Mid Sweden University

This paper analyses and discusses the identified requirements for technology enhanced systems for speech rehabilitation after a stroke. To stroke patients, a speech injury can be devastating, impacting their abilities to speak, listen, read, and write. Therefore, speech therapy is recommended as early as possible. To address the challenge with a growing percentage of older adults, therapy should include a variety of Technology Enhanced Systems (TES) to support the idea of independent living. These systems must be adapted to the patients' needs and speech therapy requirements. Based on a design science approach, requirements were determined from an analysis of ten semi-structured interviews with knowledgeable informants. Findings indicate several important requirements, such as: TES should be motivating, joyful, individualised and built on patients' needs and on speech therapists' professional knowledge. Furthermore, TES services must be user-friendly and provide training in each patient's mother tongue. Added to these requirements are ease of including close relatives as supporting persons, as well as accessibility through portable devices.

Thesis supervision is an important activity in higher education with Bachelor's and Master's theses mandatory parts of university programmes. In traditional education, thesis supervision has been a face-to-face activity, but today, both the student groups and the learning environments are blended. This study describes and discusses the design and implementation of a blended learning environment for a student group at Mid Sweden University.  The research question that the study aims to answer is:  Which are the important factors in the design of a course for undergraduate students, to facilitate supervision of thesis projects in a technology enhanced environment? 

This study employed a Design science research strategy with three phases for design, implementation and evaluation of a blended learning environment during thesis supervision. For the first phase, design requirements were specified based on document studies and a literature review. In the second phase (first part), the created design requirements were implemented as an instance in the Moodle virtual learning environment. Second phase (second part), the implemented instance was used as the online part of a blended learning course for students writing their Bachelor's thesis. In the third phase an evaluation was carried out with an online questionnaire were students gave their opinions on course design and teaching and learning sessions.

Findings show that the learning outcomes were good and that the course aim and the learning objectives were clearly stated. Found important factors for a successful supervision were peer collaboration, multimodality, and technology enhanced interaction.  Remaining challenges are to improve course content and to motivate students for research in the field of Informatics. Most surprising positive finding was that peer situation occurred informally, which deepen their knowledge for thesis writing and presentation. 

The 11th Scandinavian Conference on Information Systems (SCIS2020) in August 2020 was held on-line due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The conference was organized by the research group Forum for Digitalization at Mid Sweden University.

For long digitalization has been coupled with hopes and expectations on potential societal development with positive connotations. Stories of digitalization were stories of bridging and sometimes even dissolving geographical distances, or stories of enhanced efficiency creating opportunities for other and more liberating activities, or stories of how digitalization could replace lack of manpower in times of demographic challenges. At the same time, digitalization requires continuous access to physical artifacts, limiting our individual freedom as well as societies facing mechanisms of fragmentation, segregation and disruption.

These views set the theme for SCIS2020: Center and periphery, Inclusion and exclusion, and Risks and robustness are all important topics for contemporary and future IS research. We need to discuss how digitalization best could bridge the gap between urban and rural areas and facilitate local development. Furthermore, we need to further investigate the conceptof  ‘Digitalization of all’, How can we ensure a design of IS that truly supports inclusion, with an open discussion on the development processes? Finally, the fast ongoing digitalization also involves several risk issues that need to be addressed, two examples are cloud storage of sensitive information, and how to ensure power supply and robust Internet connections.

A total of 23 papers were submitted to the conference. After a double-blind review process, 8 high quality papers were accepted for presentation at the conference, and published in these proceedings.

SCIS2020 proudly presented two keynote speakers: the vice chancellor of Mid Sweden University Anders Fällström and the Director-General of the Swedish Agency for Digital Government, Anna Eriksson. Due to the pandemic, no workshops were arranged. Still, the SCIS conference was organized in conjunction with the Information Systems Research Seminar in Scandinavia (IRIS), with its 43rd annual meeting.

We propose a tentative research plan to increase students’ mental health in elementary schools by implementing Internet of Things (IoT) technology. The research plan should answer how to support students’ mental health using IoT solutions and the critical factors influencing testbeds for IoT solutions with the previously mentioned purpose. Our intended research method is Design Science, which we plan to use stepwise.

Stroke is a globally increasing disease and speech and language deficiencies are common in stroke survivors. To facilitate medical caregivers in their professional work and to improve patients’ quality of life, technology can play an important role.  However, the use and acceptance of technology are uncertain and more research is needed in this direction. This study evaluates the technology acceptance and adoption of an online speech and language assessment application. The evaluation focused Design Science Research strategy was adopted for that purpose. Two physiotherapists, one occupational therapist and three speech therapists participated in the study. The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) was used as the theoretical base for interview questions formation and data analysis. The study findings show that the suggested application is useful and easy to use; however, it should be more synchronised with speech therapists’ daily work routines. The speech therapists stressed that functionalities of the application should be designed in close collaboration with them, and it should be compatible with the already existing systems and services in place.  Due to the impairments after stroke, the patients have some specific preferences for software and hardware such as a tablet with touch pen is the preferred hardware. Additionally, the interface should have bigger text fonts and pictures, and highly contrastive colours in the graphics should be used for patients’ convenience. The user’s privacy and security, patient’s current health, and their previous knowledge and experience about technology were also found important determinants for intention to use the given technology. 

Speech and language relearning are challenging for stroke survivors as well as for medical caregiv-ers. After a stroke, a patient’s ability to read, write, speak, and listen is decreased to different degrees, which results in a compromised independent life and a decreased quality of life for the patient. Tech-nology enhances systems can play a vital role in this context. However, the available software are not specifically built for after the stroke patient’s needs. This paper is therefore aimed to gather require-ments for designing a tailor-made speech relearning software application for stroke survivors. A de-sign science approach was adopted, where different stakeholders such as medical caregivers and in-formation technology consultants were involved in the process. The well-informed and experienced participants in their fields highlighted some important requirements such as different types of inter-face for a patient than speech therapist with extra management functionality for speech therapists so that they can adjust the relearning exercises according to the patient’s needs. Software requirements vary from patient to patient where the intensity of speech and language impairments, general medical condition of the patient, age, prior experience, and knowledge about the information of the patient and social setup of the patient plays an important role. Since stroke is most common in adults and adults learn differently than children, adult learning theory might help understand the patients' needs. There-fore, adult learning principles were involved in the requirement analysis process. The established re-quirements will be used for the development of speech and language relearning software.

Stroke is a common and severe disease that can be found in all regions across the globe, and not onlyamong older adults. Result of a stroke can be death, or a variety of disabilities caused by impairments indifferent brain functions. This chapter discusses technology enhanced stroke rehabilitation from a threefoldview of cognitive, motoric and speech rehabilitation. The important research question was: Whatwould be the requirements for technology-enhanced stroke rehabilitation in the areas of cognitive, motoricand speech rehabilitation? The study was carried out with a requirement-focused Design Science approachcollecting data with semi-structured interviews. Informants were selected in a purposive sampling choosingprofessionals with valuable knowledge and skills in stroke rehabilitation. The findings in this study havegenerated useful general requirements for a future implementation and testing of technology enhancedstroke rehabilitation. Within each of the three rehabilitation categories cognitive, motoric and speech, thereseems to be potential for successful use of technology enhanced services. This development ofrehabilitation services must follow the fundamental principle for all forms of stroke rehabilitation: eachpatient needs a personalised treatment. However, in all three rehabilitation categories, there is a need todefine more specific requirements based on feedback from stroke patients testing the rehabilitationservices.

