Studien ligger inom ämnesområdet Audiovisuella studier och bygger på en undersökning av vrid- och skjutreglage i en mjukvaru-equalizer. Syftet med studien är att utforska användarens upplevelse och vad reglagen erbjuder användaren i form av affordance och agency. Undersökningen bygger på en equalizer med två utformade gränssnitt för skjutreglage respektive vridreglage som i sin tur presenterades för en utvald deltagargrupp i ett användartest, följt av semi-strukturerade intervjuer med varje deltagare under och efter utfört användartest. Studien visar att vridreglagen erbjuder en högre grad precision för användaren och att den horisontella utplaceringen av reglagen ansågs hjälpa lyssningen. Resultaten talade för att den horisontella utplaceringen möjliggör att användaren uppfattar gränssnittet trots avsaknad av visuell information.

This thesis focuses on early beginnings of a video conferencing platform Zoom, its development and enormous rise during the global pandemic of COVID-19 disease, and on its influence on users. It focuses particularly on millennials who are already familiar with this kind of technology. The aim of this work is primarily to determine the effects of Zoom, as a video conferencing platform, on user's activities because they were used to perform them in a physical contact with other people. However, due to restrictions resulting from epidemiological measures, participants were forced to move their activities to the online environment. The thesis focuses on answering these research questions: How do people's behaviour, perception of the situation and their self-presentation change when using Zoom in comparison to a face-to-face meeting? How have the activities of users changed while using Zoom, due to COVID-19, namely March to December 2020? How and for what reasons do users use Zoom? How do users perceive Zoom's affordances? In order to answer these questions, qualitative research was conducted using semi-structured in-depth interviews. These were attended by ten respondents who regularly use Zoom for a certain activity that was carried out in personal before the pandemic. Respondents were millennials,...

This thesis examines how communication technology is used for creating a democratic and committed participation within collective action organizations (CAOs). This is achieved by illuminating how organizations' structure and culture relate to their communication. It’s done by in-depth interviews with network-based movements and association-based organizations, and analyses of their digital newsletters. The analysis is based on affordance-driven theory, capturing the interaction between organizations and their digital platforms. The focus lies on how internal democracy and collective action are afforded or constrained to some degrees. Degrees of deliberation for creating common ground and active participation are made visible by using the concept of communicative action. Theories within social movement studies, such as collective action, broaden the understanding of how the perception of digital tools shapes and is shaped by their structure and culture. The results show that the usage and coordination of communication channels is essential for the practice of internal democracy in everyday work, beyond annual meetings and board meetings. Independent chat-based platforms enable an increased control of conversations, cooperation and coordination, while information overload and effective decision- making processes can hinder democratic participation. Commercial social media platforms such as Facebook enables new flows of engagement and connectivity but constrains coordination and control of the framing process within Facebook groups. Additionally, unpredictable algorithms and advertising policy on Facebook makes it difficult to reach out. Overall, the study suggests a broadened view of communication, where communication and usage of digital media should not be considered as instrumental entities. Rather, it is strongly related to how channels are being coordinated, how organizations are organized and the view of participation. Formal structures can both hinder and enable increased communicative action that contributes to democratic participation.

Global Software Development (GSD) team members engage in intellectual activities that involve sharing business domain knowledge and technical knowledge across geographical areas, which is crucial to the successful development of software. In global software development, media choice may influence how virtual teams create and share knowledge. As digital technology advances and organizations become more digitally transformed, current communication theories for media selection lack the explanation to the complicated phenomena with the use of advanced media technologies. There have been many studies focused on the effectiveness of media, but they did not include user’s understanding of system security and its influence on knowledge sharing behavior. However, affordance theory explains the utility with both social actors and technical features. The use of media may be shaped by features of technologies and user’s perception on system security. The goal of this study was to empirically assess the effects of media affordances and media security awareness on knowledge sharing behaviors among GSD team members with the lens of affordance theory. In this study, data was collected through survey from 214 GSD employees, after inviting 1000 employees to participate. The survey data was analyzed to test the effects of communication media affordance and user’s awareness of media security on behavior in knowledge sharing. The analysis results show that awareness of media security had significant moderating effects on the relationships from some actualized media affordances to implicit knowledge sharing. The results of this study revealed positive relationships between perceived media affordances and actualized media affordances. The results also showed that organization tenure had a significant effect on implicit knowledge sharing, and professional tenure had a significant effect on explicit and implicit knowledge behavior. This study contributed to the body of knowledge in organizational communication literature by providing new insights into how technology properties and users’ awareness on technology security shape team members’ knowledge sharing practice.

