I give lectures in courses that in one way or another relate to theories of cognition, learning and design and evaluation of computer based learning and training environments. Current courses are "Cognitive Psychology in HMI" delivered in the bachelor program in interaction design, and "Design for complex and dynamic contexts", delivered in the masters program in design for creative and immersive technology.

Current research projects:

Use of IoT to visualize teachers´patterns of movement in the classroom

The project builds on the previous project "IoTHub school" with an exclusive focus on visualisation of movement, and how such visualisations can support teachers to reflect on, and develop their practice.

L(ive), V(irtual) & C(onstructive) for efficient flight training

LVC combines live aircraft, flight simulators and constructive entities (AIs) in the same training scenario. In the research project we explore the training value this training concept offers for fast jet fighter pilots in live aircraft and flight simulators. We also explore how to design training scenarios for LVC-training to ascertain a good training value to pilots flying in real aircraft and pilots flying in simulators (The Swedish defense research agency FOI, the Swedish air force combat simulation centre FLSC).

A selection of previous research projects:

IoTHub school: This was a research and development project investigating IoT and sensor data, and more specifically how IoT and sensor data can support pedagogical development in the school.

PLACES – Purposeful Learning Across Collaborative Educational Spaces. The research project investigated the intricacies and complexities of introducing mobile technologies into schools curriculum and accepted teaching practices, analysing actual transformations that the use of mobile technologies in schools brings to contemporary forms of learning in the 21st century (Swedish research council, educational science, 2013 – 2015).

A study on the role of representational artifacts and actions in interaction design: Sketching as an embodied practice. In the project we studied processes involved in the creation of design representations, more in particular the role that representational tools and action play in that process. Tools used in creation of design representations have limited power to represent the essentials of what is focused, namely interaction itself with its dynamic and temporal aspects. The project investigated what role representational tools and action (designers´ design oriented actions) play in processes of sketching, and the misunderstandings and problems designers run into and how these are overcome (Swedish research council, educational science, 2010 – 2013).

PanNordic TEL. The aim of the “Learning Ecosystems and Activities of the Future” (LEAF) initiative was to develop and implement a common Nordic strategy for supporting new funding possibilities to promote synergy in research and development in the field of Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) across the Nordic countries  (NordForsk, 2009-2012).

A mobile language blog for a living and shared every day use (Vinnova, IT services in entertainment and recreation, 2010-2012). In this project we developed a new modern mobile blogging service for writing (as well as for reading) multimodal everyday stories. The blogging service was  primarily directed towards school children/adolescents. The project is was collaboration between BrainGlass AB (former Vocab AB), DSV – Mobile Life and Kista Theatre. 
The main idea of the project was to combine pleasure and benefit for children/young people and provide them with new tools that are based on the social media already used by most young people today. These can be used both recreationally and in school to talk about culture, sports and other things in life that interest the users.

The project aimed to:
- Study how the schoolchildren used cell phones to express themselves through multimodal storytelling and how we could make this participation easier, more fun and more accessible
- Build mobile multimodal applications that would make it possible to blog using various modalities, such as: text, images, video, audio as well as symbols and associations
- Develop new types of blogs with integrated multi-modal dictionaries that would make it easy to use, label and index the media better
- Evaluate these tools on a small scale by means of project problem owners.

Learning and teaching at universities – towards active learning and use of IT in medical and technological education, Swedish Research Council. In this project we among other things focus on students preferences for approaching a learning situation and material and how this in turn correlates with surface- and deep learning strategies. One of the research questions in the project focuses on how we can design learning environments that foster surface learners to move towards deep learning and use of deep learning strategies in learning.

Shared Representations and Collaborative Learning of Interaction Design. The Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet). In the project we investigated how interactive artifacts can be used to support and strengthen shared use of representations in learning of interaction design. The research questions in the project were:
-what is the role of shared representations in the context of collaborative learning of interaction design,
-what is the role of artifacts (for instance large interactive surfaces for projection) in supporting and strengthening shared use of representations in a collaborative learning context.

The focus in the project was on representations that are used within the context of interaction design and processes of interaction design that have the potential to be supported by shared representations (artifacts, design patterns, language and language use).

A focus of interest was to develop a theoretical frame of reference to understand the role of computers as media for communicating knowledge between human beings. The theoretical frame should serve as a support to the activities of specifying psychological and computational requirements on the representation of knowledge and on the dialogue in such systems, of developing methods for meeting the requirements, and of investigating the psychological feasibility of such systems, ( the CAFKA-project ).

A related focus of interest concerned how computer support could be designed and used in situations where people need other people’s expertise in order to solve a problem ( The COPS-project ). Focus was upon how problem solving expertise might be communicated with a knowledge-base as medium. Focus was upon the communication of knowledge, in terms of argumentation and explanation rather than on problem solving algorithms. The project worked both with empirical psychological studies and with computer science studies of possible methods of communicating knowledge in the context of critiquing systems. Sender’s explanations and argumentation as well as receiver’s understanding of these were studied. Computer supports for effective communication and mediation of problem solving advice and explanations, as well as corresponding methods for knowledge representation were developed.

Within the AUGMENT-project (AUGMENTation of expertise; Model refinements and Model shifts), the goal was to study how expertise for particular domains (both in men and machines) could be augmented in terms of refinements of and shifts between explanatory models of the domains. We used the term explanatory model to denote either mental models (in our heads) or conceptual models (in a computer) of a domain. We assumed the scenario to be “learning on the limit” which means that the user’s knowledge of the problem domain was at least minimally adequate for the conceived problem solving tasks. Likewise, the computer based tool was minimally adequate for supporting the problem solving activities. In particular, we were interested in studying shifts between explanatory models, the parallel use of several explanatory models and the gradual drift and degree of persistence of explanatory models.

The “STEPP”-project (Scenario based Training Environments for learning Protein Purification) was based on ideas that came up from the results obtained in the augment project mentioned above. The project focused on design and evaluation of a learning and training environment within the domain of protein purification.

Results from the AUGMENT-project (see above) and the focus on theories of learning, development of competence and cognition resulted in a research theme “Scenario Based Environments for Learning and Development of Competence” within the graduate school for Human Machine Interaction (HMI) in Stockholm (Stockholm HMI-node). In this project we focussed on several interrelated aspects in the context of learning and development of computer-based tools/environments for learning.

Yet another project with a focus on learning concerned distance and distributed education (DITE – Design of IT based Education ). A project was carried out in cooperation with Stanford University, USA (The global lifelong learning project). Focus was upon how different techniques should be used and adapted to the specific eduational setting to meet the requirements and needs that students have. A continous evaluation of methodologies used in the Stanford courses given at the department of Computer and Systems Sciences was performed.

Yet another focus was upon learning. In the project Hyperlearn (Hypermedia Learning Issues) the goal consisted in increasing the general understanding of how technologies of representation interact with human conceptual formation. The focus was upon providing explanations for learning purposes. The domain of physics was (once again) approached to study university students’ conceptrestructuring in learning. Different ways of structuring explanations was tested in a hypermedia context. The interplay between text and pictures was also investigated. The dependent variables consisted in concept formation as well as subjective perception of learnability, comprehensability and inspiration.

In the HYCAL-project (HYpermedia and Communication for Active Learning) we focussed on developing training environments for students learning about conceptual modeling based on the pedagogical model of cognitive apprenticeship.

I was engaged in an EU-project (I3, ESE – Experimental School Environments) “Playground” which is based on an animation based kernel – ToonTalk.

In the project `Children and teachers in knowledge construction with computer games´, (Swedish Research Council) we focussed computer based construction environments for children to construct their own computer games, simulations, etc.

A selection from Stockholm University publication database

• Components of learning in upper secondary teachers’ pedagogical patterns

  2022. Elisabeth Rolf, Ola Knutsson, Robert Ramberg. Technology, Pedagogy and Education

  Article

  This article presents and analyses pedagogical patterns, a design support resource, proposed to upper secondary teachers for technology-supported solutions to educational problems intended for teachers with limited experience of teaching with technology. It analyses pedagogical patterns to understand how they reflect the characteristics of learning theories. The analysis is done by applying an existing framework that gathers three spectra consisting of key components of learning: Information–Experience, Individual–Social, and Reflection–Non-reflection. In a workshop series, pedagogical patterns were created by teachers recognised for their use of technology in teaching, and these patterns constitute data for analysis. The components of learning in the pedagogical patterns have been derived from 23 solutions, or learning activities, for effective use of technology through deductive thematic analysis. The analysis reveals that the solutions involve various pedagogical components but that individual and reflective solutions are most common, thus indicating the kind of pedagogy that is considered suitable for less experienced teachers. We conclude that the method suggested for analysis contributes to research within technology-enhanced learning TEL. It can expand knowledge about the pedagogy involved in learning designs that support the use of technology in education. Adopting a participatory design approach in workshops can moreover contribute to the collegial learning of teachers.