Stroke is a globally increasing disease and speech and language deficiencies are common in stroke survivors. To facilitate medical caregivers in their professional work and to improve patients’ quality of life, technology can play an important role. However, the use and acceptance of technology are uncertain and more research is needed in this direction. This study evaluates the technology acceptance and adoption of an online speech and language assessment application. The evaluation-focused Design Science Research strategy was adopted for that purpose. Two physiotherapists, one occupational therapist and three speech therapists participated in the study. The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) was used as the theoretical base for interview questions formation and data analysis. The study findings show that the suggested application is useful and easyto use; however, it should be better synchronised with speech therapists’ daily work routines. The speech therapists stressed that the functionalities of the application should be designed in close collaboration with them, and it should be compatible with the already existing systems and services in place. Due to impairments after stroke, the patients have some specific preferences for software and hardware; such as a tablet with a touch pen is the preferred hardware. Additionally, the interface should have bigger text fonts and pictures, and highly contrastive colours in the graphics should be used for patients’convenience. The user’s privacy and security, the patient’s current health, and their previous knowledge and experience with technology were also found important determinants for the intention to use the given technology.

The percentage of older adults increases globally with an increased need for medical care. To support the idea of successful active aging, e-health seems to be an interesting concept. This study was conducted as a systematic literature study, with the aim to identify and discuss determinant factors in the Human computer interaction of eHealth for older adults. The important main research question to answer was: What are the critical challenges to address for an improved human computer interaction in technology enhanced health care systems for older adults? Findings show that there are several critical factors to consider, with trust, personal integrity, technological acceptance, e-health literacy and accessibility of ICT as the most determinant. If the found challenges are addressed, it might be possible to achieve the identified aim of independent living. The recommendation is a human computer interaction that is elderly centred, and involves the elderly users in the design process. However, no ICT enhanced system will be user-friendly enough to take away the need for social and technological support.

The population of older adults globally increased during the last couple of decades. Due to these demographic changes, the need for medical care has also significantly increased. Despite the age-related disabilities and chronic diseases, most older adults prefer independent living in their home environment. Technology-enhanced systems and eHealth applications seem to provide some promising solutions for older adults’ well-being and independent living. However, the adoption and acceptance of these applications for older adults are unclear and further research is needed in this area. This study was carried out as a literature review, to meet the aim of identifying and discussing important factors in the Human-computer interaction of eHealth for older adults. The overall research question for this study was: What are the critical factors to consider for an improved human-computer interaction in technology-enhanced health care systems for older adults? Findings indicate some important factors to address: personal integrity, trust, technology acceptance, accessibility of ICT and eHealth literacy. If the presented factors are considered and addressed, it would be easier to achieve the desired aim of independent living. The authors recommend a human-computer interaction that is older adults centred, with the involvement of older adults users in the design process. Proper education and training on the use of eHealth services are also of great importance. Finally, the technology-enhanced system should also provide good social and technological support to the users.

Post stroke rehabilitation is a global issue with increasing challenges today when the percentage of older adults is increasing. There is a need for new solutions to better assist stroke survivors' normally long way back to a good and independent life. The various post stroke impairments can be divided into the categories of cognitive, motoric and speech impairment, and the three also have their interrelations. This position paper has a focus on rehabilitation of stroke survivors' speech impairments, and the use of technology-enhanced systems to assist the speech relearning. The current reuse of language learning software for primary school students is doubtful, and should better be replaced by tailor-made and adaptable tools that fit the target group. Finally, the recommendation is a long-term strategy where some initial costs should fund the design, development and evaluation of new digital tools for speech relearning. This should be conducted in a collaboration between researchers, speech therapists, stroke patients. The approach should be iterative and user-centred, with both speech therapists and stroke patients as the end-users.

Speech and language loss is the most common disease for stroke survivors. The process of relearning communication skills is difficult and a time taking process. Technology-enhanced systems (TES) can be useful in speech and language relearning, however, the acceptance and usability of TES for stroke patients have been a matter of concern and more research is needed in this area. This study is therefore aimed to explore the factors that might influence the acceptance of technology-enhanced speech and language relearning after stroke. A systematic literature review was conducted to determine the technology acceptance factors. To ensure the state of the art in the given field, 97 articles written from 2016 to April 2021 were retrieved with a search string aligned to the research question. After applying the exclusion criteria and quality assurance, 13 articles were selected for inclusion. An overview of selected articles, their chosen methodology, and main findings from the articles was presented in a pre-defined table. The results show that patients’ physical and cognitive condition, the intensity of relearning exercises, native language, the involvement of friends and family, technical assistance and training, selection of hardware and usability of the graphical interface are important factors for acceptance of TES. Stroke patients tend to use TES. Independent living, treatment in the home environment, and improved quality of life are the major motivations for use of TES. However, TES should be tailor-made and a user-centre approach should be adopted. Finally, proper education and training are essential not only for the patients but for the speech therapists and patients’ relatives and friends as well.

An identified global phenomenon is that, as the percentage of older adults increases, new challenges arise for medical care and rehabilitation. Several research studies have presented e-health as a promising concept to support the idea of independent living among patients with chronic diseases. The Mid Sweden region has a relatively old population and is a region where people live with long distances to the nearest hospital or health care centres. This study had a focus on defining testbed requirements for a technology enhanced stroke rehabilitation adapted to the specific region. The focal research question to answer in this study was: What are the requirements and their associated benefits and barriers of using technology-enhanced systems instead of traditional techniques for stroke rehabilitation in the Mid Sweden region? With Design Science as the overall research strategy, data was collected by semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders in the field of stroke rehabilitation. A deductive thematic analysis was conducted where important themes were grouped into the four main requirement categories of: Technical, Human-computer-interaction, Clinic and Sustainability. Beside the more specific requirements, an interesting finding was the division of stroke rehabilitation into the categories motoric, cognitive and speech rehabilitation; also, how technology enhanced solutions might be used in these categories. Each category has a potential for a successful use of technology enhanced services, but as the standard procedure in traditional stroke rehabilitation each patient needs a personalised treatment.   

Regarding the ongoing digitalisation in the knowledge society, professional development seems more crucial than ever. The need for upskilling and reskilling is described as continuous lifelong learning, which must be combined and synchronised with the life of full-time working learners. Content, pedagogical models and instructional design in university courses are often created for students in Bachelor's and Master's programs instead of tailored for adults working full-time. This study describes and discusses andragogy as a potential knowledge base for redesigning professional development courses on digital transformation. Evaluations from two instances of a course for professionals on digital transformation showed that the course participants overall are satisfied with the course. However, only a few course participants take the exam to get credits. Therefore, the research question that guided this study was, "What redesign options for increased pass rates and learner satisfaction in professional development for adult learners can be identified using andragogy as a theoretical lens?" The course is on distance and contains four modules with synchronous and asynchronous learning activities, resulting in five European Credit Transfer System (ECTS). The empirical material consisted of course participants' check-in presentation before the course started, mid-term evaluation, final evaluations, and a learning diary containing 58 entries. The data was deductively analysed using the theory of andragogy as an analytical lens. The findings imply that instructors should put effort into how different parts of the course are connected, supporting learners' need to know. Further, to enhance the course participants' prior experience as a resource for learning by adding learning activities, they exchange experiences and examples with each other, adding to their learning process and networking. The pedagogic parts of understanding the theoretical course material could be split into pieces through exercises where the participants apply conceptual models and concepts to real-situation problems. The learning diary could help the participants align the new knowledge with their prior knowledge with a focus on professional roles and work situations. The identified redesign options create opportunities to increase pedagogical parts like readiness, orientation, and motivation to learn according to the current higher education system. 

