The use of digital tools such as Sketchup, Rhino, AutoCAD and others is now commonplace in the architectural design process. These tools have advantages for time management and support the iterative nature of design, while also providing an efficient connection to later stages of design development and construction documentation. However, it could be argued that the use of digital tools during the ideation and concept phases of designing limits the cognitive connection between thought and the hand that is present in freehand sketching. If we accept that this cognitive connection is foundational to the design process, then new digital sketching tools are needed that have features similar to freehand sketching while processing sketches to 2D and 3D representations that are translatable to 3D printing, digital fabrication, and eventually Building Information Modeling. What this new tool might be is currently unclear. The purpose of this research is to identify the characteristics of a next generation of sketching tools that could support ideation activities in the concept stage of architectural design. The results will help to design a roadmap for the implementation of digital technologies in the architectural design process. This research will contribute to a shift in the implementation of digital tools in the architectural design process. This research relied on multiple data sources. First, a logical argument tactic was used to develop the research design model through a comprehensive review of the scholarly work that addresses the design process in the concept stage and the role of sketching and digital tools throughout these processes. Second, case study observation and interviews were used to explore how architects and architectural students at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) use sketching, 3D modeling, and existing digital tools to represent, develop, iterate, and communicate their design ideas in the concept stage and how the tools they used affect their design process. Third, two immersive case studies were conducted to identify and develop the characteristics of a digital sketching tool. The last step was to determine consensus for the appropriateness of the To-Be model through Delphi tactics. / Doctor of Philosophy / The use of digital tools such as Sketchup, Rhino, AutoCAD and others is now commonplace in the architectural design process. These tools have advantages for time management and support the iterative nature of design, while also providing an efficient connection to later stages of design development and construction documentation. However, it could be argued that the use of digital tools during the ideation and concept phases of designing limits the cognitive connection between thought and the hand that is present in freehand sketching. If we accept that this cognitive connection is foundational to the design process, then new digital sketching tools are needed that have features similar to freehand sketching while processing sketches to 2D and 3D representations that are translatable to 3D printing, digital fabrication, and eventually Building Information Modeling. What this new tool might be is currently unclear. The purpose of this research is to identify the characteristics of a next generation of sketching tools that could support ideation activities in the concept stage of architectural design. The results will help to design a roadmap for the implementation of digital technologies in the architectural design process. This research will contribute to a shift in the implementation of digital tools in the architectural design process. This research relied on multiple data sources. First, a logical argument tactic was used to develop the research design model through a comprehensive review of the scholarly work that addresses the design process in the concept stage and the role of sketching and digital tools throughout these processes. Second, case study observation and interviews were used to explore how architects and architectural students at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) use sketching, 3D modeling, and existing digital tools to represent, develop, iterate, and communicate their design ideas in the concept stage and how the tools they used affect their design process. Third, two immersive case studies were conducted to identify and develop the characteristics of a digital sketching tool. The last step was to determine consensus for the appropriateness of the To-Be model through Delphi tactics.

This study proposes a framework for simultaneously addressing qualitative and quantitative decision-making criteria during the early stages of the design process. It investigates the features and characteristics in an architectural tool that enable an architect to simultaneously address qualitative and quantitative criteria during the early stages of the design process and the requirements for implementing these features and characteristics inside a tool/working environment. It adopts a four-step methodology based on the qualitative methods of inquiry. These steps include logical argumentation based on the literature review, interviews, immersive case study, and Delphi method. The proposed framework provides a map of the areas and the themes that need consideration when developing an architectural tool that is expected to simultaneously address qualitative and quantitative criteria at the early stages of the design process. It categorizes the themes in three main areas: the themes concerned with qualitative studies, the themes concerned with quantitative studies, and the themes concerned with bridging the gap between qualitative and quantitative studies. The framework suggests that four major themes need consideration while developing architectural tools to support simultaneously addressing qualitative and quantitative criteria: Imagination Stimulation for qualitative studies, Knowledge Acquisition for quantitative studies, Architect as Toolmaker and Design Environment Coordinator, Hybrid Environment, and Interface for the synthesis of qualitative and quantitative studies. For practicing architects, the framework provides guidance to choose proper tools and form their design environment. Moreover, this study provides a new model of communication between the architecture community and the software developers. / Doctor of Philosophy / Any architectural project consists of numerous decisions that the architect must make. These decisions have different characteristics and can be categorized in many ways. One way to categorize them could be based on the nature of the criteria that the architects use to evaluate the results of their decision. In this manner, these criteria can be either qualitative or quantitative. Addressing these two different kinds of criteria demands entirely distinctive sets of skills. Architects are trained to address these two fundamentally different kinds of criteria, consciously or not. However, the reasoning process is much more complicated when the decision demands addressing qualitative and quantitative criteria, simultaneously. There exists the possibility that one criterion or one set of criteria may overshadow the rest if this complex task is approached without conscious planning by the architect. This study proposes a framework for simultaneously addressing qualitative and quantitative decision-making criteria during the early stages of the design process. It provides a map of the areas and the themes that need consideration when developing an architectural tool that is expected to simultaneously address qualitative and quantitative criteria at the early stages of the design process and uses several graphical representations to categorizes these themes based on the needs and objectives of the user.