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• Design of simulator training

  2021. Sanna Aronsson (et al.). Cognition, Technology & Work 21, 117-130

  Article

  Simulator training is becoming increasingly important for training of time-critical and dynamic situations. Hence, how simulator training in such domains is planned, carried out and followed up becomes important. Based on a model prescribing such crucial aspects, ten decision-making training simulator facilities have been analyzed from an activity theoretical perspective. The analysis reveals several conflicts that exist between the training that is carried out and the defined training objectives. Although limitations in technology and organization are often alleviated by proficient instructors, it is concluded that there is a need for a structured approach to the design of training to be able to define the competencies and skills that ought to be trained along with relevant measurable training goals. Further, there is a need for a pedagogical model that takes the specifics of simulator training into account. Such a pedagogical model is needed to be able to evaluate the training, and would make it possible to share experiences and make comparisons between facilities in a structured manner.

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• Designs for learning and knowledge representations in collaborative settings

  2021. Ola Knutsson, Robert Ramberg, Staffan Selander. Digital learning and collaborative practices, 12-21

  Chapter

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• Immersiva lösningar för flygsimulatorer

  2021. Sanna Aronsson (et al.).

  Report

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• Teachers’ Design Processes

  2021. Elisabeth Rolf, Ola Knutsson, Robert Ramberg. IxD&A 49, 135-160

  Article

  Research on how teachers design to support learning and how teachers use different learning designs is still in its infancy. The explorative study reported here aims to approach an understanding of how teachers design learning activities by analysing upper secondary teachers’ design work while using pedagogical patterns. Ten teachers working in pairs of two were invited to design and document learning activities based on pedagogical patterns. The findings reveal that (1) pedagogical patterns inspire teachers to embark on a design process that aligns with their own context, and (2) teachers’ design processes share common general design characteristics and are, among other things, different, dynamic, unpredictable, and unsystematic. It is concluded that knowledge about teachers’ design processes and the use of learning designs may inform researchers on how to develop design-supporting tools and resources.

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• LVC Allocator

  2020. Sanna Aronsson (et al.). The Journal of Defence Modeling and Simulation

  Article

  Live virtual constructive (LVC) flight simulations mix pilots flying actual aircraft, pilots flying in simulators, and computer- generated forces, in joint scenarios. Training resources invested in LVC scenarios must give a high return, and therefore pilots in both live aircraft and simulators need to experience training value for the extensive resources invested in both, an aspect not emphasized in current LVC research. Thus, there is a need for a function, in this article described as LVC Allocator, which assures that complex LVC training scenarios include aspects of training value for all participants, and, thus, purposefully align scenario design with training value. A series of workshops were carried out with 16 fast-jet pilots articulating the training challenges that LVC could contribute to solving, and allocating LVC entities in a training scenario design exercise. The training values for LVC included large scenarios, weapon delivery, flight safety, adversary performance, and weather dependence. These values guided the reasoning of how to allocate different entities to L, V, or C entities. Allocations were focused on adversaries as V, keeping entity types together, weather dependence, low-alti- tude and supersonic flying requirements, and to let L entities handle and lead complex tasks to keep the human in the loop.

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• LVC Allocator och White Wizard

  2020. Sanna Aronsson (et al.).

  Report

  Denna rapport fokuserar på LVC-träning (LVC-T) som träningskoncept där verkliga flygfarkoster (Live), simulerade flygfarkoster (Virtual) och datorgenererade flygfarkoster (Constructive) integreras i gemensamma träningsscenarion och övningar. Centralt har varit att anpassa konceptet LVC-T till en svensk kontext för att effektivisera träning och utvärdering av prestation och förmåga i framtida luftstridsträning. För att detta ska kunna uppnås är det viktigt att flygförare i både verkliga och simulerade flygfarkoster får ett bra träningsvärde, som definieras som det mervärde(ökade/förbättrade färdigheter, erfarenheter och/eller kunskap) flygförare uppnår genom att delta i ett givet träningsscenario. För att söka säkerställa att flygförare i verkliga och simulerade flygfarkoster får bra träningsvärde genomfördes workshopar kring den föreslagna rollen ”LVC Allocator” med flygförare för att utforska LVC som träningskoncept, identifiera svårigheter i existerande träning som LVC-träning kanavhjälpa samt designa LVC-träningsscenarier med utgångspunkt i bra träningsvärde förflygförare i verkliga och simulerade flygfarkoster. För att utvärdera LVC träningsscenarier och undersöka om avsedda träningsvärden kan uppnås, planerades och genomfördes tre empiriska studier kallade ”White Wizard”, baserade på workshopserien LVC Allocator. Studierna genomfördes med enbart simulerade flygfarkoster därflygförare i simulatorer tilldelades egenskapen verklig flygförare med vissa tillhörande restriktioner. Utvärderingen bygger på resultat från dessa tre studier, och mer specifikt gruppenkäter som diskuterades och fylldes i av de enheter som ingick i scenariot, en gemensam debriefing som hölls med samtliga ingående enheter samt en individuell enkätsom nyttjades vid ett av de tre tillfällena. Resultaten visar att ansatserna LVC Allocator och White Wizard tillsammans kan användas för att utvärdera LVC-träningsscenarieroch om avsedda träningsvärden uppnås. Med användning av denna typ av simuleringar kan komplikationer i LVC-träningsscenarier och -upplägg på ett kostnadseffektivt sätt identifieras och successivt anpassas före det att dessa omsätts till verklig LVC-träning. Deltagande flygförare rapporterar över lag att upplägget medger inlevelse och insikt iLVC, bra träningsvärde samt att de är positivt inställda till framtida LVC-träning.Aspekter i scenariot som gav bra träningsvärde var bland annat att det innehöll ett flertal beroende beslutspunkter, oförutsägbarhet samt ett stort antal enheter som krävde samordning. Fortsatt utredning och implementering av LVC-T rekommenderas.

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• Learning by coding

  2020. Montathar Faraon (et al.). Education and Information Technologies 25 (3), 1759-1783

  Article

  As information technology continues to evolve rapidly in society, coding skills become increasingly essential to develop. The purpose of this article is to examine differences between the learner-centered and sociocultural approaches when teaching and learning coding in higher education. A quasi-experiment was applied over six academic semesters evaluating the mentioned approaches in terms of students' explicit attitudes, grades, and course evaluations. The findings indicated that the sociocultural approach may be a viable alternative to the learner-centered approach. More specifically, students indicated a preference for the sociocultural approach over the learner-centered approach, a greater number of students who passed the courses were educated via the sociocultural approach, and overall satisfaction was significantly higher for this approach as well. While the sociocultural approach has demonstrated to be advantageous, its integration in courses must concurrently be carefully balanced against constraints that teachers continuously experience in higher education, such as time and resources, which presents a challenge to the design of courses and to academia at large.

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• An analysis of digital competence as expressed in design patterns for technology use in teaching

  2019. Elisabeth Rolf, Ola Knutsson, Robert Ramberg. British Journal of Educational Technology 50 (6), 3361-3375

  Article

  Teachers cannot presume that their learners have the competence to use the technology brought to the classroom. Therefore, the learners’ abilities to use technology may be a concern for teachers. This paper reports on digital competence through an analysis of designs for learning in design patterns, written by upper secondary teachers. Learning activities found in the design patterns were analysed with the aim to understand how teachers perceive the learners’ digital competence when using technology. A framework that compromises digital competence was utilised for inferring the digital competencies. The qualitative analysis of these learning activities reveals that competences of information and data literacy, and of communication and collaboration predominate. By analysing the characteristics of learning activities and hence the teachers’ ideas of technology use in teaching, it is concluded that design patterns can be used to identify the competences teachers believe are relevant for the learners to acquire. The result therefore involves aspects of how teachers perceive learners’ digital competence when using technology in teaching.