Professional development is more crucial than ever, especially in supporting ongoing digitalisation in the knowledge society. The need for upskilling and reskilling is described as continuous lifelong learning, which must be combined and synchronised with the lives of full-time working learners. Content, pedagogical models and instructional design in university courses are often centred on students in their early twenties with little to no work experience instead of tailored for experienced professionals working full-time. One such course is the foundation for this study: a course on digitalisation and digital transformation targeting professionals with at least two years of work experience in digital transformation. Therefore, the research question that guided this study was: "How can a distance course for professionals be redesigned to facilitate lifelong learning?" The redesign aims to increase satisfaction with the course and the number of participants taking their exams. The course contains four modules with synchronous and asynchronous learning activities, resulting in 5 ECTS credits (the European Credit Transfer System). The analysed empirical material consists of course participants' check-in presentation before the course started, mid-term evaluation, final evaluation, and a learning diary containing 58 entries. The empirical material was inductively and iteratively analysed following the main steps of thematic analysis. Two of the researchers conducted the first steps of the analysis individually. The following steps were a joint coding procedure to reach a consensus. This part of the analysis included several discussions with the other researchers. The inductive analysis identified 70 initial codes that reflected issues related to course design, learning activities, course information, and instructions. The initial codes were clustered into seventeen more abstract themes based on similarities. The themes related to strengths and weaknesses/challenges with the course. The strengths were analysed as, among others, discussions with course participants in other domains, recordings introducing scientific articles, focused and direct instructions on the learning management system (LMS), and the course is held online at the same weekly time. Perceived challenges were, for example, reading scientific articles and understanding and transferring the content to their work situation, lack of correspondence among the modules, not all modules being published simultaneously on the LMS, and the general problem of mixing work and studies. Despite that, the material showed satisfied course participants, where only a few ended the course by taking the exam to get their credits, which is one of academia's ways to quantify learning. Based on the data analysis, course and learning activities will be redesigned and developed to be tested and evaluated in a forthcoming course instance in autumn 2023.

Lifelong learning for solving work assignments is essential for societal and personal development. Higher education is one natural part of lifelong learning and, therefore, needs to be re-focused from solely younger students to include professionals and their development goals. One problem related to giving a course for professionals is their struggle between work assignments and the course. Focusing on the added perspective of professionals for higher education, this study presents five design principles for courses for professionals. Design principles are guidelines based on experience and iterative development in higher education. The empirical data comes from a course in digitalisation and digital transformation, which was given thrice. The course participants were professionals from private and public organisations in Sweden. The empirical data originates from the professionals who made a check-in, mid-term evaluation, and evaluation after the course, resulting in 75 entries. Two researchers analysed the first two course entries inductively, forming the foundation for the first round of design principles. The course design for the third round was then revised according to its weaknesses. Based on the strengths and weaknesses found in empirical material from all three courses, the current design principles are professional pathways referring to new knowledge directly linked to real-world applications, knowledge evolution, meaning gradual integration of knowledge using seminars and examination assignments, preparedness protocol focusing on updated information and structured templates for the seminars. Further, the design principle of collaborative connection includes discussion where professionals exchange experiences, and the last principle, learning fusion, directs toward blended learning by combining face-to-face seminars and films. The revised course design, according to the design principles, implied that the number of professionals graduating and their grades increased. The findings of this study add theoretically to existing knowledge and practical implications by providing design principles that higher education teachers and other stakeholders can use to design or revise professional development courses. The design principles could be used stand-alone or combined to increase professionals' learning and satisfaction.

There is a need to increase the number of students, especially women, choosing programming and STEM disciplines. We need innovative approaches in schools to better engage students and awake their interest in computer science. This paper addresses the need to create tools that effectively support the learning of programming and the development of computational thinking, highlighting why video games can be an effective educational tool for it and also attract new students to STEM. The Game4Coding Erasmus+ project proposes the design of a video game called CodeQuest, using a game genre that has not been frequently used before to address the teaching of programming, the monster tamer genre. We consider that video games have a number of benefits such as that stimulate active learning, are engaging for a wide range of students, and present information in a way that is attractive to learners. We want to explore this kind of game’s effectiveness as a learning tool as well as its effect on the perception of STEM disciplines and programming to attract new public to coding (especially girls).

The call for a higher education that embraces lifelong learning began in the 1970s, continued to escalate, and has never been louder. From extensive review, this new approach requires a delivery system that is accessible and meaningful to adults of all ages and from diverse backgrounds. Now embedded in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, a new social contract for education could be the keystone in our quest to create and sustain “a world of peace, dignity and prosperity on a healthy planet” (Guterres, 2020).

This new social contract encourages us to analyse and embrace the results of the Covid-19 pandemic. This event left over 24 million diverse learners at significant risk of developmental loss. These learners from all age groups, including millions of children, may carry a deficit that will increase the demand for education across the lifespan. The same pandemic also left a legacy for digital learning that will shape education forms into the distant future. We add to these two key influences on higher education UNESCO’s recent suggestion that we need “a sector-wide, lifelong learning approach towards the future development of higher education” (International Commission on the Futures of Education, 2021, p. 102). 

Our research rests in the current higher education but draws on expert opinion about the necessary transformation needed for lifelong learning. An expanded Delphi method gathered data from prominent scholars and practitioners from around the world. This data driven exercise was guided by the question: What are the critical aspects of higher education transformation needed for lifelong learning in a digital era?

The paper outlines the data gathering and analysis processes, which include Grounded Theory steps of open, axial, and confirmatory coding. For those with demonstrated knowledge about technology-enabled lifelong learning, there is an interrelated taxonomy of structures and processes that must be addressed in policy creation and reform of higher education. We argue that these seven identified elements need integrated repurposing to achieve lifelong learning outcomes: ‘Multimodal delivery’, ‘Pedagogical change’, ‘Financial resources’, ‘Quality assurance, ‘Digital literacy’, ‘Accessibility’, and ‘Equity, diversity and inclusion.’ In addition, we identify government policy examples from Sweden and Canada that support these change requirements in alignment with SDGs.

António Guterres (2020) https://www.un.org/press/en/2020/sgsm20003.doc.htm

International Commission on the Futures of Education (2021). Reimagining our futures together: A new social contract for education. Paris: UNESCO.

Before the pandemic, many public sectors in Sweden relied heavily on American cloud services. The pandemic's onset necessitated remote work, highlighting the need for secure and legally compliant communication systems. The dSam project (Digital Collaboration Platform for the Public Sector) evaluated the market for such solutions, completing its report in autumn 2022. The project's main purpose was to investigate, analyze, and present factors influencing the procurement of digital information systems within the public sector in Sweden, and to understand the interaction between people and technology. This understanding aims to optimize behaviors and attitudes for successful procurement. The empirical material includes semi-structured interviews with authorities and supplementary observations. The study identifies ten key factors affecting the procurement of digital information systems in the Swedish public sector and highlights a significant research gap in theories related to IT artifacts. 

History education faces challenges engaging students due to its complexity, hindering understanding of key concepts like causality. Immersive virtual reality (iVR) is being broadly implemented in heritage institutions, with some history teachers beginning to explore its potential. However, insufficient technological-pedagogical knowledge complicates its implementation and the competencies needed for K-12 history teachers remain unexplored. Knowledge required to effectively implement iVR in history education is presented, aiming to discuss a model covering the various areas that should be developed for successful history education through iVR.

