| 1. |
- Persson, Urban, 1961-
(författare)
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Realise the Potential! : Cost Effective and Energy Efficient District Heating in European Urban Areas
- 2011
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The Member States of EU27 need to accelerate the integration of energy efficient technology solutions to reach the 20% energy efficiency target set for 2020. At current pace, projections indicate that only half of expected primary energy reductions will be reached. To meet the energy demands of growing populations and a vibrant economy, while simultaneously reducing primary energy supplies, the European continent faces a new kind of challenge never previously encountered. The identification and application of feasible, competitive, and comprehensive solutions to this problem are of highest priority if the remaining gap is to be closed in time. How is this multi-dimensional and complex dilemma to be dissolved? In this work, expanded use of district heating technology is conceived as a possible solution to substantially reduce future primary energy demands in Europe. By extended recovery and utilisation of vast volumes of currently disregarded excess heat from energy and industry sector fuel transformation processes, district heating systems and combined generation of heat and power can improve the general efficiency of the European energy balance. To investigate the possible range of this solution, this thesis introduces a set of methodologies, theoretical concepts, and model tools, by which a plausible future excess heat utilisation potential, by means of district heat deliveries to residential and service sectors, is estimated. At current conditions and compared to current levels, this potential correspond to a threefold expansion possibility for directly feasible district heating systems in European urban areas and a fourfold increase of European excess heat utilisation.
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| 2. |
- Karlsson, Göran, 1954-
(författare)
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Learning science by digital technology : Students’ understanding of computer animated learning material
- 2010
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Digital learning material is associated with grand expectations among educational policy makers. Several attempts to introduce this new technology with the purpose of enhancing learning have been made in recent years. The schooling system has, however, been rather hesitant and not so ready to adopt this kind of teaching aid. The aim of this thesis is to probe into students‘ practical problems of understanding computerised science learning material involving animated sequences and educational text. For the purpose of this investigation an application describing the different events in the carbon cycle was developed. Two studies present analyses of students‘ reasoning and actions when working collaboratively with the task of making a written account of what is illustrated in the learning material. Both studies present examples of identified phenomena that were observed in more extensive empirical materials. The data is represented by video recordings of students‘ interaction with each other and the interface. Results from the studies reveal students‘ propensity for concentrating their attention to prominent characteristics of the animated display and to describe the animated models in correspondence to their resemblance of objects and occurrences in everyday life. In study II it is revealed how students, when constructing a written report of the described events, derive noun phrases from attentionally detected objects in the animation and from the educational text. In their effort to express themselves in colloquial language, when preparing their report, they deliberately select verbs that differ from the educational text. These courses of action together, contribute to give the report on what happens in the process a non-scientific explanation. It is concluded that students, lacking definite access to the relevant subject matter knowledge, consequently, cannot judge whether they have given an approvable account or not. Findings from the studies show that the school context with its explicit stipulations of assignments and implicit request for expressing oneself in your own words frames the learning and creates conditions for how the technology is used and understood. The results indicate that animated models of scientific concepts risk inferring misconceptions if students are left on their own with interpreting information from the learning material. Despite the detected problems of students‘ interpretations of the described phenomena, the results indicate that animated learning material can proffer an exploitable resource in science education. Such a prospect is the ability of animation to engage students in discussions of the subject and to make them recognise otherwise unobservable phenomena.
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| 3. |
- Aagerup, Ulf, 1969-
(författare)
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The Impact of User Weight on Brands and Business Practices in Mass Market Fashion
- 2010
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Overweight people claim to be mistreated by the fashion industry. If they were, it would be in line with branding theory supporting the idea of rejecting fat consumers to improve user imagery for fashion brands. However, fashion companies do not confess to such practices.To shed some light on the subject, I have conducted two studies.The first attempts to illustrate what effect, if any, user imagery has on fashion brands. It is an experiment designed to show how the weight of users affects consumers’ perceptions of mass market fashion brands. The findings show that consumers’ impressions of mass market fashion brands are significantly affected by the weight of its users. The effect of male user imagery is ambiguous. For women’s fashion on the other hand, slender users are to be preferred.In the second study I examine what effects these effects have on assortments. I compare the sizes of mass market clothes to the body sizes of the population. No evidence of discrimination of overweight or obese consumers was found -quite the contrary.The reasons for these unexpected findings may be explained by the requirements a brand must fulfil to make management of the customer base for user imagery purposes viable. The brand must be sensitive to user imagery; a requirement that mass market fashion fulfils. However, it must also be feasible for a company to exclude customers, and while garment sizes can be restricted to achieve this, the high volume sales strategy of mass market fashion apparently cannot.
