Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Technology: Design in the Faculty of Informatics and Design at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2012 / The aim of the research is to explore design education and designing as social practice; working with and for others to inform a more sustainable and meaningful future. Ways in which the lived experience of participants in the discipline of design, in the culturally diverse university and community contexts can be harnessed for social benefit, are interrogated. Themes are explored around the value of different world views and forms of knowing in design education to inform design research, in order to extend the knowledge paradigm to include lived experience not only as site of knowledge formation, but also of wisdom acquisition. The thesis presents an amalgamation of professional practice, creative practice and narrative set in qualitative research methods appropriate to the designer and artist who desire to work with lived experience in the academic context. Lived experience informs all we do and each educational event and encounter ought to be appraised and responded to in a contextually sensitive way. An important aspect flowing from this amalgamation is the recognition and analysis of the coexisting relationships of the roles inhering in the educator and the student. In order to immerse oneself in research and teaching, all aspects of the process have to be lived and filtered through the senses. This implies resisting abstractions by grounding research, teaching, design and making in the experience of the moment. The original contribution of this research then, is the synthesis of design, art and narrative writing that accompanied in a parallel line, the academic writing process to culminate in this design folio — a testament to grounding the research project in practice. Pedagogical approaches and lived experience embodied as recontextualised expressions in design teaching, supervision and creative practice, are presented in the folio. The boundaries of qualitative methods were tested with narrative and life writing, autoethnography, poetry, studio observations, extensive journalling, drawing, photography and printmaking processes. The results showed that a phenomenology of the senses in creative work, and locating the designer in her or his biography, is where original and imaginative design resides. Social and cultural aspects are some of the foundation stones of design education and ought to be informants of the creative process until the finish. Furthermore, authentic openness is required in supervision and teaching to facilitate deep listening, interpretation, intuition and “in-seeing” in educational encounters. Finally, being an active creative practitioner in design teaching is as important if not more important than content knowledge in that discipline, since the active practitioner “becomes” the Other through the collective dimension of design work.

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In the form of teacher didactical design research, this work addresses a didactical issue encountered during physics teaching in a Swedish upper secondary school. A need for renewed practical laboratory work related to Newtonian mechanics is met by proposing and designing an activity based on high- speed photography using the nowadays omnipresent smartphone, thus bringing new technology into the classroom. The activity – video analysis of the collision physics of football kicks – is designed and evaluated by following a didactical design cycle. The work elaborates on how the proposed laboratory activity relates to the potential and complications of experimental activities in science education, as described in the vast literature on the topic. It is argued that the use of smartphones constitutes an interesting use of new technology for addressing known problems of practical work. Of particular interest is that smartphones offer a way to bridge the gap between the everyday life of students and the world of physics experiments (smartphones are powerful pocket laboratories). The use of smartphones also avoids using unfamiliar laboratory equipment that is known to hinder focus on intended content, while at the same time exploring a powerful tool for data acquisition and analysis. Overall, the use of smartphones (and computers) in this manner can be seen as the result of applying Occam’s razor to didactics: only familiar and readily available instrumentation is used, and skills learned (movie handling and image analysis) are all educationally worthwhile. Although the activity was judged successful, a systematic investigation of learning outcome was out of scope. This means that no strong conclusions can be drawn based on this limited work. Nonetheless, the smartphone activity was well received by the students and should constitute a useful addition to the set of instructional approaches, especially since variation is known to benefit learning. The main failure of the design was an overestimation of student prior knowledge on motion physics (and its application to image data). As a consequence, the activity took required more time and effort than originally anticipated. No severe pitfalls of smartphone usage were identified, but it should be noted that the proposed activity – with its lack of well-defined results due to variations in kick strength – requires that the teacher is capable of efficiently analysing multiple student films (avoiding the feedback process to become overwhelmingly time consuming). If not all student films are evaluated, the feedback to the students may become of low quality, and misconceptions may pass under the radar. On the other hand, given that programming from 2018 will become compulsory, an interesting development of the activity would be to include handling of images and videos using a high-level programming language like Python.