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• Supporting after action review in simulator mission training

  2019. Sanna Aronsson (et al.). The Journal of Defence Modeling and Simulation 16 (3), 219-231

  Article

  This article presents the design and evaluation of visualization concepts supporting After Action Review (AAR) in simulator mission training of fast-jet fighter pilots. The visualization concepts were designed based on three key characteristics of representations: re-representation, graphical constraining, and computational offloading. The visualization concepts represent combined parameters of missile launch and threat range, the former meant to elicit discussions about the prerequisites for launching missiles, and the latter to present details of what threats a certain aircraft is facing at a specific moment. The visualization concepts were designed to: 1) perceptually and cognitively offload mental workload from participants in support of determining relevant situations to discuss; 2) re-represent parameters in a format that facilitates reading-off of crucial information; and 3) graphically constrain plausible interpretations. Through a series of workshop iterations, two visualization concepts were developed and evaluated with 11 pilots and instructors. All pilots were unanimous in their opinion that the visualization concepts should be implemented as part of the AAR. Offloading, in terms of finding interesting events in the dynamic and unique training sessions, was the most important guiding concept, while re-representation and graphical constraining enabled a more structured and grounded collaboration during the AAR.

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• Träningsvärde för alla! Live-Virtual-Constructive föreffektiv luftstridsträning: Årsrapportering projekt ”LVC för effektiv flygträning” år 2019

  2019. Sanna Aronsson (et al.).

  Report

  Träningskonceptet Live-Virtual-Constructive (LVC) där stridspiloter i verkliga flygfarkoster tränar tillsammans med stridspiloter i simulatorer och datorgenererade entiteter utgör en möjlig framtida form av flygstridsträning. Forskning om vilket träningsvärde LVC-T erbjuder stridspiloter i verkliga och simulerade flygfarkoster är sällsynt. Denna forskning studerar därför LVC som träningskoncept tillsammans med stridspiloter. Rapporten studerar och redovisar risker, utmaningar, möjligheter med och förutsättning för införandet av LVC-Träning (LVC-T). Data som ligger till grund för denna rapport härstammar från a) utvärderingar som genomförts i simulatormiljö (kallade White Wizard) av LVC-T-scenarier som designades av stridspiloter med fokus på träningsvärde för stridspiloter i verkliga och simulerade flygfarkoster, samt b) en enkät som besvarades av flygförare vid Arctic Challenge Exercise 2021 (ACE21) med fokus på träningsvärde och LVC-T. Data från utvärderingarna har analyserats utifrån två teoretiska perspektiv, Learning Design Sequences (LDS) och Aktivitetsteori, för att identifiera möjligheter och utmaningar med LVC-T. En identifierad utmaning handlar om tvetydighet om vilka regler som ska gälla för verkliga respektive virtuella flygfarkoster då de agerar i samma träningsscenario. Data från ACE21-enkäten presenteras i denna rapport med deskriptiv statistik. Flygförarna var generellt positiva till övningen ACE21 ur ett träningsvärdesperspektiv och ger uttryck för att nyttjandet av LVC i stora övningar kan stärka träningsvärdet ytterligare.

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• Deltagande design av undervisning

  2018. Ola Knutsson, Robert Ramberg. Att bli lärare, 278-283

  Chapter

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• Games and Education

  2018. .

  Book (ed)

  We live in a time of educational transformations towards more 21st century pedagogies and learning. In the digital age children and young people need to learn critical thinking, creativity and innovation and the ability to solve complex problems and challenges. Traditional pedagogies are in crisis and many pupils experience school as both boring and irrelevant. As a response educators and researchers need to engage in transforming education through the invention of new designs in and for learning. This book explores how games can provide new ideas and new designs for future education. Computer games have become hugely popular and engaging, but as is apparent in this book, games are not magical solutions to making education more engaging, fun and relevant. 

  Games and Education explores new designs in and for learning and offer inspiration to teachers, technologists and researchers interested in changing educational practices. Based on contributions from Scandinavian researchers, the book highlights participatory approaches to research and practice by providing more realistic experiences and models of how games can facilitate learning in school. 

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• Introduction

  2018. Arnseth Hans Christian (et al.). Games and Education, 1-15

  Chapter

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• Teachers’ Collaborative Pattern Language Design

  2018. Ola Knutsson, Robert Ramberg. Designs for Learning 10 (1), 1-17

  Article

  Teachers in their practice make choices grounded in their teaching experience resulting in what could be labelled design solutions. An identified problem is that these design solutions stay at the level of individual solutions and do not reach the teaching community. The aim of this article is to study how teachers´ design solutions can be systematically captured, organized, and communicated through design patterns and a pattern language. Building on participatory design we have together with teachers used and adapted the concept of design patterns and pattern languages as a way of capturing, documenting and communicating design problems and solutions to these. This structured approach led to the teachers seeing connections and interrelations between problems, and that a solution to one of these also helped in alleviating other problems. The formulation of design patterns and proposed pattern languages thus gave the teachers an overview of their practice that would otherwise be difficult to obtain. The content of the design patterns show what problems that are dealt with by the teachers through their design solutions. The structure of the final pattern language shows how problems and solutions are connected to larger goals for the teachers, such as improving the communication with students, as well as the importance of sharing good examples between colleagues.

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• Utforskande av träningsvärde för Live och Virtual

  2018. Henrik Artman (et al.).

  Report

  Rapporten redogör för ett arbete med att utforska och anpassa LVC, ett träningskoncept som integrerar verkliga flygplan (Live), bemannade flygsimulatorer (Virtual) och artificiella agenter (Constructive), till en svensk kontext i syfte att effektivisera träning och utvärdering av prestation och förmåga i komplexa och distribuerade system. Träningsbehov och träningsvärde, definierat som det ökade träningsvärde flygförare i flygplan och bemannade simulatorer får av att delta i träning där verkliga, simulerade och artificiella agenter ingår, är i fokus. För att undersöka träningsbehov och träningsvärde vid LVC-träning har tre aktiviteter genomförts: (1) en litteraturöversikt över vetenskapliga studier och resultat om LVC och träningseffekt. Resultat visar att forskning och utvärdering av LVC fokuserat på tekniska aspekter av LVC, snarare än träningsvärde vid LVC-träning, (2) workshopar för att utforska mervärde vid LVC-träning. Resultat visar att L-entiteten vid LVC träning får ut bästa träningsvärde då piloter i flygplan kan uppleva och träna beslutsfattande i större och mer realistiska scenarier under fysiska påfrestningar och oväntade händelser, och (3) genomförande av en experimentell studie (Wizard-of-Oz) på FLSC (Flygvapnets luftstridssimuleringscenter) där piloter i simulatorer i ett fingerat LVC-test flög mot vad de trodde var piloter i flygplan. Piloter som deltog i studien uppgav att de trodde det var ett riktigt LVC-test och agerade därefter. I debriefing uppgav piloterna att piloter i simulatorer inte kan få ut mer av LVC-träning, än av reguljär simulatorträning. Resultat pekar vidare på vikten av design av träningsscenarier så att både piloter i flygplan och simulatorer kan få ut god träningseffekt. Rapporten redogör också för samarbeten och informationsutbyte med internationella partners. Rapporten avslutas med en beskrivning av projektets inriktning 2019.

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• Designmönster och mönsterspråk

  2017. Ola Knutsson, Robert Ramberg. Didaktik i omvandlingens tid, 139-149

  Chapter

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• Editorial for EJEL Volume 15 Issue 1

  2017. .

  Book (ed)

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• Effektiv simulatorträning

  2017. Sanna Aronsson (et al.).

  Report

  Frågan om vad som utgör effektiv flygträning och utbildning (dvs. stridsteknisk och taktisk utbildning) är komplex och kan angripas på olika sätt. FoT-projektet Effektiv flygträning och utbildning (2015-2017) har vetenskapligt och metodiskt arbetat med att integrera pedagogiska modeller och praktiska erfarenheter med hänsyn tagen till organisatoriska strukturer. Vidare har systematiskt designarbete av visuella stöd för debriefing genomförts. Denna rapport integrerar projektets forskningsfrågor, projektaktiviteter och resultat i en sammanhållen beskrivning. Det krävs olika typer av stöd (både verktyg och metoder) för att analysera komplexa scenarier och mått som kan precisera den individuella flygförarens eller gruppens prestationer. Baserat på komplexa mått har två visualiseringar som ger en överblick av flygförarens skjuttillfälle respektive hotbild utvecklats och utvärderats tillsammans med svenska stridspiloter. Vidare har projektet framgångsrikt använt maskininlärning för att kategorisera flygförares och flygstridsledares kommunikation i syfte att bedöma effektiviteten i denna, samt att identifiera eventuella brister genom visualiseringar av resultaten. Pedagogiska modeller och visualiseringar, samt empiriska studier av simulatoranläggningar ger en grund för en diskussion om vad som utmärker effektiva simulatoranläggningar och effektiv simulatorträning. Studier av konceptet LVC (Live, Virtual & Constructive), vilket innebär träning med skarpa farkoster, flygförare i simulatorer samt datorgenererade entiteter (artificiella agenter) i ett och samma scenario, har genomförts. Vidare har projektet introducerat konceptet "LVC i vardagen", en vision om att enkelt och sömlöst kunna sammankoppla flygplan och dess flygförare med träning i simulatorer. Verksamheten i projektet har delvis bedrivits i samarbete med U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) inom ramen för samarbetsavtalet IMTR II (International Mission Training Research II, 2012-2018). Inom samarbetet har projektet medverkat till en demonstration av LVC-förmåga där FLSC (Flygvapnets luftstridssimuleringscenter) som enda europeiska aktör deltog. Projektet har för avsikt att fortsätta detta samarbete och inriktningen mot LVC för att närma oss visionen om LVC som en integrerad del i reguljär övning och träning. Rapporten avslutas med rekommendationer för fortsatt forskning.

