Dr. E. van Laar | People Pages: Find employees & contact details | University of Twente

Ester van Laar works as an Assistant Professor in the section of Communication Science. She combines quantitative and qualitative research methods (e.g., interviews, real-life behavioral performance tests, systematic literature reviews, surveys) to identify, measure, and support the digital skills to be acquired. Her research is aimed at pursuing an inclusive digital society. In 2019, she defended her PhD ‘What are E-ssential skills?’ at the University of Twente Cum Laude.

Organisations

My current research projects are focused around the theme digital inclusion. As postdoctoral researcher (2020–2023), I was involved in the H2020 project ‘ySKILLS’ on measuring innovative conceptualisations of digital skills for children and adolescents. The NWO-funded project ‘e-skills, key to 21st-century labour’ on digital skills that working professionals require was part of my PhD research (2015–2019).

Publications

2026

Cocreating support: toward a digital inclusion intervention for parents in poverty (2026)CoDesign (E-pub ahead of print/First online). Boerkamp, L. G. P., van Deursen, A. J. A. M., van Laar, E., van der Zeeuw, A., van der Graaf, S. & Lutkenhaus, R.https://doi.org/10.1080/15710882.2025.2608872Shaping support, side by side: A multi-step approach toward digital inclusion interventions for households in poverty (2026)[Thesis › PhD Thesis - Research UT, graduation UT]. University of Twente. Boerkamp, L. G. P.https://doi.org/10.3990/1.9789036568920

2025

Evaluating a digital inclusion intervention for parents in poverty: results from qualitative research (2025)Journal of Social Intervention, 34(3), 3-23. Boerkamp, L. G. P., van Deursen, A. J. A. M., van Laar, E., van der Zeeuw, A. & van der Graaf, S.https://doi.org/10.54431/jsi.869Cocreating and Evaluating a Digital Inclusion Intervention for Parents in Poverty: Results from Qualitative Research (2025)[Contribution to conference › Poster] 2025 BMS Research Conference. Boerkamp, L. G. P., van Deursen, A. J. A. M., van Laar, E., van der Zeeuw, A., van der Graaf, S. & Lutkenhaus, R.The role of social work in digital inclusion: a systematic literature review (2025)European Journal of Social Work (E-pub ahead of print/First online). Hartman-van der Laan, M., Van Deursen, A. J. A. M., van Laar, E. & Tuinstra, J.https://doi.org/10.1080/13691457.2025.2553856Psychological Science and the Blind Spot in Education: Learning and Instruction of Transversal Skills in the Twenty-First Century (2025)Educational psychology review, 37(2). Article 41. Weber, A. M., van Laar, E., Borgonovi, F., Ackerman, P. L., Nixon, N., Graesser, A. C. & Greiff, S.https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-025-10014-6Internet appropriation barriers in the lives of Dutch parents living in poverty: A qualitative study (2025)The Information society, 41(3), 195-208. Boerkamp, L. G. P., van der Zeeuw, A., van Deursen, A. J. A. M., van Laar, E. & van der Graaf, S.https://doi.org/10.1080/01972243.2025.2467031Van onzichtbare achterblijver naar digitaal meedoen: Inzichten en succesfactoren van proeftuinen met het digitaal meedoen pakket (2025)[Book/Report › Report]. University of Twente. van der Zeeuw, A., van Laar, E., van Deursen, A. J. A. M. & Lutkenhaus, R.https://doi.org/10.3990/1.496473940Developing Performance Tests to Measure Digital Skills: Lessons Learned From a Cross-National Perspective (2025)Media and Communication, 13. Article 8988. van Laar, E., van Deursen, A. J. A. M., Helsper, E. J. & Schneider, L. S.https://doi.org/10.17645/mac.8988

2024

Digital Inclusion Support Needs of Households in Poverty: Insights From Interviews With Dutch Social Workers (2024)International journal of communication, 18, 3855-3872. Article 1932–8036/20240005. Boerkamp, L. G. P., van Deursen, A. J. A. M., van Laar, E., van der Zeeuw, A. & van der Graaf, S.https://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/view/22587/4725

Research profiles

My teaching is mainly focused on the field of organizational communication and the supervision bachelor and master thesis projects.

Affiliated study programs

Courses academic year 2025/2026

Courses in the current academic year are added at the moment they are finalised in the Osiris system. Therefore it is possible that the list is not yet complete for the whole academic year.

Courses academic year 2024/2025

Address

University of Twente

Ravelijn (building no. 10), room 1349
Hallenweg 17
7522 NH Enschede
Netherlands

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Organisations