| 1. |
- Argento, Daniela, et al.
(författare)
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Integrating sustainability in higher education : a Swedish case
- 2020
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Ingår i: International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education. - : Emerald Group Publishing Ltd.. - 1467-6370. ; 21:6, s. 1131-1150
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose – This paper aims to unveil how sustainability is integrated into the courses/programmes ofhigher education institutions. The research question addressed is: how do academics representing differentdisciplines cooperate and engage in the work of integrating sustainability into their teaching programmes.Design/methodology/approach – This paper draws upon the notions of practise variation andinstitutional work from institutional theory and empirically focusses on the case of Kristianstad University(Sweden). This case is based on an autoethnographic approach and illustrates the experiences shared by sixcolleagues, representing different disciplines, engaged in implementing sustainability in their courses/programmes.Findings – The findings highlight how academics representing different disciplines, with specific traditionsand characteristics, face the sustainability challenge. Despite being bound by similar sustainable developmentgoals, differences across disciplines need to be acknowledged and used as an asset if trans-disciplinarity is theultimate goal.Research limitations/implications – Although the intrinsic motivation of individuals to work withsustainability might be a strong driver, the implementation of sustainability within courses/programmes andacross disciplines requires joint efforts and collective institutional work.Practical implications – By highlighting how academics engage in the work of integratingsustainability, this study emphasizes that managers of higher education institutions need to account for thetime and additional resources needed to ensure that academics effectively cope with sustainability. Intrinsicmotivation may not last if organizational structures and leadership are not supportive on a practical level andin the long run.
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| 2. |
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| 3. |
- Einarson, Daniel, et al.
(författare)
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A Machine Learning Approach to Simulation of Mallard Movements
- 2024
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Ingår i: Applied Sciences (Switzerland). - : MDPI Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute. - 2076-3417. ; 14:3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Machine learning (ML) is increasingly used in diverse fields, including animal behavior research. However, its application to ambiguous data requires careful consideration to avoid uncritical interpretations. This paper extends prior research on ringed mallards where sensors revealed their movements in southern Sweden, particularly in areas with small lakes. The primary focus is to distinguish the movement patterns of wild and farmed mallards. While well-known statistical methods can capture such differences, ML also provides opportunities to simulate behaviors outside of the core study span. Building on this, this study applies ML techniques to simulate these movements, using the previously collected data. It is crucial to note that unrefined application of ML can lead to incomplete or misleading outcomes. Challenges in the data include disparities in swimming and flying records, farmed mallards’ biased data due to feeding points, and extended intervals between data points. This research highlights these data challenges, while identifying discernible patterns, as well as proposing approaches to meet such challenges. The key contribution lies in separating incompatible data and, through different ML models, handle these separately to enhance the reliability of the simulation models. This approach ensures a more credible and nuanced understanding of mallard movements, demonstrating the importance of critical analysis in ML applications in wildlife studies.
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| 4. |
- Einarson, Daniel, et al.
(författare)
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A participatory action research approach to developing assistive technologies for people suffering from cognitive disorders
- 2014
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Cognitive disorders, such as disorders on the autistic spectrum, Downs’s syndrome, etc. often imply significant constraints on communication between persons suffering from those, and the environment where they act. Meanwhile, governmental propositions on human rights emphasize equality concerning information, where overcoming such interaction challenges should be considered as strongly encouraged. This contribution discusses studies that have been performed towards municipalities, public institutions, and non-profit organizations, in southern Sweden. The studies aim to involve users throughout the development of an innovative concept of communication assistive software technology, by involving multiple types of users, such as: persons with disabilities, personal assistants, teachers for students with special needs, academics, and others. The studies and the resulted findings are discussed in regard to the participatory action research framework.
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| 5. |
- Einarson, Daniel, et al.
(författare)
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A proposal of learning outcomes for work integrated learning based on 2d-evaluation methods
- 2016
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The core of CDIO addresses criticism from engineering industry according engineering education having too much focus on theoretical training. Here, practice, and especially integrating theory and practice, has had a peripheral role implying students not being well enough prepared for the complexity of industry’s real world problems and solutions. CDIO aims to meet that criticism through especially illuminating on project based educational forms, where sections of the, so called, CDIO Syllabus point out desired knowledge and skills that are needed to fulfil complex enough projects in engineering education. That approach not only prepares students in appropriate ways for the benefits of industry, but also increases their value of being employable. CDIO does not explicitly point out industry close work placement in education, neither in the CDIO syllabus, nor in the CDIO Standards. Still, many universities strive after work integrated learning, in purposes of, e.g., employability, and real world preparation. Experiences show problems in work integrated learning due to several reasons, such as, establishing sustainable academy–industry contacts, strategies for project ownership and IPR (Intellectual Property Rights), and guarantees according fulfillment of academic requirements on learning outcomes. The concept of Demola relates to a platform for collaborations between academy and industry with focus on multi-disciplinary student projects. Especially focus is on innovation, where industry may experiment with new ideas at low cost. Demola has proved itself to be a successful approach, with developed templates for student-industry contracts, and process models. Still, to be an attractive choice for work integrated learning, the Demola approach also has to be clear with respect to academic contexts of courses’ learning outcomes, and course evaluations. The aim of this contribution is to point out a set of learning outcomes in a purpose of clarifying on such set being an inherent part of Demola. That set, which is based on CDIO Syllabus, shall map towards a tool for evaluations, where the two-dimensional multi-valued tool ZEFsurvey, is chosen. Overviews and discussions will be provided, as well as test cases, and comparisons between the chosen set with the Swedish national framework for education, will be outlined in the purpose of pointing out adaptability in an international context.