Emergencies sometimes cross the borders of nations making information sharing over national borders essential in emergency management. This type of information sharing is often mediated by some kind of technology. However, appropriate and efficient cross‐border communication is more than providing technology to mediate information exchange. This study note focuses on emergency services experience of terrestrial trunked radio (TETRA)‐mediated cross‐border communication across the Norwegian–Swedish border. We applied the theory of dialect continua to analyse how people from different dialect areas understood each other. The study was based upon data gathered from semi‐structured interviews. The findings show that indeed the technological solutions had opened up new opportunities for crossborder communication but that during stressful conditions, the language differences between Norwegian and Swedish could lead to misunderstandings.

Large groups of refugees have arrived in Sweden during the last years with a peak in 2015 when there were around 1.3 million asylum applications. Many of the newly arrived are still not yet integrated into the Swedish society and language skills is a key factor for a successful inclusion and integration process. There is a need for new digital language learning tools, not least for informal self-learning. The aim of the study is to describe and discuss the development and evaluation of an audio-visual online tool for informal language learning as a complement to formal language training.

The overall research strategy has been action research with a qualitative investigation where data were gathered in a mix of usability tests, observations and interviews. Main informants were 12 students from three separate courses on Swedish for newly arrived. Since the group of informants constitute an exposed group, personal details have been kept as anonymous as possible.

Findings indicate that several design concepts were useful and appreciated by the test group, but several users wanted an alternative to the Facebook based login. Gamification seemed to be a promising way to increase motivation, and many participants perceived that a feature with direct translation of messages would be a good way to improve the language learning. Furthermore, there were requests for tool mechanisms to filter conversation partners by gender and by interests.

The arrival of large groups of refugees is one of the great challenges in Europe today. In Sweden around 100 000 new immigrants is expected to arrive from Syria only during 2017 and there are large groups from various countries already staying in Sweden that are not properly integrated. There are no quick and smart solution to solve the inclusion of the large number of new citizens and the idea should rather be a holistic approach combining several initiatives. Lack of language skills is one of the underlying reasons for new arrivals exclusion from the labour market and social networks. Online informal language learning and digital mentorship with two way communication between New Arrivals and established Swedes might be a way to facilitate the inclusion and integration process.   The aim of the study was to examine to which extent a digital communication tool could act as a resource in order to make the integration process more effective for newly arrived immigrants and refugees. Research was carried out as a qualitative cross‐sectional study with data gathered by semi‐ structured interviews. Five educators who are actively working with newly arrived immigrants and refugees were interviewed with use of the Skype tool. A thematic analysis was conducted to find patterns and to create themes and categories that could answer the main research question: How might a digital communication tool be designed to facilitate the integration and inclusion of new arrived refugees in Sweden? The answers could be structured according to two overall themes: “Usable” and “Flexible”. The theme “Usable” consisted of three sub‐themes Ease of Access, Improved language skills and Integrity Facilitation, while the theme “Flexible” was divided into two subcategories Adaptable and Educational content.   The findings confirm that a digital communication tool would support integration of new arrivals by facilitating personal dialogues with established Swedes. The recommendation is to create an online platform that supports language learning and enables multi‐way digital mentorship in a social network with benefits for the established Swedes as well.  

The Czech philosopher John Amos Comenius has been presented as the father of modern didactics. He also favoured learning by doing and believed in "the art of turning all our schools into games".  Furthermore, Comenius had the idea of a flipped classroom with a four-hour school day, divided into two hours in the morning and two hours in the afternoon. The time in between is recommended to be spent on preparation, play and to explore nature. Comenius saw play as an important didactic strategy since play is an imitation of life itself. Most importantly, Comenius wished games/play and learning to be integrated. He envisioned "a school in which the serious and the fun are mixed" (Comenius, 1657B, [xviii]).

This study has been carried out as a central and comparative literature review. Central in the sense of reviewing a body of literature that is central to the chosen topic, and comparative in the sense that texts describing ideas from the Comenius era have been compared to contemporary ideas. The historical texts were studied using a contextual method, viewing Comenius's works as moves in an argument, as described by Skinner (1996). 

The comparison reveals both similarities and differences. The concepts of learning by doing, 'facilitas' and to flip the classroom, are all didactic ideas aligned to game-based learning today. Some examples of learning initiatives and schools fundamentally built upon the idea of 'learning by gaming' were found, but the idea still seems radical to most educators. Comenius would probably have loved the rich abundance of games and gamification today, but certainly not shooting games like Counter-Strike. Comenius’s vision was more one of a peaceful utopia with enlightened citizens. Finally, it is hard to tell if Comenius, alive today, would find the 21^st century digital games to support or to interfere his Epicurean idea of a 'direct vision'.

Several studies on Game-based learning (GBL) start out in the era of Tetris and PacMan and are limited to digital learning games. However, the GBL concept has a long pre-history with board games like Kalaha, Xiangxi, Chess and other forms of game having been used for thousands of years in educational contexts, training strategic and tactical thinking, as well as language skills, mathematics and other subjects. Games and play-based learning were well-known didactic ideas in ancient Greece and during the Roman Empire. The oldest African board games were built more than 5000 years ago.

The aim of this study is to analyse and discuss ideas on the role of games in education from a historical perspective. A literature study was carried out with a focus on the intellectual history of educational theory, followed by discussions of a number of key texts. Authors have analysed the changing conceptions of play and games in the context of the philosophy of education. 

Findings indicate that the view of games and game-based learning varies between the studied époques.  However, the idea of complementing theoretic and abstract education with concrete and motivating play seems to have a constant value. A concept that for several reasons can be even more important in contemporary, technology enhanced mass education. 

With the rapid development of games in the 21st century, the panoply of games on history shows a wide variety. Backstories from most historical eras have been implemented in different game genres and modalities. Furthermore, a growing number of studies have pointed to the didactic potential of historical games as learning tools. This study aims at investigating university students' perceptions of gaming and their game preferences, with a particular focus on history. The research question to answer was: "What types of games do history students play, and how can games, in their view, contribute to learning in their subject?" Educational action research was used as the overall strategy in a study where data was collected from five different university course groups in general history at the basic level. Students answered questionnaires with open ended questions about gaming preferences and their perceptions of games. The answers were then analysed in an inductive thematic analysis. Findings show that the students play a mix of analogue board games, digital games and hybrid forms. In the transmedial array of games available, important genres include role playing games, strategy games, quizzes and first-person action games. The students frequently provide arguments for the use of games in history education, and they give reasons why they find a particular game useful for this purpose. They describe how these games have a potential to add value to history education. To some extent, they also discuss how this can be implemented. In conclusion, the authors argue that so-called technology tree games are particularly relevant to learning history from a structural perspective, while RPG:s can strengthen interpretive approaches through a subjective historical experience.

The concept of game-based learning has been a significant part of academic discussions on education since the 1980ies. Many of the ideas inherent in these concepts are easily traceable to early 20th century pedagogues, such as Piaget and Dewey, and game theorists, such as Huizinga and Caillois. However, as presented in this paper, the use of games in education has a longer history. Philosophers and educators have expressly discussed the role of games or play in education, in classical antiquity, and the renaissance in particular. This paper will consider this longer history and present three classical approaches that have the potential to enrich contemporary education. 

