2003; Høie, 2001). According to Koseoglu og Pazurek (2013), the time investment involved in DBR is considerable. We are aware that we need to be closely involved in the learning environment for longer periods. It is also essential that kindergarten students are open to sharing, analyzing, testing, and refining ideas in collaboration with others; and we are currently in the process of making the avatars.

This project considers the communication skills one needs as a supervisor. Our goal is that the avatar will contribute to innovation in the field of supervision. The avatar will hopefully assure valuable volume training with communication skills. Through reflecting on the actions, the students will make decisions during supervision that will not affect real people (Schön, 2001) but will still lead to progress with their communication skills. The reflection tasks given afterwards will make sure the students will reflect on their actions. Our goal is that atomization of questions and methods will give the supervisor self- confidence in technic and provide energy on the unique human meetings. The technical programme and support from We Are Learning has been crucial to create this product. This is a work in progress and provides motivation for further research to make a product that can aid supervision. Both in the education of teachers and education of healthcare personnel, professional fields that are dependent on communication skills. On long term basis the avatar programme might provide supervising insight on a general basis. In the ECER conference, the goal is that the participants can attempt to supervise the avatars. Hopefully, the product can show the potential of the avatar and the use of AI within this field. The project underlines the importance of development within all education regarding communication skills.

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