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| 6. |
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| 7. |
- Einarson, Daniel, et al.
(författare)
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Addressing integrated learning through project-based courses : five years of improvements
- 2017
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Project-based educational forms are at the core of the CDIO concept, where students should be trained in contexts of complex enough tasks to prepare for the complexity of industry projects. Besides from fulfilling a project in itself, CDIO points out the importance of achieving integrated learning skills, including personal and interpersonal skills (CDIO Syllabus sections 2 and 3), where those are desired to meet the challenges of the working processes. Projects in education moreover correspond to active learning, where students are encouraged to learn through solving the problems required to fulfill the goals of a project. Being active in the process of completing a project, does not only imply disciplinary training, but also training in achieving generic skills, such as experimentation, knowledge discovery, system thinking, teamwork, and communication. All in all, a conclusion is that student activities in project-based teaching and learning relate to all four sections of the CDIO Syllabus, and hence active learning will here contribute to integrated learning. Thus, activating students in project-based courses should have several positive values. However, experiences show that one problem in project-based courses is that of activating a major part of a student group. Here, a common pattern is that some students are not contributing enough, resulting in other students covering up for them, or risking the whole project. Therefore, teaching efforts should be put on finding ways to widen the group of active students. The project-based course Software Engineering 2, at Kristianstad University, Sweden, has undergone several years of improvements in order to, on one hand reduce the number of passive students, and on the other hand increase values of generic skills from the CDIO Syllabus. This paper will present development steps of that course. Methods, where some have been inspired from the Software Engineering industry, will be covered, and results of using those will be provided. A major result is that of increasing values of integrated learning, where this in itself contributes to the core of CDIO.
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| 8. |
- Einarson, Daniel
(författare)
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Approaching CMM to an educational CDIO based software engineering process
- 2012
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Software Engineering is probably one of the most recent engineering disciplines. As such there have been major requirements put on that discipline to undergo appropriate transformations from immaturity to higher levels of maturity. This does not only relate to matters of evolution of techniques, and usability, but also the process of developing the software of concern. The ability to succeed in a large scaled Software Engineering project is probably highly dependent on the ways of working, that is, on the working process that fulfils the project. The Capability Maturity Model aims to assess the maturity of a software process, and serves as a guidance to improve such processes. Maturity here relates to degrees of formality and optimization, from ad hoc driven processes, via defined process structures, to active process optimization. Seen in a perspective of Software Engineering education we can see that it is of high importance that students get exhaustive practice in project based work. Several working process models of that are proposed in the context of Software Engineering research. Following such models may increase the probability of project success, both in industry and in educational projects. Still, a process with inherent self-reflecting mechanisms may increase such probability even further, with effect on quality of both work and product. This contribution will shed light on the working process of students, where self-reflection, self-motivation, and process improvement are put in focus. A model for this has been the Capability Maturity Model where reflecting over working processes aims to increase grades of process maturity and quality.
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| 9. |
- Einarson, Daniel, et al.
(författare)
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Approaching work integrated learning through learning outcomes and evaluations
- 2016
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The core of CDIO addresses criticism from engineering industry according engineering education having too much focus on theoretical training. Here, practice, and especially integrating theory and practice, has had a peripheral role implying students not being well enough prepared for the complexity of industry’s real world problems and solutions. CDIO aims to meet that criticism through especially illuminating on project based educational forms, where sections of the, so called, CDIO Syllabus point out desired knowledge and skills that are needed to fulfil complex enough projects in engineering education. That approach not only prepares students in appropriate ways for the benefits of industry, but also increases their value of being employable. CDIO does not explicitly point out industry close work placement in education, neither in the CDIO syllabus, nor in the CDIO Standards. Still, many universities strive after work integrated learning, in purposes of, e.g., employability, and real world preparation. Experiences show problems in work integrated learning due to several reasons, such as, establishing sustainable academy–industry contacts, strategies for project ownership and IPR (Intellectual Property Rights), and guarantees according fulfillment of academic requirements on learning outcomes. The concept of Demola relates to a platform for collaborations between academy and industry with focus on multi-disciplinary student projects. Especially, focus is on innovation, where industry may experiment with new ideas at low cost. Demola has proved itself to be a successful approach, with developed templates for student-industry contracts, and process models. Still, to be an attractive choice for work integrated learning, the Demola approach also has to be clear with respect to academic contexts of courses’ learning outcomes, and course evaluations. The aim of this contribution is to point out a set of learning outcomes in a purpose of clarifying on such set being an inherent part of Demola. That set, which is based on CDIO Syllabus, shall map towards a tool for evaluations, where the two-dimensional multi-valued tool ZEFsurvey, is chosen. Overviews, case studies, and discussions will be provided, where one purpose is to point out the adaptability of Demola in an international context.
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| 10. |
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