Master theses / Institutionen för tillämpad informationsteknologi
https://hdl.handle.net/2077/872
2024-03-29T15:18:10ZLEARNING AND COLLABORATION VIA DIGITAL COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES IN ECOVILLAGES A Study on Learning in Ecovillage Communities of Practice and Affordances of Virtual Immersive Learning Environments
https://hdl.handle.net/2077/80462
LEARNING AND COLLABORATION VIA DIGITAL COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES IN ECOVILLAGES A Study on Learning in Ecovillage Communities of Practice and Affordances of Virtual Immersive Learning Environments
Erol, Eralp
Ecovillages are intentional residential communities aimed at improving human quality of life
while protecting and regenerating the surrounding nature in order to create a more sustainable
lifestyle based on cooperative culture and sharing (Dawson, 2006; GEN, n.d.b; Mychajluk,
2017). This study by drawing on Communities of Practice (Wenger, 1998) and Situated
Learning Theory (Lave & Wenger, 1991) considers how learning is seen, planned and
facilitated in ecovillage communities which are motivated to function as learning hubs
(Dawson, 2006). Together with the identification of ecovillage type of learning, this study aims
to explore the potential benefits that could be generated by the use of digital communication
technologies with an emphasis on immersive technologies. Data for this study is collected
through qualitative semi-structured interviews conducted with two members each of two
ecovillages in Australia and analyzed by qualitative content analysis method. Guided by a
research model; a mapping of CoP concepts and affective and educational affordances in
Virtual Reality (Shin, 2017), this study identifies the necessary affordances for facilitating
learning in ecovillages by means of immersive technologies. The study results imply that the
potential is heavily dependent on the practices of communities which determine the need to
facilitation of remote collaborative learning, on the availability of the technology, on the current
knowledge on the use of communication technology and on ecovillagers concerns on the
environmental and social impacts of using of high-tech.
2024-03-19T00:00:00ZFACEBOOK IS NOW META. Meta's corporate sociotechnical imaginary and the discursive construction of the Metaverse as the social platform of the future
https://hdl.handle.net/2077/79266
FACEBOOK IS NOW META. Meta's corporate sociotechnical imaginary and the discursive construction of the Metaverse as the social platform of the future
Castell, Marc
The interpretive discourse-analytic framework of the Sociology of Knowledge Approach to Discourse is used to analyze how Meta's senior executives discursively frame the use of augmented reality and virtual reality in order to position the Metaverse as the next social platform during Connect 2021. The findings suggest five interpretive schemas that characterize the Metaverse as a social platform of the future: (a) the Metaverse as the next version of the Internet; (b) the Metaverse as a facilitator of presence and a connector of people; (c) the Metaverse as a marketplace in the Metaverse economy; (d) the Metaverse as a ubiquitous place in our daily lives; and (e) the Metaverse as a space designed in a responsible manner. Furthermore, this research looks into how such framing is strategically used to present the future as feasible and relevant to Meta's stakeholders, thereby constituting a strategic narrative about the Metaverse future. This thesis contends that the purpose of such a narrative is to promote a corporate sociotechnical imaginary, namely a Meta-specific vision of augmented reality, virtual reality, and the Metaverse, which not only encompasses a broader and normative view of the future of society; but also appears to follow the platform capitalism business model.
2023-11-22T00:00:00ZINTERNAL COMMUNICATION AND COWORKERSHIP, IMPLICATIONS FOR DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION. A qualitative case study at Volvo Trucks, exploring coworkership through self-determination theory
https://hdl.handle.net/2077/79265
INTERNAL COMMUNICATION AND COWORKERSHIP, IMPLICATIONS FOR DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION. A qualitative case study at Volvo Trucks, exploring coworkership through self-determination theory
Andersson, André; Weiland, Wiebke
Employee engagement is essential for companies' success, competitiveness and for handling large scale organisational changes. Specifying the barriers and drivers for employee engagement is therefore necessary to handle major organisational changes, such as digital transformation. This case study at Volvo Trucks Tuve manufacturing plant in Sweden explored the concept of coworkership (a form of employee engagement) in digital transformation efforts, through the basic psychological needs (self-determination theory) of employees. Sixteen semi-structured interviews, multiple internal company documents and on-site-observation data from Volvo Trucks Tuve were used to explore coworkership conditions. From a template analysis, eight major themes emerged, which pose four supporting and four hindering factors for coworkership conditions. This study makes a major contribution to research on coworkership, (a) by demonstrating the usefulness of self-determination-theory for understanding employee engagement in working digitally and (b) by specifying hindering and supporting factors for employee engagement in digital transformation.
2023-11-22T00:00:00ZLinking for Peace. An affordance perspective of LinkedIn as an instrument for peace professionals to advance constructive conflict resolution and transformative efforts
https://hdl.handle.net/2077/79264
Linking for Peace. An affordance perspective of LinkedIn as an instrument for peace professionals to advance constructive conflict resolution and transformative efforts
Traore, Jasmine
Has LinkedIn become the platform for a global community of practice for peace professionals? Does it have the potential to be? An inductive approach to Reflexive Thematic Analysis (RTA) following Braun and Clarke’s six-phase methodology was used as an analytic instrument on empirical data from 13 semi-structured interviews with professionals in peace mediation, using the theoretical lens of affordances. The participants in the study were found to use LinkedIn to create and sustain meaningful connections globally and across sectors, learn from empirical knowledge, stories and insights from others and explore economic opportunities. However, the extent of engagement with LinkedIn varied depending on the socio-cultural context of the individual
actor. The research also underscored the existence of a digital divide, which disproportionately excludes key actors, in particular middle-range actors, from accessing and benefiting from LinkedIn's capacity as a digital platform advancing constructive conflict
resolution and transformative efforts among peace professionals. Based on these findings, the thesis argues that for LinkedIn to rightly realise its potential as an instrument for sustainable peace, the field of human-computer-interaction (HCI) must work alongside peace, conflict and security actors to improve connectivity, digital literacy and inclusivity in regions experiencing ongoing armed violence and war. By intentionally working towards bridging the digital divide, LinkedIn can effectively support peace action and empower a broader range of stakeholders in peace processes.
2023-11-22T00:00:00Z