Developing an Information System Theory for Thesis Supervision Support

A selection from Stockholm University publication database

• Telecenters for the Future in Tea Estates of Sri Lanka

  2016. Sirkku Männikkö-Barbutiu (et al.). ICT for Promoting Human Development and Protecting the Environment, 121-131

  Conference

  This paper reports on a study conducted at one of the Sri Lankan tea estate districts, exploring the present day status of telecenters to examine how they have succeeded in meeting the initial high expectations attached to them. During a field study, two major types of telecenters have been examined through observations, interviews and document analysis. Our findings suggest that the challenges of the initiation phase still prevail. The hopes are placed on the younger generation, as they are regarded as those who can benefit from the ICTs and thus contribute to the development of the remote communities of tea estates. In the concluding discussion, we advocate for the possibilities of co-designing new services that might help to transform the telecenters to meet the needs and requirements of the tea estate communities of today and tomorrow.

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• SciPro Matching

  2014. Henrik Hansson, Jan Moberg, Ranil Colombage Peiris. The International Journal on Advances in ICT for Emerging Regions 7 (3), 1-10

  Article

  This article focuses on how to empower the initiation stage in the thesis supervision process with information and communication technology. Starting a large number of theses with available resources based on creative ideas is a challenging task. Another challenge is to connect the students’ theses with industry interests. In order to facilitate a good thesis, the SciPro ICT support system for thesis supervision has been developed in the last few years. The most important task in the thesis initiation stage is matching students, supervisors and ideas together to start a thesis. Supervisors, business partners and administration staff are other stakeholders that should be interacting in this process for a successful project. Although the selection of an idea is the responsibility of students, and appearance is simple, it requires a series of academic and administrative processes. There is a lack of developed IT systems for thesis supervision as well as an initiation stage and SciPro can be introduced as a model for future developments. The thesis initiation stage is the foundation for a quality thesis, and it highly affects the quality of a thesis. The research approach is based on case study method. Data collection methods are interviews, observations, and focus group discussions and log data during a period of 2 years. This paper presents four interrelated IT systems that have been developed to support the start of a quality thesis. These four systems and the SciPro resources site add value, save time and increase the quality of the thesis initiation stage. The process implemented rewards for supervisors and students by providing freedom, control and selection of relevant topics to a high degree. Although all the activities in the initiation stage are not fully automated, the administration staff benefited and there were significant advantages for administrative activities. Also SciPro can be linked with industry to enhance the relationship with industry.

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• SciPro Idea Bank

  2012. Henrik Hansson, Jan Moberg, Ranil Peiris. INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ADVANCES IN ICT FOR EMERGING REGIONS (ICTER2012), 111-121

  Conference

  This article focus on thesis writing and how to match a large number of students with available supervisors based on creative ideas. Another challenge is to connect the students’ thesis topics with current research activities at the university and businesses. In order to facilitate a good start, the Idea Bank has been developed. This pool of ideas is generated by business, research funding bodies, supervisors and students. This management problem is of general interest for all universities and of importance for quality thesis output as well as for skills and learning in demand by the public and private sector. The Idea Bank is the point of departure for the thesis process, supported by the IT-system, SciPro. Aim: To describe and analyse matching based on ideas, students and supervisors in order to facilitate quality thesis production. Methods: The research approach is based on action research and design research principles. Data collection methods: interviews, observations, focus group discussions and log data during a period of 1,5 year. Results and Discussion: Students appreciate as much information and inspiration as possible when creating their thesis topics. Our model consists of one semester of “thinking” and developing and during that period ideas are available from supervisors, business enterprises and public sector organisations. This paper presents three IT-models that have been developed to manage these thesis ideas and the matching with supervisors. Conclusions: The Idea Bank and matching system definitely add value, saves time and increase the quality of theses. Due to conflicting interests about the process between the stakeholders, the system has been rebuilt each year in order to create the best compromise. The process implemented rewards active supervisors and active students by providing freedom, control and selection of relevant topics to a high degree.

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• Blended learning systems in tertiary education

  2016. Xavier Muianga (et al.). Proceedings of E-Learn, 1006-1015

  Conference

  This study is about analyzing the state of the art of blended learning systems comparatively with reference to complex adaptive system framework from two developing countries namely Rwanda and Mozambique. A qualitative approach was carried out, based on a comparison of the results of interviews conducted in both institutions. 22 lecturers, 25 students, two IT staff, two distance education experts and two managers from both were interviewed in the discourse form. The results show that in two cases, Institution has not recognized and implemented strategies to create a sustainable BL environment. Status of technology is different in two cases, but there are signs of improvements in all two cases. The most interesting finding is two selected cases have initiated integration of ICT using BL approach, but they have not seen BL as a complex system. Therefore, BL systems development has not considered the systems thinking approach, and there are conflicts between subsystems.

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Show all publications by Ranil Peiris Colombage at Stockholm University