Understanding dynamic, unpredictable, multiple, pluralistic and entangled relations in technology and organization is an inherent endeavor of the Information System (IS) research. However, recent innovation and changes in technology and organizations have posed significant challenges to the existing theoretical and methodological lens to analyze mutually dependent, ensemble, inseparable, ceaselessly intra-actable and constitutively entangled relations in technology and organizations. In line, this study employed sociomateriality as a wider theoretical lens to analyze constitutive entanglements and disentanglements in technology and organization illustrated with a case of E-service of land record in Bangladesh. This study has applied sociomateriality along with intra-actions, diffraction, relational ontology and performativity lens to trace continuous constitutive entanglements and disentanglements in the E-service. Thus, this study identified significance of constitutive entanglement lens through tracing unprecedented changes, unintended consequences and unexpected outcomes from the intra-actions, diffractions, relationalities and performativity in the organizational context and technological process of the E-service. This study has developed ‗action design ethnographic research' (ADER) as an in-depth methodological framework through conducting 'action design research‘ (ADR) in the process of ethnographic research (ER). In line, this study has formulated problems in organizational contexts, designed and redesigned solutions through mutually reciprocal relations between the researcher and clients, conducted concurrent evaluation and identified learning. Consequently, this study has addressed the practitioners' problems through engaging and intervening in the organizational contexts and technological processes of the E-service of land record in Bangladesh. Thus, both the sociomaterial lens and ADER offered potentials to design and redesign the organizational contexts and the E-service processes. Along the line, the study has contributed to theory and practice of IS research through applying sociomateriality and addressing practitioners‘ problems. Therefore, this study has made significant contribution to knowledge and practice.

The function concept is one of the most important concepts in the learning of mathematics (Dubinsky & Harel, 1992), yet it is considered by many researchers to be one of the least understood and most difficult concepts to master in the learning of high school mathematics (Eisenberg, 1992, Sfard, 1992). To this end, problems concerning its teaching and learning are often confronted (Mann, 2000) and few teachers know how learners come to understand functions (Yoon, 2007). As a result, most teachers teach functions using the conventional approach which starts by stating definitions followed by examples and then a few applications. The nature of this approach has not encouraged teachers to engage learners and their ways of reasoning in knowledge construction and adequately addressing their difficulties. The purpose of this study was to use design research to improve the teaching and learning of functions at grade 11 level. This was achieved by adapting design cycles of Wademan’s (2005) Generic Design Research model in which each cycle comprised different iterative APOS (Action, Process, Object, Schema) analysis, design, development and implementation of hypothetical learning trajectories (HLTs). I started by interrogating twelve grade 11 learners of a particular rural high school on the June 2011 mathematics paper 1 examination they had written to determine the APOS theory conception level each learner was operating at, and their difficulties. Learners’ difficulties from initial interviews and literature were grouped under the function definition and representation. I then designed instruction based on HLTs embedded with Realistic Mathematics Education (RME) activities and two separate tasks on the definition and representation as a form of intervention to help learners move up from their initial conception levels to the next and to overcome their difficulties. After each design cycle I interviewed learners based on the task for a particular concept and learners’ responses were analysed using APOS theory and used to design further instruction to help learners approximate the schema level of understanding concepts related to functions. The major findings of this study were that the use of learners’ conceptions and RME activities in designing instruction helped learners to progress smoothly through APOS theory conception levels though they did not fully reach the intended schema level. In addition, design research cycles and their HLTs implemented in a constructivist environment enabled learners to collectively derive working definitions of the function concept and to improve their conceptual understanding of the process of switching from a graph to an equation. Another contribution of this study has been a deeper understanding of the extent to which design research can be used to improve learners’ understanding of functions and an addition of some insights to the teaching and learning of functions. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2014 / Science, Mathematics and Technology Education / unrestricted

Despite the destructive and limited nature of fossil fuels, most human-made systems are dependent on the use of oil, gas and coal. Especially agriculture relies on diesel machinery, fertilizer, transport, and cooling systems that are commonly powered by non-renewable energy sources. This independent project in design specifically focuses on the dependency on fossil fuels within agriculture. With the investigation “Vägen mot fossiloberoende jordbruk” (Utredningen om fossiloberoende jordbruk, 2021), or “Pathway to fossil independent agriculture”, Sweden is aspiring to make farming fossil-free by 2030. Consequently, a lot of responsibility to invest in new technologies and alternative energies lies on farmers. In collaboration with Länsstyrelsen Kronoberg, the author explores how farmers can be supported to transition towards renewable energies, focusing on the Swedish region Kronoberg. Through participatory design and design research, notions of fossil fuel (in)dependency are being explored in collaborative ways. Here, the farmers become the ‘experts of their experience’ (Sanders & Stappers, 2012). This independent design project examines ways to transition towards fossil fuel independent agriculture in Sweden, existing challenges and potential solutions. To communicate the complex network of energy and agriculture in Kronoberg to Länsstyrelsen, the author designed an Actor-Network-Model, which highlights the necessity of systems thinking and collaboration.

