The methodologies for English language teaching and the roles os ESP and EIL are discussed. Additionally, the role of culture and learning theories for prefessional training are presented. This framework is applied to two pilot programs and the results are debated. Consequently, a new framework is designed that includes new methodologies and places a greater importance on the role of EIL.

New types of emerging classrooms called flexible learning environments change the traditionalclassroom structure by removing barriers previously set by the room. Within these environments learningmanagement systems (LMS) are used by teachers to support them in their daily operations. The digitaltransformation of education presents new challenges of designing LMS for flexible learning environments.The research question for this study is as follows: “How do teachers experience learning managementsystems within flexible learning environments?” The aim of this study is to gain insights into teachers'experience with the use of LMS in flexible learning environments; and how the teachers experience theirdevelopment of digital competence to use the systems in their teaching. The study resulted in four themesof experiences (1) Lack of adoption, (2) Control within the system, (3) Collaboration and competencedevelopment, (4) Direct feedback and interactions. The insights of the themes of experience are presentedin the form of design propositions.

Denna studie undersöker vilka designelement som påverkar distansstudenters upplevda engagemang i online-lärmiljöer, mer specifikt den etablerade digitala lärplattformen Moodle. Studiens syfte är att upptäcka och analysera vad som kan utvecklas, för att ytterligare inspirera till engagemang hos universitetsstudenter i Sverige. En kvalitativ metod användes, där studien tillämpade semistrukturerade intervjuer och användartester med sju deltagande studenter för att samla in empirisk data. En tematisk analys användes för att identifiera flera teman som påverkar studenters engagemang. Dessa teman inkluderar: information och navigation, struktur och gränssnitt, social och gemenskap, brist på stöd, begränsad interaktion, kommunikation och tekniska problem. Resultaten visade bland annat att bättre strukturering av innehåll, mindre komplicerat användargränssnitt och navigation, bättre social interaktion och effektivt studentstöd, väsentligt skulle bidra till att förbättra studenters upplevda engagemang. Dessa resultat understryker också institutionens och lärarens ansvar att skapa en känsla av gemenskap och stöd för att förbättra upplevelsen med att studera på distans. Insikterna från resultaten visar på flera praktiska utvecklingsområden på den undersökta lärplattformen. Studien bidrar till kunskap kring den pågående utvecklingen av distansundervisningen sedan pandemins spår. Där förståelsen kring hur lärplattformar kan utvecklas, kan skapa en bättre och mer engagerande lärande-upplevelse i framtiden. / This study explores which design elements affect distance students' experienced engagement in online learning environments, specifically focusing on the established digital learning platform, Moodle. The aim of the study is to discover and analyze areas for improvement that could further inspire engagement among university students in Sweden. A qualitative method was implemented by utilizing semi-structured interviews and user tests on seven participants to gather empirical data. A thematic analysis was used to discover several themes that influence student engagement in the current distance education environment. These themes include: information and navigation, structure and interface, social and community aspects, lack of support, limited interaction, communication, and technical issues. The results indicated that better content structuring, a less complicated user interface and navigation, improved social interaction, and effective student support could significantly enhance students' engagement. These findings also underscore the institution's and teachers responsibility to foster a sense of community and support to improve the experience of distance education. Insights from the results suggest several practical areas for development on the investigated learning platform. This study contributes to the knowledge about the ongoing development of distance education, post pandemic. Understanding how learning platforms can be developed can create a better and more engaging learning experience in the future.

