Stockholm university
Denna sida på svenska

Patrik Hernvall

About me

Associate professor in pedagogics and in media technology.

Teaching

  • Humanvetenskap inom MDI
  • Vetenskaplig metodik och kommunikation inom data- och systemvetenskap 
  • Empirical Research Methodology for Computer and Systems Sciences
  • Supervision at Ba and Ma level

Research

Research and research projects

The research interest concerns areas such as children's conditions in technology-dense environments, technology-supported learning and opportunities for school development, preferably with support in norm-critical theory. Considers it particularly important to highlight children's perspectives in research.

Ongoing:

FoBoS National research school in visual pedagogy and craft pedagogy [2020 ff]

The national research school in visual pedagogy and craft pedagogy aims to develop the knowledge area of visual, virtual and material culture as well as action-based knowledge. A collaboration between HDK/Valand (College of Design and Arts and Crafts), Konstfack (Department of Visual and Crafts Pedagogy) and Stockholm University (Department of Humanities and Social Sciences Didactics and Department of Computer and System Science). Six licentiates work in the research school.

https://fobos.gu.se/

Completed:

Teacher movement patterns [2022]

Teachers' movement patterns were run in project form during 2022. The project aimed to produce a concrete and scalable example of how the Internet of Things (IoT) can be used to develop the school's core business, namely teaching and learning.

During the project, technology, methods and instructions were developed to facilitate the collection and analysis of the teacher's movement data in connection with classroom teaching. The intention of the work has been that the results should be a means to support the development of teachers' teaching skills and thereby provide better conditions for the individual student's learning. Need-centered and in close collaboration with the school's staff, we further developed IoT solutions in a way that facilitates use, implementation and scale-up.

The project was a continuation of IoT Hub School.

Co-author of, among other things, Final report: Pedagogical benefit of movement data and visualization/Slutrapport: Pedagogisk nytta av rörelsedata och visualisering.

https://iothub.se/ + https://iothub.se/lararesrorelse/

IoT Hub School [2018-2021]

In order to create good conditions for and develop the work with the use of IoT in school, the applied research project IoT hub school is carried out, a unique collaboration between RISE, nine school principals, Stockholms Universitet and two technology partners.

IoT Hub School is funded within the strategic innovation program for the Internet of Things (IoT Sverige), a joint venture by Vinnova, Formas and Energimyndigheten. The project has a total budget of 25 million, of which 12 million is financed by Vinnova and the rest is financed by participating partners. The project is for three years and the end date is September 31, 2021.

Co-author of, among other things, the reports IoT in school
State-of-the-art regarding teaching and learning 2019/IoT i skolan
State-of-the-art kring undervisning och lärande 2019 and IoT Report 3
Teacher's movement patterns/IoT Rapport 3
Lärares rörelsemönster.

https://iothub.se/

Children and the Digital Economy (BoDE) [2016-2018]

Research project "Children and digital economy" was financed by the Savings Banks Business Institute (2016-2018). Since then, we have continued to work with the overall theme of the project through collaborations with, above all, teachers in Lidingö city and Södertälje municipality. The focus is how children learn about personal finances in the digital context in which they themselves are a part. Design-based research where the children's perspective has been central.

In addition to reports and design proposals, has so far resulted in two articles:

Hernwall, Patrik & Söderberg, Inga-Lill (2019) "Students' understanding of basic personal finance principles - implications for teaching in HKK", Forskning om undervisning och lärande, vol 7, no 2, pp111-136. [”Elevers förståelse av grundläggande privatekonomiska principer – implikationer för undervisning i HKK”]
Hernwall, Patrik, & Söderberg, Inga-Lill (2020). ”Teaching about Personal Finance in HCS: Suggestions from a Design-Based Research Approach”, Designs for Learning, 12(1), pp 29-44.

https://barnochekonomi.blogs.dsv.su.se/

[lorem]

Research projects

Teachers’ movement patterns (in the classroom)

This project aims to produce a concrete and scalable example of how IoT (Internet of Things) can be used to develop teaching and learning in schools. By putting sensors on teachers, we can produce heatmaps of their classroom movements. This shows how they interact with students, and gives important feedback to their teaching. 

