Search results

1 – 10 of 31
Open Access
Article
Publication date: 6 March 2017

Ola J. Lindberg, Anders D. Olofsson and Göran Fransson

The purpose of this paper is to examine Swedish upper secondary school teachers’ and students’ views and use of ICT in education.

8189

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine Swedish upper secondary school teachers’ and students’ views and use of ICT in education.

Design/methodology/approach

In total, 25 individual teachers and 39 students in small focus groups were interviewed. A qualitative content analysis was performed using NVivo11. The analysis was conducted in three steps: with each individual teacher, the student groups and the cohort of teachers and students. A comparative analysis was also conducted.

Findings

The teachers’ views and use of ICT are diverse. Teachers and students identify similar challenges when using ICT in education, e.g. time and subject, the shortcomings of a school’s learning management system (LMS) and teachers’ digital competence. Students report an extensive out-of-school use of smartphones and an extensive in-school use of laptops and LMS.

Research limitations/implications

The relatively small number of teachers and students in three schools make generalisations difficult. The examination of teachers’ and students’ views and use in the same context reveals new knowledge.

Practical implications

The study may influence teachers’ use of ICT in education, based on a better understanding of students’ use.

Social implications

The study may lead to a better understanding of teachers’ and students’ different perspectives and a more enhanced and sustainable in-school use of ICT.

Originality/value

The originality is that teachers’ and students’ views and use of ICT in education are examined at the same time. The paper contributes new knowledge about how teachers and students conceptualise and use ICT in upper secondary school practices.

Details

The International Journal of Information and Learning Technology, vol. 34 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2056-4880

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 5 March 2018

Anders D. Olofsson, Ola J. Lindberg and Göran Fransson

The purpose of this paper is to explore upper secondary school students’ voices on how information and communication technology (ICT) could structure and support their everyday…

8161

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore upper secondary school students’ voices on how information and communication technology (ICT) could structure and support their everyday activities and time at school.

Design/methodology/approach

In all, 11 group interviews were conducted with a total of 46 students from three upper secondary schools. NVivo PRO 11 was used for a qualitative content analysis.

Findings

The results show that ICT plays a central role in the students’ schooling, not in terms of “state-of-the-art” technology, but rather as “state-of-the-actual”, by for example supporting the writing process and for peer support, digital documentation and storage.

Research limitations/implications

A relatively small number of students in three schools and three specific programmes make generalisations difficult.

Practical implications

Students’ perspectives on the “state-of-the-actual” could influence teachers’ use of ICT in education, their professional development activities and the development of an in-school ICT infrastructure.

Social implications

The study could lead to a better understanding of students’ expectations and use of ICT at school and in everyday life.

Originality/value

The originality of this paper is the focus on students’ voices about how the basic use and functionality of ICT could structure and support their everyday activities at school.

Details

The International Journal of Information and Learning Technology, vol. 35 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2056-4880

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 June 2011

Anders D. Olofsson, J. Ola Lindberg and Trond Eiliv Hauge

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the use of blogs as part of a formative assessment practice, to report how reflective peer‐to‐peer learning can be designed and provided in…

2562

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the use of blogs as part of a formative assessment practice, to report how reflective peer‐to‐peer learning can be designed and provided in online higher education.

Design/methodology/approach

The research relies on a qualitative approach. The empirical setting comprised an online higher education course in which 23 students were enrolled. All students wrote individual blogs, and the analysis was done using all postings and comments from the blogs. For the analysis the ICE (Ideas, Connections, and Extension) three level classification model was used.

Findings

The designed blog exercise turned into an informal and formative type of assessment that scaffolds the students' learning, providing a reflective peer‐to‐peer technology‐enhanced learning design.

Research limitations/implications

The study is limited to one online higher education course. Additional research on educational technology and e‐assessment is needed. In particular, research on the informed design of technology‐enhanced learning practices characterized by formative e‐assessment and the role of the designed use of blogs in the facilitating and enhancement of the students' peer‐to‐peer learning.

