Det är idag högst nödvändigt bland kreatörer att kunna visa upp en portfolio, då det är en viktig del av den professionella identiteten. En portfolio kan därför vara avgörande ifall en anställning kommer att ske eller inte. Detta i en bransch med sådan hård konkurrens som inom grafisk design.   Syftet med studien som genomförts, är att undersöka hur väl design portfolios fungerar som underlag för en professionell bedömning av expertis inom grafisk design, samt vilka delar man tittar på vid bedömning av grafiska verk. Detta för att man som nyexaminerad design student med fördel skall kunna ta del av denna studie, för att lära sig vilka delar som är viktiga att tänka på vid utformningen av en design portfolio. Fokusen för studien är därför nyexaminerade designstudenter som skall ut i arbetslivet. För att undersöka detta har semistrukturerade djupintervjuer genomförts i kombination med en enkätundersökning och mailintervjuer. Undersökningen som gjorts har genomförts med lärare inom grafisk design, samt personer som arbetar inom- eller på något sätt är verksamma inom området.   Resultatet presenteras i form av olika teman, som visat sig vara en central del vid undersökningen. Dessa är: upplevelsen av nyttan med portfolios, brister/begränsningar med portfolios som underlag samt viktiga kvaliteter i en portfolio. Som rekommendation kan studien presentera följande resultat: att kriterier vid bedömning av kreativa arbeten är en viktig del som underlättar bedömningen, att det är viktigt att ha en röd tråd i portfolion och att lyfta fram sin egen expertis inom ett visst område. Det är även viktigt att portfolion hela tiden uppdateras och anpassas utifrån nya kompetenser och erfarenheter, samt att portfolios är svåra att utvärdera då det är ett subjektivt ämne.

Technological/engineering design based learning (T/E DBL) provides a context in which students may utilize content knowledge and skills to develop prototype solutions to real-world problems. In science education, design based science (DBS) utilizes technological/engineering design based approaches in science education as a means for enhancing the purpose of and relevance for scientific inquiry by contextualizing it within the goal of developing a solution to a real-world problem. This study addressed the need to investigate the ways in which students utilize higher order thinking skills, demonstrated through the use of knowledge associated with declarative, schematic, and strategic cognitive demand when in engaged in DBS activities. The purpose of this study was to determine what relationships exist between engagement in DBS and changes in students' depth of understanding of the science concepts associated with the development of design solutions. Specifically, the study determined how students' abilities to demonstrate an understanding of the science concepts, required by assessments of different cognitive demand, change as they were engaged in a design-based science unit associated with heat transfer. Utilizing two assessment instruments, a pre/post-1/post-2 test and content analysis of student design portfolios based on Wells (2012) and utilizing Li's (2001) system to code student responses, the following research question was addressed: What changes in students' science concept knowledge (declarative, schematic, and strategic demand) are evidenced following engagement in design based learning activities? Although the results are not generalizable to other populations due to the limitations associated with the study, it can be concluded that design based learning activities incorporated in science courses can foster higher order thinking. Results from the study suggests that students' abilities to demonstrate their understanding of certain science concepts through higher order thinking, including utilizing concept knowledge strategically in open-ended problem solving, increased following engagement in design based learn activities. Results have implications in technological/engineering design education, in science education, and in integrative STEM education. Implications include the utility of design portfolios as both an assessment instrument and learning tool to ensure that concept knowledge is explicitly connected to and used in the design activity. / Ed. D.