Game-based learning has become a mainstream didactic approach used in many educational contexts.There is today a large-scale development of tailored educational games, but also a frequent use of commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) games. The use of technology trees in games has a specific interest for game-based learning in history education, where technology trees illustrate a civilization’s progress in terms of scientific, technological, cultural or economic innovations. The aim of this study is to investigate technology tree games and their potential use in history education. What particular skills can this tool learn students of history? Which insights does it provide in their understanding of historical processes? This study was carried out as a scoping review to provide an overview of game-based learning based on technology trees. A scoping review is an exploratory study that systematically maps the literature on a specific topic to build a foundation for future work and further research. The results from this study will be used in the implementation of game-based learning in university courses on history. The literature review showed that the technology tree-feature in historical games has the potential to train students on four major and interconnected points above all: 1) The understanding of historical causality, 2) The concepts of contingency and determinism, 3) Counter-factual reasoning, and 4) The application and discussion of historical theories in relation to major historical processes and epochs. The review also highlights recurring criticisms of games using the technology tree concept: 1) From a postcolonial perspective, many strategy games including a tech tree are considered to reinforce a Eurocentric narrative of world history through emphasis on scientific development, international trade,war and expansionism, while sometimes also downplaying important but controversial historical institutions and developments, notably slavery, and 2) From a feminist perspective, many games have been criticised for a male gender-bias in portraying leading historical figures or the general marginalization of the role of women in society. Again, the tech tree has been claimed to reinforce such tendencies. Finally, the review concludes with suggestions for future research. Most importantly, the findings point to the need of testing and evaluation of the use of games involving the techno tree feature in actual course practice in higher education.

Emergencies are management challenges, and emergency exercises that involve multiple collaborating parties isa means towards mastering them. Such exercises are often conducted in a virtual training environment based oncomplex disaster scenarios. The reported study was carried out using a requirement-focused design approach. Theaim was to describe and discuss a relevant design for lean, dynamic, and cost-efficient emergency managementexercise systems. Data were gathered from a literature study and analyses of earlier emergency managementprojects in which the authors had participated. Despite the complexity of many current emergency managementexercises, the scenarios usually involve only the response phases and have a linear structure that hinders bothdidactic aspects and the software structure. The conclusion drawn from the study is that an emergencymanagement exercise model should focus on managing the activities that correspond to alternatives that unfoldfrom a dynamic scenario. Finally, the authors recommend the principles of alternate reality games as a waytowards more dynamic and cost-efficient emergency exercise systems.

Emergency management exercises could be carried out as simulationsor serious games, as they allow for infinite replications in which participantscan make mistakes without negative consequences. Alternate reality games(ARGs) offer a model for interactive networked narratives based on realistic andimmersive emergency scenarios, and possibilities for collaborative problem solvingwith peer-to-peer communication. The aim of the paper is to analyze anddiscuss students’ attitudes towards the implementation of an emergency managementexercise as a game inspired by ARGs, comprising a virtual crisis managementexercise system. The study on which the paper is based was conducted usinga qualitative approach together with a literature review and a thematic analysisof university students’ answers to an evaluation questionnaire, following theirparticipation in a virtual exercise with an ARG design. The findings suggest thatARG concepts have a potential in emergency management training and could betested with rescue services staff, also across national borders. Realism shouldhowever be increased and additional ARG concepts added.

It is commonly suggested that emerging technologies will revolutionize education. In this paper, two such emerging technologies, artificial intelligence (AI) and educational robots (ER), are in focus. The aim of the paper is to explore how teachers, researchers and pedagogical developers critically imagine and reflect upon how AI and robots could be used in education. The empirical data were collected from discussion groups that were part of a symposium. For both AI and ERs, the need for more knowledge about these technologies, how they operates, the need for more knowledge about these technologies, how they could preferably be used, and how the emergence of these technologies might affect the role of the teacher and the relationship between teachers and students, were outlined. Many participants saw more potential to use AI for individualization as compared with ERs. However, there were also more concerns, such as ethical issues and economic interests, when discussing AI. While the researchers/developers to a greater extent imagined ideal future technology-rich educational practices, the practitioners were more focused on imaginaries grounded in current practice.

The idea of creating intelligent machines and artificial intelligence (AI) have been around for centuries, and can be traced back to at least to the 14th century. Artificial Intelligence in Education (AIED) is a much younger discipline, but during the last 25 years there have been achievements in a number of fields which have made impact on education. Critical voices have been raised against the over-optimism in contemporary AI research. Less have been written about the high expectation of AIED and its potential impact on education. The aim of this study was to analyse and discuss AIED from the teacher perspective. 

This study was carried out as a SWOT-analysis, with data gathered from a literature study. Main keywords in the literature search were: artificial intelligence, artificial intelligence in education, AIED, teacher perspective, education and teacher. Themes and patterns in the four main categories where further processed as a deductive-inductive thematic analysis. 

Findings indicates that there are both promises and threats for the teacher in the contemporary AIED. In several aspects the field seems to be in a state of hype but as other hype areas there is a potential for maturing and with concrete applications in daily teaching and learning activities. Recommendations is to learn from traditional AI and to open up for an informative and nuanced discussion concerning the role of AI in education. Otherwise there is a risk for artificial education instead of artificial intelligence in education. 

Humans are normally good at logic reasoning and taking appropriate decisions. But in situations of crisis this is not always the case. Moral aspects are an important part of crisis management, which can be difficult to manage in complex and stressful situations. Several studies indicate that humans under stress better should be facilitated by decisions making system. (Robert & Lajtha, 2002; Keramitsoglou et al., 2004) 

This study presents a model that is based on the ethical theory of consequentialism. Consequentialism states that moral decisions can be calculated by the actions expected outcomes (Kymlicka, 2002:13;Sinnott-Armstrong, 2003; Mill, 2007:457). However, a known issue with consequentialism is how to deal with prediction in complex situations (Singer, 1982; Norcross 1990; Simons 1999; Lenman 2000;Hansson, 2007). The calculations in the model are inspired by Hookers (2000:32) suggestions of how potential long term, short term, positive and negative outcomes should weigh against each other. 

The suggested model should be flexible enough to be used in both real crisis situations and crisis management exercises. However, before testing the model in real life crisis situations there is a need for further evaluation in table top exercises. These table top exercises should preferably include the concept of scripted collaboration. A specialisation of scripted collaboration is to present conflicts of interests to the participants, something that resembles moral dilemmas in philosophy. 

Keywords: Computational moral support, Crisis management ethics, Consequentialism, Decision support system, Moral dilemmas 

References

Hansson, S. O. (2007). Philosophical problems in cost–benefit analysis. Economics & Philosophy, 23(2), 163-183.

Hooker, B. (2000). Ideal code, real world: A rule-consequentialist theory of morality. Oxford University Press. 

Keramitsoglou, I., Kiranoudis, C. T., Sarimvels, H., & Sifakis, N. (2004). A multidisciplinary decision support system for forest fire crisis management. Environmental management, 33(2), 212-225.

Kymlicka, W. (2002). Contemporary Political Philosophy: An Introduction. Second Edition. Oxford University Press.

Lenman, J. (2000). Consequentialism and cluelessness. Philosophy & public affairs, 29(4), 342-370.

Mill, J. S. (2007). Utilitarianism. In: Shafer-Landau, R. (Ed.). (2007). Ethical theory: an anthology. Blackwell Publishing Ltd. 

Norcross, A. 1990. Consequentialism and the unforeseen future. Analysis 50:253–56.

Robert, B., & Lajtha, C. (2002). A new approach to crisis management. Journal of contingencies and crisis management, 10(4), 181-191.