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The   purpose   of   this   pilot   study   was   to   identify   and   evaluate   different   business   cases   for   Epiroc’s  Parts   &   Services   Division   (PSD)   regarding   the   use   of   additive   manufacturing   (AM),   also   known   as  3D   printing,   for   their   spare   parts   within   the   mining   industry.    This   study   presents   an   approach   for  how   spare   parts   promising   for   AM   can   be   identified   and   shows   the   difficulties   with   AM.   The   study  follows   the   design   research   methodology   (DRM)   standard   for   research   within   product   and   process  development.   Through   interviews   and   literature   searches,   a   "top-down"   approach   was   applied.   A  developed   cost-benefit   model   accompanied   this   approach   and   was   used   to   identify   and   evaluate  potential   spare   parts   for   AM   from   Epiroc’s   current   spare   parts   portfolio.   The   results   were   evaluated  as   promising   for   several   of   the   spare   parts   in   terms   of   reduced   manufacturing,   procurement,   tool  cost,   and   lead   time   reduction,   which   results   in   increased   uptime   for   the   customer.   With   reduced   lead  times,   the   availability   increases   for   the   customer,   who   may   increase   Epiroc’s   sales   and   aftermarket  revenues   in   the   long   run.   There   is   also   great   potential   for   reducing   the   costs   for   warehousing,   where  spare   parts   of   low   demand   can   have   their   stocks   reduced   or   eliminated   by   securing   supply   through  on-demand   manufacturing.   Although   many   exciting   business   cases   have   been   identified   and  evaluated,   it   has   been   acknowledged   that   CNC-machining   in   many   cases   is   the   cheaper   alternative.  Despite   this,   it   is   worth   investing   in   AM   from   a   strategic   point   of   view   as   it   is   seen   as   a   tool   for   the  future.   Before   it   can   be   adopted   and   implemented,   Epiroc   should   do   test   trials   with   companies  offering   AM   services.   These   can   be   used   to   update   and   tune   the   cost-benefit   model   accordingly   to  increase   its   reliability   and   validity.   The   model   could   also   be   developed   further   to   incorporate   AM’s  additional   benefits,   such   as   weight   and   material   reduction   through   design   for   additive  manufacturing   (DfAM). / Syftet   med   denna   förstudie   var   att   identifiera   och   utvärdera   olika   affärsmöjligheter   för   Epirocs   Parts  &   Services-division   (PSD)   gällande   användningen   av   additiv   tillverkning   (AM),   även   känd   som  3D-printning,   för   deras   reservdelar   inom   gruvindustrin.   Denna   studie   presenterar   ett  tillvägagångssätt   för   hur   reservdelar   passande   för   AM   kan   identifieras   och   visar   på   svårigheterna  med   AM.   Studien   följer   "design   research   methodology"   (DRM),   vilket   kan   översättas   till  designforsknings-metodologin,   som   är   vanligt   förekommande   vid   forskning   inom   produkt-   och  processutveckling.   Genom   intervjuer   och   litteratursökningar   tillämpades   en   "top-down"-metod.  Detta   åtföljdes   av   en   utvecklad   kostnadsnyttomodell   som   tillsammans   användes   för   att   identifiera  och   utvärdera   potentiella   reservdelar   för   AM   från   Epirocs   nuvarande   reservdelsportfölj.   Resultaten  utvärderades   som   lovande   för   flertalet   av   reservdelarna   vad   gäller   reducerad   kostnad   för  tillverkning,   inköp,   verktyg   och   minskad   ledtid,   vilket   resulterar   i   ökad   drifttid   för   kunden.   Med  minskade   ledtider   ökar   tillgängligheten   för   kunden,   som   kan   öka   Epirocs   försäljning   och  eftermarknadsintäkter   på   lång   sikt.   Det   finns   också   en   stor   potential   i   att   minska   kostnaderna   för  lagerhållning,   där   reservdelar   med   låg   efterfrågan   kan   få   sina   lager   att   reduceras   eller   elimineras  genom   att   säkra   utbudet   genom   tillverkning   vid   behov.   Även   om   många   intressanta  affärsmöjligheter   har   identifierats   och   utvärderats   har   det   uppmärksammats   att   CNC-bearbetning   i  många   fall   kan   vara   det   billigare   alternativet.   Trots   detta   är   det   värt   att   investera   i   AM   ur   en  strategisk   synvinkel   eftersom   det   ses   som   ett   verktyg   för   framtiden.   Innan   AM   kan   anammas   och  implementeras   bör   Epiroc   göra   testförsök   med   företag   som   erbjuder   AM-tjänster.   Dessa   kan  användas   för   att   uppdatera   och   justera   kostnadsnyttomodellen   i   enlighet   med   detta   för   att   öka   dess  validitet   och   reliabilitet.   Modellen   kan   också   utvecklas   vidare   för   att   införliva   AM:s   ytterligare  fördelar,   såsom   vikt-   och   materialreduktion   genom   design   för   additiv   tillverkning   (DfAM).

