This challenge addresses an often-neglected dimension of diversity and inclusion which is ‘age’, particularly ‘minor age’. Adultcentric bias can create barriers in recognizing the capacities of children and youth to contribute to society as they can be pre-judged to be ‘incompetent’ or ‘not-yet developed’ due to their age. Raising critical self-awareness of adultcentrism among adults in educational contexts can support them to develop more age-inclusive attitudes towards children and youth in daily life. However, this process of raising critical self-awareness related to one’s own adult age can bring up emotional responses e.g., fear, guilt, insecurity, denial etc. that can create obstacles in the learning process of adults and might worsen intergenerational differences.

The central challenge in this course is to propose a game to be used by adults to raise the awareness of the psychological concept of ‘adultcentrism’ among adults in educational relationships with children and youth.

A key ethical question in developing a game for this purpose is whether the design of such a game is age-sensitive towards adult learners.

The participants work in a Challenge Based Learning framework to propose a game designed for raising critical self-awareness i.e., of adult-centric biases, among adults in educational relationships with children and youth. The activities include readings, podcasts, teamwork, lectures and workshops. Participants will work part-time, digitally, over a period of three months. There will also be the opportunity for a 5-day visit to the University of Stavanger, but this part can also be attended online.