Frågan om digitala verktyg i undervisning har aktualiseras till följd av en övergång till IT-baserad distansundervisning. Det som studien ämnade att undersöka var hur lärare på gymnasiet anammar och hanterar nya verktyg på kort tid och hur väl anpassade verktygen är för deras situation och omständigheter som följd av övergången till IT-baserad distansundervisning under 2020 och 2021.Frågeställningen blev därför hur har de digitala verktyg som används i IT-baserad distansundervisning anammats av lärare på gymnasiet under 2020 och 2021.Syftet är bland annat att ge gymnasieskolor ett beslutsunderlag när det efter pandemin ska fattas beslut om IT-baserad distansundervisning ska fortlöpa i någon form, bland annat baserat på hur de digitala verktygen fungerar och anammas av gymnasielärare. När det kommer till digitala verktyg är det framförallt Microsoft Teams och Google Meet som används som videokommunikationstjänst och Google Classroom, itslearning, Vklass och Schoolsoft som används som lärplattform. Överlag uppger respondenterna att verktygen fungerar relativt bra, särskilt vad det gäller om verktyget är användarvänligt, enkelt, funktionsrikt och problemfritt. När det gäller hur användare anammar de digitala verktygen upplever en klar majoritet av respondenterna att de i stor till mycket stor utsträckning har anammat de digitala verktyg som används i den IT-baserade distansundervisningen. Studien har dock ändå undersökt vad som kännetecknar de lärare som inte har tillräcklig acceptans för de digitala verktyg som används. / The issue of digital tools in teaching has become relevant as a result of a transition to IT-based distance learning. What the study intended to investigate was how teachers in high school adopt and handle new digital tools in a short time and how well adapted the tools are to their situation and circumstances as a result of the transition to IT-based distance education in 2020 and 2021.The question therefore became how have the digital tools used in IT-based distance education been adopted by teachers in high school in 2020 and 2021.The purpose is to provide high schools with a decision basis whether IT-based distance education is to proceed in some form after the pandemic, based on how the digital tools work and are adopted by high school teachers. When it comes to digital tools, it is primarily Microsoft Teams and Google Meet that are used as a video communication service and Google Classroom, itslearning, Vklass and Schoolsoft that are used as a learning platform. Overall, the respondents state that the tools work relatively well, especially when it comes to whether the tool is user friendly, simple, functional and problem free. When it comes to how users adopt the digital tools, a clear majority of the respondents feel that they have mostly adopted the digital tools used in the IT-based distance education. In addition, the study has examined what characterizes the teachers who do not have sufficient acceptance for the digital tools used.

Despite the growing expectation on corporate Learning & Development (L&D) units to transform practices and roles and take a more strategic role to better meet the needs of lifelong learning and up- and reskilling in organizations, many fail to use technology such as Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) platforms that could support the shift. The aim of this study is to provide a better understanding of why those in L&D who are using MOOC platforms do so and what impact it has on the role of L&D. Empirical data from in-depth interviews with six L&D professionals, with extensive experience from large, global companies, has been employed in this exploratory research. The analysis imply a situation in which MOOC platforms, when used in organizations where employee language, literacy and digital devices are not a limitation, can support in meeting the needs of lifelong learning and up- and reskilling in ways not possible with traditional L&D practices. The findings also indicate that while L&D units in large, global organizations can transform traditional practices and roles and contribute strategically, with the support of MOOC platforms, they struggle to make full use of the platforms due to lack of prioritization in the organization. This could inhibit L&D to fully take on a strategic role. Previous research has not explored the impact and possibilities the use of MOOC platforms can have specifically on the L&D role. The findings provide a novel contribution to L&D research as well as input to professionals in L&D or Human Resource, business leaders, organizational developers and MOOC platform providers in decisions connected to digitalization of corporate learning.

Since the Covid19 pandemic there has been a rise in the use of digital platforms such as online-game based learning platforms (OGBLPs) to diversify the learning experiences of students. This paper investigates the implementation, challenges, and benefits of online game-based learning platforms for English learning of students with English as a second language (ESL) in Sweden’s upper secondary schools. We aimed to explore teachers’ experiences of students’ vocabulary acquisition and whether it is facilitated by employing OGBLPs. We also examined the benefits and challenges of using OGBLPs for vocabulary acquisition. For this purpose we employed a qualitative approach where five upper secondary school English teachers were interviewed. All data was later transcribed, where responses from the interviews were used to highlight how teachers used OGBLPs, and what they considered challenges and benefits. Overall, teachers reported positive attitudes towards the use of OGBLPs as it influences elements such as student engagement and leads to increased motivation. However, all participants of this study also claim that OGBLPs ought to be used in combination with a theme or presentation connected to curriculum content as they doubt the effectiveness of OGBLPs in vocabulary acquisition when used in isolation, as a single learning activity.

