Relatively little research exists on the life significance of outdoor education (OE) programs and courses. There is increasing interest in the OE field to move beyond simply focusing on program-specific outcomes to developing more evidence-based models that analyze the influence of specific mechanisms of change. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the significant life effect of a university OE course upon participants after the course, including the effect of the course upon participants’ intrapersonal, interpersonal and environmental relationships. The present investigation was a two part qualitative-quantitative study. The overarching research question was: What is the perceived life significance of a university undergraduate OE course? The current study involved in-depth interviews with a purposive intensity sample of 17 University of Ottawa alumni who had taken one of the university’s OE courses more than 20 years ago, followed by a web-based survey questionnaire completed by 46 University of Ottawa alumni and students who had taken one of the university’s OE courses between 1975 and 2009. Some of the survey participants had taken both the summer and winter OE courses offered by the University of Ottawa so there was a total of 65 separate course responses in the quantitative study. The findings from this study suggested that the OE course led to development of interpersonal skills, self-discovery, environmental impacts, leisure style change, and increased outdoor knowledge and skills amongst the participants. The idea that this outdoor knowledge and skills was transferred to others (e.g., students and children) also emerged from the data. In addition, in some instances participants expressed the idea that the OE course helped confirm or reinforce already-held beliefs about the outdoors. It is hopeful that the current findings can contribute to OE professional practice and demonstrate the need for OE in university settings.

Coaches learn from a number of different situations and their past experiences influence what they choose to pay attention to and learn (Werthner & Trudel, 2009). Understanding the process of learning to coach can be explored holistically over the course of an individual’s lifespan. This thesis is guided by Jarvis’ (2006, 2007, 2009) theory of human learning, which takes a psychosocial perspective to understanding the way that individuals perceive their social situations, change their biographies, and become who they are over the course of their lives. The purpose of this dissertation is to explore the biographies of five Canadian women coaches to understand how the multitude of experiences throughout their lives have contributed to their learning and coaching development. Four in-depth interviews were conducted and transcribed verbatim with each coach. From these interviews a biographical narrative analysis was created to document how each coach learned throughout her life. The transcripts and narrative analyses were member checked to augment trustworthiness. Four articles and one research note comprise the results section. The main points in this dissertation are as follows: (a) experiences in primary and secondary socialization influenced the coaches’ approaches to coaching; (b) specific meaningful learning experiences helped the coaches develop and become experienced as coaches; (c) values develop throughout life experiences and influence coaching actions; (d) Jarvis’ theory is used to explore my own process of learning throughout the PhD degree, and how this learning was influenced by my lifetime of experiences to date; and (e) a brief research note highlights how the research process was a co-creation between the researcher and the participants. These findings add to the emerging body of literature on female coaches and coach learning by further understanding how the coaches’ biographies determined what kinds of learning opportunities they each found meaningful; the importance of social connections in learning to coach; and the importance of reflection in understanding the interconnections of learning from life experiences. The study may motivate women coaches in understanding how lifelong learning influences their career paths and it informs coach education programs about the muddled reality of coaches’ learning and development.

Background: The concept of transition means a change in a person's life where he or she is forced to adapt. There are different phases in life that results in different adaptations. In this essay, transition is described as the physical and mental journey between the home and an elder care facility. The Aim was to describe elderly people's experiences of transition when moving from their previous home into an elder care facility. The Method used was a literature review. Ten scientific articles were used for the analysis. The concept of transition has been used as a theoretical frame of reference. Results: Reasons for moving were a decrease in health, loneliness and a need to lose the burdening responsibilities that were connected to their home. Many elderly experienced a loss of feeling secure when living at home. Therefore it was important to arrive in a place that could give them a sense of security. The elderly people experienced a difficulty in adapting to their new home. After some time at their new home, they experienced well-being since the help and relations they received from staff and other residents led to experiences of security. Conclusion: Elderly people described negative as well as positive experiences of the transition, which was also altered over a period of time. Most of the elderly got used to their new form of living and their previous negative attitudes changed into positive attitudes towards the elder care facility.