Heatmap of teacher's movement in classroom

Publications

A selection from Stockholm University publication database

  • Norms, appropriation, and social affordances in studying in emergency remote teaching: a meta-analysis of student experiences

    2022. Patrik Hernwall, Annika Käck, Johan Stymne. Högre Utbildning 12 (3), 47-60

    Article

    In March 2020, all Swedish university education went online practically overnight due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This study focuses on how university students experienced emergency remote education in the fall of 2020. This article is framed by a sociocultural perspective of learning and the tools present in such learning contexts. This article provides a thematic meta-analysis of 53 student group reports based on 247 interviews with third-year university students. The findings suggest three themes of particular interest, regarding what areas the students themselves found important or challenging: awareness of what it means to be a student, technology reframing communication, and need for explicit guidance. The findings are discussed in relation to norms, appropriation, self-regulation and tutoring presence as important factors to consider in emergency remote teaching.

    Read more about Norms, appropriation, and social affordances in studying in emergency remote teaching

  • Assessment in Transformation: Teachers’ Perceived Opportunities and Challenges in the Assessment of Multimodal Texts

    2022. Eva Insulander (et al.). Educare 6 (1), 132-153

    Article

    Using data from focus group interviews, this study aims to analyze the perceived opportunities and challenges encountered by groups of secondary school teachers regarding the assessment of multimodal texts. Previous research has shown that digital technologies introduce new kinds of texts in the classroom. The possibility of combining verbal text with image, sound, and movement has an impact on students’ text production. However, the changing role of writing on the screen has left teachers uncertain of how to assess these new forms of texts. Apart from attending to digital competence, assessing multimodal texts may involve following writing conventions and organizing text using different resources and components. Quality in multimodal texts may concern using multimodal components to communicate complex ideas effectively, which may or may not be noticed by teachers. The data is based on group interviews with 11 secondary school teachers at two different schools. The study conducted a thematic content analysis using the analytical concepts of transformation, recognition, design, and form and meaning. Findings show that teachers find it challenging to acknowledge certain qualities in students’ multimodal texts without support from the steering documents. On the other hand, they notice opportunities to follow students’ learning processes. In addition, they stress an increased opportunity and need for shared assessment across school subjects. The article concludes with a discussion of tensions regarding opportunities and challenges when assessing students’ multimodal texts in relation to the different subject syllabuses.

    Read more about Assessment in Transformation

  • "It is ok to be interrupted; it is my job" - perceptions on technology-mediated work-life boundary experiences; a sociomaterial analysis

    2022. Sulakshana de Alwis, Patrik Hernwall, Arosha S. Adikaram. Qualitative research in organization and management 17 (5), 108-134

    Article

    Purpose - This study aims to explore how and why employees perceive technology-mediated interruptions differently and the role of sociocultural factors in this process using sociomaterial analysis.

    Design/methodology/approach - Data were gathered from 34 Sri Lankan knowledge workers using a series of workshop-based activities. The concept of sociomateriality is employed to understand how sociocultural elements are entangled with technology in work-life boundary experiences.

    Findings - The findings of the thematic analyses suggest how culture is intertwined in the way employees perceive technology-mediated interruptions and how they manage information communication technologies (ICTs) to balance their work and nonwork demands. Participants have been unable to avoid technology-mediated boundary interruptions from work, as organisations have created norms to keep employees connected to organisations using information communication technologies. Traditional gender roles are specifically found to be entangled in employees' boundary management practices, disadvantaging women more.

    Practical implications - The findings highlight how national culture and gender norms create challenging work-life experiences for female employees than males. This could create a disadvantageous position for female employees in their career progression. It is crucial to consider factors such as boundary preferences and family concerns when deciding on family-friendly work policies. Also, organisations have to consider the development of explicit guidelines on after-hours communication expectations.

    Originality/value - Using the lens of sociomateriality, researchers can understand the contextual entanglement of ICTs with national culture and gender norms in creating different work-life boundary experiences. It seems ICTs are creating a disadvantage for female employees when managing work-nonwork boundaries, especially in power distant and collectivist cultures where traditional gender norms are highly valued and largely upheld. This study also contributes to the current discourse on work-life boundaries by providing insights from non-western perspectives.

