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Applying Agile Management to Small Businesses Across Industries : A Study on Small Business Companies from a Perspective of Work-Integrated Learning
No full textThe study investigates how small companies apply Agile management methods and how they can adopt Agile practices, focusing on Work Integrated Learning (WIL) as a learning method within the company. The research aims to assess the effectiveness of Agile methodologies in small business environments, examining their impact on departmental structure, operations, workflow, team dynamics, and product quality. The study includes qualitative interviews with representatives from two small companies within the same industry, providing comparative insights into current perceptions of Agile's benefits and drawbacks. A detailed case study also involves observing Agile implementation within specific departments, including attendance at planning sessions, reviews, and retrospectives. The study identifies the advantages and challenges of Agile adoption in small businesses through in-depth observation and post-implementation discussions. Results indicate potential benefits such as increased efficiency, improved team communication, and higher priority deliverables while highlighting challenges like resource constraints and cultural shifts. This research contributes valuable insights to the ongoing dialogue on Agile practices in small businesses. It offers practical guidance for small companies considering Agile adoption to enhance their agility and responsiveness in a competitive market
Hybrid work and its impact on communication and relationships : A qualitative study on employees' and managers' experiences of hybrid
No full textDen offentliga sektorn genomgick betydande förändringar under 2020 till följd av coronapandemin. När restriktioner infördes övergick många organisationer från kontorsarbete till distansarbete. Under våren 2022 lättades restriktionerna och allt fler arbetsplatser började införa hybridarbete. Hybridarbete är en kombination av arbete på kontoret och distansarbete på annan plats. Syftet med studien är att undersöka hur hybridarbete påverkar kommunikations- och relationsaspekter mellan första linjens chefer och medarbetare inom offentlig sektor. En kvalitativ metod med semistrukturerade intervjuer har genomförts med åtta ledare samt åtta medarbetare inom kommunal och statlig sektor. Resultatet visar att digitala verktyg möjliggjort regelbunden kontakt och underlättat informationsflödet, vilket bidragit till en mer flexibel och tillgänglig kommunikation. Samtidigt visar resultatet att distansarbete försvårar viktiga aspekter av kommunikation såsom kroppsspråk, vilket kan påverka förståelsen och kvaliteten i interaktionen mellan parterna. Hybridarbete kan även ha en negativ inverkan på relationer, särskilt för nyanställda som har haft färre tillfällen till personlig interaktion och att bygga relationer på arbetsplatsen.The public sector underwent significant changes in 2020 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. When restrictions were introduced, many organizations shifted from office work to remote work. In the spring of 2022, the restrictions were eased, and more workplaces began to implement hybrid work. Hybrid work is a combination of office work and remote work from another location. The purpose of the study is to examine how hybrid work affects communication and relationship aspects between first-line managers and employees in the public sector. A qualitative method with semi-structured interviews was conducted with eight leaders and eight employees within the municipal and state sectors. The results show that digital tools have enabled regular contact and facilitated the flow of information, contributing to more flexible and accessible communication. At the same time, the results indicate that remote work complicates important aspects of communication, such as body language, which can affect the understanding and quality of interactions between the parties. Hybrid work can also have a negative impact on relationships, especially for new employees who have had fewer opportunities for personal interaction and building relationships in the workplace
Where Is the Teacher in Data Analytics in Education? : Evaluating the Maturity of Analytics Solutions and Frameworks Supporting Teachers
No full textCOVID-19 has changed the mindset of many teachers from traditional education to online education. The increased use of learning management systems is leveraging opportunities for increased use of learner data to draw insights about the learners and the learning environment. However, typically learners are the primary beneficiaries, while teachers are quite invisible in the research of data analytics in education, although both are equally important. Thus, this paper aims to position teachers in the spotlight by differentiating between these current two definitions of learning analytics (LA) and teaching analytics (TA) and evaluating the applicability and maturity of existing analytics solutions to support teachers in making decisions on teaching and learning. A systematic literature review was conducted in relevant scientific fields. The results showed clear evidence to distinguish TA from LA and that there are only a few TA solutions and frameworks that can be applied widely or in reality. Evaluating TA solutions and frameworks needs to be attentively considered. This paper also contributes a comprehensive TA process framework that encapsulates the missing elements in the previous models and adds the recent highlights raised in the fields. The implications for research and practice are also discussed.CC-BY 4.0</p
