This dissertation study explored: 1) instructors’ use of discussion strategies that enhance meaningful learner interactions in online discussions and student performance, and 2) learners’ interaction patterns in online discussions that lead to better student performance in online introductory mathematics courses. In particular, the study applied a set of data mining techniques to a large-scale dataset automatically collected by the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS) for five consecutive years at a public university in the U.S., which included 2,869 students enrolled in 72 courses. First, the study found that the courses that posted more open-ended prompts, evaluated students’ discussion messages posted by students, used focused discussion settings (i.e., allowing a single response and replies to that response), and provided more elaborated feedback had higher students final grades than those which did not. Second, the results showed the instructors’ use of discussion strategies (discussion structures) influenced the quantity (volume of discussion), the breadth (distribution of participation throughout the discussion), and the quality of learner interactions (levels of knowledge construction) in online discussions. Lastly, the results also revealed that the students’ messages related to allocentric elaboration (i.e., taking other peers’ contributions in argumentive or evaluative ways) and application (i.e., application of new knowledge) showed the highest predictive value for their course performance. The findings from this study suggest that it is important to provide opportunities for learners to freely discuss course content, rather than creating a discussion task related to producing a correct answer, in introductory mathematics courses. Other findings reported in the study can also serve as guidance for instructors or instructional designers on how to design better online mathematics courses.

A learning analytics dashboard (LAD) is an application that illustrates the activity and progress of a user in a self-regulated, online learning environment. This tool mines source data to provide meaningful information that supports decision making and positively impacts learning behaviour. Research on this topic explores how learning activities and pedagogical goals are impacted by integrating LADs into learning and/or teaching environments. Currently, the majority of the research is centred around predicting student academic performance and identifying students that are at risk of failing. The popularity of integrating technology into educational practices has led to the adoption of LADs into learning management systems (LMS) or massive open online courses (MOOCs). The objective of this paper is to develop a concept for a standalone prototype LAD, for an Introductory Statistics course (STA 1000), to be potentially integrated into the University of Cape Town's (UCT) LMS, Vula. The dashboard aims to create and incorporate meaningful visualisations, that have the potential to primarily assist students as well as educators. Visualised information in the LAD aims to positively impact students to enhance and drive effective learning, which could consequentially aid educators. Additionally, the dashboard will aim to provide actionable feedback, derived from predictive modelling and course analytics, that positively impacts learning behaviour and identifies factors that the student could most effectively use to leverage their chances of passing and improve academic performance. Predictive analytics aim to identify academic factors, that a student has control over, such as course assessments and engagement variables, at certain time points in the academic semester and provide a useful course of action at those time points. Other than variables measured throughout the course, the predictive modelling takes certain prior academic information into consideration.

A well working communication between students and lecturers, both in and outside of class, has shown to be very important for a positive learning experience and an effective learning environment. Students need to have a critical mindset of their own cognitive reasoning and their learning process. With support from the lecturer, this will improve the student’s selfassessment but also their academic journey through their higher education. As students are becoming more native online, it is of utter most importance the online communication works as well as the direct physical communication does. This can be achieved through having a learning management system (LMS) that assists lecturers with handing out information and assists students with an easy way to receive information regarding their educational work. This study aims to examine whether the current LMS systems are sufficient enough. This by gathering data from both students and lecturers at two different universities through a survey and six semi-structured interviews to find out what the current issues are. The gathered data made it possible to determine the specific needs of both students and lecturers for a well-functioning LMS. DeLone and McLean created a system success model (D&M model), aimed to analyse the quality of an information system, which could be applicable to an LMS. The model consists of different variables and their relationship to one another. An adaptation of the D&M model is the Hexagonal E-learning assessment model (HELAM model) that includes similar but adapted variables for the information system. By comparing the results with the variables from these models it was concluded that both universities face similar issues, even though their systems are different. The results also indicated that there are significant variables in the D&Mand HELAM model that relates to how learning management systems are used to its best potential. / Väl fungerande kommunikation mellan studenter och föreläsare, både i och utanför klassrummet, har visat sig vara mycket betydande för en positiv läroupplevelse och effektiv lärmiljö. Studenter behöver ha ett kritiskt tankesätt över deras egen kognitiva tankegång och deras läroprocess. Med stöd från föreläsare kan detta förbättra studenternas självbedömning men även deras akademiska resa genom deras högre utbildning. Eftersom studenter bli mer vana online så är det viktigt att kommunikationen online fungerar lika väl som den direkt fysiska kommunikationen gör. Detta kan uppnås genom att ha en läroplattform (LMS) som kan assistera föreläsare med utdelningen av information men även assistera studenterna att genom ett enkelt sätt ta emot information angående deras studiearbete. Den här studien ämnar undersöka om det nuvarande LMS systemen är tillräckliga. Detta genom att samla data från både studenter och föreläsare på två olika universitet genom en enkät och sex stycken semistrukturerade intervjuer för att ta reda på vad de nuvarande problemen är. Den insamlade datan gjorde det möjligt att avgöra vad de specifika behoven är från studenter och lärare för ett väl fungerande LMS. DeLone och McLean skapade en systemframgångsmodell (D&M-model) ämnad att analysera kvaliteten av ett informationssystem som kan vara applicerbart på en LMS. Modellen består av olika variabler och deras relationer till varandra. En variant av D&M-modellen är “Hexagonal E-learning assessment model” (HELAM-modellen) som inkluderar liknande men anpassade variabler för informationssystemet. Genom att jämföra resultatet med variablerna från dessa modeller drogs slutsatsen att båda universiteten har liknande problem, trots att de inte använder samma system. Resultaten tyder även på att det finns variabler från D&Moch HELAM modellen som har signifikans och relaterar till hur en läroplattform bör användas för sin bästa potential.

