Integrating Safe Mobility : Teaching Immigrants to Drive in the Norwegian Context Using Virtual Simulation

Outside of major cities, Norway is characterized by sparse population distribution and long distances to commercial and public services. Mobility is therefore an important factor in the integration process for immigrants, with the ability to drive a car and navigate the community playing particularly important roles. However, immigrant men from the Middle East and Africa are overrepresented in road-accident statistics. To prevent such accidents, learning the Norwegian way of driving is important. Our research question was: Can driving simulators be a beneficial tool for instructors to teach migration learner drivers to drive in the Norwegian style? In collaboration with the Adult Learning for Immigrants Office, Nord University organized a project wherein final-year driving-instructor students provided virtual simulated learning to immigrants from countries considered at risk. We explored what this simulated training provided to the participants in the project. Due to the exploratory nature of the topic, we took a qualitative approach and conducted 10 individual interviews with final-year driving-instructor students, which we then subjected to thematic analysis. The findings indicate that the simulator is a suitable tool for integrating theory and praxis in teaching new skills in driver training. We conclude that a simulator can be a suitable pedagogical tool in the training of immigrant drivers for instructors to teach immigrant learner drivers an in-depth understanding of how to drive safely in the Norwegian context