Relatives' experiences of living with a partner affected by Alzheimer's disease : a literature – based study
No full textBackground: Alzheimer's disease is a growing population disease, and one of the most common forms of dementia. When the person gets the diagnosis, care is increasingly carried out in one's own home, which results in demands and greater responsibility on the people who live closest to the affected person. Relatives of people with Alzheimer's disease need continuous help and support from the nurse in everyday life. Nurses' responsibility is to promote the health and well-being of relatives, through person-centred care, education and information based on the relatives’ individual needs. Aim: The aim of this study was to describe relatives’ experiences of living with a partner affected by Alzheimer´s disease. Method: Friberg´s design method based on analysis of qualitative research inspired by meta synthesis was performed to get a better understanding of relatives´ experiences. Results: The analysis resulted in three themes: Reorientation to a new everyday life, deal with inexperience and lack of knowledge and to adapt to a new existence. Conclusion: Conclusions that can be drawn from the study are that relatives carries a great deal of responsibility concerning care and practical decisions to be made regarding the partner's care. Support and help from both society and healthcare is essential for relatives to achieve wellbeing and a functioning everyday life together with their partner.När en individ drabbas av Alzheimers sjukdom är det oftast den person som lever närmast individen som drabbas hårdast. Anhöriga till en partner som drabbats av Alzheimers sjukdom behöver stöd och hjälp för att kunna hantera den dagliga omvårdnaden kring partnern. Alzheimers sjukdom brukar gå under namnet ”de anhörigas sjukdom”, eftersom anhöriga oftast agerar som talesperson för partnern i kontakten med vården och den vård som behövs i framtiden. Kraven på hälso- och sjukvården ökar i samband med att allt fler personer insjuknar i Alzheimers sjukdom, vilket gör att anhöriga behöver både stöd och hjälp med hitta strategier i att hantera vardagen. Syftet med studien var att beskriva anhörigas erfarenheter av att leva med en partner som drabbats av Alzheimers sjukdom. Litteraturbaserad studie som grundas i integrerande sammanställning av kvalitativ forskning –inspirerad av metasyntes har använts som metod. Åtta artiklar baserade på intervjuer med anhöriga utgör underlag för analys. Analysen resulterade i tre huvudteman och sju underteman. I resultatet framkom att anhöriga upplevde ett ansvar gentemot sin partner, dels i att kontakta vården och få remiss till minnesmottagningen. Det visades också i resultatet att det tog tid att söka hjälp då partnern levde i förnekelse kring försämring av de kognitiva funktionerna. Anhöriga var tvungna att utveckla nya strategier för att kunna delta i tidigare sociala aktiviteter, vilket var betydelsefullt för anhörigas ork och återhämning i vardagen. I och med det ansvar som anhöriga tog för sin partner, begränsades vardagen och anhörigas egna behov och välbefinnande reducerades. Okunskap fanns hos anhöriga om demenssjukdomars innebörd samt svårigheter i att tidigt kunna identifiera symtom hos partnern. Anhöriga hade bekymmer med att tolka och förstå känslor hos den drabbade, dessutom funderade anhöriga på om partnern förmådde att känna känslor. Resultatet indikerade också att anhöriga hade svårt att samtala om demens, vilket skapade konflikter där anhöriga klandrade sig själva. Fördomar och oförståelse från omgivningen bidrog till att anhöriga ofta kände sig missförstådda och nedvärderade. I takt med att sjukdomen eskalerade, var anhöriga tvungna att anpassa sig till ett nytt liv där kärleken till partnern förändrades och blev till sist en allmän och mer vårdande relation. Om anhöriga får rätt stöd och hjälp med kunskap om Alzheimers sjukdom, information och rådgivning gällande hanteringen och bemötande mot partnern, skulle livet förenklas för anhöriga
Bilingual fiction reading in Swedish for immigrants
No full textThe aim of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of migrant adult learners in Swedish for Immigrants (SFI) with bilingual fiction reading, and to understand how their teachers perceived its impact on the learners' literacy and language development. Bilingual fiction reading in this study involved reading fiction in both the mother tongue and in Swedish as a Second Language. The study applies a theoretical framework using translanguaging-based pedagogy (cf. García, 2009) combined with Langer’s (2017 [1995]) theories about learning through transformative fiction reading, Paran’s (2008) model for literature and language integrated didactics and Cummin’s (2011, 2017) concept of literacy engagement. Based on semi-structured interviews with adult migrant learners and their teachers, and an analysis of reading journals written by the learners, this research was conducted by means of semi-structured interviews with learners and teachers, and reading journals written by the learners. Findings suggest that bilingual fiction reading is seen as supporting learning through translanguaging and an experience-based, collaborative pedagogy. However, to some learners, the reading task was too challenging, which might be due to the literature choice and a low literacy level. A general observation is that there is a shortage of translated fiction for adult learners in Sweden.Open Access</p