Two-thirds of higher education institutions are either currently involved in the process of or will soon begin to review their learning management system strategy (Green, 2012). Transitioning from one LMS to another is an endeavor that utilizes the entire institution and requires a great deal of strategic planning and cooperation. The literature described the involvement of instructional designers and technology support as key players in this transition process over a period of parallel time. When BYU transitioned from Blackboard to Learning Suite, a team of student employees managed the majority of the change. While there was very little time when Blackboard and Learning Suite ran in parallel, these employees provided support to faculty across the university. Data for this research included interviews with five faculty consultants who worked closely with faculty on the design of their courses and nine faculty members who used the student employees throughout the process along with survey data and the database kept to track interactions with the faculty members. Interview data were analyzed using a Spradley (1979) analysis. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the survey and interaction data. Major findings suggested that the student employees were the critical component for helping smooth the transition. They were used extensively by the faculty members and logged over 41,000 points of contact over a period one year and four months. The student employees provided side-by-side help to resolve faculty concerns and answer questions. This team added capacity and tool knowledge that supported both faculty members and the consultants.

Allt fler kommuner införskaffar idag lärplattformar att användas i skolor, men ofta saknas kunskap kring hur elevens lärande påverkas. Denna studie undersöker detta utifrån tre olika aspekter; kontext, ansvar och självreglerat lärande. En sociokulturell teori och en teori för självreglerat lärande används för tolkning och analys. Undersökningsmetoden är en enkätsstudie med både lärare och elever som informanter. Studiens resultat styrker i hög grad tidigare forskning på området och visar att elevers och lärares uppfattning är att lärplattformen har möjligheter att underlätta lärandet för elever och att detta i sin tur kommer att innebära ett större ansvarstagande i de egna studierna.

The digitalization of Swedish preschools can be shown by three different indicators. First, the on-going revision of the national curriculum for preschool where children’s digital competences will be added. Second, the research about how digital devices (e.g. tablets) are used in preschools (e.g. Kjällander & Moinian, 2014; Petersen, 2015). Third, the introduction of learning management systems (LMS) designed for preschools.In a recent article, preschool principals in Swedish municipalities are shown to be the group of principals with the largest amount of employees (Hägström, 2017, March).Therefore, this study’s aim is to get a better understanding in which way preschool principals experience that they can use their LMS in conjunction with performance appraisal interviews with their employees. Four research questions have been developed: (1) How do principals describe their use of a LMS?, (2) What do they experience the system give insight in and what not?, (3) To which extent do they regard that the performance appraisal interviews change while using a LMS? and (4) Which ethical dilemmas do preschool principals experience by using a LMS for performance appraisal interviews?Five preschool principals in one southern Swedish municipality have been interviewed. All respondents have been using their learning management system for performance appraisal interviews. The results have been analyzed by activity theory, in particular Engeström’s (2001, 2015) activity system and his cycle of expansive learning (Engeström, 1999, 2001).The findings show that preschool principals are part of an activity system with both resources and limitations. Resources by delegating tasks and discussing and sharing in groups, while their decisions can be limited by national laws and municipal orders. In this activity system, the learning management system can be used both as a communication and an administration tool to realize two of the principals’ outcomes with performance appraisal interviews: to increase the speech time for the employees and to give them possibility to see their own professional development.