    Read more about "It is ok to be interrupted; it is my job" - perceptions on technology-mediated work-life boundary experiences; a sociomaterial analysis

  • A Review of Methodological Choices Relating to Work-Life Boundary Research

    2021. Sulakshana de Alwis, Patrik Hernvall. Managing Global Transitions 19 (1), 73-101

    Article

    A methodological review was performed on work-life boundary-related studies published from the year 2010 to 2018. This review systematically selected 59 journal articles on the work boundary phenomenon. The selection criteria for this review closely followed three previous systematic methodological reviews performed on work-life research. Where possible, comparisons were made to integrate the findings of the current study with these previous systematic reviews. Articles were reviewed based on methodological choices such as research design, sampling strategy, data collection, data analysis, reliability, and validity measures. Findings of the review revealed that researchers had utilised a variety of methodological stances to conduct their studies. The majority of the studies in the field followed a quantitative approach, and most studies relating to work boundary management were field studies with a cross-sectional design. Qualitative studies in the area were primarily based on grounded theory. Significant methodological gaps were identified that could be bridged by future studies. Further, notable suggestions were proposed relating to reliability and validity measures taken by the researchers.

    Read more about A Review of Methodological Choices Relating to Work-Life Boundary Research

  • Technology Intense Workplaces, Boundary Preferences and Work–Life Conflict

    2021. Sulakshana de Alwis, Patrik Hernvall. South Asian Journal of Human Resources Management 8 (1), 29-53

    Article

    Workplaces today are more technologically pervasive than ever before, and communication devices such as smartphones have blurred traditional boundaries between work and non-work spheres of people. In fact, employers need to be mindful about this phenomenon when they have technology-based work expectations from their employees. Within this backdrop, this study attempts to reveal how the technological intensity at workplaces affects work–life conflict of employees who have different boundary preferences. The analysis based on 225 respondents shows that technological intensity is a significant mediator between work–life boundary preferences and work–life conflict of employees. Further, this study validates the findings of prior research based on Western samples on non-Western countries, followed by a discussion on the implications to practice and avenues for future research.

    Read more about Technology Intense Workplaces, Boundary Preferences and Work–Life Conflict

  • Elevers förståelse av grundläggande privatekonomiska principer – implikationer för undervisning i HKK

    2019. Patrik Hernvall, Inga-Lill Söderberg. Forskning om undervisning och lärande 7 (2), 111-136

    Article

    Ämnet hem- och konsumentkunskap (HKK) bär ansvaret för undervisning i privatekonomi. Detta till trots saknas kunskap om hur elever förstår grundläggande privatekonomiska principer. Med utgångspunkt i en serie om tre workshoppar på tre skolor med totalt 191 elever har tematisk analys använts för att besvara frågeställningen ”Hur förstår elever, i årskurserna 4 till 6, privatekonomi?”. Artikeln visar att elevers förståelse av ekonomi generellt och villkoren för undervisning om ekonomi specifikt är sparsamt beforskat. Genom att relatera den empiriska studien till HKK-ämnet konstateras att det finns goda förutsättningar att utveckla och förstärka såväl undervisningen i som elevers förståelse av ekonomi. Analysen visar att resurs, värde och tid är de centrala principer eleverna använder för att förstå privatekonomi. Artikeln avslutas med en dikussion om hur elevers förståelse av ekonomi kan bidra till en utveckling av undervisning i privatekonomi inom ramen för ämnet hem- och konsumentkunskap.

    Read more about Elevers förståelse av grundläggande privatekonomiska principer – implikationer för undervisning i HKK

  • Barns utvecklade förståelse av ekonomi – och utvecklingen av ett lärarstöd

    2018. Patrik Hernvall, Maria Hullgren, Inga-Lill Söderberg.

    Report

    Denna rapport är den andra av två delrapporter från ett forskningsprojekt finansierat av Stiftelsen Sparbankernas Företagsinstitut. Stiftelsen förvaltas av SparbanksAkademin (fd Sparbanksföreningen) och denna ideella sammanslutning av intressenter inom sparbankssfären – Swedbank, Sparbanker och Sparbanksaktiebolag samt Sparbanksstiftelser – har ett gemensamt intresse inom området Ung Ekonomi.

    Projektet Barn och digital ekonomi studerar hur barn lär om privatekonomi i det digitala sammanhang där de själva är en del. Den första rapporten (Hernwall, Hullgren& Söderberg, 2017) fokuserade primärt på att beskriva kunskapsområdet, projektets upplägg och några tentativa resultat. Denna rapport fördjupar beskrivningen av hur vi har arbetat, berör utvecklingen av en prototyp för att stödja lärares undervisning om privatekonomi och diskuterar framför allt hur barn i åldrarna 10 till 12 år (årskurserna 4 till 6) förstår (privat)ekonomi i ett digitalt samhälle.

