| 1. |
- Axelsson, Birger
(författare)
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US Equity REIT Returns and Digitalization
- 2023
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This licentiate thesis is a collection of two essays that utilize time-series econometric methods in real estate finance. The first essay applies econometric modelling on Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) index returns, focusing on estimating the effect of the quantitative easing (QE) and quantitative tightening (QT) programmes on U.S. equity REIT index returns, while controlling for several other important macro-financial factors. The second essay instead focuses on forecasting U.S. equity REIT index returns empirically, where the performance of a traditional econometric model (ARIMA) is compared to a modern state-of-the-art deep learning-based model (LSTM).Digitalization, which encompasses a broad range of technological advancements, is the main factor that we study for its impact on REIT investments. One perspective on the impact of digitalization on REITs is its effect on inflation. Digitalization has the potential to increase productivity and reduce costs, which could help to keep inflation low. This, in turn, has in the recent decades provided a supportive environment for REIT investments through lower interest rates, which we partly investigate in the first essay.Another perspective is that digitalization has not only led, but is also expected to lead, to significant innovations in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), including deep learning (DL), which is a subset of ML. Many researchers and market practitioners are currently working to develop models that can use large amounts of data to make better forecasts and investment decisions. If successful, these models could significantly improve the performance of REIT investments. Can DL models be trained to make better forecasts for making investments? This is a question we ask ourselves in the second essay.The study of digitalization and its effects on inflation has been a growing area of interest in recent years, with researchers exploring the potential impact of technological advancements on macroeconomic trends, which founded the base to our studies. However, recent developments in the global economy have shifted the focus of this research, as inflation levels have unexpectedly risen from what was previously believed to be a low and stable environment. As a result, the setting and framework for our research on digitalization and inflation have been significantly altered, as we have tried to adapt to this changing landscape.
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| 2. |
- Engerstam, Sviatlana, 1974-
(författare)
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Housing Market Dynamics
- 2023
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The dynamics of housing markets constitute a complex phenomenon. The body of research is vast and includes thousands of studies done on the national and international level. Empirical evidence indicates that housing markets differ in local institutional arrangements and that these might affect the ways they develop over time. To analyze housing market dynamics in various institutional environments and to increase our understanding of them is the main objective of this thesis.The scope of research includes analysis of relevant theories and empirical models that might explain development of house prices over the long run. Given that prices affect housing construction, this thesis also aims to deepen understanding of the impact of the relationship between new construction and underlying fundamentals, together with various institutional arrangements that might differ between countries. In particular, they include bank lending policies, valuation methods for mortgage purposes, different regulatory measures like rent control, as well as land and building policies.The Swedish apartment market was chosen for empirical analysis. The analysis is carried out by a combination of qualitative and quantitative methodology and applies several research methods, such as systematic literature review, and panel data analysis with application of advanced econometric techniques like Dynamic Ordinary Least Squares, Fixed and Random Effects and Seemingly Unrelated Regressions. Four studies are carried out using these methodologies.The results indicate that the interest rate, disposable income and population growth seem to be major determinants of house prices according to studies found in the empirical literature (Paper 1). The study also classifies house price determinants in relation to the size of their elasticities. However, fundamental factors cannot always provide an explanation for the deviations in house price dynamics in different countries, whereas the institutional environment might do so (Paper 2). The analysis demonstrates that land prices and building policies, along with a number of market fundamentals, affect the average size of an apartment in new residential construction (Paper 3). In the presence of rent control, the rent or price level does not contribute by adding new units to the total housing stock. In addition, the displacement effect occurs primarily in the market’s rental sector and not in the tenant-owned apartments segment (Paper 4).This research contributes to a better understanding of housing markets dynamics and suggests policy implications that might reduce the risks for housing bubbles and improve the socio-economic development of the society over the long run.
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| 3. |
- Boström, Erika, 1975-
(författare)
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Formativ bedömning : en enkel match eller en svår utmaning? Effekter av en kompetensutvecklingssatsning på lärarnas praktik och på elevernas prestationer i matematik
- 2017
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Research reviews have shown that the use of formative assessment in classroom practice can substantially improve student achievement. However, a strong research base about how to support teachers’ implementation of such formative classroom practice is lacking. In this thesis, I investigate the effects of a comprehensive professional development programme (PDP) in formative assessment on teachers’ classroom practice and students’ achievement in mathematics. In addition, I identify reasons for the changes made in the teachers’ formative classroom practice. Fourteen randomly selected year - 7 mathematics teachers participated in the PDP. The teachers’ formative classroom practice before and after attending the programme was analysed and described, and reasons for their change in practice were explored. The effect of the changes in formative classroom practice on students’ mathematics achievement was examined using pre- and post-tests administered to both the intervention group and a control group. A mixed methods approach with classroom observations, teacher interviews, questionnaires and student achievement tests in mathematics was used in the studies included in the thesis.The results show that the teachers used aspects of formative assessment in their classroom practice before the PDP, but that there was plenty of room for development towards a more effective formative assessment practice. Several possibilities for developing the practice were identified. After the PDP the teachers believed in the idea of formative assessment and were motivated to make changes towards a more formative classroom practice. The teachers included new formative assessment activities in their classroom practice, but in different ways and to different degrees. The characteristics of these changes were identified, and also the characteristics of the PDP that the teachers found to be influential for their development of the formative classroom practice. Results also show that the teachers’ motivational beliefs held after the PDP was an explanatory factor for their changes in practice. However, the formative assessment practice the teachers implemented did not have a significant effect on their students’ achievement compared to the control group. In addition, there was no correlation between the number of formative assessment activities implemented by the teachers and their students’ achievement gains. Reasons for these non-effects on student achievement, and for the teachers’ degree and type of implementation of formative assessment in the classroom practice, are discussed in the thesis.
