Thesis (M.A.) - Carleton University, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 137-146). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

<p>Abstract</p><p>Title: The game of playing: A media ethnographic study of children playing videogames on a Swedish after school recreation centre. Spelet om spelandet: En medieetnografisk studie av barns dataspelande på en fritidsklubb.</p><p>Number of pages: 46</p><p>Author: Peter Brandberg</p><p>Tutor: Amelie Hössjer</p><p>Period: Spring term 2008</p><p>Course: Media and Communication studies D</p><p>University: Division of Media and Communication, Department of Information Science, Uppsala University</p><p>Purpose/Aim: The aim with this study is to describe how children play video games in an everyday context. In this study this context consists of a Swedish after school recreation centre. By combining three different aspects on the activity this study tries to understand how both the video game and the social and cultural context in which the activity takes place in influences it. This by taking one analyse of the specific game that the children played at the time of the study and how the overall environment is structured into account. Together these two perspectives contribute to the understanding of the playing as a complex and dynamic activity.</p><p>Material/Method: The material and method consists primary of a participatory observation which were conducted for eight days in an after school recreation centre. The analyse of the video game uses specific parts from the ludologist Aki Järvinens “applied ludology” to understand the game Guitar Hero.</p><p>Main results: The main results of this study shows how the social context influences the play activity in which the children needs to negotiate about the resources needed to play. They used different strategies to try to gain control over the interfaces to the game. The study also shows how the children didn’t relate to the fact that these interfaces looked like guitars in their use of them. Instead the children used knowledge about other interfaces and played the game by “pressing buttons in the right time”.</p><p>Keywords: media ethnographic, participatory observation, ludology, applied ludology, video game, game studies, guitar hero, children, after school recreation centre, situated play</p>

Abstract Title: The game of playing: A media ethnographic study of children playing videogames on a Swedish after school recreation centre. Spelet om spelandet: En medieetnografisk studie av barns dataspelande på en fritidsklubb. Number of pages: 46 Author: Peter Brandberg Tutor: Amelie Hössjer Period: Spring term 2008 Course: Media and Communication studies D University: Division of Media and Communication, Department of Information Science, Uppsala University Purpose/Aim: The aim with this study is to describe how children play video games in an everyday context. In this study this context consists of a Swedish after school recreation centre. By combining three different aspects on the activity this study tries to understand how both the video game and the social and cultural context in which the activity takes place in influences it. This by taking one analyse of the specific game that the children played at the time of the study and how the overall environment is structured into account. Together these two perspectives contribute to the understanding of the playing as a complex and dynamic activity. Material/Method: The material and method consists primary of a participatory observation which were conducted for eight days in an after school recreation centre. The analyse of the video game uses specific parts from the ludologist Aki Järvinens “applied ludology” to understand the game Guitar Hero. Main results: The main results of this study shows how the social context influences the play activity in which the children needs to negotiate about the resources needed to play. They used different strategies to try to gain control over the interfaces to the game. The study also shows how the children didn’t relate to the fact that these interfaces looked like guitars in their use of them. Instead the children used knowledge about other interfaces and played the game by “pressing buttons in the right time”. Keywords: media ethnographic, participatory observation, ludology, applied ludology, video game, game studies, guitar hero, children, after school recreation centre, situated play

Användningen av Internet of Things inom sport är svår att hitta forskning om, inte minst i samband med ridsport. Kandidatarbetet forskar kring problemen vid användning av Internet of Things och hur man implementerar system på bästa sätt. Jag utvecklar en prototyp vars syfte är att underlätta hästhoppning genom att automatisera hästhinder då deltagande observation avslöjade problemen ryttare möter vid hoppträning. Vid varje rivning tvingas ryttaren hoppa ner från hästen och resa bommen, någonting som ödslar tid och energi, men inte minst påverkar hästens rygg. Med hjälp av Internet of Things, context mapping, deltagande observation och design utvecklade jag en produkt som underlättar och effektiviserar hoppträning och tävling. Tillsammans med ryttarna i stallet och i diskussioner har vi fokuserat på att designen är säkerhetsanpassad och att produkten fokuserar på det ryttarna själv anser är viktigt. Med teknikerna raspberry pi, stegmotordrivare och en stegmotor kan ryttaren styra hästhindret direkt från hästryggen och därmed underlätta träningen. / Usage of Internet of Things in relation to sports is a hard subject to find research about, especially with a connection to equestrian sports. This bachelor thesis researches the problems you face when developing Internet of Things and how to implement systems efficiently. I’ve developed a prototype whose purpose is to facilitate showjumping by automating a horse jumping obstacle since participatory observations revealed problems riders face when practicing showjumping. Every time the horse knocks down the bar the rider must jump off the horse and lift the bar up, wasting time and energy, but also with a risk of hurting the horse’s back. By using Internet of Things, context mapping, participatory observations and design I developed a product that facilitate showjump practice and competition. Together with equestrians in the stable and in discussions we’ve focused on making the design safe for the horses and riders, and that the product focuses on what equestrians believe is important. Through the usage of a Rapsberry pi 3, a stepper motor driver and a stepper motor the rider can control the horse jumping obstacle directly from the horse back and thus facilitating the practice.

