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- Havstorm, Tanja Elina, 1991-
(author)
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Cargo Cult in Agile Software Development
- 2023
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Software development (SD) projects are complex endeavors, and organizations employ software development methods (SDMs) both to add structure and to propel their projects. Nowadays, agile SDMs are the most used methods. Still, inefficient and ineffective use of SDMs is a challenge, and existing research shows cases of SD teams failing in their use of SDMs due to deviations made. Of course, methods should not be used in rigorous and textbook-like ways. Among practitioners, some of these deviations are referred to as cargo cult behavior; without, however, providing much of theoretical depth or any analytical tools to identify and characterize such behaviors. Although existing research has investigated SDM deviations, they have not been investigated as cargo cult behavior.Against this backdrop, the aim of this thesis is to understand the challenges in succeeding with SDM use by developing a theory called SDM cargo cult theory (SDMCCT), to identify, analyze, and describe the cargo cult phenomenon in agile SDM use. The journey of this thesis takes its starting point in practitioners’ use of the buzzwords “cargo cult” when referring to flawed SDM use. By returning to the field of social anthropology and its studies of cargo cult, a definition of SDM cargo cult and an analytical framework are iteratively crafted through a longitudinal ethnographic study to constitute the SDMCCT. The research approach has been abductive and the SDMCCT builds on social action theory and work motivation theory.The ethnographical study took place at an international industrial manufacturing company in Sweden that is using agile SDMs. This study includes three years of data collection, which includes observations, interviews, and gathering of business documents. The ethnographic study focused on three SD teams and their daily work using agile SDMs. The analysis using the analytical framework includes four agile SDM practices: daily scrum meeting, sprint demo, continuous integration, and visualization. In total, the analysis uncovered 36 deviations in the SD teams’ use of these practices, structured into 30 SDM cargo cult categories. In addition, this study shows that the framework is applicable to analyze and characterize effective SDM use as well, although it is not its main focus. The framework can be used by researchers to make similar analysis of cargo cult situations in other organizations, and the catalogue of cargo cult situations can serve as background knowledge for other organizations to study and improve their SD teams’ use of agile SDM practices.
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| 2. |
- Islam, M. Sirajul, 1974-, et al.
(author)
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Learners and their learning environment in Swedish higher education : Challenges in computer-mediated learning during COVID-19
- 2023
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In: Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy. - Norway : Universitetsforlaget. - 1891-943X. ; 18:1, s. 35-47
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper aims at investigating the issues and challenges experienced by remote learning among the students of higher education in the context of Sweden during COVID-19. The pandemic situation influenced the emergence of a new learning context and the effectiveness of the computer-mediated remote learning from the sudden transition of traditional approaches poised many interesting issues. The empirical part of the study was based on a web-based survey conducted among 1767 anonymous students studied at 30 higher educational institutions in Sweden during the pandemic period in mid-2020. The results are presented in line with Zimmerman’s (2000) triadic (personal, environmental and behavioural) forms of self-regulation. The survey indicated that the perceived worries students experienced were oriented towards the students’ own personal situation, and future possibilities rather than the general state and welfare of the global society. The fast transition to online classes and seminars led to a lot of students being worried about their abilities to maintain efficiency in their studies. The findings of this study could provide refined insights into the issues that we should have in mind while formulating strategies for effective remote learning in such a changing environment during a crisis period not only in Sweden but also in some international contexts.
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| 3. |
- Pelikan, Elisabeth R., et al.
(author)
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Distance learning in higher education during COVID-19 : The role of basic psychological needs and intrinsic motivation for persistence and procrastination-a multi-country study
- 2021
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In: PLOS ONE. - : PLOS. - 1932-6203. ; 16:10
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, higher educational institutions worldwide switched to emergency distance learning in early 2020. The less structured environment of distance learning forced students to regulate their learning and motivation more independently. According to self-determination theory (SDT), satisfaction of the three basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence and social relatedness affects intrinsic motivation, which in turn relates to more active or passive learning behavior. As the social context plays a major role for basic need satisfaction, distance learning may impair basic need satisfaction and thus intrinsic motivation and learning behavior. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between basic need satisfaction and procrastination and persistence in the context of emergency distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic in a cross-sectional study. We also investigated the mediating role of intrinsic motivation in this relationship. Furthermore, to test the universal importance of SDT for intrinsic motivation and learning behavior under these circumstances in different countries, we collected data in Europe, Asia and North America. A total of N = 15,462 participants from Albania, Austria, China, Croatia, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Japan, Kosovo, Lithuania, Poland, Malta, North Macedonia, Romania, Sweden, and the US answered questions regarding perceived competence, autonomy, social relatedness, intrinsic motivation, procrastination, persistence, and sociodemographic background. Our results support SDT's claim of universality regarding the relation between basic psychological need fulfilment, intrinsic motivation, procrastination, and persistence. However, whereas perceived competence had the highest direct effect on procrastination and persistence, social relatedness was mainly influential via intrinsic motivation.
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| 4. |
- Wistrand, Kai, 1972-, et al.
(author)
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Improving Writing Skills Among Information Systems Students : Guidelines for Incorporating Communication Components in Higher Education
- 2020
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In: 2020 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE). - : IEEE. - 9781728189611
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Students in Engineering, Computer science and Information systems often experience problems when writing the final examination theses. This paper reports on two cases, applying different strategies, with the ambitions to improve the students’ possibilities to write, evaluate and verbally present scientific reports. The first strategy presented concerns using a specific course and the second strategy involves a revision of an entire programme. Using constructive alignment and curriculum theory the two strategies are compared with the purpose of extrapolating specific and general guidelines for how to incorporate scientific communication components in engineering programmes.
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