    Read more about Barns utvecklade förståelse av ekonomi – och utvecklingen av ett lärarstöd

  • The Use of Learning Technologies and Student Engagement in Learning Activities

    2018. Nina Bergdahl (et al.). Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy 13 (2), 113-130

    Article

    As digitalisation spreads in education, it is vital to understand its relation to student engagement. We used student diaries and observation data to approach student engagement and explore the use of learning technologies on a lesson-to-lesson basis. Results show that a less thought-through use of technologies might lead to unconsidered effects. Positive indicators of the facilitation of student engagement included making the learning process accessible and visible to teachers.

    Read more about The Use of Learning Technologies and Student Engagement in Learning Activities

  • Utvecklingen av ett lärarstöd – en prototyp för undervisning i privatekonomi (hem- och konsumentkunskap)

    2018. Patrik Hernvall, Inga-Lill Söderberg.

    Report

    Erfarenheter från forskningsprojektet Barn och digital ekonomi har genererat dels teoretiska resultat (se Hernwall, Hullgren & Söderberg, 2018), dels utvecklandet av en prototyp till stöd lärare i undervisning om privatekonomi inom ramen för grundskolans hem- och konsumentkunskap (HKK) primärt årskurs 4-6.

    Med prototyp avses en fysisk representation för att illustrera och konkretisera en idé. Ett viktigt syfte med en prototyp är att underlätta och uppmuntra till diskussion och kritisk granskning. Inom designbaserad forskning är utvecklandet av en artefakt, ofta då i form av en prototyp, ett centralt moment.

    Read more about Utvecklingen av ett lärarstöd – en prototyp för undervisning i privatekonomi (hem- och konsumentkunskap)

  • Barn och digital ekonomi

    2017. Patrik Hernvall, Maria Hullgren, Inga-Lill Söderberg.

    Report

    Denna rapport är den första av två delrapporter från ett forskningsprojekt finansierat av Stiftelsen Sparbankernas Företagsinstitut. Projektet studerar hur barn lär om privatekonomi i det digitala sammanhang där de själva är en del. En fråga av stor samhällsrelevans i en tid då allt fler beslut vilar på individen.

    Read more about Barn och digital ekonomi

  • Participatory Design with Teachers

    2016. Johanna Öberg, Patrik Hernvall. Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Designs for Learning, 269-282

    Conference

    Participatory methods are becoming more and more commonly used in social research. These methods are used in a variety of research fields, such as; Human Computer Interaction, Education, Public Health, Civic Engagement, and so on. Participatory methods are valuable because they utilize the knowledge and experience of all the collaborators. The paper focuses on the participatory design process performed with a group of junior high school teachers and the conditions for the development of a pedagogical practice. The process, which aimed for supporting increased pupil participation, was fuelled by the development of a pedagogical model at four workshops during 2015 (April to September). Main findings from the analysis of these workshops propose that participatory design as an action research method support the appropriation of new pedagogical approaches in general, and the understanding of the possibilities of supporting pupil participation in formal education in particular.

    Read more about Participatory Design with Teachers

  • ‘We have to be professional’ - Swedish preschool teachers’ conceptualisation of digital media

    2016. Patrik Hernwall. Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy 11 (1), 5-23

    Article

    This paper describes how a group of preschool teachers participating in a design workshop sketched ideas for how ICT (information and communication technology) can be developed in relation to preschool practice. The design process, which was modelled on creative research methods and future workshops, is presented in detail. The main findings, based on a data-driven analysis of verbal and written statements and design sketches, show that ICT is mainly conceptualised as either a possibility in the support of specific competences (such as language development) or a threat to, for example, the notion of real communication and also to well-established conceptualisations of preschool practice.

    Read more about ‘We have to be professional’ - Swedish preschool teachers’ conceptualisation of digital media

  • Beyond Pedagogical Challenges

    2015. Chiara Rossitto, Patrik Hernwall, Jonas Collin. Exploring the Material Conditions of Learning: The Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) Conference 2015, 118-125

    Conference

    This article presents the results of a qualitative study in which the challenges of adopting and adapting digital media to the context of higher education were investigated. A workshop attended by university teachers and professional producers of educational video material was organized. The analysis draws attention to issues concerning the quality of digital media, the development of the professional skills required to produce and use them, and the orchestration of learning activities centered on such learning resources. The paper argues that understanding the challenges around the appropriation of digital media in educational settings encompasses the social and contextual aspects of the settings in which technology is to be used, and not merely the pedagogical concerns underlying its usage.