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Sammanfattning:Lärplattformar har kommit att integrera informationsteknologi med det traditionella lärandet. Det ger ett flexibelt sätt att ta till sig kunskap för studenter, där de inte är lika beroende av tid, plats eller andra frågor som kan hindra deras lärande.Syftet med vår undersökning är att få en djupare förståelse om It's Learnings funktioner och dess utvecklingsprocess. Vidare undersöks om Malmö Högskolas användande och utformning av It's Learning möter studenternas krav på användbarhet och funktionalitet och om resultatet i så fall kan härledas till beprövad teori inom området. En av undersökningarna fokuserar på första- och tredjeårsstudenters erfarenheter vad gäller användning av It's Learning. För att besvara syftet används två olika metoder. Kvalitativa intervjuer används för att få all den information som behövs om It's Learning som lärplattform och kvantitativ enkätundersökning har används för att studera användbarhet och funktionalitet hos Malmö Högskolas lärplattform. Den kvantitativa undersökningen baseras på Jacob Nielsens användbarhetsheuristisk och Marc J. Rosenbergs centrala funktioner utifrån i vilken omfattning It's Learning följer dessa.\\ Resultatet som framkom från vår enkätundersökning visar att det finns skillnader mellan de båda studentgruppernas upplevelser av hur It's Learning uppfyller deras krav på användbarhet. En av de största skillnaderna som framkom var att förstaårsstudenterna upplever It's Learning både mer svår att hantera och förstå i förhållande till tredjeårsstudenterna. Båda studentgrupperna upplever att It's Learning följer de flesta riktlinjer utifrån Nielsens användbarhetsheuristik. Våra genomförda intervjuer visar vidare att It's Learning följer vissa riktlinjer utifrån Rosenbergs kärnfunktioner för en lärplattform. / Abstract:Learning platforms have emerged to integrate information technology with the traditional learning. This provides a flexible way of learning for students who would not be dependent on time, place or other issues that would prevent their learning. The purpose of this thesis is to gain knowledge about It's Learning and its developing process. And to investigate if Malmö University's learning platform, It's Learning, meets students' demands on usability and functionality and that could result in a case derived to a proven theory in the field. The investigation focuses on the first and third year students' experiences in the use of It's Learning.To answer the purpose, two methods are used. An interview is used as a qualitative method to get all needed information about It's Learning. Further, a questionnaire is used as a quantitative method to study the usability and functionality of Malmö University's learning platform. This investigation is based on theoretical perspective Jacob Nielsen's usability heuristic and Marc. J Rosenberg's core functions and how much It's Learning followed them. The results that were conducted from the survey and the interviews shows that there is a difference between the two student groups and their experiences also whether It's Learning meets their demands for usability. One of the biggest differences is that first year students experience It's Learning as more difficult to manage and understand in comparison to third years students. However, both case groups showed that It's Learning followed to a certain degree, Nielsen's usability heuristic. However, the results that are conducted from the interviews shows that It's Learning follows most of Rosenberg's core functions of a learning management system.

Utbildning och undervisning har förändrats genom tiderna och många olika redskap har använts. Digitala lärplattformar är ett av dessa redskap. KTH:s lärandemiljö har utvidgats med en digitallärplattform, där Canvas är en del. KTH:s instans av Canvas förvaltas inom vad som benämns förvaltningsobjektet e-lärande (Institutionenför lärande (1), 2020).Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka hur studenter på KTH som använder Canvas uppfattar den digitala lärandemiljön och speciellt Canvas. Frågeställningen som använts för studien är: Hur upplever studenterna Canvas funktionalitet i samband med sina studier? Hjälpmedel för att förmedla kunskap har tagit steget från att endast vara i den fysiska världen till att delvis ha flyttat in i den digitalavärlden. Detta ger flera nya möjligheter till kommunikation och anpassning. Datorernas och Internets intågande i vardagen och utbildning, har accelererat under den senaste tiden. Internet har kommit att bli ett självklart verktyg för kommunikation med varandra och omvärlden. Studenter tillbringar inte bara tid i den fysiska miljön utan även i den digitala. Förstadiet för den första centrala digitalaplattformen på KTH för lärande föddes på mitten av 90-talet i en av KTH:s egna kurser för att senare utvecklas till Bilda/PING PONG. Canvas är en digital lärplattform (engelska: LMS, Learning Management System) och kan användas för att aktivera studenterna i sina studier, bland annat med funktioner som automaträttade frågor (quiz), betygsuppföljning, diskussionsforum med mera. Övergången till Canvas, startades med ett pilottest hösten 2016 (Stenberg, 2017). Sverige har undertecknat Agenda 2030 målen vilket påverkar KTH som är ett svenskt statligt universitet. Det fjärde målet är det som framförallt är riktat till skolor, universitet och högskolor. "Mål 4.Säkerställa en inkluderande och likvärdig utbildning av god kvalitet och främja livslångt lärande för alla" (Agenda 2030, u.