For the past 100 years, attempts have been made to develop teaching machines that support students’learning. Judging by the contemporary increase in funding for educational technology companies,there is now more than ever an interest in technology that facilitates learning. As a result of studentsbeing able to interact with learning material via internet-connected devices, it has become feasible toanalyze large quantities of interactional data in order to provide learners with individually tailoredlearning paths. This is one of the services provided by the company Sana Labs. Their algorithms aresaid to equip learners with actionable insights in the form of metrics and recommendations based oninteractions with digital learning platforms. However, the company has limited insight into how thetechnology can be used formatively in a classroom environment.As formative assessment includes clarifying what a student knows in relation to a curriculum goaland modifying learning activities accordingly to improve the student’s prospects to meet that goal, onespecific area of research within formative actions is the notion of feedback. Feedback has in metastudiesshown to be associated with high effect sizes in relation to learning, and how feedback can beconceptualized and implemented in digital learning environments has been investigated specifically.This exploratory study uses design science research to examine potential opportunities and risksassociated with automatically computed feedback in the form of visual metrics and recommendations.When analyzing external factors that affect learning, a behaviorist perspective is applied, and as forinternal processes such as meta-cognition and self-regulation, a constructivist perspective of learningis used. An artifact is developed in the form of a lo-fi prototype including three functions forautomated feedback, which are then evaluated by upper secondary mathematics teachers in Stockholmand a research manager at Sana Labs.The results indicate that it is possible to implement digital feedback strategies according to theliterature of feedback effects, and the technology available as of 2020. The interviewed teachersexpress how the functionality presented in the prototype could be helpful when working withformative assessment. Furthermore, the research manager deemed all of the proposed feedbackfunctions to be technically feasible. Regarding risks accompanying these strategies, a concern of theteachers could be identified, that the automated metrics and recommendations would be based on alimited view of the student’s knowledge. As a direction for further research, additional development ofthe prototyped functions is proposed, along with studies on the relationship between goal-setting andautomated feedback. / De senaste 100 åren har upprepade försök gjorts att utveckla undervisningsmaskiner som stödjerelevers lärande. Att döma av de senaste årens ökade investeringar i företag inom utbildningsteknologi,är intresset för att utveckla teknik som gynnar lärande nu större än någonsin. Som en följd av eleversmöjligheter att interagera med lärandematerial via internetuppkopplade enheter, har det blivit möjligtatt analysera stora mängder interaktionsdata för att ge elever individanpassade vägar för lärande.Detta är en av tjänsterna som erbjuds av företaget Sana Labs. Deras algoritmer uppges rusta elevermed handlingsbara insikter i form av mätvärden och rekommendationer baserade på interaktionermed digitala lärandeplattformar. Företaget har däremot begränsad insikt i hur tekniken kan användasformativt i en klassrumsmiljö.Eftersom formativ bedömning inkluderar att klargöra vad en student vet i förhållande till ettlärandemål, och att modifiera inlärningsaktiviteter därefter för att öka studentens möjligheter attuppnå målet, är feedback ett forskningsområde inom formativa åtgärder. Feedback har i metastudiervisat sig vara förknippad med höga effektstorlekar i relation till inlärning, och hur feedback kankonceptualiseras och implementeras i digitala inlärningsmiljöer har undersökts specifikt.Den här utforskande studien tillämpar design science research för att undersöka potentiellamöjligheter och risker förknippade med automatiskt beräknad feedback, i form av visuella metrikeroch rekommendationer. Utförda analyser av externa faktorer som påverkar lärande görs utifrån ettbehavioristiskt perspektiv, och för interna processer som metakognition och självreglering används ettkonstruktivistiskt perspektiv på lärande. En artefakt utvecklas i form av en lo-fi prototyp med trefunktioner för automatiserad feedback, som sedan utvärderas av gymnasielärare i matematik iStockholm, och en forskningschef på Sana Labs.Studien visar att det är möjligt att implementera strategier för digital feedback i enlighet medlitteratur om effekten av feedback. De intervjuade lärarna uttryckte att de såg hur den presenteradeprototypen kunde bidra i arbetet med formativ bedömning. Forskningschefen bedömde dessutom attalla de föreslagna funktionerna för feedback var tekniskt genomförbara. Gällande risker, kunde en oroidentifieras hos lärarna att automatiserade mätningar av kunskap och rekommendationer skullebaseras på en begränsad bild av en elevs kunskap. För vidare forskning föreslås ytterligare utvecklingav funktionerna, samt studier inom förhållandet mellan målsättning och automatiserad feedback.