Undervisningsanalys : vägen till ett värdebaserat ramverk och instrumentpaneler med praktisk tillämpning för kurser med få antal studenter
No full textAnalytical solutions are extensively designed to support students and enhance learning, while teachers have equal needs but often lack adequate teaching analytics (TA) tools to support their teaching practices. Although there is an initial effort to develop TA solutions for teachers, existing TA solutions are not yet sufficiently advanced for practical use. These solutions become scarcer for small datasets, represented by courses for employed adult learners in professional development and lifelong learning, where the number of students per course is small (fewer than fifty students) due to the courses’ specialized disciplines. Implementing TA solutions in real-world settings requires both technical and human knowledge to effectively create impacts on teaching and learning. However, this aspect has not gained sufficient research. This thesis bridges these gaps by conducting an interdisciplinary project to explore how to support teachers in enhancing their practices using TA within small-scale courses. Using the design science research process and the co-design approach, a valuesensitive TA process framework was developed and evaluated in practice. To operate this framework, a value-sensitive teacher-facing dashboard was developed and embedded in real-time courses. This dashboard assists teachers in timely monitoring student progress, improving learning design, and making in-time interventions. This dissertation advances knowledge in TA methods for small datasets, insights into online learning design for employed adult learners, practical experiences in implementing value-sensitive teacher-facing dashboards, and offers a valuesensitive TA process framework to guide teachers in using TA to enhance their practices responsibly and ethically. Value-sensitive design emerged as a significant finding to address practical issues related to human values during the TA implementation. This framework is a socio-technical system in which humans and technology are intertwined for impactful results.Eftersom allt fler människor söker möjligheter till professionell utveckling och livslångt lärande är det nödvändigt att utforma kurser som möter vars och ens unika behov. Arbetetmed att förstå dessa behov och skapa lämpliga kurser har dock inte hållit jämna steg med den ökande efterfrågan. Detta gäller särskilt nätbaserat lärande, som erbjuder studenterna flexibilitet mellan studier och övriga förhållanden. Kurser för yrkesarbetande studenter tenderar att vara mycket specialiserade, vilket leder till att antalet studenter per kurs är litet -färre än 50 studenter. För att bättre stödja dessa studenter i en online-miljö utforskar denna avhandling hur man kan hjälpa lärare att använda undervisningsanalys för att förbättra sina undervisningsmetoder. Data från undervisningsanalys ger användbar insikt om studenters och lärares aktiviteter. Denna insikt kan leda till förbättring av undervisningen och ge snabb support till de studerande. Implementeringen av undervisningsanalys i verkliga kurser kräver inte bara teknologisk kompetens utan också mänsklig kunskap för att effektivt påverka undervisning och lärande. Därför stannar denna avhandling inte vid teoretiska bidrag utan tillför även praktiska resultat. Genom intimt samarbete med lärare i en designprocess kallad “design science research” har en processram för undervisningsanalys och lärarinriktade instrumentpaneler skapats och testats under kurserna. Avhandlingen bidrar med tre nyckelområden: metoder för analys av små datamängder, insikt i design av onlinekurser för yrkesarbetande studenter och praktisk erfarenhet av att skapa lärarinriktade instrumentpaneler. Slutligen ger avhandlingen ett omfattande ramverk som hjälper lärare att självständigt använda undervisningsanalysverktyg, med målet att förbättra undervisningen och inlärningen.This papers are not included in the electronic thesis:Paper 5 has no permission to be included in the electronic thesisPaper 6 is under review</p
Improving powertrain efficiency through torque modulation techniques in single and dual motor electric vehicles
No full textBattery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) typically experience reduced powertrain energy efficiency under low-torque operating conditions. This issue can be mitigated by torque modulation, i.e., alternating driver torque demand between zero and an appropriate value. This paper aims to maximize the efficiency improvement of torque modulation and investigate its potential in two powertrain topologies: single and dual motor powertrains. To this end, optimal modulation strategies are proposed for both powertrains, considering overall powertrain energy losses and specific powertrain characteristics. Additionally, the adverse impact on driver comfort and powertrain durability due to the pulsating torque is examined. The results suggest that the proposed optimal modulation strategies can enhance powertrain efficiency while maintaining acceptable levels of driver comfort and powertrain durability. In addition, complementary modulation and torque distribution can be applied in the dual motor powertrain to provide further energy-saving potential and reduced impact on driver comfort. © 2024 The AuthorsCC BY</p
Patient perspectives on multidimensional learning and person-centred care : interviews with persons living with type 2 diabetes.