å., s. 12). Agenda 2030 går väl att koppla ihop med delat av KTH:s värdegrund (KTH, u.å.) samt KTH:s policy för hållbar utveckling (Policy förhållbar utveckling för KTH, u.å.) Denna rapport är en liten del på vägen mot dessa mål. För att ta reda på hur studenter uppfattar den digitala lärandemiljön med avseende på funktioner och navigation, har en sekventiell explorativ ansats med blandade metoder valts. Studien baseras på en förstudie med semistrukturerade intervjuer och en kvantitativ enkätundersökning. Förstudien utgjordes av fyra semistrukturerade intervjuer samt en tematisk analys av transkriberingen av dessa intervjuer. Även om det handlar ett bekvämlighetsurval (Denscombe, 2019) kan gruppen som urvalet gjordes ur anses som representativ, då samtliga utbildningar på alla KTH:s campus var representerade där. Detta gjorde att förstudien inte kunde ses som allmängiltig utan mer orienterande, för att veta vad som var intressant att undersöka vidare i en enkät. Grunden för enkätens frågor skapades utifrån en analys av förstudiens intervjuer. Tematisk analys har använts på både innehållet i transkriptionen av intervjuerna och på fritextsvaren i enkäten. För att få en snabb överblick skapades en färgning av resultaten. Avidentifierade transkriptioner av intervjuerna samt valet av enkätfrågor följer "principen om uppgiftsminimering" (allmän dataskyddsförordning, 2016/ 679 , Skäl 156). Förstudien identifierade två starka teman. Den med flest kodningar var "läsa och hantera filer" med och "Användning" med tre underteman vardera, dessa utgjorde grunden till påståendena i enkäten. Enkäten har 614 svar, vilket var 4,5 procent av 2019 års, 13 514 helårsstudenter. (KTH Årsredovisning 2019.pdf, u.å., s. 4). Svarsfrekvensen planade ut mot slutet av svarstiden vilket visar på en mättnad av svarsvilja hos studenterna. Sammanfattningsvis svarade flertalet att de hade en positiv upplevelse av Canvas och att de hjälper dem i deras studier. Generellt fanns det utmaningar i kommunikation både meddelanden och forum. Enkätsvaren tyder på åsikten att plattformen har potential till skillnad från informanterna i förstudien som var mer kritiska och frustrerade över systemet. Genom att komplettera den fysiska undervisningen kan studenten utvecklas mer kontinuerligt, då lärandet inte är låst till undervisningstimmarna. Lärplattformen är ett digitalt redskap i undervisningen, för att stödja studenterna i studierna. Forumet och direktmedelanden kan vara en möjlighet för studenterna att bryta isolationen av att studera på egen hand och att få stöd av både lärare och andra studenter. Genom inlämningsuppgifter och automaträttade frågor (quiz) kan studenten öva och få förstärkning på kunskapsinhämtningen. Digitala plattformar kan öka tillgängligheten, oavsett om studenten behöver talsyntes eller studerar bättre på olika tider på dygnet. Områdena med utmaningar är diskussionsforumet, Canvas meddelandefunktioner, filhantering: att snabbt och enkelt hitta dokument och filer samt att Canvas delvis bara används för de obligatoriska momenten. Ändå svarar studenterna sammantaget med en positiv ton i de flesta svaren på enkäten. / Education and teaching have evolved, and todays teaching environment utilises many different tools and methods. A digital learning platform, such as Canvas, is one of those tools. KTH:s instance of Canvas is administrated by E-learning management object (The Department of Learning in Engineering Sciences, u.å.). The aim of this study was to investigate how students at KTH, who use Canvas, perceive the digital learning environment, especially Canvas. The focus question used for the study is: How do students experience Canvas' functionality in conjunction with their studies? Tools for conveying knowledge have moved from existing only in the physical world to having partially moved into the digital world. This provides several new opportunities for communication and adaptation. The use of computers in everyday life and studies has accelerated recently. The computer has become an obvious tool for communication within the world. Student life is not limited to the physical environment; it has expanded to the digital one. The start for one of the first digital platforms for learning at KTH was born in the mid-90s in one of KTH:s own courses and later to become Bilda /PING PONG. Canvas is an LMS (Learning Management System) which can be used to support students in their studies, and includes functions such as quizzes, grade follow-up, discussion forums and more. The transition to Canvas began with a pilot test in the autumn of 2016 (Stenberg,2017). The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals is something that Sweden has signed, which in turn affects KTH as a Swedish state university. The fourth goal is that which is primarily aimed at schools, universities and colleges: Ensure an inclusive and equal education of good quality and promote lifelong learning for all (Agenda 2030, u.