The increasingly ubiquitous nature of mobile devices among K-12 students has led many to argue for and against the inclusion of mobile devices in K-12 classrooms. Some have conjectured that access to mobile devices may enable student self-directed learning. This research used a mixed-method approach to explore the relationships between mobile devices and student achievement and self-directed learning during a Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics (STEM) activity in a middle school Technology and Engineering Education classroom. In this study, 706 students from 18 classes worked in groups of 2-3 to complete an open-ended engineering design challenge. Students completed design portfolios and constructed prototypes. Classes were randomly divided with some receiving access to mobile devices during the study while others did not. Additionally, randomly assigned classes completed the design portfolio electronically while others completed the portfolio on paper. Final student portfolios and products were assessed using adaptive comparative judgment (ACJ). In ACJ, judges view two artifacts (portfolios or products) electronically and choose the better of the two. Repeating this process, a number of times produced a rank-order for the artifacts. The rank order for student portfolios and products represented student achievement. Statistical analyses of student access, portfolio type, student self-directed learning, and student achievement were conducted. Thirty student interviews and five teacher interviews were conducted and interviewees were asked questions regarding mobile devices, self-directed learning, and their experience during the study. Responses from the interviews were transcribed and coded using causation and thematic coding techniques. The resulting themes from the interviews helped clarify the quantitative findings. Findings from both the quantitative and qualitative analyses showed that student access to mobile devices was significantly correlated with higher scores on student design portfolios while student achievement on design products was independent of mobile device access. This suggests that mobile devices may improve student achievement in certain types of scenarios but not in others. Student self-directed learning was independent of mobile device access. Students and teachers both commented that mobile devices may be effective at increasing student self-directed learning or achievement but only through proper instruction and demonstration.

Examensarbetet har genomförts vid Högskolan i Skövde i samverkan med Nobia AB. Målet var att implementera ekodesignmetoder i Nobias befintliga designprocess och att genomföra en fallstudie på en kökslucka. Fallstudien genomfördes för att verifiera ekodesignprocessen och för att föreslå ett lämpligt material till en kökslucka. Under litteraturstudien undersöktes begrepp såsom hållbar utveckling, ekodesign och livscykel. Intervjuer genomfördes för att undersöka Nobias designprocess och för att identifiera aktiviteterna i varje fas i processen. Faserna var Idégenerering, Konceptutveckling, Produktutveckling och Industrialisering. Flera alternativa ekodesignmetoder studerades för att undersöka om de var lämpliga att implementera i Nobias befintliga designprocess, bland annat Statusanalys och olika Checklistor. De förväntade egenskaperna för ekodesignprocessen sammanställdes i en kravspecifikation. Ekodesignmetoderna som implementerades i Nobias befintliga designprocess resulterade i en ekodesignprocess, som bestod av Ekostrategihjul, Philips five fast, Jämförelsematris, Ekodesignportfolio, Miljöriskanalys och Scorecard. Fallstudien inleddes med skapandet av en kravspecifikation beträffande materialets förväntade egenskaper. De mest intressanta materialen var Medium Density Fibreboard, bambu och gran. Genom en analys av olika material ansågs gran vara det bästa materialet, eftersom det medförde minst utsläpp vid transport, tillgången är god samt är lokalt producerat. Det framkom att tillämpningen av ekodesign inom produktutveckling medför många fördelar, som till exempel en trivsam arbetsplats, motiverade medarbetare och en mer hållbar designprocess. En hållbar designprocess bidrar till att utveckla hållbara produkter, vilket bidrar till en bättre miljö. / The bachelor project has been carried out at the University of Skövde in collaboration with Nobia AB. The purpose of the project was to implement eco-design methods into the company’s existing design process and to accomplish a case study of a cabinet door. The purpose of the case study was to verify the proposed eco-design process and suggest a material for a cabinet door. Sustainable development, eco-design and lifecycle were studied during the literature study. Interviews were carried out to study the design process at Nobia and to identify the different activities in every phase of the process. The phases were Idea Generation, Concept Development, Product Development and Industrialization. Several eco-design methods were studied to assess their potential to be implemented into Nobia’s existing design process, for example Status Analysis and various Checklists. The expected characteristics of the eco-design process were compiled into a requirement specification. The methods which were implemented into Nobia’s existing design process resulted in an Eco-design process which consisted of Ekostrategihjul, Philips five fast, Jämförelsematris, Eco-design portfolio, Environmental Failure Mode and Effect Analysis and Scorecard. The case study was initiated by compiling a requirement specification. The most promising materials were Medium Density Fibreboard, bamboo and fir. Through analysis of various materials fir was considered as the best material because of low levels of pollution during transportation, good access to the raw material and it is also locally manufactured. The results show that the use of eco-design within product development entails many advantages, such as, a pleasant place of work, motivated staff, and a more sustainable design process. A sustainable design process will contribute to the development of sustainable products, which entails a better environment.