Simons, K.W. 1999. Negligence. In Responsibility, ed. E.F. Paul, F. D. Miller Jr, and J. Paul, 52–93. Cambridge University Press. 

Singer, M. (1982). Incoherence, inconsistency, and moral theory: more on actual consequence utilitarianism. The Southern Journal of Philosophy, 20(3), 375-391.

Sinnott-Armstrong, W. (2003). Consequentialism.

Under normal conditions, humans are good at logic reasoning and taking appropriate decisions, but crisis management is not conducted under normal conditions. In complex and stressful situations, the moral aspects of crisis management could be hard to sort out, with decision makers stuck in moral dilemmas. Research has recommended that the detailed emergency handling manuals should be complemented with decision making support systems. This paper presents and discusses a model for an intelligent decision support system (IDSS), based on the ethical theory of consequentialism. Consequentialism posits that moral decisions can be calculated by the expected outcomes from presumptive actions. On the other hand, consequentialism has been criticised for deficiencies in the prediction of complex situations. Calculations in the suggested model are inspired by Hooker's Rule-consequentialist theory of morality. A theory with the fundamental idea that potential long-term and short-term outcomes should be weighed against each other. Furthermore, the positive and negative outcomes from presumptive actions should be estimated and weighed against each other. The suggested model should be flexible enough to be used in both real crisis situations and crisis management exercises. However, before testing the model in real life crisis situations there is a need for thorough evaluations in virtual crisis management exercises. As a complement, these virtual crisis exercises should preferably also include scripted collaboration. The most interesting specialisation of scripted collaboration are the conflict scripts, enabling the idea of scripting exercise conflicts that resemble moral dilemmas in philosophy.

This paper is a review of content analysis or thematic analysis which is further explored though the lens of impressions of doctoral students who attended a presentation on the subject.The long tradition of quantitative research still dominates many university courses on research methodology and data analysis. During the 20th century the field of qualitative research has had a growing need for new analysis methods that accommodate qualitative data and two frequently used methods are content analysis and thematic analysis. They have several things in common and sometimes, they have been understood by researchers to be interchangeably. It has been argued by some researchers that conventional content analysis has really the same functional approach to analysing data as an inductive thematic analysis. This study reports on two webinars on qualitative analysis involving doctoral students and facilitated by the authors. The webinars presented, discussed content analysis and thematic analysis, and gathered participants’ reflections on these methods using a Padlet (padlet.com). The aim of the study was to analyse and describe doctoral students' perceptions of content analysis and thematic analysis. The data collected has been analysed using conventional content analysis applying an abductive coding approach. The study identifies several perceived similarities and differences between the two methods, but also opportunities and challenges for applying them. Findings highlight that the two methods are perceived to be applicable to different types of research. Furthermore, they offer similar challenges to the researcher including their potential for bias and could be considered a choice between an intuitive and a practical approach to analysis. Many of the identified perceptions can be related to previous literature on content analysis and thematic analysis. However, other perceptions seems to indicates a need for more thorough and nuanced discussions on methods for qualitative analysis. The study suggest that more efforts should be made to support doctoral students in attaining a nuanced understanding of qualitative methods for analysis. 

Research has a long tradition of quantitative research which still dominates many university courses on research methods. Qualitative research is a younger phenomenon that was established in research after the second world war. An emerging research field that needed new analysis methods tailored for qualitative data. Two of the most frequently used approaches in qualitative data analysis are content analysis and thematic analysis. In several aspects content analysis and thematic analysis both share a common approach to analytically examine qualitative data, and the fact that they have been used interchangeably has made it difficult for the more unexperienced researchers to distinguish and choose between them. The aim of this study is to examine doctoral students’ perceptions of qualitative analysis with content analysis and thematicanalysis. The study had a qualitative approach with data collected from two webinars on qualitative data analysis, where a total of 76 doctoral students participated. Data consists of participant reflections in a Padlet on content analysis and thematic analysis at the two webinars. Webinar participants have given their consent to use their reflections in the Padlet for research. Content analysis with an abductive coding approach was used to analyse the collected data and formulate categories that answer the study’s aim and research question. Results show both perceived similarities and differences between content analysis and thematic analysis. Both are perceived to have a similar process in the coding of data, although content analysishas a wider selection of coding approaches and thematic analysis support deeper immersion. Content analysis is also perceived as more practical and straightforward, while thematic analysis is perceived as more intuitive and faster to learn. Both content analysis and thematic analysis are perceived to have individual opportunities and challenges that make them appropriate for different types of research. Findings presented in this study can be used by researchers at any level to explore similarities and differences between content analysis and thematic analysis, and where to apply them in research.

Design science is a research methodology that can be applied for both small scale studies at undergraduate level and for large scale application in the industry. Design science is a research methodology with several branches, with slightly different processes built around a common foundation. This paper has a focus on the branch developed by Johannesson and Perjons, and the five-phase model that is included in this branch: 1) explicate problem, 2) define requirements, 3) design and develop artefact, 4) demonstrate artefact, and 5) evaluate artefact. All these five phases must of course be carried out in a complete large-scale project in many real-world developments. However, the problem with applying a design science research project for undergraduates is that a thorough implementation of all the five phases is often too demanding for a Bachelor’s or a Master's thesis. A reason for this is that several of the phases are better carried out in an iterative manner to obtain a quality result, which is time-consuming. The aim of this paper is to discuss the challenges and opportunities in applying design science for small scale studies, such as those conducted by undergraduates in their theses or by researchers new to the field. Based on this discussion, the paper concludes with a set of recommendations for how the design science methodology can be modified and applied to accommodate these smaller studies. The main recommendation is, as the principle for quality research, to delimit and to choose a specific focus that is carried out in depth. Some examples of focuses, that also are recommended by Johannesson and Perjons, are requirements and development focused design science research or evaluation focused design science research. An interesting follow-up to this position paper would be to study the application of design science in Bachelor’s theses and where the emphasis is placed? Moreover, it would be interesting to investigate how design science is applied by researchers and compare if their emphasis in the design science methodology differs from that of undergraduates.

Many countries have a new policy with an aim of involving computer programming earlier in the compulsory school curricula. In Sweden this should be implemented as a part of secondary school mathematics and technology. This reform has created a nation-wide need for teacher professional development with programming courses given by universities. For the universities this is a new learner group with a higher average age and different learning needs than the traditional younger students. The aim of the study was to identify and discuss opportunities and barriers for increasing the pass rate and learner satisfaction in programming courses for secondary school mathematics and technology teachers. Main research questions in the study were, 1) Which factors for increased pass rates and participant motivation could be identified for teacher training courses on programming? and 2) How might these identified factors be related to course participants learning needs? This study was carried out as a case study involving triangulation of multiple data sources. Data has been gathered in a combination of self-assessment questionnaires, course evaluations and essays written by course participants from three different course instances. A content analysis was conducted to find and group themes in the data that are relevant to answer the research questions. The analysis has been partly inductive, and partly deductive with adult learning as the theoretical lens. The study identifies 8 main themes that are important to consider as factors for course pass rate and participant motivation. The identified themes are: 1) Exchange of experience, 2) Practical work, 3) Help and support, 4) Alignment to prior knowledge, 5) Required time and commitment, 6) Level of difficulty, 7) Clarity and structure, 8) Participant expectation. Dependent on how these are addressed in teacher professional development courses, they can be opportunities or barriers for increased pass rate. The next step will be to apply and evaluate the identified themes in future course re-design. 