    Read more about Beyond Pedagogical Challenges

  • Sustentando la concientización por medio de la participación

    2015. Ana Graviz, Patrik Hernwall. Revista de Educación 6 (8), 85-100

    Article

    Estudiantes pertenecientes a los ciclos básicos y superior de la escuela secundaria se transforman en participantes activos en el proceso de investigación, como co-investigadores en el desarrollo del uso de soportes digitales en la escuela pública sueca. En la (nueva) sociología de la infancia los jóvenes son considerados participantes activos de la cultura mediática contemporánea (Prout, 2005), ya que son hábiles usuarios de los medios digitales (Buckingham, 2006; Livingstone & Haddon, 2009). Al mismo tiempo, el contexto escolar (especialmente la escuela pública sueca) presenta ciertas restricciones para el acceso y uso de estos medios digitales, y por lo tanto la manera en que los jóvenes/alumnos experimentan y comprenden las permisibilidades (affordances) de los medios digitales en general y del contenido generado por el usuario en especial, que es también limitado. En este trabajo nos enfocaremos en nuestra experiencia metodológica y en las reflexiones sobre los jóvenes como participes del proceso de investigación. Este enfoque noción de “concientización”, desarrollada por Freire (1974).

    Read more about Sustentando la concientización por medio de la participación

  • Enabling new democratic processes in Schools

    2014. Love Ekenberg, Patrik Hernwall, Konrad Tollmar. International Reports on Socio-Informatics (IRSI) 11 (1), 21-33

    Article

    This paper describes how the FlashPoll@Schools contextual polling tool could be used as an instance of furthering the democratic process in school, and in particular student participation and student democracy. Findings from two initial pilot tests of the FlashPoll@Schools tool in a school in the Stockholm area are used as backdrop for discussions on decision making, public participation and student democracy. The position paper open ups with a presentation for future work in the FlashPoll@Schools project in two intertwined veins; the development of the polling tool and pupil involvement in eDemocracy.

    Read more about Enabling new democratic processes in Schools

  • Digitala medier som platsbunden resurs

    2013. Patrik Hernwall, Helena Bergström. Human IT 12 (2), 42-65

    Article

    This article explores how adolescents (13–17 years old) understand and appropriate digital media in different places by focusing on the triadic relationship artefact – place – activity. From data collected with different methods in the project UNGMODs we have analysed pupils’ accounts focusing on their activities with digital media in different places during a day. In the first part of the article we illustrate this in an ethnographic narrative revolving around the fictitious Sedecim, 16 years old. In the second half of the article we present a thematic summary of contextual appropriation of digital media, and of contextual interlacing supported by digital media. The article ends with a theoretical summary, building on a sociomaterial perspective. It is argued here that some main conditions associated with digital media and with school as a place can be seen as intra-acting with the adolescents and their activities.

    Read more about Digitala medier som platsbunden resurs

  • Tweens negotiating identity online – Swedish girls' and boys' reflections on online experiences

    2013. Kristina Abiala, Patrik Hernwall. Journal of Youth Studies 16 (8), 951-969

    Article

    How do Swedish tweens (10–14 years old) understand and experience the writing of their online identities? How are such intertwined identity markers as gender and age expressed and negotiated? To find some answers to these questions, participants in this study were asked to write a story about the use of online web communities on pre-prepared paper roundels with buzzwords in the margins to inspire them. Content analysis of these texts using the constant comparative method showed that the main factors determining how online communities are understood and used are the cultural age and gender of the user. Both girls and boys chat online, but girls more often create blogs while boys more often play games. Gender was increasingly emphasised with age; but whereas boys aged 14 described themselves as sexually active and even users of pornography, girls of the same age described themselves as shocked and repelled by pornography and fearful of sexual threats. In this investigation an intersectionalist frame of reference is used to elucidate the intertwined power differentials and identity markers of the users' peer group situation.

    Read more about Tweens negotiating identity online – Swedish girls' and boys' reflections on online experiences

  • Employing creative research methods with tweens in Estonia and Sweden

    2012. Andra Siibak, Michael Forsman, Patrik Hernwall. Journal of technology in human services 30, 250-261

    Article

    In this article we discuss our experiences from setting up workshops, inspired by creative research methods (Gauntlett, 2005, 2007), on the theme of construction of online identities by young people (aged 13–14 years) in Estonia and in Sweden. Our primary focus is on the opportunities and possible challenges involved when using creative research methods to study the identity construction process of young people by engaging them in participatory, creative activities. Our experiences indicate that such an approach can be especially beneficial when working with young people, as it enabled us to observe the actual construction and usage of gender codes and norms, both in the offline peer group context and in an online setting.