Digitalisering utgör en viktig del i dagens samhälle. Sverige har som mål att vara ledande på att utnyttja digitaliseringens möjligheter. Skolväsendet utgör en viktig roll för ett lyckat digitaliseringsarbete och därför har regeringen utformat en nationell digitaliseringsstrategi för skolväsendet. De senaste åren har digitala lärplattformar implementerats i för- och grundskolor där det är menat att dessa ska stödja lärarnas administrativa arbete. Däremot kan det som anses vara ett verksamhetsstöd skilja sig för management och lärare. Syftet med arbetet är att undersöka huruvida digitala lärplattformar inom skolväsendet tolkas som ett medel för styrning från management som lärare behöver anpassa sig till eller som ett hjälpmedel som anpassas till lärare. / Digitization is an important part of today's society. Sweden aims to be a leader in exploiting the opportunities of digitalisation. The school system constitutes an important role for successful digitalisation work and therefore the government has designed a nationalized digitalisation strategy for the school system. In recent years, digital learning platforms have been implemented in pre-schools and primary schools, where it is intended that these will support teachers' administrative work. However, what is considered business support may differ for management and teachers. The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether digital learning platforms in the school system are interpreted as a means of control from management that teachers need to adapt to or as a helping tool that is adapted to teachers.

This thesis develops a new abstraction for solving problems in decision automation. Decision automation is the process of creating algorithms which use data to make decisions without the need for human intervention. In this abstraction, four key ideas/problems are highlighted which must be considered when solving any decision problem. These four problems are the decision problem, the learning problem, the model reduction problem, and the verification problem. One of the benefits of this abstraction is that a wide range of decision problems from many different areas can be broken down into these four “key” sub-problems. By focusing on these key sub-problems and the interactions between them, one can systematically arrive at a solution to the original problem. Three new learning platforms have been developed in the areas of portfolio optimization, business intelligence, and automated water management in order to demonstrate how this abstraction can be applied to three different types of problems. For the automated water management platform a full solution to the problem is developed using this abstraction. This yields an automated decision process which decides how much water to release from the Piute Reservoir into the Sevier River during an irrigation season. Another motivation for developing these learning platforms is that they can be used to introduce students of all disciplines to automated decision making.

In academic institutions, e-learning platforms are widely used to manage learning contents, assessments, and student communication and act as a primary system for managing teaching and learning activities. Due to public health concerns during COVID-19, online learning was the primary medium of instruction used to teach students. During this time, the world also noticed the increased activity of identity theft, individual and institutional content theft, and ransom attacks in many educational institutions since most students were using digital technologies to learn, and information, including personal and intellectual content, was being shared online. This study sought to identify college students' perceptions of information security regarding online learning platforms. This study focused on college students because they are active users of online learning tools, and there is a potential need for increased awareness regarding information security measures within these tools that could potentially create vulnerabilities that may lead to security breaches. The global COVID-19 pandemic accelerated online learning methods, making it more critical for institutions to pay more attention to cybersecurity and ransom attacks. The results from this study will facilitate an understanding of student's confidence in the learning platforms and their level of knowledge related to information security while using the Internet. Additionally, the result may help e-learning platform providers to create safer and more secure solutions that protect the integrity of the information shared.