What does the climate and the body have to do with each other? In some ways, they are widely different. The body is local, individual, a lived experience; the climate is global, collectively felt, and hard to observe in everyday life. In other ways, the body and the climate are inextricably linked. The ways in which we feed, dress and transport our bodies impact the climate, and the climate impacts the ways in which it is possible to feed, dress and transport our bodies. In this thesis, I aim to explore the connections between the body and the climate through two types of digital technology: web tests and apps for assessing and tracking different kinds of metrics related to the body and the climate. I use a theoretical framework centered on how the individual is presented as an arena for constant improvement, and study the interfaces through their different affordances and uses of metaphor. In my analysis, I find that these interfaces position the user as someone who can, and should, do more for both the body and the climate. They also position the user as someone in control and with the power to actually change and/or make an impact. Finally, I discuss two different ways to interpret these results. On one hand, it could be interpreted as a way to empower individuals and encourage them to act for the good of themselves and the world as a whole. On the other hand, the emphasis on individual actions may underplay the need for collective action on a systemic level. I conclude that digital technology for measuring ourselves and our behavior may offer us insights that could strengthen support for collective action, but we need to contextualize data in order to interpret it properly and act accordingly.

The purpose of this study was to explore the usage of data cubes in the context of the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS). This study investigated what added benefit could be provided to users of the GEOSS platform by utilizing the capabilities of data cubes. Data cubes in earth observation is a concept for how data should be handled and provided by a data server. It includes aspects such as flexible extraction of subsets and processing capabilities. In this study it was found that the most frequent use case for data cubes was time analysis. One of the main services provided by the GEOSS portal was the discovery and inspection of datasets. In the study a timeline interface was constructed to facilitate the exploration and inspection of datasets with a temporal dimension. The datasets were provided by a data cube, and made use of the data cubes capabilities in retrieving subsets of data along any arbitrary axis. A usability evaluation was conducted on the timeline interface to gain insight into the users requirements and user satisfaction. The results showed that the design worked well in many regards, ranking high in user satisfaction. On a number of points the study highlighted areas of improvement. Providing insight into important design limitations and challenges together with suggestions on how these could be approached in different ways. / Syftet med studien var att undersöka hur Data Cubes kunde komma att användas inom ramarna för Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS). Vilka fördelar som kunde dras ifrån att utnyttja den potential som data cubes besitter och använda dem i GEOSS plattformen undersöktes i studien. Data cubes för earth observation är ett koncept om hur data ska hanteras och tillhandahållas av datatjänster. Det ämnar bland annat flexibel extrahering av datapartitioner och dataprocesseringsförmågor. I denna studie iakttogs det att det mest frekvent förekommande användningsområdet för data cubes var analys av tid. Ett huvudsyfte med GEOSS portalen var att tillhandahålla användaren med verktyg för att utforska och inspektera dataset. I denna studie tillverkades ett användargränssnitt med en tidslinje för att ge användaren tillgång till att även utforska och inspektera dataset med en tidsdimension. Datasetet tillhandahålls från en data cube och utnyttjar data cubes färdighet i att förse utvalda partitioner av datasetet som kan extraheras längs valfri axel. En användarstudie har gjorts på användargränssnittet för att utvärdera till vilken grad användarna var nöjda och hur det uppfyllde deras krav, för att samla värdefulla insikter. Resultatet visar på att designen presterar väl på flera punkter, den rankar högt i användartillfredsställelse. Med studien klargör även framtida förbättringsmöjligheter och gav insikter om viktiga designbegränsningar och utmaningar. I rapporten diskuteras det hur dessa kan hanteras på olika sätt.

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This study, conducted in an English 6 course at a Swedish upper secondary school, employed a unique educational research design by integrating manga adaptations with their typological source texts to explore the pedagogical potential of a comparative approach to teaching classics in line with pupils’ experiences. The investigation focused on three key questions: pupils’ initial attitudes towards literature, the effects of the comparative approach, and its impact on understanding the source text. Data were collected through a series of questionnaires as well as three group interviews before being examined thematically. The findings were then analysed and discussed using the theoretical frameworks of transmedia storytelling, Langer’s theory of envisionment, and affordance. The findings indicate that the pupils initially had negative attitudes towards English literature, viewing it as difficult and unengaging. However, including manga significantly improved their engagement and comprehension, foremost due to its visual elements. The pupils also reported that manga made reading more motivating because of its different modes, compared to the source text. However, the pupils regarded the manga as less effective in promoting vocabulary expansion compared to the source texts, thus highlighting the importance of a balanced approach. Furthermore, the comparative approach, engaging with both versions, allowed the pupils to view the story from multiple perspectives, thereby enriching their understanding and deepening their comprehension. This approach also promoted pupils’ exploration of genres.  Overall, the study suggests that incorporating a manga adaptation alongside its source text can address the diverse needs of pupils, thus making literature more accessible and engaging. This particular comparative approach could promote a multifaceted learning experience by encouraging the inclusion of varied pedagogical materials. Its pedagogical potential lies in its alignment with contemporary pupils’ cognitive patterns, which may contribute to enhancing the teaching of classic literature without excluding the benefits of typological texts.