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| 4. |
- German Millberg, Lena, 1958-
(författare)
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Akademisering av specialistsjuksköterskans utbildning i Sverige : Spänningsförhållanden med anledning av utbildningsreform i enlighet med Bologna
- 2012
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Licentiatavhandlingens övergripande syfte var att studera konsekvenser av ökad akademisering och akademiskt lärande inom Svensk specialist-sjuksköterskeutbildning efter genomförande av ny utbildningsreform enligt Bologna.Bakgrund: Specialistsjuksköterskor förväntas i dagens hälso– och sjukvård att kunna bedriva en patientsäker och evidensbaserad vård, vilket kräver akademisk kompetens. Utbildningen till specialistsjuksköterska fördes i och med Bolognaprocessens införande i Sverige 2007 till avancerad utbildningsnivå. Både yrkesexamen och akademisk examen (magisterexamen) skulle inkluderas och integreras i samma utbildning. Detta medförde en förändring från en ämnesinriktad (samlingskodsinriktad) läroplan till en läroplan som syftar till att integrera ämnen (integrationskodsinriktad). Förutom ämnesintegrering skulle yrkesspecifika mål integreras med akademiska mål.Metod: Artikel I genomfördes i form av ett didaktiskt aktionsforskningsprojekt som pågick under 2½ år. En projektledningsgrupp (n=15-18) från fem lärosäten bildades. Denna grupp har aktivt deltagit i hela aktionsforskningsprocessen och vid projektmöten. Vid varje lärosäte utsågs en projektansvarig som ansvarade för den lokala aktionsforskningsprocessen. Dessa personer samlande in data i form av kursplaner, utbildningsplaner, studiehandledningar, minnesanteckningar från lärarmöten och möten med vårdverksamheter samt minnesanteckningar från forskargruppensmöten. Analys har gjorts med hjälp av konstant komparativ analysmetod. I artikel II användes konstruktivistisk Grounded Theory för att samla in och analysera data. Datainsamlingen påbörjades utifrån specialistsjuksköterskestudenters svar på en enkäts öppna fråga (n=120) i samband med utbildningens avslutning 2009 och 2010. Enkätsvaren reste frågor om specialistsjuksköterskans akademiska lärande. För att inhämta en djupare förståelse genomfördes intervjuer med specialistsjuksköterskor (n=12) som yrkesarbetat mellan 5 och 12 månader efter sin examen. Intervjuerna genomfördes från juni till oktober 2011. Avslutningsvis jämfördes svaren på den öppna enkätfrågan med analysen av intervjuerna.Resultat: Vid utbildningsreformens införande fanns pedagogiska motsättningar och didaktiska svårigheter som gav upphov till spänningsförhållanden mellan vårdutveckling, forskning, yrkesspecifika mål och akademiska mål. Spänningsförhållanden framkom också när specialistsjuksköterskorna inte erfor att deras akademiska kompetens tillvaratogs och värderades i vårdverksamheten. När stöd inte fanns för akademiskt lärande uppkom villrådighet och specialistsjuksköterskorna blev ambivalenta över om akademiskt lärande var meningsfullt. För att främja meningsfullt akademiskt lärande framhåller deltagarna betydelsen av samverkan och gemensamma arenor mellan lärosäten och vårdverksamhet där nyttoaspekten med akademiskt lärande tydliggörs. De spänningsförhållanden som framkommer var av både positiv och negativ karaktär.
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| 5. |
- Jonasson, Kalle, Fil. Dr. Idrottsvetenskap, 1976-
(författare)
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Klungan och barndomens sociala rum : Socialt gränsarbete och figurationer i rastfotbollen
- 2010
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Denna licentiatavhandling, Klungan och barndomens sociala rum, diskuterar den samtida heterogena barndomen utifrån analyser av barns informella fotbollsspel på rasten i skolan. Det empiriska exemplet rastfotboll analyseras med begrepp som rum, genus och gränsöverskridande. Rumsanalys av rastfotbollen ger exempel på hur traditionella könshierarkier reproduceras, omformas och utmanas i löst organiserade former av idrott. Perspektiven i studien hämtas från barndomssociologi, idrottsvetenskap, kulturgeografi, filosofi och genusforskning. Barndomens komplexitet skapas av att logiker från olika sociala rum – t.ex. familj, skola och idrott – samexisterar och motsägs. Det tvärvetenskapliga angreppssättet och tillhörigheten till det flerdisciplinära forskningsprojektet Mångkontextuell barndom gör studien till ett exempel på det den avser att beskriva: gränsöverskridanden och flöden i en heterogen verklighet.
