As in all aspects of life, technology is ever more present in our classrooms. Despite the promising benefits of digital technologies that adapt to students’ needs, teachers are not always well equipped to put this into practice in their own classroom. Rani Van Schoors talks about her efforts to involve teachers in the design, development and implementation of digital personalized learning systems. She argues for creating a synergy between teachers and these technological tools, as only a true collaboration between both will lead to optimal results.

This episode was recorded on 1 June 2023

Our conceptions of nature, such as forests, mountains and rivers, are partly based on our own culture and individual or family history. However, social media help people connect with nature in new ways. Sean Smith talks about his ethnographic research on how people in Oman are connecting to nature through digital technologies. He explains how in the anthropocene, environmental concerns are pressing for people all over the world, and the way we interact with nature through digital technologies is important for dealing with sustainable transitions. Sharing pictures on social media is thus not as trivial as it might sound.

This episode was recorded on 4 May 2023

Accuracy is a principle in data protection, described in the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and individuals have the right to rectify inaccurate data about themselves. Elisabetta Biasin explains what data accuracy means and what are its practical application and associated harms in society. We also talk about the accurateness of data generated by ChatGPT, the trade-offs between accuracy and data minimisation, and how the notion of accuracy is different in other regulations such as the Medical Device Regulation and the AI act.

This episode was recorded on 13 April 2023

Adolescents encounter political information on both social media and TV series, which shapes their political beliefs and political self at a moment where they are undergoing a lot of socio-cognitive changes. Anaëlle Gonzalez explains how the political content shared by influencers, athletes and celebrities on social media is interwoven with entertainment messages and use different ‘frames’ than traditional media, influencing how adolescents think about certain political issues. We also discuss how moral content with indirect political relevance affects political identity, the effect of incidental exposure and identification on moral values and (online) political participation, and adolescents’ political self-concept.

This episode was recorded on 28 March 2023.

As a decentralised technology, the blockchain has potential for bringing transparency and simplifying process for public administrations, but what value it can bring is still largely unknown. Stanislav Mahula explains how he analyses existing blockchain projects, cases and initiatives with local governments to uncover how the blockchain shapes public governance, and vice-versa how the public sector itself shapes blockchain technology. We also discuss reasons for experimenting with blockchain, and address how values such as transparency and trust are not automatically present but need to be explicitly included through design, implementation, and regulation.

This episode was recorded on 23 March 2023.

Mobile dating applications like Tinder and Bumble transform how people are meeting, interacting and forming relationships online. Femke Konings talks about the opportunities and challenges these apps pose for young adults’ well-being. We also discuss the impact of ‘ghosting’, and how swiping through pictures makes young adults sometimes forget they are interacting with real people.

This episode was recorded on 16 March 2023.

In an ‘always-on, always connected’ society, how can digital disconnection increase employees’ well-being and productivity? Alice Verlinden talks about how you can reclaim control by self-managing our relationship with digital technologies, and how you can help your co-workers to digitally disconnect. But we also discuss the role of organizations, big tech companies and regulations in digital disconnection, and to not resort to ‘cruel optimism’.

This episode was recorded on 9 March 2023.

Ilse Vranken talks about the portrayal of professions in televised series and on social media, and how adolescents use it as a source of information on the brink of making their career choices, shaping their vocational identity, and influencing their well-being in the long-term. We discuss the role of 'woman boss content', gender stereotypes, and specific work values such as working hard to become successful.

This episode was recorded on 2 March 2023.

Jeroen Ooge talks about the use of visualisations in explainable artificial intelligence (XAI), helping lay people to understand how AI models work. He discusses how visual explanations can help students getting insight in why AI recommends specific exercises adapted to their level of mastery, and how both transparency and control are needed to increase trust in AI-based systems.

This episode was recorded on 23 February 2023.

Priscilla Van Even talks about her research on creating a framework for evaluating the quality of science communication, and its role in helping science communicators to deal with misinformation and polarization. Her research is part of the EU project ParCos. More information can be found here:

This session was recorded on 18 January 2023.