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• LVC i vardagen - framtidens flygträning

  2017. Sanna Aronsson (et al.).

  Report

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• The implicit pedagogy of teachers’ design patterns

  2017. Elisabeth Rolf, Ola Knutsson, Robert Ramberg. Data Driven Approaches in Digital Education, 584-587

  Conference

  This paper presents an analysis of upper secondary teachers’ design patterns portraying their technology use in teaching by answering the question: What pedagogy is implicit in technology supported learning activities designed by teachers? Building on a framework defining key characteristics of contemporary learning theories, seventeen design patterns describing technology use in teaching were analyzed. The analysis reveals that individual activities are dominating the patterns. In addition, there is a trend towards activities favoring students’ non-reflection, but also activities being more informative than experiential.

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• Collaborative Pattern Language Representation of Designs for Learning

  2016. Ola Knutsson, Robert Ramberg. Short papers, 39-45

  Conference

  In the article we present how teachers by use of design patterns in a participatory design process have captured their experiences of using information technology in teaching. Focus in the design patterns shifted over time from focusing difficulties with technology and proposed solutions to these to didactic and pedagogical aspects of technology use in teaching and learning. A thematic analysis of the teachers’ patterns and pattern languages building on the themes “context of the teacher”, “context of the pupils” and “technology”, is presented. Writing of design patterns helped teachers see relations and dependencies between problems and solutions that would otherwise be difficult to see while the writing of the design patterns simultaneously counted as doing designs for learning.

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• Designing interaction

  2016. Klas Karlgren, Robert Ramberg, Henrik Artman. International journal of technology and design education 26 (3), 439-459

  Article

  Interaction design is usually described as being concerned with interactions with and through artifacts but independent of a specific implementation. Design work has been characterized as a conversation between the designer and the situation and this conversation poses a particular challenge for interaction design as interactions can be elusive and difficult to describe. Moreover, current trends in interaction design introduce physical materials to a higher degree resulting in even more complex design situations. There is a lack of knowledge about how interaction designers, and especially students, address the very phenomenon of interaction. This study contributes by describing how interaction design students attempt to address aspects of interaction and by presenting an in-depth analysis in the context of an interactionary-type design exercise. The quantitative and qualitative findings showed that (1) the design students brought up aspects of interactivity and dynamics through talk and gestures but (2) a comprehensive design idea about interaction did not guide the design work and they were to a little degree engaged in planning sequences of interactions or interaction on a longer time scale, (3) using physical materials disrupted interaction design, and, (4) there was a lack of continuity when addressing interaction compared to how proposals about artifacts were pursued. As interaction is the core of interaction design, the findings are discussed in terms of how the immaterial design materials may “talk back” to designers. Practical strategies for how the observed phenomena could be constructively addressed within interaction design education are suggested.

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• Editorial for EJEL Volume 14 Issue 5

  2016. .

  Book (ed)

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• A Pattern Approach to the Design of Technology Mediated Collaborative Learning in Primary Schools

  2015. Ola Knutsson, Robert Ramberg.

  Conference

  In this paper we present an ongoing research project focusing how to use design patterns as a way to support teachers’ design processes of their teaching supported by collaborative technology. The aim is to equip teachers with design methods and tools for a sustainable use of current and future technology in schools.

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• The Interactionary as a Didactic Format in Design Education

  2015. Henrik Artman (et al.). KTH Scholarship of Teaching and Learning 2015

  Conference

  Project-based education allows students to explore real-world problems and challenges. It can also bemore cost-effective than traditional teaching and individual tutoring. However, projects are sometimes messy, need a long takeoff roll and risk being difficult to monitor by teachers. There is a need to better understand and support students’ creative design processes. We propose the ‘interactionary’ format as providing one way forward to meet these needs. An ‘interactionary’ is a highly time-constrained collaborative design assignment which forces students to complete a design task live on stage (Berkun, 2001). We present findings from three separate case studies in which the format has been tested. The studies involved students of interaction design (Ramberg, Artman, Karlgren, 2013) and chemical engineering (Artman, House, Hultén 2014) as well as multidisciplinary student teams (Artman, House, Hultén, Ramberg, Unpublished).

  Our results show that the interactionary as a didactic format engages students and allows them to explore a messy design space. Furthermore, three phases of the design process were identified in all studies: ideation, sketching and reflection/evaluation. The groups displayed differences in their multimodal approach to design. For example, the engineering students mainly made use of ephemeral communication strategies (gestures and speech) rather than sketching with physical materials, while the two other student groups employed physical materials (clay, lego, paper sketching) to a higher degree. Furthermore, there was a tendency for the design objective to override the specific competences of the participating individuals whereby the design process became a collaborative team effort. Students mainly made use of their everyday knowledge, indicating a need to better address domain knowledge (in interaction design, chemical engineering or other domains respectively). Nevertheless, all thirteen groups in the three studies articulated and produced prototypes and basic use-scenarios within the time-limit which shows that the format engages the students and enables a short project takeoff. There remains, however, the need for research into how teachers can instruct, coach and intervene in the design process as well as in the use of disciplined domain knowledge.

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• Creating m-Learning opportunities using mobile SMS based Twitter implementation to facilitate collaborative learning

  2014. Uvasara Dissanayeke (et al.). ICTer 2014, 49-54

  Conference

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• Design for meaningful learning

  2014. Magnus Johansson (et al.). DSV writers hut 2014

  Conference

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• Exploring Teachers’ perspectives on the use of Mobile devices for Math and Language Learning

  2014. Teresa Cerratto-Pargman (et al.). Conference proceedings

  Conference

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• Informal m-learning research in agriculture

  2014. U. Dissanayeke (et al.). EDULEARN14 Proceedings, 3450-3458

  Conference

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• Initiating m-learning among a group of young farmers from Kandy district Sri Lanka

  2014. Uvasara Dissanayeke (et al.). 26th Annual Congress of the Postgraduate Institute of Agriculture

  Conference

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• Learning with or without mobile devices? A comparison of traditional school field trips and inquiry-based mobile learning activities

  2014. Jalal Nouri (et al.). Research and Practice in Technology Enhanced Learning 9 (2), 241-262

  Article

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• Purposeful Learning Across Collaborative Educational Spaces

  2014. Teresa Cerratto-Pargman (et al.). 11 th International conference of the learning sciences, 1597-1598

  Conference

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• Rollen hos representationer och agerande inom interaktionsdesign

  2014. Robert Ramberg (et al.). Resultatdialog 2014

  Chapter

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• Slutrapport projekt PROFET

  2014. Aronsson Sanna (et al.).

  Report

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• Student-led inquiry-based learning

  2014. Thushani A. Weerasinghe, Robert Ramberg, Kamalanath P. Hewagamage. International journal of education and information technologies 8, 265-275

  Article

  Inquiry-based learning and peer-teaching are two teaching and learning approaches best applicable in higher educational contexts. Considering benefits of each approach in learning, a study was conducted to determine how to design peer-teaching activities to promote inquiry-based learning. Data were collected from a group of instructional designers, a sample group of students in an online learning environment prepared for a distance learning programme and from the learning management system of the online learning environment. The findings of the study were used to improve sets of design principles that were followed to design the peer-teaching activity. In addition, sets of design guidelines were also prepared for easy application of the design principles.

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• Utbildning och träning vid svenska civila och militära simulatoranläggningar

  2014. Aronsson Sanna (et al.).

  Report

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• A Theoretical Framework to Conduct Informal Mobile-Learning Research in Agriculture

  2013. Uvasara Disanayeke (et al.). INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ADVANCES IN ICT FOR EMERGING REGIONS (ICTer) - 2013, 283-283

  Conference

  Mobile devices have been successfully used in facilitating learning in informal education. In the study reported on here, we propose designing mobile based informal learning in the domain of agriculture to aware farmers on better farming practice. Thus, learning is referred to as in-situ practice of agriculture compared to traditional classroom learning. The facilitation of communication and interaction among farmers and other stakeholders is important to foster informal learning. Accordingly interactive mobile-learning environments can encourage participatory attitudes, excite interest and commitment among learners and thus become important in adult learning.