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| 6. |
- Norrström, Heidi
(författare)
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Energy Efficiency and Preservation in Our Cultural Heritage : EEPOCH
- 2011
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The project EEPOCH concerns our built heritage and the complex set of problems that exist between energy efficiency and preservation perspectives. New legislation demanding efficient energy use is predicated on the documented potential of energy efficiency on both national and international levels. Due to the severe environmental impact of energy consumption and diminishing fossil energy sources, energy efficiency is considered a key action. Concerns have been raised, however, as to whether the historic value of our built heritage will be lost, to the advantage of energy efficiency actions. There is a need for models directed towards the application of an integrated balancing of energy and preservation demands. The aim of this study is to find a way to design such theoretical models. Three cases with objects restored in the 1990s have been studied by analysing and comparing their energy performance and their different historic and architectural values. In doing so, a case study methodology of pattern-matching has been used for literal and theoretical replications. Transdisciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches have been used in the research. The multiple case study and issues concerning both energy performance and conservation have been discussed in workshops. Academics and practitioners participated, some of them providing facts on the cases and all of them contributing with their knowledge, expertise, experience and advice to root the study in approved practice and theory. The results show that some energy efficiency actions may be carried out without diminishing their different historic values, but these have low impact on the energy consumption. The results also show that energy efficiency actions that are too small may result in a poor indoor climate. This study also highlights unforeseen issues. The impact of a new legal and regulatory framework on alterations in existing buildings had to become an embedded unit of analysis, showing that concerns for lost heritage values are justified. The traditional way of assessing the different historic values proved to be insufficient from an architect’s point of view and a complementary way is presented. Moreover, new ways of assessing historic value are currently being tested by the Swedish National Heritage Board and the National Property Board. The case where energy efficiency actions and preserved historic value can be balanced is dependent on this assessment. A thorough evaluation is recommended.
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| 7. |
- Thelin, Mikael, 1971-
(författare)
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Elevers val av gymnasieskola : En experimentell studie om elevers geografiska, akademiska och sociala preferenser
- 2014
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Increased possibilitiesof choosing one’s school of preference hasbeen raised as a key factor in many countries to promote equal opportunitiesand higher quality of education. This has been endorsed by policymakers whoassume that students make well-informed rational choices and that students only stress academic quality whendeciding which school to attend. If this is true, it will benefit schools ofhigh academic quality, rendering improved school quality overall. To date,little research has examined the validity of these assumptions despite theprofound effects they have had for changing the school systems in manycountries. This study employs an experimental approach to investigate therelative importance of attributes in school choice. Specifically the study isbased on experimental data from 587 prospective high school students inHalmstad, Sweden. The purpose is to contrast the principal school qualityattributes behind the policy change (academic reputation and programfeasibility), with the presence of friends and geographical attributes such asdistance, location and accessibility, while controlling for individualcharacteristics. The results are disturbing as they reveal flaws in theassumptions that motivated the school choice policy reform. The study presents evidence of differencesin preferences and that grades are the most important background characteristic for this difference. The study also shows that all studentsare not rational to the same extent as theory predicts. Hence theSwedish school reforms have been based on a slightly biased theory. Finally, the study indicates that differentgeographic contexts (e.g. where the studentslive) affect students' preferences.
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| 8. |
- Weman-Josefsson, Karin Anna, 1975-
(författare)
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EXPLORING MOTIVATIONAL MECHANISMS IN EXERCISE BEHAVIOUR : Applying Self-determination theory in a person-centred approach
- 2014
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Involvement in physical activity (PA) and exercise behaviour is multifaceted and depends on bidirectional correlations between multiple factors; one avenue to increase the understanding of sustainable exercise behaviours would be to employ a motivational perspective. In this thesis, this was done by placing the primary focus on Self-determination theory (SDT) as a person-centred approach to study the motivational mechanisms believed to impact exercise behaviour based on the SDT process model. Study 1, conducted in a cross-sectional design, included 1,091 members of a web-based exercise service. Based on sophisticated mediation analysis, the results support the hypothesized associations between latent constructs and exercise behaviour in the related steps of the SDT process model. Moreover, moderating effects were discovered, demonstrating that these associations could differ in different subgroups based on gender and age. The results of Study 1 thereby represent a first indication that exercise intervention design might benefit from slightly different approaches when addressing different demographical groups like gender and age. Study 2 was conducted in a two-wave RCT design to test an SDT-informed intervention on 64 voluntary participants. Components of Motivational interviewing (MI), the Relapse prevention model (RPM) and Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) were used as practical application guidelines to deliver the intervention content. Results showed intervention effects on exercise level, exercise intensity and motivation quality as well as mediating effects of the RAI (Relative Autonomy Index; an index of the degree of self-determination), and identified regulation in relation to exercise behaviour. The experimental group also demonstrated significantly lower levels of extrinsic motivation than the control group post-intervention. Besides strong support for applying the basic tenets of SDT in the exercise domain, there are some main findings in this thesis. First of all, self-determined motivation was found to act as a mediating variable in the relationship between psychological need satisfaction and exercise, and these patterns of indirect effects differed across age and gender. This indicates that mechanisms in the SDT process model could vary (qualitatively) depending on subgroup, which carries potential implications for practice. Second, the results of Study 2 also provide evidence that the mediating mechanisms of the process model could be manipulated in an intervention, e.g. by creating need-supportive environments facilitating internalization and subsequent exercise behaviour. Furthermore, both studies demonstrated that identified regulation plays a prominent role in the motivational processes, supporting the significance of promoting internalization in activities like exercise. Finally, this thesis represents prospective value for the utility of employing a polytheoretical approach in exercise intervention design, more specifically regarding the prosperous outlooks in combining SDT with other theories and methods.
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