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| 4. |
- Moraes, Ana Luiza Dallora, et al.
(författare)
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Nursing Students’ Attitudes Toward Technology : Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study
- 2024
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Ingår i: JMIR Medical Education. - : JMIR Publications. - 2369-3762. ; 10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background:The growing presence of digital technologies in health care requires the health workforce to have proficiency in subjects such as informatics. This has implications in the education of nursing students, as their preparedness to use these technologies in clinical situations is something that course administrators need to consider. Thus, students’ attitudes toward technology could be investigated to assess their needs regarding this proficiency.Objective:This study aims to investigate attitudes (enthusiasm and anxiety) toward technology among nursing students and to identify factors associated with those attitudes.Methods:Nursing students at 2 universities in Sweden and 1 university in Poland were invited to answer a questionnaire. Data about attitudes (anxiety and enthusiasm) toward technology, eHealth literacy, electronic device skills, and frequency of using electronic devices and sociodemographic data were collected. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize the data. The Spearman rank correlation coefficient and Mann-Whitney U test were used for statistical inferences.Results:In total, 646 students answered the questionnaire—342 (52.9%) from the Swedish sites and 304 (47.1%) from the Polish site. It was observed that the students’ technology enthusiasm (techEnthusiasm) was on the higher end of the Technophilia instrument (score range 1-5): 3.83 (SD 0.90), 3.62 (SD 0.94), and 4.04 (SD 0.78) for the whole sample, Swedish students, and Polish students, respectively. Technology anxiety (techAnxiety) was on the midrange of the Technophilia instrument: 2.48 (SD 0.96), 2.37 (SD 1), and 2.60 (SD 0.89) for the whole sample, Swedish students, and Polish students, respectively. Regarding techEnthusiasm among the nursing students, a negative correlation with age was found for the Swedish sample (P<.001; ρSwedish=−0.201) who were generally older than the Polish sample, and positive correlations with the eHealth Literacy Scale score (P<.001; ρall=0.265; ρSwedish=0.190; ρPolish=0.352) and with the perceived skill in using computer devices (P<.001; ρall=0.360; ρSwedish=0.341; ρPolish=0.309) were found for the Swedish, Polish, and total samples. Regarding techAnxiety among the nursing students, a positive correlation with age was found in the Swedish sample (P<.001; ρSwedish=0.184), and negative correlations with eHealth Literacy Scale score (P<.001; ρall=−0.196; ρSwedish=−0.262; ρPolish=−0.133) and with the perceived skill in using computer devices (P<.001; ρall=−0.209; ρSwedish=−0.347; ρPolish=−0.134) were found for the Swedish, Polish, and total samples and with the semester only for the Swedish sample (P<.001; ρSwedish=−0.124). Gender differences were found regarding techAnxiety in the Swedish sample, with women exhibiting a higher mean score than men (2.451, SD 1.014 and 1.987, SD 0.854, respectively).Conclusions:This study highlights nursing students’ techEnthusiasm and techAnxiety, emphasizing correlations with various factors. With health care’s increasing reliance on technology, integrating health technology–related topics into education is crucial for future professionals to address health care challenges effectively.
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| 5. |
- Palm, Peter, 1975-
(författare)
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Methods to assess physical load at work : With a focus on the neck and upper extremities
- 2017
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- To prevent work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), useful, reliable and valid methods for assessing physical workload and risks for MSDs are needed. Ergonomists often assess work by short visual observations without a specific tool. A branch-specific tool was developed for assessing working technique during cash register work (BAsiK observation protocol).Inclinometers are an alternative for assessing upper arm postures - over several days. Ergonomists need guidelines explaining how to analyze and interpret such data.The aim was to examine and investigate methods for assessing physical load at work, with focus on the neck and upper extremities.In Paper:I, the reliability and criterion validity of the BAsIK observation protocol were assessed.II, the reliability of risk assessments of repetitive work, based on visual observations performed by 21 ergonomists without a specific tool, was assessed.III, whole-day inclinometer measurements of upper arm elevation were compared between work and leisure, across 13 different occupations – before and after arm elevations during sitting time was excluded.IV, the association between inclinometer-based upper arm elevation and neck/shoulder pain was assessed among 654 blue-collar workers. The intra-observer reliability of the BAsIK protocol was deemed acceptable, but only 3 of 10 questions in the protocol showed acceptable inter-observer reliability, and 3 showed acceptable criterion validity.Neither the inter- or intra-observer reliability of risk assessment without any specific method was acceptable for any upper body regions.None of the occupation groups, in paper III, had higher proportion of time with arm elevation during work than leisure. However, when arm elevation during sitting was excluded, 8 occupation groups had higher proportion of time with elevated arms during work than leisure.Whole-workday inclinometer-based upper arm elevation was not associated with neck/shoulder pain within the assessed population. The results indicate that, in most cases, a single visual observation of a work sequence is not a reliable means of assessing repetitive work. A large proportion of arm elevation may derive from sitting time. At low exposure levels, arm elevation per se may not be a risk factor for neck/shoulder pain.This must be taken into account when evaluating the risk for MSDs.
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