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• Affective Realism of Animated Films in the Development of Simulation-Based Tutoring Systems

  2013. Hiran B. Ekanayake (et al.). International Journal of Distance Education Technologies 11 (2)

  Article

  This paper presents a study focused on comparing real actors based scenarios and animated characters based scenarios with respect to their similarity in evoking psychophysiological activity for certain events by measuring galvanic skin response (GSR). In the experiment, one group (n=11) watched the real actors’ film whereas another group (n=7) watched the animated film, which had the same story and dialogue as the real actors’ film. The results have shown that there is no significant difference in the skin conductance response (SCR) scores between the two groups; however, responses significantly differ when SCR amplitudes are taken into account. Moreover, Pearson’s correlation reported as high as over 80% correlation between the two groups’ SCRs for certain time intervals. The authors believe that this finding is of general importance for the domain of simulation-based tutoring systems in development of and decisions regarding use of animated characters based scenarios.

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• Comparing Expert Driving Behavior in Real World and Simulator Contexts

  2013. Hiran B. Ekanayake (et al.). International Journal of Computer Games Technology 2013

  Article

  Computer games are increasingly used for purposes beyond mere entertainment, and current hi-tech simulators can provide quite, naturalistic contexts for purposes such as traffic education. One of the critical concerns in this area is the validity or transferability of acquired skills from a simulator to the real world context. In this paper, we present our work in which we compared driving in the real world with that in the simulator at two levels, that is, by using performance measures alone, and by combining psychophysiological measures with performance measures. For our study, we gathered data using questionnaires as well as by logging vehicle dynamics, environmental conditions, video data, and users' psychophysiological measurements. For the analysis, we used several novel approaches such as scatter plots to visualize driving tasks of different contexts and to obtain vigilance estimators from electroencephalographic (EEG) data in order to obtain important results about the differences between the driving in the two contexts. Our belief is that both experimental procedures and findings of our experiment are very important to the field of serious games concerning how to evaluate the fitness of driving simulators and measure driving performance.

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• Comparing Expert and Novice Driving Behaviour in a Driving Simulator

  2013. Hiran B. Ekanayake (et al.). IxD&A (19), 115-131

  Article

  This paper presents a study focused on comparing driving behavior of expert and novice drivers in a mid-range driving simulator with the intention of evaluating the validity of driving simulators for driver training. For the investigation, measurements of performance, psychophysiological measurements, and self-reported user experience under different conditions of driving tracks and driving sessions were analyzed. We calculated correlations between quantitative and qualitative measures to enhance the reliability of the findings. The experiment was conducted involving 14 experienced drivers and 17 novice drivers. The results indicate that driving behaviors of expert and novice drivers differ from each other in several ways but it heavily depends on the characteristics of the task. Moreover, our belief is that the analytical framework proposed in this paper can be used as a tool for selecting appropriate driving tasks as well as for evaluating driving performance in driving simulators.

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• Design-based Mobile Learning Research

  2013. Robert Ramberg.

  Conference

  In the last decades design-based research has grown in application within the learning sciences. Key to design-based research within Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL), is that researchers, users and practitioner's work together to produce a meaningful change in contexts of practice. Much research within mobile learning has however come under criticism for being technology-driven with a large portion of studies lacking explicit educational foundations (eg. Kukulska-Hulme et al., 2011, Traxler & Kukulska-Hulme, 2005). I.e., lacking at least one of the key characteristics of design-based research in general and design-based research within TEL in particular. Elaborated views of mobile learning have been articulated and these have constituted a significant step in the evolution of mobile learning, characterized by a shift of focus, from an imprecise and inadequate foregrounding of technology, towards a conceptualization of mobile learning that emphasizes social practices mediated by mobile technology. Crucial to design-based research in general and perhaps particularly to design-based research within TEL and mobile learning is that results from research are usable also to others than the research community. I.e.  to practitioners and other stakeholders involved in designing for a particular learning context or activity. Further, design solutions that have been collaboratively developed with stakeholders need to be usable also by others outside of the immediate collaboration. How else would these results become usable to a wider audience of practitioners?

  Building on a design-based research approach, in the past five years a number of studies pertaining to mobile learning and design of out-door and in-door learning activities have been carried out in collaboration with a primary school in a suburb to Stockholm, Sweden. Results from these studies have among other things shown the importance of scaffolding and support across out-door and in-door learning activities. In my talk, I will present and discuss our design-based research process and results from studies conducted on out-door learning activities (for instance Nouri et al., 2011,and Nouri, 2011). I will also discuss and present different ways of trying to conceptualize and communicate results from the design-based research process in terms of guidelines for design and evaluation (for instance Eliasson et al., 2011, Eliasson et al., 2012, Eliasson et al., submitted). 

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• Designing a peer-teaching activity to promote inquiry-based learning

  2013. Thushani Weerasinghe, Robert Ramberg, Kamalanath Hewagamage. Mathematics and Computers in Contemporary Science, 34-43

  Conference

  This paper discusses findings of a study conducted to determine how to design peerteaching activities to promote inquiry based learning in a virtual learning environment (VLE) designed for a distance learning programme where teacher support is kept at a minimum level. A previous study conducted in the same environment, revealed that the students could engage in peer-teaching. Considering this ability and the instructional designers’ requirement to know how forum based activities should be designed, a peer-teaching activity was designed with necessary instructions to promote inquiry-based learning in the VLE. The activity was designed based on sets of collaborative and inquiry-based learning design principles. The findings of the study were used to improve the sets of design principles. In addition, sets of design guidelines were also prepared for easy application of the design principles.

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• Designing learning opportunities in interaction design

  2013. Robert Ramberg, Henrik Artman, Klas Karlgren. Designs for Learning 6 (1-2), 30-56

  Article

  Learning by practice, apprenticeship and paradigmatic examples have been prime paths for learning within interaction design. These have been criticized for being time-consuming and costly, of not being implementable in academic contexts. In this article we suggest and evaluate a pedagogical model to address these problems in design teaching and learning. Results from a time-constrained collaborative design exercise, a so-called “interactionary”, are presented. Student design work is analyzed using the framework of learning design sequences and analysis of the primary transformation unit shows that interactionaries reveal patterns in student design work. Materials are used mainly to document design ideas rather than as a design material to further investigate design ideas and aspects of interaction. In the critiquing sessions, regarded as the secondary transformation unit, many issues hardly addressed during the design work were brought up. Thus, the designers continued to develop their design proposal primed by critique presented by the reviewers. Based on the results, possible teacher interventions to coach student design work are suggested.

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• From mobilization to consensus

  2013. Montathar Faraon (et al.). CeDEM 2013, 215-228

  Conference

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• Twitter Micro-Blogging Based Mobile Learning Approach to Enhance the Agriculture Education Process

  2013. Uvasaara Dissanayeke (et al.). Proceedings of the IADIS International Conference on Mobile Learning 2013

  Conference

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• Twitter in Informal Agriculture Education

  2013. Uvasaara Dissanayeke (et al.). EDULEARN13 Proceedings

  Conference

  Mobile learning is defined by Keegan (2005) as basically a learning method which provides education and training on mobile phones. This is mostly from the point of view of the technology that is used to initiate learning. The second approach to define mobile learning is from the point of view of the learner. Accordingly, mobile learning is defined as any sort of learning that happens when the learner is not at a fixed, predetermined location, or learning that happens when the learner takes advantage of the learning opportunities offered by mobile technologies (Malley et al., 2003).This study attempts to evaluate the impact of a Twitter based mobile learning project conducted among a group of distance learners using Twitter mobile SMS option. We have delivered a series of short lessons related to agriculture among 20 young farmers since October, 2012 – March 2013. The lessons basically used Question & Answer format so as to improve student engagement and learning; which also helped in overcome 140 character limitation of Twitter.   The aim of the study was to assess impact of mobile learning programme as a guided informal learning method, in the light of Activity theory. The activity theory has being used to structure the study, and also to derive the research questions related to user satisfaction, learning community, tools, learning resources, and user control aspects. The activity theory has been used as a guide to capture the dynamics of mobile learning context throughout the study. Other methodologies, including participatory methods such as key informant discussions, case studies and focus groups were also used to understand the interrelationships among the concepts. The study reveals the limitations and challenges faced by the learners when participating in the SMS based mobile learning programme. Furthermore it suggests on how to improve the mobile learning situation to maximize its benefits for the participants from the learner point of view while discussing the possibility of using mobile learning in the domain of agriculture as guided informal learning method. In future, the findings will be used to further improve the mobile learning programme, and to test the applicability of the same mobile learning procedure among other communities.