This study is about people with Asperger syndrome and their difficulties in all kinds of communication in society. Through the language we code objects and events to remember and observe the environment. The aim is to compare research with the actual experiences of people with Asperger syndrome, in relation to their difficulties in society / communication. Three questions have been given extra attention. The first is what similarities and differences there are between people with Asperger syndrome. How do they hemselves experience their communication with others? The second question is how the actual experiences of people with Asperger syndrome seem to equal to the research. The third and final question is if there are any communication problems in the autobiographies that they might not experience themselves. In the analysis qualitative data is collected through autobiographies and research. As method Gadamer's hermeneutik is used during adaptation. The research and the autobiographies often walk hand in hand, but one result of the study is that the genus perspective was lost in the research. The females act differently than males in the autobiographies. Another result is that the research can't keep up with it's time, so when the time changes the research doesn't change with it.

Bakgrund: Postpartum depressioner (PPD), en förlossningsdepression, drabbar kvinnor i hela världen. En långvarig postpartum depression hos kvinnan kan ha avgörande konsekvenser för utvecklingen av hennes barn och relationen till hennes partner. Många kvinnor lider i tystnad då de inte vet att det finns en förklaring till känslorna de genomgår eller att de skäms för att inte klara av att leva upp till bilden av den ”perfekta mamman”. Syfte: Att beskriva upplevelser av postpartum depression hos vuxna kvinnor diagnostiserade med PPD. Metod: Sju vetenskapliga artiklar användes för att genomföra denna systematiska litteraturstudier med en induktiv ansats. Resultat: Utifrån frågan ”vilka gemensamma upplevelser genomgår kvinnor med PPD”? Framkom sju teman: misslyckande, stress, ensamhet, inre strid, förlust av kontroll, rädsla och skam. Slutsats: Hälso- och sjukvårdspersonal inom MHV (Mödrahälsovård) och BHV (Barnahälsovård) kan lättare upptäcka tidiga symtom och tecken hos nyblivna mammor med postpartum depression genom att förstå deras upplevelser av PPD, och därmed förhindra en långvarig depression.

Upplevelsens era är här och ställer samtliga aktörer i samhället inför utmaningar. Upplevelsen ska inte längre bara fylla ett funktionellt behov, den ska beröra konsumenten på ett helt annat sätt. Allt i syfte att kunna erbjuda konsumenten en upplevelse utöver det vanliga för att som företag lyckas med att särskilja sig från sina konkurrenter. En strategi för att lyckas med differentiering är att engagera konsumentens sinnen i upplevelsen. Uppsatsen tar utgångspunkt i två teoretiska begrepp: Pine & Gilmore´s (1999) strategimodell, The Experience Realms, och Hulténs m.fl. (2007) teori om sinnesmarknadsföring. Vårt arbete syftar till att utreda vad som händer i mötet mellan dessa två teorier på ett konkret fält – Orbaden Konferens och Spa. Studien har varit av deduktiv karaktär. Vi har tillämpat kvalitativ metod då vi med utgångspunkt från valda teorier önskat undersöka hur ett spa-besök upplevs av gäster, samt utreda hur en specifik anläggning arbetar med att skapa upplevelser. Vi genomförde fyra kvalitativa intervjuer, två med representanter från Orbaden Konferens och Spa, två med personer som har gedigen erfarenhet av att vara besökare på spa. Då teorin kopplades till empirin kunde flera mötespunkter av vikt urskiljas. Mötespunkterna som framträtt kan vara av avgörande vikt vid skapandet av upplevelser.

Background: In scientific literature there are various treatment programs for people with alcohol dependence described, however, are psychosocial factors that promote recovery process described to a limited extent. Purpose: To describe the psychosocial factors that promotes recovery from alcohol dependence. Method: Literature study of ten scientific articles, published between 1999-2011 with both qualitative and quantitative design. Results: According to the literature, the recovery process can be considered to begin when a person with alcohol dependence reached his personal rock bottom. The longer the recovery progresses, the greater are the overall level of performance. Social support is described as an important factor to prevent relapse and reduce the need for professional help. Self-belief and support of self-help groups are described as important to maintaining sobriety. Social support and influence from family members was related to increased ability to analyze and assess their situation during the recovery. Therapeutic alliance and mutual goals are also important factors. Once treatment has been successfully described as a combination of self-motivation and willingness to initiate a radical change in behaviour. Conclusion: Psychosocial factors in the form of supportive relationships appear to promote recovery from alcohol dependence. Other conclusions drawn from this study is limited in scope and compiled by the studies of different design. Further studies need to be implemented in order to draw general conclusions, which can in turn be in support of clinical work.