This interaction design thesis aimed to explore how users could be introduced to the different functionalities of a gesture-based touch screen interface. This was done through a user-centred design research process where the designer was taught different artefacts by experienced users. Insights from this process lay the foundation for an interactive, digital gesture-introduction prototype.Testing said prototype with users yielded this study's results. While containing several areas for improvement regarding implementation and behaviour, the prototype's base methods and qualities were well received. Further development would be needed to fully assess its viability. The user-centred research methods used in this project proved valuable for later ideation and prototyping stages. Activities and results from this project indicate a potential for designers to further explore the possibilities for ensuring the discoverability of touch-gesture interactions. For future projects the author suggests more extensive research and testing using a greater sample size and wider demographic.

Two trends that have become increasingly noticeable in recent years are increased data volumes and an increased focus on climate change. With an ever-increasing number of companies performing value-creating activities at the intersection of these two areas, and still relatively few previous studies, there is an interest in investigating how these two areas can be integrated. The purpose of the work is therefore to investigate the integration of sustainability data in Business Intelligence (BI) for companies in greentech, i.e. companies whose goal is to use technology to contribute to a more sustainable future. Based on this, guidelines and insights about good design and implications for the business are then generated. An interdisciplinary approach is utilized where accepted design theory, such as Donald Norman's design principles and the Action Design Research development framework, is combined with information systems and business intelligence theory. In practice, this has meant an iterative process where a prototype of a Business Intelligence tool has been developed to visualize sustainability data for a greentech company. The tool has been continuously evaluated by representatives from different parts of the company to investigate which factors are most important for high usability and what effects more easily accessible sustainability data has on the business. The investigation shows, among other things, that it is of great importance that the tool is closely aligned with the organization’s other activities, both in terms of design and daily operations, and that a highly requested functionality is the ability to segment and compare data in many ways. At the same time, there are several aspects that add complexity to the issue, such as a conflict between the organization and the employees as to whether Swedish or English should be the language of the tool. In addition, the results also indicate that a lack of easily accessible and accurate data can result in decisions being made based on intuition and experience, despite the advice of previous research. Something that also emerges clearly during the tests is the trend that an increasing number of companies need to report more sustainability information, and the area is therefore highly relevant for further research. / Två trender som blivit alltmer påtagliga de senaste åren är ökade datamängder och ökat fokus på klimatförändringar. Med ett ständigt växande antal företag som bedriver värdeskapande verksamhet i skärningen mellan dessa två områden, och ännu relativt få tidigare studier, finns det således ett intresse att undersöka hur dessa två områden kan integreras. Syftet med arbetet formuleras som en ansats att undersöka integreringen av hållbarhetsdata inom Business Intelligence (BI) för företag inom greentech, alltså företag vars mål är att nyttja teknik för att bidra till en mer hållbar framtid. Utifrån detta genereras sedan riktlinjer och insikter kring god design och implikationer för verksamheten. En tvärvetenskaplig ansats utnyttjas där vedertagen designteori, såsom Donald Normans designprinciper och utvecklingsramverket Action Design Research, kombineras med teori för informationssystem och Business Intelligence. I praktiken har detta inneburit en iterativ process där en prototyp av ett Business Intelligence-verktyg utvecklats för att visualisera hållbarhetsdata för ett greentech-företag. Verktyget har kontinuerligt utvärderats av representanter från olika funktioner i företaget för att undersöka vilka faktorer som är viktigast för hög användbarhet samt vilka effekter mer lättillgängliga hållbarhetsdata har på verksamheten. Undersökningen visar bland annat att det är av stor vikt att verktyget knyts nära övrig verksamhet, både designmässigt och verksamhetsmässigt, samt att en högt efterfrågad funktionalitet är att kunna segmentera och jämföra data på många olika sätt. Samtidigt finns flera aspekter som adderar komplexitet till frågeställningen, exempelvis en motsättning mellan organisationen och medarbetarna kring huruvida svenska eller engelska bör användas som språk i verktyget. Dessutom pekar också resultaten på att en avsaknad av lätt tillgängliga och korrekta data kan resultera i att beslut fattas baserat på intuition och erfarenhet, trots litteraturens avrådan. Någonting annat som även framkommit under testerna är trenden att allt fler företag behöver rapportera mer hållbarhetsinformation, och området därför är högaktuellt för vidare undersökningar.