No full textOBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to explore patients' learning and support needs within contemporary diabetes care to help them deal with daily life challenges. DESIGN: A qualitative descriptive design was used following the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Studies. The 15 individual face-to-face interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis. SETTING: Participants were drawn from three healthcare centres in rural and urban regions of West Sweden. PARTICIPANTS: The study involved 15 patients (8 men, 7 women) with T2DM who experienced contemporary diabetes care. RESULTS: Patients expressed a strong desire for access to person-centred, multidimensional learning, with a focus on genuine partnership, tailored education, and emotional engagement. Digital tools were seen as valuable aids in their self-care efforts. Sub-themes were 'Desiring genuine partnership and tailored patient education' and 'Needing support related to altered perspectives on life and awareness of care standards but with finite care resources'. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that integrating person-centred, multidimensional learning strategies into diabetes care could be beneficial, particularly when addressing both practical and emotional needs. Encouraging active patient engagement through flexible digital solutions and providing support for emotional well-being may improve the overall patient experience. However, further research and practical application are needed to fully understand how these strategies could be effectively implemented to support patients with T2DM in managing their daily health challenges.CC BY 4.0</p
Resources and strategies young people use and need to promote mental health : a qualitative study from a salutogenic perspective
No full textAIM: The aim of this study was to explore young people's experiences of resources and strategies for promoting their mental health. METHODS: Individual interviews with 33 people aged 16-25 years were conducted using a method inspired by cognitive interviewing, which combines think aloud techniques with probing questions. The interviews were based on the young people's reflections of the questions in the Swedish national public health survey. Data were analysed with reflexive thematic analysis. RESULTS: The resources and strategies that the young people in this study described as important for promoting mental well-being are related to societal prerequisites needed to navigate life; to their immediate surroundings, including social interactions; and to the young people themselves. These resources and strategies are presented under the following three themes: prerequisites for navigating life, social interactions on one's own terms, and who I am and what I can do. CONCLUSIONS: Young people have a variety of resources and strategies of their own available for promoting mental well-being. However, they cannot promote mental health just on their own; access to social networks and the opportunity to share thoughts and feelings are central. Further, to promote mental health, young people need good social conditions, knowledge, and support from adults so that the existence they struggle to navigate feels comprehensible, manageable and meaningful.CC BY 4.0</p
Spiritual Intelligence : A Vital Component of Consolation within Rehabilitation for Medical Social Workers
No full textThis article aims to provide medical social workers with a discourse highlighting eight attributes within spiritual intelligence that may be drawn on to comfort persons with disability. This strengthens the medical social workers capacity to offer genuine solace through the disabled person’s rehabilitation process. The attributes are holisticness, authenticity, trustworthiness, intentionality, ethical-mindedness, compassion, empathy, and present-centeredness, which will be described in turn. Within these discourses, the paper draws upon Frankl’s logotherapy, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, Buber’s dialogue philosophy, and the influence of mindfulness thought in relation to spiritual intelligence. These can all help medical social workers personally apply the eight attributes. This discourse is particularly relevant for medical social workers, as they dedicate their professional lives to helping persons with disabilities through their rehabilitation processCC BY 4.0</p