An increasingly popular subcategory of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is Generative AI (GAI), which encompasses technologies capable of creating new content, such as images, text, and music, often resembling outputs made by humans. The potential impact by GAI on sustainability is multifaceted. On the positive side, generative AI can aid in optimizing processes, developing innovative solutions, and identifying patterns in large datasets related to sustainability. This can lead to more efficient resource management, reduced energy consumption, and the creation of more sustainable products. However, there are also potential negative impacts, such as increased energy consumption associated with training and running generative AI models, as well as the potential for unintended consequences or biases in the generated content. Additionally, overreliance on generative AI may lead to reduced human oversight, which could undermine holistic, interdisciplinary, and collaborative approaches to sustainability. The aim of this paper is to explore the potential impacts on sustainability by generative artificial intelligence through a review of prior research on the topic. The study was conducted with a scoping literature review approach to identify potential impacts by generative AI on sustainability. Data were collected through a search in the database Scopus during the spring semester of 2024. Keywords, relevant for the study, were combined with Boolean operators. Papers identified through the search underwent a manual screening process by the authors, in which papers were selected for inclusion or exclusion in the study based on a set of criteria. Included paper were then analyzed with thematic analysis, according to the guidelines by Braun and Clarke. A categorization matrix, based in prior research on sustainability, supported the analysis and deductive coding of collected data. Results of the study highlight generative AI’s potential impact on sustainability that relate to both environmental aspects, economic aspects, and social aspects of sustainability. These different aspects of sustainability impact make this research an important contribution for deepening the understanding of generative AI and its potential consequences for society. Findings of the study provide theoretical contribution, implications for practice, and recommendations for future research on generative AI and sustainability.

Introduction: An ongoing trend on a global scale is the integration of computer science and programming in K-12 education. The integration has been motivated by the needs of the present and future labor market but also by the assumption that skills related to computer science and programming are valuable for citizens to navigate an increasingly digitalized society. Computational thinking (CT) is a concept that aims to define and summarize skills associated with programming and computer science and has received wide recognition within research and education. But how do the teachers perceive this concept, and how do they relate it to their own teaching and learning activities? This study aims to investigate and discuss teachers' perceptions of CT in grades 7–12 mathematics and technology.

Methods: Data have been collected from essay assignments in three instances of a professional development course on fundamental programming for grades 7–12 teachers in mathematics and technology. In the essays, the teachers reflect on CT in relation to mathematics and technology and teaching and learning activities in these subjects. With a theoretical framework for CT, the collected data have been analyzed with a directed content analysis approach to identify categories of interests for CT in relation to grades 7–12 mathematics and technology.

Results: The results of the study show that the teachers perceive both opportunities and challenges in applying the CT concept in their teaching and learning activities. For example, it can strengthen the subjects through new practices and reinforce old practices, but it could be too complex and perceived as difficult by some students. Furthermore, many of the teachers perceive CT not only to be relevant for mathematics and technology but also for learning in general.

Discussion: The conclusion of the study is that CT has the potential to enhance teaching and learning activities in mathematics, technology, and other STEM subjects. If this should be successful, CT must not be involved too abstractly or too superficially. This study contributes to the discussion on CT in K-12 education, adding the teachers' perspective. The findings of this study can be used by teachers and other stakeholders in the design of classroom activities that apply the CT concept.

During recent years the field of Learning Analytics have been frequently mentioned in discussions of addressing challenges in education, as well as a means to analyse and draw upon students' strengths in educational contexts. Prognoses for the future labour market show an increasing need of programmers, yet studies show that programming education struggle with student dropout, poor academic performance and low pass rates. The aim of this study was to analyse and discuss potential obstacles and opportunities in using learning analytics tools for forecasting student success in relation to course outcomes in programming education.

This study was carried out as a literature review with a theorical framework for Learning Analytics presented by Yassine, Kadry and Sicilia (2016) in “A framework for learning analytics in moodle for assessing course outcomes”. In 2016 IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference (EDUCON) (pp. 261-266). IEEE.” as the basis for a content analysis with deductive coding. Main keywords in the literature search was: learning analytics, programming, education, course, tool, obstacles, opportunities. Keywords were combined with the Boolean operators “and” and “or”. The literature search was limited to recently published research (between years 2015 and 2019).

The study shows that learning analytics tools, if thoughtfully used, is an opportunity to forecast student success and improve educational design, both from the student perspective and from the teacher perspective. Learning analytics tools does not necessarily have to build on quantitative big data analyses only. From a teacher perspective it could be more valuable with a mixed method approach in the strive to improve existing course design. As pointed out in several research studies students’ and teachers’ integrity have to be respected. Today’s virtual learning environments provide huge amounts of learning data, but as in all other types of research, this should build on informed consent. Finally, in a new approach of learning analytics the analyses preferably should include some teaching analytics as well, to better improve course design and learning outcomes.

Purpose The conducted examination of programming affordances and constraints had the purpose of adding knowledge and value that facilitate the on-going national curricula revision; knowledge that also could be of general interest outside the Swedish K-12 context. Design/methodology/approach With a qualitative approach, the study was conducted as a document analysis where submitted lesson plans were the base for a directed content analysis. Findings This study presents findings on how the involvement of programming in mathematics and technology have potential to foster engagement and motivation among students. Findings also indicate that the implementation of programming can develop important general skills that go beyond the boundaries of mathematics and technology. Moreover, the identified constraints could be valuable to improve the on-going curriculum development for K-12 mathematics and technology. Research limitations/implications This qualitative study was conducted on a relatively small number of teachers where the majority has taken the courses on a voluntary basis. An important complement would be to conduct a larger quantitative study with data from a more general sample of K-12 teachers. Practical implications Results and discussions provide guidance for K-12 teachers and other stakeholders who want to introduce programming as a complementary tool in teaching and learning activities. Social implications The study has a contribution to the on-going implementation of the Swedish national curricula for K-12 mathematics and technology. Originality/value During the last years, many studies have been published on teacher training in programming, and how the training can be improved. This study goes beyond the actual teacher training and examine aspects teachers translate to theirs daily work after completing the training.

Programming education at university level has often been identified as problematic learning. At the same time, prognosis for future labour market is increased need for professionals with programming and related skills. To meet demands of future society, K-12 schools around the world have integrated programming in the curriculum. However, research show challenges for integrating programming in K-12 education. Challenges include students’ and teachers’ struggle with learning and teaching programming, lack of time to properly incorporate programming in existing teaching and learning, and insufficient support for teachers. This study addresses these challenges by designing, developing, and evaluating an educational game on programming that combines the idea of game-based learning with digital escape rooms. In the game, the player develops knowledge about programming concepts to escape 10 rooms. The study’s main research question was: What are K-12 students’ perceptions of the game and what do they considered to be important design factors for a digital escape room game on computer programming? A design science approach was used for designing, developing, and evaluating a web-based escape room game on programming. This was conducted in a five-step process: 1) Explicating the problem, 2) Defining the requirements, 3) Designing and developing the artefact, 4) Demonstrating the artefact, and 5) Evaluating the artefact. The game was tested and evaluated by 32 K-12 students with a questionnaire during the autumn semester of 2021 and spring semester of 2022. Collected data were then analysed and grouped into categories to answerthe study’s aim and research question. Findings of the study show several suggestions for further development and important design factors to consider when developing a digital escape room game. The next steps of research are to combine these findings with evaluations from teachers, and to incorporate this in an updated version of the game.

