‘There Is No Cloud?’ Awareness of Digital Technology in a Sustainability Perspective in Teacher Education

Abstract The Global North can be described as postdigital societies where digital infrastructure and applications such as social media or so-called artificial intelligence are ubiquitous. Schools are obviously part of the postdigital society, and there is a call for teachers to use digital tools to engage and facilitate learning for pupils. However, from a sustainability perspective, the digital society also has significant adverse effects, including water and energy consumption and social polarization. Thus, teachers need to be aware of both positive and negative aspects of digital tools. This action research study reflects on an instructional design intended to support Norwegian student teachers in analyzing digital tools with respect to sustainability. Although it has been challenging to create awareness of the tools in a holistic conception of sustainability, the project provides a starting point for reflections on how the positioning of knowledge and pupils connects with perspectives on sustainability.