Towards a digital epistemology?

• How do social studies teachers in Norwegian upper secondary schools train their students to find information on the internet and to exercise digital source criticism?

We live in a time of extensive change, driven by the rise of digital technology and rapid innovations. Advanced technologies and algorithmic thinking are evolving at unprecedented speeds (Atwell, 2017; Schwab, 2016; Liu, 2014; Siemens, 2005). The growth of technologies such as "Industry 4.0" (integrating IoT, AI, and big data into manufacturing) and "Industry 5.0" (emphasising human-machine collaboration) represent significant advancements (Müller, 2020; Xu et al., 2021; Longo et al., 2020).

Digital changes affect all sectors of society. Schwab (2016) notes that "Governments and institutions are being reshaped, as are systems of education, healthcare and transportation" (p. 2). Liu (2014) argues for the establishment and implementation of a new digital epistemology in schools, characterised by a different duration and rhythm than traditional epistemology. He describes digital knowledge as microtemporal, constantly changing, and suggests a shift towards algorithmic, multimedia, and autodidactic knowledge (Liu, 2014).

Mayer (2009), Balsamo (2011), and Ingvarsson (2016) agree that digital technology must change knowledge dissemination, information gathering, and teaching in schools. Ingvarsson (2016) advocates for updating schools' working methods from a book-bound theoretical paradigm to multimodal teaching (p. 61).

Digital skills and competences are major objectives within Norway's educational programmes and policies. The New Knowledge Promotion (KL20) emphasises these skills more than its predecessor (KL06). The new curricula (LK20) assign social studies teachers a special responsibility to train students in searching for digital information and exercising source criticism (regjeringen.no, 2018/2020).

In light of the technological development and the societal mission to train students in digital tools for information retrieval and digital source criticism, it is interesting to study how social studies teachers in Norwegian upper secondary schools operationalise this mission.

Theory

This study adopts a theoretical framework grounded in connectivism (Siemens, 2005), which views the ability to see connections between fields, ideas, and concepts as a core skill. Connectivism integrates principles from chaos, network, complexity, and self-organisation theories, describing learning as a process occurring in nebulous environments of shifting core elements (Siemens, 2005).

Siemens (2004, 2005) proposes connectivism as a theory of learning that accounts for the influence of new technologies. He observes that previous learning theories—behaviourism, cognitivism, and constructivism—must be replaced with alternatives relevant to present needs, which include technology and connection. Siemens argues that, due to the volatility of knowledge and information, students must continuously learn and stay updated through their digital networks, using social media contacts and digital databases available in various sectors and chat rooms (Siemens, 2005).

In this study, we investigate how social studies teachers at an upper secondary school in Norway guide their pupils in obtaining information through digital tools and practising source criticism. Additionally, we explore the teachers' reflections on how pedagogy and didactics are expected to evolve in schools over the coming years due to digital advancements. Our analysis is framed by the theory of connectivism as a new digital epistemology.

Method The empirical data in this study comprises interviews with eight teachers at a public upper secondary school in Norway. Additionally, observations of these eight teachers' teaching practices are employed as a method. To fulfil the study's objectives, a triangulation method is used. The study's data materials consist of the following: 1. Individual semi-structured in-depth interviews with eight subject teachers (duration: 30-90 minutes per interview). 2. Semi-structured group interviews: two group interviews with four teachers in each group (duration: 60 minutes per interview). 3. Observations of the teaching practices of eight subject teachers (duration: 1-3 hours per observation). The methodological argument for using data triangulation in this study is that no single approach can fully capture the social complexity and diversity of the subject being studied (Andersen, 2013, p. 157). By employing several different data collection methods, this study aims to reveal more variables, practices, and content of meaning than would be possible using a single method. This study employs qualitative content analysis. Grønmo (2004) describes qualitative content analysis as follows: "Qualitative content analysis is based on a systematic review of empirical evidence with a view to categorising the content and recording data that is relevant to the problem in the study in question" (p. 175).

Since we have not yet conducted the data collection for this study, it is difficult to predict what our main findings will be. Our aim for this study is to contribute to more knowledge on how social studies teachers in Norwegian upper secondary school train their pupils to use digital tools for information retrieval and digital source criticism. The study also explores teachers' reflections on the future evolution of pedagogy and didactics due to digital advancements, using connectivism as a theoretical framework.

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