Practical implications

The paper demonstrates that the design and use of blogs embrace a formative assessment approach that cultivates the students' reflective peer‐to‐peer learning.

Originality/value

The paper provides insight into the designed use of blogs in online higher education together with the potential in formative assessment for learning. The ICE three‐level classification model provides a dynamic possibility to analyze online higher educational practices.

Details

Campus-Wide Information Systems, vol. 28 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1065-0741

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 August 2010

Anders Segerstedt and Thomas Olofsson

The purpose of this paper is to introduce a special issue about the construction industry and the management of its supply chains. It aims to discuss and point to some differences…

13264

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to introduce a special issue about the construction industry and the management of its supply chains. It aims to discuss and point to some differences and possible similarities with traditional manufacturing and its supply chains.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is mostly a literature review and contains official statistics.

Findings

The market of the construction company is mostly local and highly volatile. The long durability of the construction “product” contributes to the volatility. The product specification process before the customer order arrives shows different degrees of specifications: engineer to order, modify to order, configure to order, select a variant. (The common make‐to‐stock in traditional manufacturing does not exist.) A construction company only executes a small part of the project by its own personnel and capacity. This is a way of risk spreading and risk mitigation and to compensate for an unstable market. If a construction company wants to establish a new concept, from “engineer to order” to e.g. “configure to order”, it must be engaged earlier in the business process and with other than usual customers, which might complicate the process.

Research limitations/implications

Experiences from Sweden and Swedish developments are the main source of information.

Originality/value

The paper introduces the articles that are a source of scientifically generated knowledge regarding various problems and opportunities associated with supply chain management in the project‐based construction industry.

Details

Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, vol. 15 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1359-8546

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 January 2011

Anders D. Olofsson, J. Ola Lindberg and Ulf Stödberg

The purpose of this paper is to provide an understanding of students' meaning‐making processes, as they are part of an e‐assessment practice via written blog posting upon their…

2646

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide an understanding of students' meaning‐making processes, as they are part of an e‐assessment practice via written blog posting upon their own, and their co‐students' performances, presented online through shared video media.

Design/methodology/approach

The research relies on qualitative data to provide an analysis of students' use of the educational technology tool called VoiceThread©. These data were provided by collecting Swedish higher education students' postings and comments in relation to two video clips published in VoiceThread. The formal learning sequence model by Selander together with theories on communication and reflection were used in the analysis.

Findings

The data and the analysis show that shared video media and blogging embrace a potential to facilitate communication and reflection among online higher education students. In addition, the design of the course seems to strengthen the use of formative e‐assessment.

Research limitations/implications

The research reported on in this paper should, preferably, be followed by additional research on educational technology, social software and e‐assessment; informed design of practices of formative e‐assessment; and the role of formative e‐assessment in the facilitating and enhancement of the students' learning and meaning‐making processes.

Practical implications

This paper provides researched‐based ideas of ways in which teachers in online higher education can design their courses, if they want to cultivate the students' communicative and reflective skills.

Originality/value

This paper provides an important insight into the use of shared video media and blogging in online higher education, especially, the way it can be designed for within a formative e‐assessment course approach.

Details

Campus-Wide Information Systems, vol. 28 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1065-0741

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 September 2015

Caroline Berggren and Anders Olofsson

– The purpose of this paper is to look at how results from a large-scale study can be understood in the context of contemporary gender and entrepreneurship research.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to look at how results from a large-scale study can be understood in the context of contemporary gender and entrepreneurship research.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is inspired by a mixed methods methodology. To gain a qualitative understanding of the general patterns in a large-scale study, research results in articles from the International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship (IJGE) were used. To make such a heterogeneous research field as appears in IJGE comparable, a model was created that helped us to focus our attention when reading the articles. The core of each article was identified.

Findings

The categorisation of the articles in IJGE resulted in three perspectives: liberal, functional and structural. The liberal and functional perspectives improved our understanding only partially because these perspectives usually focused on a certain aspect in the society. The structural perspective more readily lent itself for interpretation of our large-scale results.