    Read more about Employing creative research methods with tweens in Estonia and Sweden

  • Resisting the subordinate woman

    2012. Patrik Hernwall. Invisible girl, 225-234

    Chapter

    Based on experiences and results from the research project (the.GTO.project · http://mt.sh.se/gto), this article discusses how tween (app. 10 to 14 years old) girls construct gendered identity in online environments, where the publication of digital images is of core importance. The case being the Swedish social network site (SNS) Bilddagboken (BDB). At BDB up to 500.000 images are posted each day, totalling more than 250 million images. In the article I will discuss, based on a single illustrative example from a 12- year-old Swedish girl, how a tween girl constructs an online gendered identity and what kind of communicative competences this production of gendered identity demands. The article begins with reflecting upon the gendered image of the gazed woman of Cindy Sherman, followed by a discussion on the (gendered) photograph and how new qualities are added when being used in a digital context. Ethical issues arising from publishing empirical data collected at a SNS are discussed at some length.

    Read more about Resisting the subordinate woman

  • The making of online identity

    2012. Patrik Hernwall, Andra Siibak. Proceedings of the Eighth International Conference on Cultural Attitudes Towards Technology and Communication, 38-50

    Conference

    In the .GTO.project our ambition is to study how young people (10 to 14 years old) in Estonia and Sweden construct and normalise gender and age, as markers of identity and identity development, in their online interactions. After conducting interview studies on how young people experience on- and offline interactions, and their intertwining, as well as online ethnographic studies of online presentations, we went on with the third phase of the project: creative workshops with young people. In these workshops, young people in groups of four were to create fictitious online characters. In the analysis of these, we focus on how power differentials and identity markers such as age and gender are constructed and negotiated.

    Read more about The making of online identity

  • Writing identity

    2011. Patrik Hernvall, Andra Siibak. Global Studies of Childhood 1 (4), 365-376

    Article

    Tweens (10–14 year olds) in Estonia and Sweden were interviewed about their experience and understanding of gender construction on social networking sites (SNS). Our interviews indicate that peer culture is the most important dimension and a source of inspiration for the young when writing their identity online. Gendered norms and values are prominent in these activities, especially in the manipulated images being produced by the tweens. The latter practice is most explicit among the girls, especially when it comes to photoshopping. Our findings suggest that both girls and boys are well aware of what images are acceptable to publish as well as how to act and pose in front of the camera.

    Read more about Writing identity

  • ”Två timmar är lagom”

    2011. Patrik Hernwall, Annika Lindkvist. Locus (1)

    Article

    Högstadieelever har i denna studie varit medforskare i ett projekt om ungas bruk av digitala medier. Studien visar att användandet och förståelsen av digitala medier i skola och på fritiden följer traditionella könsmässiga maktord- ningar och identitetsmarkörer.

    Read more about ”Två timmar är lagom”

  • Barns digitala rum

    2001. Patrik Hernwall.

    Thesis (Doc)

    This thesis contributes to an understanding of the conditions of children in the changeable society, by way of a study on children’s use and experiences of e-mail, chat and the Internet as means of communication. The empirical material used is interviews with children between 8 and 13 years old, conducted in their school environment, complemented with a continuous dialogue via e-mail and chat over a period of 17 months between 1997 and 1998.

    Based in a pedagogical ethnography, the principle of abductive inference has been used, combined with sensitizing concepts, in a qualitative analysis. In the analysis, semiotics has been an important element in the development of an understanding in the children’s experiences of the computer-mediated communication (CMC), as well as in relating their experiences to a theoretical context.

    Children find a wide range of affordances in the computer and the information- and communication technology (ICT). As e-mail, and chat and the Internet in particular, became widespread during this period, the experience of having used these tool can be seen as a developmental task for children. ICT gives children access to an arena where they can transcend the biological (i.e. the body, age) and the physical (i.e. geography). Therefore, ICT becomes a prosthesis that affords interaction and communication in a ‘glocal’ culture, where children are able to make new contacts with other actors as well as transcend their physical identity.

    The thesis also includes a discussion on how to use empirical data collected in cyberspace (i.e. e-mail and chat), and what ethical problems one encounters in doing so. 

    Read more about Barns digitala rum

Show all publications by Patrik Hernvall at Stockholm University

Edit the profile