The teaching of regional geography in Montessori schools Abstract The goal of this thesis is to present the importance and position of the curriculum of regional geography and to analyze the approaches to teaching methods of regional geography, which are used in Montessori schools in the Czech Republic and are applicable in teaching geography in other types of schools. Specifically, we study pupils in the higher grades of primary schools and the lower grades of a grammar school. The work deals with this topic in two main parts. The first theoretical part is devoted to familiarization with the history of regional geography as a scientific discipline and, subsequently, with the functions and subject of study of regional geography in general. The next section deals with the curriculum and teaching of regional geography. At the end of the theoretical part, there are chapters devoted to Montessori education and methodology utilized in this thesis. The second part summerizes results of qualitative research, including the method of semi-structured interviews with teachers of regional geography and participatory observations in classes. At the end of the thesis, the summary results of qualitative research are proposed and further discussed. Keywords: Teaching geography, regional geography, Montessori, qualitative...

<p>Small and medium-sized enterprises badly need new knowledge. Their need is constantly increasing due to the market demand for custom-designed products, which means companies must be more flexible. Wood processing companies are having difficulty establishing contact with academia in order to meet this need.</p><p>In investigating the form and content of research collaboration, nine situations have been studied with the aid of participatory observation to determine what characterises situations where learning occurs. Situations where researchers collaborate with operators and production managers have been selected because of the key role that those in such positions play when research findings are to be applied in the wood & timber industry. Analytical tools of a pedagogic/didactic nature have been used when interpreting the material.</p><p>The results show what is needed if research collaboration is to succeed. Both parties must have room for reflection, and must give due consideration to the basic assumptions and problem areas they have in common. Enterprises must be sophisticated enough to collaborate with academia. In approaching their task, researchers must emphasise dialogue, equal standing and respect, and they must seek to ensure that collaboration proceeds in the right direction. In the case of small and medium-sized enterprises, a link between the researcher and the company is often required.</p> / <p>Små och medelstora företag har ett stort behov av ny kunskap. Behovet ökar kontinuerligt pga. marknadens krav på kundanpassning vilket medför krav på större flexibilitet hos företagen. De träbearbetande företagen har svårigheter att komma i kontakt med akademin för att tillgodose detta behov.</p><p>För att undersöka former och innehåll vid forskningssamverkan har nio situationer studerats med hjälp av deltagande observation för att utreda vad som kännetecknar de situationer där lärande uppstår. Situationer där forskare samverkar med operatörer och med produktionschefer har valts ut på grund av dessa yrkesgruppers nyckelposition när det gäller tillämpning av forskningsresultat i träindustrin. Analysverktyg med pedagogisk/didaktisk anknytning har använts vid tolkningen av materialet.</p><p>Resultaten visar förutsättningar och villkor för en lyckad forskningssamverkan. Det måste finnas ett utrymme för reflektion för de som samverkar liksom att gemensamma utgångspunkter och problemområden måste uppmärksammas i samverkan. Det måste finnas en mogenhet hos företag för att kunna samverka med akademin. Forskarens arbetssätt måste präglas av dialog, jämbördighet och respekt och forskaren har ett ansvar för att samverkansprocessen går i rätt riktning. För små och medelstora företag är en länk mellan forskningen och företaget ofta nödvändig.</p>

Small and medium-sized enterprises badly need new knowledge. Their need is constantly increasing due to the market demand for custom-designed products, which means companies must be more flexible. Wood processing companies are having difficulty establishing contact with academia in order to meet this need. In investigating the form and content of research collaboration, nine situations have been studied with the aid of participatory observation to determine what characterises situations where learning occurs. Situations where researchers collaborate with operators and production managers have been selected because of the key role that those in such positions play when research findings are to be applied in the wood &amp; timber industry. Analytical tools of a pedagogic/didactic nature have been used when interpreting the material. The results show what is needed if research collaboration is to succeed. Both parties must have room for reflection, and must give due consideration to the basic assumptions and problem areas they have in common. Enterprises must be sophisticated enough to collaborate with academia. In approaching their task, researchers must emphasise dialogue, equal standing and respect, and they must seek to ensure that collaboration proceeds in the right direction. In the case of small and medium-sized enterprises, a link between the researcher and the company is often required. / Små och medelstora företag har ett stort behov av ny kunskap. Behovet ökar kontinuerligt pga. marknadens krav på kundanpassning vilket medför krav på större flexibilitet hos företagen. De träbearbetande företagen har svårigheter att komma i kontakt med akademin för att tillgodose detta behov. För att undersöka former och innehåll vid forskningssamverkan har nio situationer studerats med hjälp av deltagande observation för att utreda vad som kännetecknar de situationer där lärande uppstår. Situationer där forskare samverkar med operatörer och med produktionschefer har valts ut på grund av dessa yrkesgruppers nyckelposition när det gäller tillämpning av forskningsresultat i träindustrin. Analysverktyg med pedagogisk/didaktisk anknytning har använts vid tolkningen av materialet. Resultaten visar förutsättningar och villkor för en lyckad forskningssamverkan. Det måste finnas ett utrymme för reflektion för de som samverkar liksom att gemensamma utgångspunkter och problemområden måste uppmärksammas i samverkan. Det måste finnas en mogenhet hos företag för att kunna samverka med akademin. Forskarens arbetssätt måste präglas av dialog, jämbördighet och respekt och forskaren har ett ansvar för att samverkansprocessen går i rätt riktning. För små och medelstora företag är en länk mellan forskningen och företaget ofta nödvändig.