Covid-19-pandemin var en oförutsägbar händelse som påverkade samhället och individer. På grund av regler från regeringen har svenska folket tvingats ifrån sin vanliga arbetsplats för att i stället vid möjlighet, utföra arbetet hemifrån. Detta gäller även studenter som har tvingats att studera på distans i stället för den traditionella klassrumsundervisningen. Den här studien har undersökt förändringarna av studenters möjligheter till grupparbete på distans under Covid-19-pandemin.  En kvalitativ kartläggning har utförts och grundar sig på tio intervjuer med studenter på Uppsala universitet inom institutionen för Informatik och media. Intervjuerna har analyserats utifrån riktlinjer för tematisk analys för att erhålla teman och kodord baserade på den insamlade data.  Studien visade att grupparbeten på distans har påverkat studenter både positivt och negativt. Med större frihet att bestämma över tid och rum har studenter upplevt en större frihet över studieplanering. Avsaknaden av ansikte-mot-ansikte-kommunikation har dock lett till känslor av isolering och att inte vara en integrerad del av gruppen.  Genom att se på hur påtvingat distansgrupparbete har påverkat brukskvalitet för studenter, har denna studie konstaterat att studenter inte har upplevt någon skillnad i användning av samarbetsverktyg. Däremot har studenter upplevt svårigheter med de sociala aspekterna i grupparbete som inte har kunnat ersättas av digitala samarbetsverktyg. / The Covid-19 pandemic was an unpredictable outbreak that affected society and individuals. Due to regulations from the government, the Swedish people have been forced from their usual workplace to instead, if possible, conduct the work from home. This also applies to students who have been forced to study remotely instead of the traditional classroom teaching. This study has investigated the changes in students' opportunities for remote group work during the Covid 19 pandemic.  A qualitative survey has been conducted and is based on ten interviews with students at Uppsala University within the Department of Informatics and Media. The interviews have been analyzed based on guidelines for thematic analysis to obtain themes and code words based on the collected data.  The study has seen that remote group work has affected students both positively and negatively. With greater freedom to decide over time and space, students have experienced greater freedom over study planning. However, the lack of face-to-face communication has led to feelings of isolation and not being an integral part of the group.  By looking at how forced remote group work has affected affordance for students, this study has found that students have not experienced any difference in the use of collaboration tools. On the other hand, students have experienced difficulties with the social aspects of group work which have not been able to be replaced by digital collaboration tools.

本文研究者採取合作原則與符擔性理論的觀點，以在台灣特有的徵兵制度下形成的「站崗的女人」版面為田野，探究其使用者面對衝突事件時採取高度合作溝通行為的原因，其中特別關注在使用者最後決定採取高度合作溝通行為之前，她們如何思考自己與環境（社群／介面）以及她們與其他社群成員的關係。研究發現，「站崗的女人」版成員面對衝突時，並不尋求長足的討論並推衍出結論以解決該衝突凸顯的問題，而是採取情感取向的方式，求急切、快速地平息衝突；採取此溝通模式的過程中，她們透過文章與推文的文字感知到社群的溫馨氛圍，並修正自身的溝通方式，集體追求在短時間內平抑衝突以確保個人層次與社群層次溝通目的的存續。本研究並且發現，在她們的思考過程中，人際的因素比介面的物理因素影響其溝通行為更甚。 / This research aimed at taking an affordance perspective on the collective cooperative communication behavior of members of the GFonGuard discussion board amid conflicts in one of Taiwan’s most popular bulletin board systems (BBS). The researcher was most interested in the reasons behind the conflict tackling mode of members of the GFonGuard – an online community whose spaciotemporal peculiarity results from Taiwan’s compulsory military service – and how members of the community deliberate over their relations with the community/text-only medium and with other participants of the communication while deciding on how to tackle conflicts. The research found that members of the community sought to immediately quell the conflicts instead of seeking a lengthy discussion and a final resolution to the problems the conflicts highlighted. Throughout the deliberation process, the members perceived an amicable atmosphere via the choice of words and tone of articles on the discussion board. They modified their own communication style and pursued immediate appeasement of conflicts in an attempt to ensure the survival of their communication goals on the individual and community levels. The research also found that they were more concerned about “interpersonal” factors than about “medium” factors during their deliberation.