The act of programming can be traced back to the 19th century and Ada Lovelace. In the context of history, the idea to combine programming with mathematics and technology is not strange. Today programming is a much more widespread phenomenon. But the relevance of programming in mathematics and technology is still very obvious. However, with the mandatory addition of programming in K-12 setting a debate has been sparked concerning the impact on teaching activities. The aim of this study was to analyse and discuss possible obstacles and opportunities in integrating programming in K-12 settings from a teacher perspective. The two important main questions to answer were: 1) which are teachers' perceived obstacles and opportunities in the integration of programming in K-12 setting? 2) which are the differences and similarities in expectation between teachers with and without earlier programming experience?

This study was carried out inspired of action research with the objective of improving an existing programming course for mathematic and technology teachers. Action research is a strategy that do not only strive to generate new knowledge but also has the aim to improve real world phenomena. Authors in this study had the double roles of being teachers and researchers, with the idea of establishing a cyclical process where course participants feedback should lead to extensions of the future course versions. Data were collected in the teacher training course and consist of 44 submitted essay answers on the question: In which aspects might programming be a positive and/or negative enhancement of you daily teaching? Collected data were grouped into categories with the use of content analysis.

Results indicate that there are both perceived opportunities and perceived obstacles among teachers concerning integrating programming in mathematics and technology. An obvious finding was the mix of positive and negative attitudes in the vast majority of essays. In the category of obstacles many teachers brought up the risk of time trouble in both their professional development and in their teaching activities. In the category of opportunities several teachers mentioned the potential of programming as a new and motivating learning tool in their subjects. Finally, it seems important for the participants to get concreate takeaways from the course that could be used in their daily teaching activities.

Today, AI has a rapid dissemination and is becoming involved in many new areas. One of these areas is education, with AI in education (AIED) as an emerging research topic. When AIED will be applied in educational settings, would AI be implemented as a teacher support, or will the teachers support the AI systems? The aim of this study was to analyse contemporary research on AIED and discuss its possibilities and challenges. 

This study was carried out as a literature review, where found themes and patterns have been categorised in a thematic analysis. Important main keywords in the search where: human-compatible AI, teachers, education, human-supported AI, AI-supported humans, AI in education. Keywords have been combined with Boolean operators to find articles containing information that was important to answer the research question. 

In the deductive analysis found themes and patterns where grouped into the categories: teacher-supported AI, AI-supported teachers, teacher-compatible AI. Findings indicate that many studies lack a clear distinction between teacher-supported AI and AI-supported teachers. The recommendation is teacher-compatible AI, and that the combination of humans and AI is stronger than just one of them.

The rapid development of Generative AI (GAI) makes an impact in many fields of our society, and for higher education this is a fact that must be addressed. Research has reported on GAI creating new challenges, and GAI as a catalyst for a transformation of higher education (Chiu, 2024; Yusuf et al., 2024). According to Chiu (2024) the four most important educational domains to consider are learning, teaching, assessment and administration. This study had a focus on learning, and as pointed out by Choudhuri et al. (2024), there is a gap in the understanding of the potential and the pitfalls when using GAI in computing education. The aim of this paper is to explore the potential impact of AI technologies on cognitive load, relevant for computing education at higher education level. The research question to answer is: What is the potential impact of AI technologies on cognitive load in computing education according to recent research?

The idea of building intelligent machines has been around for centuries, with a new wave of promising artifcial intelligence (AI) in the twenty-frst century. Artifcial Intelligence in Education (AIED) is a younger phenomenon that has created hype and promises, but also been seen as a threat by critical voices. There have been rich discussions on over-optimism and hype in contemporary AI research. Less has been written about the hyped expectations on AIED and its potential to transform current education. There is huge potential for efciency and cost reduction, but there is also aspects of quality education and the teacher role. The aim of the study is to identify potential aspects of threat, hype and promise in artifcial intelligence for education. A scoping literature review was conducted to gather relevant state-of-the art research in the feld of AIED. Main keywords used in the literature search were: artifcial intelligence, artifcial intelligence in education, AI, AIED, teacher perspective, education, and teacher. Data were analysed with the SWOT-framework as theoretical lens for a thematic analysis. The study identifes a wide variety of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for artifcial intelligence in education. Findings suggest that there are several important questions to discuss and address in future research, such as: What should the role of the teacher be in education with AI? How does AI align with pedagogical goals and beliefs? And how to handle the potential leak and misuse of user data when AIED systems are developed by for-proft organisations?

According to reports and previous research, present and future society show a high need for citizens with technical skills, such as computer programming. The need for technical competent citizens can however be challenging for higher education institutions to accommodate due to low numbers of students in higher education computer science. But also due to the high drop-out rates and low pass rates in introductory programming courses. With that said, it is important to both recruit new students to computer science and to support those who already study the subject, to meet the demands of the present and the future. An approach that has shown great promise in motivating students while still keeping focus on the learning aspects in education, is game-based learning (GBL). To facilitate support in higher education computer science, more specifically courses in fundamental programming, this study had the aim of identifying important design concepts in the development of a need-based educational game on computational thinking (CT). Skills related to programming have commonly been organized as part of the CT concept.  To identify the educational needs, e-mail interviews were conducted with teachers that teach higher education courses on computer programming in Swedish universities. Based in an on-going design science project to create a learning game on computational thinking for higher education, the study discusses and compare the identified needs with design theories, such as affordances, emotional design, and sustainable design. The conclusion is a conceptual design of the educational game with a set of recommendations for a need-based game design in educational context.

I detta kapitel ges ett lärarperspektiv på programmering och programmeringsverktyg i skolan. Lärarnas röster är hämtade från essäer, foruminlägg och kursutvärderingar skrivna av deltagare i en programmeringskurs för verksamma matematiklärare i grund- och gymnasieskolan. Författarna har identifierat ett antal teman som sorterats i två huvudkategorier: att använda programmering i matematik, respektive att arbeta med olika programmeringsverktyg. Lärarna menar att det kan bli både roligt och mer engagerande med programmering i matematikundervisningen. Samtidigt vittnar de om tidsbrist, såväl för fortbildning som för programmeringsinslag i undervisningen. Vissa programmeringsverktyg upplevs ha en låg tröskel, medan andra upplevs som svåra, vilket begränsar deras användning i matematikundervisningen.

The integration of programming in K-12 setting is a global phenomenon with different implementations in different countries. In Sweden this is a rapid process where programming should be a part of K-12 mathematic and technology with an implementation during 2018 and 2019. The time frame has been narrowly defined, but there are few directives considering which types of programming that should be used. Three main programming types are textual programming, block programming and unplugged programming, this study has a focus on unplugged programming. The research question to answer was: Which are K-12 teachers attitudes on the role of unplugged programming in education? 

The research study has been a qualitative cross-sectional study with the aim to collect teachers' attitudes towards unplugged programming halfway through their introductory programming course. Cross-sectional study is an approach to capture snapshots of an ongoing process at a given point in time. Data were collected from discussions and online postings during a workshop in the above-mentioned programming course. Participants postings have been grouped into categories in a content analysis based on the frequency of occurrence and relevance for answering the research question. 

Findings show that most teachers see a benefit of unplugged programming as a means to learn the fundamental programming concepts in their teaching and learning activities. However, there are different opinions on when this unplugged introduction should occur. Some teachers also pointed out that unplugged programming could be used as an alternative to block programming and textual programming when the digital environment lacks or fails. Conclusions are that unplugged activities are a valuable complement to block programming and textual programming, but teachers have different opinions on the optimum age group for unplugged programming activities. The recommendations for K-12 teachers is to seriously consider the unplugged complement, both for pedagogical reasons and as a never-failing analogue backup.