<p>Denna magisteruppsats syftar till att effektivisera projekt. Uppsatsen är gjord vid flygradardivisionen vid Ericsson Microwave Systems (EMW). Deras projekt kostar ofta mer än planerat och tar ofta längre tid än planerat. Flygradardivisionen vill veta varför slutresultatet i de flesta fall överskrider budget och varför tidsramen inte kan hållas. Deras mål är att lära sig från erfarenheten i tidigare projekt och att samla all denna erfarenhet i en erfarenhetsbank.</p><p>De gav mig uppgiften att starta processen mot en erfarenhetsbank. Teorin som jag baserar mina resultat och slutsatser på är Experience Factory (EF). EF är ett exempel på en erfarenhetsbank som först utvecklades för mjukvaruprojekt. Jag började min uppsats med att undersöka projekt vid flygradardivisionen för att försöka hitta gemensamma faktorer. Jag hittade faktorer som har en stor påverkan på projekten, projekten är beroende av dessa faktorer för att kunna nå projektmålen. Dessa faktorer är det första steget mot en erfarenhetsbank. Att genomföra denna process är ett arbete som tar många år speciellt på ett stort företag som EMW. Denna uppsats är en början mot målet, i mina resultat presenteras faktorerna och i slutsatsen ges förslag på fortsatt arbete mot en erfarenhetsbank.</p> / <p>In this master thesis I investigate how to make projects more efficient. I did my thesis at the airborne radar division at Ericsson Microwave Systems (EMW). Their projects often cost more than estimated and they also tend to last longer than estimated.</p><p>The airborne radar division wants to know why the final result, in most cases exceed the budget and time plan. Their goal is to learn from the experience in previous projects and to gather all that experience in an experience base.</p><p>They gave me the task to start the process towards an experience base. The theory I base my result and conclusions on is The Experience Factory. The Experience Factory is an example of an experience base that was developed primarily for software projects. I started investigating projects at the airborne radar division trying to find common denominators (factors). I found some factors that I believe have a major impact on the projects. The projects really have to rely on these factors to be able to reach the goal of the projects. These factors are the first step towards an experience base. Starting a process towards an experience base is a work that takes many years especially at a company of this size. My thesis is a start towards the goal and in my result I present the factors I found and in the conclusions I give suggestions for the continuing work towards an experience base.</p>

Background: Overweight and obesity has increased worldwide and is a leading cause of preventable death. This has led to the quantity of bariatric surgical procedures in Sweden increasing.  Research has identified significant medical benefits such as long-term weight loss, improved risk factors and significant reduction of mortality resulting from the surgery, however research focusing on the experiences of patients has not been undertaken to the same degree. The increasing incidence of overweight and obesity suggest that this patient group will continue to increase each year. Knowledge about the experience of bariatric surgery, including the challenges it represents from the patients’ perspective, is essential for nurses in order to provide the best possible care.                                                           Aim: The aim of the study was to investigate the patient’s experiences after undergoing bariatric surgery beyond the initial post-operative period of 6 months.                       Method: This study has been conducted as a literature review of nine qualitative scientific nursing articles. The data was analysed by conducting a manifest content analysis.        Result: The results found that experiences after bariatric surgery beyond the initial post-operative period were both positive and negative. How the individuals adapted to the changes the surgery entailed was found to be a strong factor in determining the nature of the experience. Two main categories emerged from the data; ‘Enforced Structure’ and ‘A Complete Transformation’.                                                                                   Conclusion: Undergoing bariatric surgery results in extensive and complex changes for this patient group to adapt to. Exploring their experiences has allowed factors for successful and challenging adaption to these changes to be identified. Nursing professionals can use this knowledge to help guide bariatric patients towards a successful adaption to the multitude of changes that surgery encompasses.

Research question: How do the utilization of the human senses affect the customers' shopping experience within e-commerce? Purpose: The purpose is to describe how brands within e-commerce can create an enhanced shopping experience for its customers. Method: Cross-sectional design, semi-structured in-depth interviews Conclusion: The study revealed that in order to create an enhanced shopping experience for its customers, brands within e-commerce should treat the shopping experience as extended, which enables stimulation of multiple senses.