Research limitations/implications

The dissonance between our perspective and the perspective of others has been a challenge; it has been a delicate task.

Originality/value

This could be a way to improve communication of research not only within a perspective, but also between perspectives. It is important that scholarly journals provide the possibility to express different perspectives on, as in this example, gender and entrepreneurship.

Details

International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship, vol. 7 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1756-6266

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 July 2005

Anders D. Olofsson and J. Ola Lindberg

With a philosophical stance in relation to education, this paper aims to discuss different understandings of participation in an information and communication technology…

2079

Abstract

Purpose

With a philosophical stance in relation to education, this paper aims to discuss different understandings of participation in an information and communication technology (ICT)‐supported distance‐based teacher education program in Sweden.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on early results from two studies, both of which involved a group of teacher‐trainees, with one interview and one questionnaire.

Findings

The findings indicate that there is a need to be explicit about the ontological assumptions inherent in the intended use of ICT. The conclusion is that the program in question is built on assumptions of realism and that ICT lays the ground for individual participation and works to tell the students apart.

Originality/value

Helps in understanding how ICT, and its use, can have different effects on different groups.

Details

Campus-Wide Information Systems, vol. 22 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1065-0741

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 September 2009

Jonas Höög, Olof Johansson and Anders Olofsson

The purpose of this paper is to describe the results of a follow‐up study of two Swedish schools in which, five years previously, the principals had been successful leaders. Had…

989

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe the results of a follow‐up study of two Swedish schools in which, five years previously, the principals had been successful leaders. Had this success been maintained?

Design/methodology/approach

Two schools were revisited to enable the authors to interview principals and teachers as well as conducting observations of the schools in operation.

Findings

The identification of sustained leadership success was compromised because the original principals were no longer at the schools, their replacements had also left and their (“third generation”) replacements had just arrived. Strong teacher teams had served to maintain school standards.

Originality/value

The paper adds to the literature on the vital role of the principal in determining a school's success and also points to the value of strong, cohesive teacher teams.

Details

Journal of Educational Administration, vol. 47 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0957-8234

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 December 2005

Jonas Höög, Olof Johansson and Anders Olofsson

This paper seeks to describe the Swedish compulsory school system and explore a hypothesis about the relationship between structure, culture and leadership as preconditions for…

2478

Abstract

Purpose

This paper seeks to describe the Swedish compulsory school system and explore a hypothesis about the relationship between structure, culture and leadership as preconditions for successful principalship.

Design/methodology/approach

On the basis of earlier research, argues that a principal's success depends on how he or she alters school structures and cultures so as to foster school improvement. A successful school is defined in Swedish law and policy documents as a school that shows high performance both in academic and social goals. Based on this definition, three schools were chosen for this study. All three had increased their academic results in the last four years.

Findings

Findings from the study support the hypothesis that principals contribute to the improvement of academic and social goals of their schools by the strategic work they do to change school structure and culture. Furthermore, the principals changed their schools' structures and cultures in directions that were consistent with the opinions and cultures of the school district. Being able to read and work with the culture and structure of the school district was vital for principal success.

Originality/value

Provides information on the important relationship between structure, culture and leadership as preconditions for successful principalship.

Details

Journal of Educational Administration, vol. 43 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0957-8234

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 February 1984

Brian Waterfield, B. Herod and Peter Moran

The ISHM—Japan Chapter, comprising some 500 members, was represented at ISHM '84 by 60 members, 30 of whom attended as a group. Twelve papers were presented by Japanese delegates…

Abstract

The ISHM—Japan Chapter, comprising some 500 members, was represented at ISHM '84 by 60 members, 30 of whom attended as a group. Twelve papers were presented by Japanese delegates at the Conference held in the Loews Anatole Hotel from 17–19 October.

Details

Microelectronics International, vol. 2 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1356-5362

1 – 10 of 31