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• Using smartphones and QR codes for supporting students in exploring tree species

  2013. Johan Eliasson (et al.). Scaling up Learning for Sustained Impact, 436-441

  Conference

  Smartphones are increasingly being used on field trips to support students in exploring the natural world. In this paper we present a design and analysis of an inquiry-based learning field trip for primary school students. One problem for design is how to make use of smartphones to support, rather than distract, students in interacting with the physical environment. We approach this problem by comparing two alternative designs, where students use smartphones for identifying tree species either by using an identification instrument or by reading a text description. The results show that students made use of the instrument for identification, QR codes, for identifying tree species and made use of the text descriptions for searching for tree species. In this sense, QR codes, connecting contextual information on smartphones to the physical environment, work as a learning tool that may be used for orienting students in their interaction with the physical environment.

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• Design Guidelines for Location-Based and Contextual Learning Supported by Mobile Devices

  2012. Johan Eliasson, Robert Ramberg. International Journal of Handheld Computing Research 3 (2), 26-43

  Article

  In location-based and contextual mobile learning, students are continually mobile in the virtual, social, and physical environment. A common problem in this view of mobile learning is that students spend time focusing on the mobile devices at the expense of interacting with other students or exploring the physical environment. The authors approach this problem from an interaction design perspective, where they design and analyse geometry-learning activities in two iterations. Based on video data from groups of students participating in the learning activities, the authors analyse when mobile devices are in the foreground and background of their interaction. The authors present six guidelines for designing location-based and contextual mobile learning activities, where mobile devices support rather than distract students from contents and contexts relevant to the learning goals. Finally, the guidelines are evaluated using a model of interaction, which represents mobile device interaction as one of four different modes of human interaction with technology.

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• Designing Interaction in Interaction Design

  2012. Henrik Artman (et al.). Designs for Learning 2012, 14-16

  Conference

  Interaction design is about designing interaction. But how do first year students of interaction design understand and use concepts of interaction in their design processes? By interaction analysis of video material we analyse how students used concepts adhering to interaction. The aspect most frequently used was interactivity. Interaction was mainly handled by using spoken language. While working with physical materials, talk about interaction decreased.

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• Evaluating Interaction with Mobile Devices in Mobile Inquiry-Based Learning

  2012. Johan Eliasson (et al.). WMUTE '12 Proceedings of the 2012 IEEE Seventh International Conference on Wireless, Mobile and Ubiquitous Technology in Education, 92-96

  Conference

  We evaluate to what extent students are interacting with mobile devices in one of four ways intended in the design of a mobile learning activity. Video data from one class of fifth grade students were analyzed using a model of four different types of interaction. The evaluation shows that the students interacted with the devices in the ways intended in design 64% of the time. The contribution is an approach for translating learning goals to interaction design goals in mobile learning research. We conclude that this approach can be of value in designing and evaluating interaction with mobile devices for an entire mobile learning activity.

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• Inquiry-Based Learning With or Without Facilitator Interactions

  2012. Thushani Alwis Weerasinghe, Robert Ramberg, Kamalanath Priyantha Hewagamage. Journal of Distance Education 26 (2)

  Article

  This paper discusses findings of a study investigating how students, on four online courses, engaged in inquiry-based learning with and without support from a facilitator. The investigation was conducted by analysing discussions of the online courses using the community of inquiry model. The results of the study imply that students in online discussions can engage in deep and meaningful learning, even when there is no facilitator interaction. Further the findings of the analysis suggest that successful inquiries are possible without teacher or facilitator interactions, if learning environments are designed to support students to be interactive and the students have motivation, regulatory skills and a willingness to collaborate with peers.

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• Re-evaluation of community of inquiry model with its metacognitive presence construct

  2012. Thushani A. Weerasinghe, Kamalanath Hewagamge, Robert Ramberg. The International Journal on Advances in ICT for Emerging Regions 5 (4), 1-13

  Article

  Among the discussion-content analytical tools in the field of e-learning research, the community of inquiry (CoI) model is extensively applied and continuously improved by its users. This model investigates the types of elements that are manifested through inquiry-based learning processes in online discussions. They are social, cognitive, teaching and metacognitive presences. These elements are essential for meaningful student interactions to take place in online learning environments. In particular, the metacognitive presence construct of the CoI model discovers the students’ ability of self and co-regulation of learning in an online learning environment. However, the metacognitive presence construct of the CoI model has not been evaluated along with the other components of the model. Therefore, in this paper the CoI model was re-evaluated to determine its reliability in analysing discussions in online courses on information technology related subjects. The evaluation is conducted with four online courses designed and developed for a distance learning programme in Sri Lanka. The paper discusses the modifications that were needed to make the model more applicable for conducting discussion-content analysis in similar types of online learning environments, and reports on the results of the final evaluation. Furthermore, the findings of the study imply that the theoretical framework of the CoI model needs to be improved to properly enclose the metacognitive presence component. In spite of this, the study adds points to the CoI model supporting for its well applicability and reliability in analysing online discussion content in information technology related courses.

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• The Use of Design Patterns in Overcoming Misunderstandings in Collaborative Interaction Design

  2012. Klas Karlgren, Robert Ramberg. CoDesign - International Journal of CoCreation in Design and the Arts 8 (4), 231-246

  Article

  In collaborative design there is a need to create a shared understanding of design ideas and proposals. Misunderstandings and communication breakdowns often get in the way and need to be resolved. Little empirical research has addressed the use of design patterns in collaborative design work. An empirical study was carried out on students’ collaboration while working on design tasks. Data were analysed using interaction analysis focusing on how the participants resolved misunderstandings and communication breakdowns, and the role of design patterns. Particular attention was paid to gaps in the collaboration; situations where designers had difficulties understanding each other and how to continue the design work. One type of gap concerned difficulties seeing or finding solutions to problems. However, many gaps concerned how to define or frame problems underlying design proposals. The results contradict the conception that design patterns are examples serving the role of inspiration for reuse of design ideas: simply showing a pattern solution was not enough to resolve gaps. The main observations were that patterns had an important role in overcoming difficulties in discussions regarding rationales and problem framing, and explicitly referring to design patterns by their names was decisive for the patterns to become useful.

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• Towards a Methodological Framework for HMI Readiness Evaluation

  2012. Hans Jander, Jonathan Borgwall, Robert Ramberg. Proceedings of the Human facotrs and Ergonomics Society, 2349-2353

  Conference

  The aim of this study is to define and evaluate a methodological framework for human-machine interaction (HMI) readiness evaluation in system development for complex, high risk, and task-critical environments. The long-term objective is to establish a HMI readiness evaluation framework for environments with these characteristics, in this specific case HMI development for fighter aircrafts. Based on literature studies a series of interviews were conducted to identify shortcomings of current practices and methods, and define requirements for an enhanced methodology. The results were further explored during facilitated workshops with HMI subject matter experts. The overall result is a methodological framework based on triangulation of many already established evaluation methods and techniques, combined with a set of measurable HMI criteria. Inspired by risk management practices, the result of the proposed methodology is presented in a HMI assessment matrix. This matrix is proposed to form the basis of the HMI evaluation and assessment.

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• User Participatory Sketching

  2012. Jinyi Wang, Robert Ramberg, Hannu Kuoppala. Proceedings of the 10th Asia Pacific Conference on Computer Human Interaction

  Conference

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• User Participatory Sketching in User Requirements Gathering

  2012. Jinyi Wang, Robert Ramberg. ICIC Express Letters: An International Journal of Research and Surveys 6 (12), 3055-3059

  Article

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• Assessing Performance Competence in Training Games

  2011. Hiran Ekanayake (et al.). Affective Computing and Intelligent Interaction, 518-527

  Conference

  In-process assessment of trainee learners in game-based simulators is a challenging activity. This typically involves human instructor time and cost, and does not scale to the one tutor per learner vision of computer-based learning. Moreover, evaluation from a human instructor is often subjective and comparisons between learners are not accurate. Therefore, in this paper, we propose an automated, formula-driven quantitative evaluation method for assessing performance competence in serious training games. Our proposed method has been empirically validated in a game-based driving simulator using 7 subjects and 13 sessions, and accuracy up to 90.25% has been achieved when compared to an existing qualitative method. We believe that by incorporating quantitative evaluation methods like these future training games could be enriched with more meaningful feedback and adaptive game-play so as to better monitor and support player motivation, engagement and learning performance.