å.,s. 12). The goals go hand in hand with KTH:s values (KTH, u.å.) and KTH:s policy for sustainable development (Policy för hållbarutveckling för KTH, u.å.). This thesis is a small step on the path towards fulfilling those goals. In order to survey how students perceive their digital learning environment, with regard to functions and navigation, a sequential exploratory approach with mixed methods was used. This study contains a pre-study with semi-structured interviews and a quantitative survey. The pre-study consisted of four interviews and a thematic analysis of the transcription of the interviews. Even if the selection is made for convenience (Denscombe, 2019), the group from which the interviewed students were selected from had all branches at all KTH:s campuses represented. Therefore, the group could be considered representative. This meant that the pre-study could not be seen as universal but gave an indication of the direction for the survey. The majority of the survey's statements was created by the themes that emerged in the analysis of the pre-study interviews. Thematic analysis has been used on both the content of the transcript of the interviews and for the free text answers in the survey. To get a quick overview, an indicative colouring of the results was created. The source data was deidentified at the time of transcription and the questions for the survey were carefully selected so that "the principleof data minimisation" (GDPR, 2016/ 679 reason 156) was adhered to. The pre-study identified two strong themes: "read and manage files" and "Usage", each with three sub-themes. These formed the basis for the statements in the survey. The survey had 614 answers, accounting for 4.5 percent of the 13,514 full-time students in 2019 (KTH Årsredovisning 2019.pdf, u.å., s. 4). The response rate slowed down towards the end of the response time, which shows a saturation of students' willingness to respond. In summary, the majority responded with Canvas being a positive experience and that it helped them in their studies. In general, there were challenges in communication both in messaging and forumfunction. The survey results indicate that the students were quitepositive about the platform and thought the platform had potential, unlike the informants in the pre-study who were more critical and frustrated with the system. By extending the physical classroom with online resources, the student can continuously develop, as the tutoring is not confined to the teaching hours. The forum and direct messages can be an opportunity for students to break the isolation of studying on their own and to receive support from both teachers and other students. Through assignments and quizzes, the student can practice and gain reinforcement in the acquisition of knowledge. Digital platforms may increase accessibility, regardless of whether the student needs speech synthesis, or studies better at different times of the day. The areas with challenges are the discussion forum, ease and efficiency of retrieving documents and files, and Canvas messaging functions. In addition, the survey showed that some students only used Canvas for the mandatory steps. Nevertheless, the students answered with a positive tone in most of the survey.

Universities and colleges are embracing and utilizing technology to a rapidly increasing extent, responding to its cost-effectiveness and efficiency as well as the regularity with which 21st century students rely upon it in their everyday lives. Chief amongst the technology used in higher education are Learning Management Systems (LMS), such as Blackboard, Sakai, and CANVAS. Urban community colleges have also embraced LMS, but with student bodies that often lack regular access to or extensive experience with using technology for socio-economic or generational reasons, the outcomes from using LMS can be very different to those experienced at four-year institutions that generally serve a more affluent, traditionally-aged demographic. In particular, students in developmental courses, or those courses designed for individuals who could not test into college-level courses, can be particularly challenged when it comes to using LMS in their studies as it is an additional component to which they must acculturate in higher education whilst attempting to rectify their skills deficiencies. For faculty teaching developmental students, this can raise the question of whether it is important to acclimate students to the technology they will be called upon to use in the 21st century classroom or whether the sole focus should be remediating students’ lacking academic skills. This qualitative, interpretivist, constructivist-activist/pragmatic study uses interviews with urban community college professors who use or reject the college’s LMS (i.e. CANVAS) to varying extents in their classrooms, non-participant observations of the course components those professors who use CANVAS post online, and course artifacts to examine and reflect upon professors’ experiences with employing or eschewing such technology with their students. / Urban Education