Biosketch: Professor Roger Säljö

Roger Säljö specializes in research on learning, interaction and human development in a sociocultural perspective, where he has published extensively. Much of his work is related to issues of how people learn to use cultural tools and how we acquire competences and skills that are foundational to learning in a socially and technologically complex society.

In recent years, he has worked extensively with issues that concern how the so-called new technologies transform human learning practices inside and outside formal schooling. In this field, he has been responsible for the national research program, LearnIT, funded by the Knowledge-foundation and which finished in 2009. Roger Säljö has also been engaged in interdisciplinary work with colleagues from a range of different disciplines including medicine and health care, various natural sciences, linguistics and several others. Since 2006 he is Director of the Linnaeus Centre for Research on Learning, Interaction and Mediated Communication in Contemporary Society (LinCS), a national centre of excellence funded by the Swedish Research Council. He is also Director of the national graduate school in the educational sciences, DSES, (2008-cont.). Roger Säljö is also one of the founding editors of the journal Learning, Culture and Social Interaction.

Current projects 

1. Transforming information to knowing: Studies of classroom practices, 'real world problems' and the process of learning to reason in the digital age. The Swedish Research Council (2007-cont.).
2. LINT - Learning, interactive technologies and the development of narrative knowing and remembering. Funded by The Wallenberg Foundation, The Bank of Sweden Tercentenary Foundation and the Swedish Research Council. (2007-cont.).
3. LinCS - The Linnaeus Centre for Research on Learning, Interaction and Mediated Communication in Contemporary Society. A national centre of excellence funded by the Swedish Research Council (2006-cont.).
4. National school of graduate studies in the educational sciences, funded by the Swedish Research Council (2008-cont.).
5. Research leader in the strength area program on Learning funded by the University of Gothenburg (2010-cont.).
6. NordLearn – planning grant from NordForsk, Oslo, 2007.
7. Gruaduate school of Educational Sciences, the Swedish Research Council, 2007-cont.
8. NordLearn – Funding of Nordic Research and research training co-operation between University of Gothenburg, University of Oslo, University of Turku and University of Tallinn, NordForsk, 2009-cont.
9. Technologies for seeing and technologies for knowing: learning and medical imaging (LearnMedIm), 2009-2012.
10. Government Strategic Research funding for Patient Centered Care, 2009-cont., (co-applicant)
11. Hidden dimensions of teaching/learning in mathematics: The contribution of video studies to analysis and the development of instruction (VIDOEMAT) (2011-2014)
12. VIRTUALLAB, Marcus and Amalia Wallenberg Foundation, 2011-2014

Recent publications (a selection)

Articles

Helle, L., Nivala, M., Kronqvist, P., Gegenfurtner, A., Björk, P. & Säljö, R. (2011). Traditional microscopy instruction versus process-oriented virtual microscopy instruction: a naturalistic experiment with control group. Diagnostic Pathology, 6(Suppl 1), 58. doi:10.1186/1746-1596-6-S1-S8

Gegenfurtner, A., Lehtinen, E., & Säljö, R. (2011). Expertise differences in the comprehension of visualizations: A meta-analysis of eye-tracking research in professional domains. Educational Psychology Review. DOI 10.1007/s10648-011-9174-7

Säljö, R. (in press). Literacy, digital literacy and epistemic practices: The co-evolution of hybrid minds and external memory systems. Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy.

Nivala, M., Säljö, R., Rystedt, H., Kronqvist, P., & Lehtinen, E. (in press). Using virtual microscopy to scaffold learning of pathology: a naturalistic experiment on the role of visual and conceptual cues. Instructional Science.

Books, chapters

Säljö, R. (Red.). (2011). Lärande och minnande i social praktik. Stockholms: Norstedts.

Säljö, R. (2011). Att lära och minnas i vardagliga verksamheter. I R. Säljö, (Red.), Lärande och minnande i social praktik (ss. 11-39). Stockholms: Norstedts.

Pramling, N., & Säljö, R. (2011). Metaforik för minne och lärande. I R. Säljö (Red.), Lärande och minnande i social praktik (ss. 40-61). Stockholms: Norstedts.

Säljö, R., Jakobsson, A., Lilja, P., Mäkitalo, Å., & Åberg, M. (2011). Att förädla information till kunskap. Lärande och klassrumsarbete i mediesamhället. Stockholm: Norstedts.

Säljö, R., Mäkitalo, Å., & Jakobsson, A. (2011). Appropriering genom argumentation: Kontroverser, mångtydighet och redskap för tänkande. I R. Säljö (Red.), Lärande och minnande i social praktik (ss. 126-155). Stockholms: Norstedts.

Säljö, R. (2012). Schooling and spaces for learning: Cultural dynamics and student participation and agency. In E. Hjörne, G. van der Aalsvoort & G. Abreu (Eds.). Learning, social interaction and diversity - Exploring school practices (pp. 9-14). Rotterdam: Sense.