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• Exploring the challenges of supporting collaborative mobile learning

  2011. Jalal Nouri (et al.). International Journal of Mobile and Blended Learning 3 (4), 70-85

  Article

  Mobile technology opens up opportunities for collaborative learning in otherwise remote contexts outside the classroom. A successful realization of these opportunities relies, however, on mobile learning activities providing adequate collaboration structures. This article presents an empirical study aimed at examining the role played by mobile devices, teachers and task structures as a means for collaborative learning in geometry. The study focused on the analysis of the nature of collaboration that unfolded when students measured areas outdoors in the field. The analysis of the mobile learning activity was conducted from an Activity theory perspective. The findings obtained indicate that the collaboration observed may be impaired if: 1) the functionalities needed for collaborative problem-solving are asymmetrically distributed on a number of mobile devices; 2) task-related information is not accessible to all learners; 3) the task structure is not sufficiently complex; 4) teacher scaffolding is too readily available; and 5) necessary collaborative skills are not developed.

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• Mobile Devices as Support Rather than Distraction for Mobile Learners

  2011. Johan Eliasson (et al.). International Journal of Mobile and Blended Learning 3 (2), 1-15

  Article

  This article questions the design of mobile learning activities that lead students to spend time focusing on the mobile devices at the expense of interacting with other students or exploring the environment. This problem is approached from an interaction design perspective, designing and analysing geometry-learning activities. The authors present six guidelines for designing mobile learning activities, where mobile devices support rather than distract students from contents and contexts relevant to the learning goals. The guidelines are developed through video analysis of groups of middle school students doing learning activities outdoors and evaluated using the task model. The guidelines suggest that students (1) assume roles based on a different functionality of each device, (2) use devices as contextual tools, that the activities, (3) include physical interaction with the environment, (4) let teachers assume roles, (5) encourage face-to-face communication, and (6) introduce students to the mobile devices.

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• On The Derive for Mobile Experience

  2011. Konrad Tollmar, Robert Ramberg, Linus Harling. Wi: Journal of Mobile Media

  Article

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• Design Heuristics for Balancing Visual Focus on Devices in Formal Mobile Learning Activities

  2010. Johan Eliasson (et al.).  

  Conference

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• Design-Oriented Research or Research-Oriented Design in Mobile Learning?

  2010. Johan Eliasson, Robert Ramberg. Norditel 2010 Book of abstracts

  Conference

  Design research in mobile learning is challenging. In this position paper, we suggest that the dichotomy between design-oriented research and research-oriented design can help explicate the role of different design activities in mobile learning research.

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• Game Interaction State Graphs for Evaluation of User Engagement in Explorative and Experience-based Training Games

  2010. Hiran Ekanayake (et al.). 2010 International Conference on Advances in ICT for Emerging Regions (ICTer), 40-44

  Conference

  There is an increasing interest to use computer games for non-traditional education, such as for training purposes. For training education, simulators are considered as offering more realistic learning environments to experience situations that are similar to real world. This type of learning is more beneficial for practicing critical situations which are difficult or impossible in real world training, for instance experience the consequences of unsafe driving. However, the effectiveness of simulation-based learning of this nature is dependent upon the learner's engagement and explorative behaviour. Most current learner evaluation systems are unable to capture this type of learning. Therefore, in this paper we introduce the concept of game interaction state graphs (GISGs) to capture the engagement in explorative and experience-based training tasks. These graphs are constructed based on rules which capture psychologically significant learner behaviours and situations. Simple variables reflecting game state and learner's controller actions provide the ingredients to the rules. This approach eliminates the complexity involved with other similar approaches, such as constructing a full-fledged cognitive model for the learner. GISGs, at minimum, can be used to evaluate the explorative behaviour, the training performance and personal preferences of a learner.

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• Get the bees away from the hive

  2010. Johan Eliasson (et al.). IADIS International Conference Mobile Learning 2010, Porto, Portugal

  Conference

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• The design of mobile learning activities informed by learning theories

  2010. Jalal Nouri, Robert Ramberg. Norditel 2010 Book of abstracts

  Conference

  We need mobile learning innovations that are adaptable in educational settings. Considering this aim, the mobile learning field has had a history of technology-driven designs with less successful results. However, in order to overcome the shortcomings of the technology-driven attempts several studies have leaned towards codesign approaches that involve teachers and students in the design process. In this position paper, we argue that the co-design approach is insufficient on its own and we direct our focus towards learning theories to inform the design of mobile learning activities in educational settings.

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• Delade representationer och kollaborativt lärande av interaktionsdesign

  2009. Robert Ramberg, Henrik Artman. Resultatdialog 2009

  Chapter

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• Designing Online Learning Environments for Distance Learning

  2009. Thushani A. Weerasinghe, Robert Ramberg, Kamalanath P. Hewagamage. International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning 6 (3)

  Article

  The design of an Online Learning Environment (OLE) and presentation of content in a distance educational programme is a major factor in success or failure of the learning programme. The role of instructional designers who design online learning environments for distance learning programmes has become demanding. In order to support instructional designers to do their work effectively, they are provided with instructional design guidelines. However, most of these guidelines are not specific nor easily applicable. Therefore, we were motivated to create sets of easy applicable instructional design guidelines. We selected an OLE which was already reported as successful in achieving learning effectiveness and student satisfaction. We gathered students’ experiences on using the OLE for their studies and analysed the data to find what design components of the OLE has led to the learner satisfaction, what design strategies used to design the learning content and design features of it led to the learning effectiveness and whether there was a relationship between students’ learning style preferences and students’ learning design preferences. The findings of the data analysis were presented as guidelines for instructional designers of online learning materials for novice online learners in distance learning programmes. on computer applications and information technology.

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• An Empirical Study

  2008. Thushani A. Weerasinghe, Robert Ramberg, Kamalanath P. Hewagamage. Proceedings of International Conference on Computer Aided Learning (ICL) 2008, 1(10)-10(10)

  Conference

  This paper presents the results of an empirical study conducted with students following a distance education program. In the study questions posed were whether students could perform well in examinations using only the Learning Management System (LMS), whether they could use it in an efficient way and whether there was a relationship between students’ learning styles, number of LMS hits and learning achievements. Students were given access to a specially designed course section. The students’ learning achievements were evaluated in two tests at different intervals. The study data were gathered using questionnaires and LMS statistics. We found that once the students got acquainted with the environment they could use the LMS more efficiently and managed to get high scores by only using the LMS. Results associated with the learning style preferences imply that we have designed the learning content and the environment to support learners with different learning style preferences.

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• Learners' Satisfaction, Learning Style Preferences and Effectiveness of an OLE

  2008. Thushani Alwis Weerasinghe, Robert Ramberg, Kamalanath Priyantha Hewagamage. International Journal 3 (3), 77-85

  Article

  This paper presents the results of an empirical study conducted with a set of students using an online learning environment (OLE) to follow a distance education program. The aim of the study was to find whether students could perform well in examinations using only the Learning Management System (LMS), whether they could use it in an efficient way and whether there was a relationship between students? learning styles, number of LMS hits and learning achievements. The students were given access to a specially designed course section. The students? learning achievements were evaluated in two tests at different intervals. The study data were gathered using questionnaires and LMS statistics. We found that once the students got acquainted with the environment they could use the LMS more efficiently and managed to get high scores by only using the LMS. Results associated with the learning style preferences imply that we have designed the learning content and the environment to satisfy and support the learners with different learning style preferences.

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• Learners' satisfaction, learning style preferences and effective use of an OLE

  2008. Thushani Alwis Weerasinghe, Robert Ramberg, Kamalanath Priyantha Hewagamage. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning 3, 77-85

  Article

  This paper presents the results of an empirical study conducted with a set of students using an online learning environment (OLE) to follow a distance education program. The aim of the study was to find whether students could perform well in examinations using only the Learning Management System (LMS), whether they could use it in an efficient way and whether there was a relationship between students? learning styles, number of LMS hits and learning achievements. The students were given access to a specially designed course section. The students? learning achievements were evaluated in two tests at different intervals. The study data were gathered using questionnaires and LMS statistics. We found that once the students got acquainted with the environment they could use the LMS more efficiently and managed to get high scores by only using the LMS. Results associated with the learning style preferences imply that we have designed the learning content and the environment to satisfy and support the learners with different learning style preferences.

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• Where All the Interaction Is

  2008. Jakob Tholander (et al.). DIS '08 Proceedings of the 7th ACM conference on Designing interactive systems, 445-454

  Conference

  Sketching and design sketches are often recognized as key elements of successful interaction design practice and a central skill in interaction design expertise. Interaction design is a relatively young field without well-developed conventions, tools, and formalisms. We analyze the practical work and the conduct of interaction designers in how they express interaction and dynamics through whiteboard drawings. We focus on how talk and action were used to shape the meaning of the drawings. The ways the designers imagined that users would interact with the system and how it would mediate communication between users became topical through a web of drawings, talk, and embodied action. Our analysis forefronts three aspects of interaction design: 1) the role of the design material 2) the role of embodied action in interaction design, and 3) talk and embodied action as central means of doing design. We argue that the qualities of a design material need to be understood in relation to the activity in which it is taken into use and through the kinds of actions that the participants engage in. This implies that design representations do not carry meaning in themselves but are made meaningful through design activity.

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• Datorspel i skolan

  2006. Jakob Tholander, Robert Ramberg. Resultatdialog 2006, 165-170

  Conference

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• Tools, language technology and communication in computer assisted language learning

  2006. Petter Karlström, Teresa Cerratto-Pargman, Robert Ramberg. Writing and digital media, 189-198

  Chapter

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• Tools, language technology and communication in computer assisted language learning

  2006. Petter Karlström, Teresa Cerratto-Pargman, Robert Ramberg. Writing and digital media

  Chapter

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• When cognitive psychology came to town

  2006. Robert Ramberg. ICT for people, 185-189

  Chapter

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• Action Context and Target Context Representations

  2005. Henrik Artman (et al.). International Conference on Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL):

  Conference

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• Attitudes to the application of a Web-based learning system

  2005. Italo Masiello, Robert Ramberg, Kirsti Lonka. Computers and education 45 (2), 171-185

  Article

  Computer-based systems have great potential for delivering learning material. Here, a Web-based learning management system is employed by a medical university to support undergraduate courses. The objective was to help the university’s staff to understand the readiness and attitudes of students to the use of information technology, their orientation to new learning environments, and the functionality of the system. The participants were a cohort of first-year medical students enrolled in an introductory microbiology course. Students’ attitudes to information technology and learning styles were measured by a rearranged questionnaire, and a principal component analysis identified the students’ orientations to information technology and the learning environment. The results of the study revealed that students showed readiness to and positive attitudes towards information technology in education and exposed a possible benefit from its use in the long run. However, they also conveyed negative opinions of the learning management system used in their coursework, suggesting a need for change of the technology. This study provides evidence that in order for computer-based system to be effective they must be designed and implemented with care, otherwise they may risk to lower students’ interests and activation.

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• Learning in a Web-based System in Medical Education

  2005. Italo Masiello, Robert Ramberg, Kirsti Lonka. Medical teacher 27 (6), 561-563

  Article

  New learning environments such as distance education and computer-aided instruction promise to bring a change in today's learning environments by adjusting the relationship between the learner, the educational content and the organization of education. In this study, we explored whether students' approaches to learning related to their perception of a particular virtual learning environment. Scales of the ASSIST questionnaire were loaded in a two-principal component solution, surface and deep-strategic. We found statistically significant correlations between the approaches to learning and the student's attitudes towards ICT. Early identification of approaches to learning and attitudes towards ICT may prove to be important in order to provide assistance to aid the transition of students with diverse individual characteristics and to the design of new learning environments.

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• Backdoor creativity

  2004. Hillevi Sundholm, Henrik Artman, Robert Ramberg. Cooperative systems design, 99-114

  Conference

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• A live mindset in Live Virtual Constructive simulations: a spin-up for future LVC-air combat training

  2022. Sanna Aronsson (et al.). The Journal of Defence Modeling and Simulation, 154851292211062

  Article

  Combining Live, Virtual, and Constructive (LVC) aircraft in the same training scenario holds promise for developing and enhancing fighter pilot training. The simulator study reported here builds on joint pilot-researcher co-design work of beyond visual range LVC training (LVC-T) scenarios to provide training value to pilots in both Live and Virtual aircraft. One fourship of pilots simulated Live entities by acting under peacetime restrictions, while other pilots acted as during regular Virtual training. The objective was to investigate pilots’ reflections on the implications of LVC-T and on the methodology used to provide hands-on experience of a plausible LVC-T scenario. The purpose is to inform the design and use of future LVC in air combat training from the perspective of training value. Results indicate that pilots are positive toward the LVC scenario design, especially the dynamics that a large-scale scenario brings to training of decision making. They indicate a high degree of presence, the need for specific regulations to enforce flight safety, and that restrictions put on the simulated Live entities had implications for the other pilots. In addition to regular Live (L) and simulator (V + C) training, LVC-T may enhance pilots’ repertoires and decision-making patterns.

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• Fostering Superficial Learning

  1997. Robert Ramberg, Klas Karlgren. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning (14(2)), 144-155

  Article

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• Initiating m-learning among a group of young farmers from Kandy district Sri Lanka: An activity theory based approach.

  2014. Uvasara Dissanayeke (et al.). Journal of Tropical Agriculture 26 (1), 26-38

  Article

  Mobile phones have been successfully used in agriculture information dissemination. However, there was little emphasis on how to use them in facilitating learning. This study was conducted to define the learning context, with an aim to initiate mobile learning research, in agriculture informal learning. Objectives of the study were to i) define the mobile learning context in relation to Activity Theory principles, ii) describe the present methods of communications and interactions among the study community, and iii) explore the limitations in the traditional non-formal learning context and possible solutions. A design based research methodology, which is informed by Activity Theory principles, was adopted to define the learning context. Members of the Young Farmer Club (YFC), Ankumbura were selected for the study, while data were collected using quantitative and qualitative methods. The availability of mobile phones was quite high (76%) among the study group, while mobile based interactions were commonly used in accessing agriculture related information. Present methods of interactions and communications among the study group were found to be inefficient, costly and time consuming. Thus, they preferred an efficient, low cost, and simple method to replace the existing systems. They further needed a mobile based learning system to help gain knowledge on general agricultural practices. Future research is necessary to develop a suitable communication and interaction system and a mobile learning system.

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• Live Virtual Constructive i framtida luftstridsövningar: Enkät- och workshopstudie i samband med Arctic Challenge Exercise 2021

  2022. Sanna Aronsson (et al.).

  Report

  Denna rapport fokuserar på luftstridsträningskonceptet Live, Virtual och Constructive (LVC). Två studier med fokus på LVC som träningskoncept och dess träningsvärde genomfördes i anslutning till Arctic Challenge Exercise 2021 (ACE 21). I den första studien fyllde flygförare i en enkät med fokus på upplevt träningsvärde relativt lärandemål för genomförda flygpass, samt frågor om LVC som framtida träningskoncept. I den andra studien reflekterade flygförare som deltagit vid ACE 21 kring träningsvärde av LVC och erhållna svar från enkäten. Enkätresultaten visar att skattningar av upplevt träningsvärde varierar mellan de olika lärandemålen och mellan olika uppdragstyper med avseende på det uppdrag som just flugits. Träningsvärdet hos de olika lärandemålen samvarierar kring olika stadier av uppdragsplanering och -genomförande. Från den andra studien kan konstateras att flygförarna identifierade både styrkor och svagheter med att inkludera V- och C-entiteter i luftstridsövningar. Särskilt viktigt att poängtera är att de inte har tilltro till att C-entiteter kan ersätta flygförare på blå sida i verkliga flygfarkoster. Flygförarna är positiva till att introducera V- och C-entiteter för att kunna genomföra stora scenarier, särskilt om de agerar på motståndarsidan. Slutligen konstateras att skattning av upplevt träningsvärde relativt definierade lärandemål utgör ett tolkningsbart instrument för att undersöka träningsvärde vid stora luftstridsövningar. 

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• Immersive information seeking: A scoping review of information seeking in virtual reality environments

  2023. Maurice Schleussinger, Preben Hansen, Robert Ramberg. Journal of information science

  Article

  Recently, virtual reality (VR) technology has become more widespread. Humans increasingly interact with information in VR, and a detailed look into those activities is warranted. Thus, a scoping literature review (PRISMA-ScR) is conducted. It overviews all relevant literature about information-seeking behaviour in VR, focusing on existing models and theories. Out of 536 publications, 37 qualify for this review. Eight publications show an understanding related to information behaviour theories from information science. Pressingly, no publications relate models, frameworks or general theories of information seeking to VR. This review overviews VR-related cognitive and behavioural human factors based on this research gap. Those factors include immersion and presence, affordances, embodiment, cognitive load, human error, flow and engagement. The review is concluded with an explorative framework for future research that is constructed with Marchionini’s process model of information seeking as a baseline and in conjunction with the discussed human factors.

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