Digital technology has made great progress in a relatively short time, which has led to new needs emerging to take advantage of the opportunities provided thanks to the digitization of society. The digital progress has resulted in teaching conditions being changed. The curriculum standards that all pupils should have equal opportunities to be good democratic citizens, demand today that digital competence needs to be provided to pupils. In the revised curriculum for the subject of mathematics it is written that mathematical activities must be linked to digital progress. It also says in the aim of the subject that teaching should give pupils the opportunities to develope knowledge of using digital tools. The result of the study states that the pupils´digital competence is of great significance for their development in mathematics when using digital tools and digital learning recources. The result also shows that one needs to compensate for pupils´previous knowledge regarding digital competence. / Den digitala tekniken har på relativt kort tid gjort stora framsteg, det har lett till att det uppstått nya behov för att ta tillvara på de möjligheter som ges tack vare samhällets digitalisering. Den digitala utvecklingen har gjort att förutsättningarna för undervisning har förändrats. Läroplanskravet att alla elever ska få likvärdiga förutsättningar att vara fullvärdiga demokratiska medborgare gör att lärare idag behöver ge eleverna en digital kompetens. I den reviderade läroplanen för ämnet matematik står det att de matematiska aktiviteterna ska vara kopplade till den digitala utvecklingen. Det står också i ämnets syfte att undervisningen ska utveckla kunskaper i användandet av digitala verktyg. Resultatet av studien visar att elevernas digitala kompetens har stor betydelse för deras utveckling i matematiken vid användandet av digitala verktyg och digitala lärresurser. Resultatet visar även att lärare behöver kompensera för elevers olika förkunskaper gällande digital kompetens.

As a result of the increase of digitalisation in today’s society, the Swedish school system requires a certain degree of digital competence amongst teachers, affecting the foundation of how their teaching practice is structured. Therefore, this study aims to investigate to what extent Swedish EFL/ESL teachers in the primary years incorporate digital tools in their teaching practice, and more specifically how – and why – they are used to facilitate learners’ vocabulary acquisition/learning. In this qualitative study, five Swedish EFL/ESL teachers in the primary years participated. The five participants work at five different schools, in three different municipalities. The empirical data was collected through semi-structured interviews. The results of these indicate that vocabulary drills, generally given as homework, are the primary method of teaching English vocabulary to the EFL/ESL learners, requiring them to learn consciously and intentionally. Moreover, the results imply that a variation of tasks and teaching tools, as well as a frequency in exposure of content, is necessary for beneficial vocabulary acquisition/learning. Further, it is evident that digital tools have a profitable effect on learners’ motivation and consequently their learning. Finally, it is clear that what matters when incorporating digital tools is how they are used, rather than that they are used.

Den tekniska utvecklingen i samhället går snabbare och snabbare, ett påstående knappast någon bestrider nuförtiden. Utvecklingen, inte minst inom dator- och IT-området, påverkar oss alla, oavsett ålder. Inom skolan är datorer ett självklart redskap och begreppet digitala verktyg är inkluderat i grundskolans läroplan inom flera olika ämnen. Denna undersökning syftar till att belysa iPadens roll i grundskolans musikundervisning. För att få svar på om en iPad tillsammans med anpassade appar kan användas som ett musikinstrument i undervisningen, eller till och med ersätta traditionella musikinstrument, så har jag intervjuat tre personer. En representant för utformningen av Skolverkets läroplan för ämnet musik, en rektor inom grundskolan och en ämneslärare i musik på grundskolan får ge sin syn på frågan. Dessa kvalitativa intervjuer ligger till grund för empirin i denna undersökning. Informanternas svar har analyserats med ett hermeneutiskt perspektiv vilket har lett till nya frågor och svar kring iPadens roll i musikundervisningen. Resultatet pekar på att iPads och appar har en självklar roll som verktyg i musikundervisningen men kan inte betecknas som ett musikinstrument. Dock betonar samtliga informanter att svaret kan bli annorlunda i framtiden. Ett tydligt tecken på hur snabbt tekniken utvecklas. / The technical development in society moves faster and faster, a statement no one question nowadays. The development within computer and IT-area affects us all regardless of age. Computers are a natural tool and the concept of digital tools is included in several different subjects in elementary school program. This examination aims to illuminate the role of the iPad in elementary school music education. I have interviewed three individuals to get an answer to the question if an iPad with custom applications can be used as music instrument in education or even replace conventional music instruments. The individuals I have interviewed are: one representative from national agency for education (Skolverket), one principal from elementary school and one music teacher from elementary school. These qualitative interviews are the foundation of the empirical studies in this examination. The answers from this interview have been analyzed via a hermeneutic perspective, which have led to further questions and answers in this matter. The result clearly illustrates that iPads and applications have a given role as a tool in music education but can not be described as a music instrument. Nevertheless, all individuals interviewed underlines that the answer can be different in the future. This is a clear sign of how fast technology develops.

I detta arbete undersöks vilka digitala verktyg som används i några musiklärares undervisning, hur de används, samt vilka de bakomliggande pedagogiska intentionerna kan tänkas vara. Vi har även försökt tolka vilken attityd musiklärarna har till användandet av dessa verktyg och om den kan sägas vara beroende av ålder och yrkeserfarenhet. Fem informanter i fem små eller mellanstora svenska städer med olika typer av musiklärarjobb intervjuades i hopp om ett varierat svarsresultat. I bakgrunden tar vi upp vad som gör ämnet intressant och relevant; att ny teknik är en stor del av barn och ungdomars livsstil. Vi tar också upp några aspekter på inlärning; sociokulturellt perspektiv – synen på lärande som beroende av individens samspel med sin omgivning, samt hur inlärning påverkas beroende på hur stoff presenteras. Vidare finns ett avsnitt om investeringar som gjorts för att integrera datorteknik i svensk skola, ett om vad som sägs i skolverkets styrdokument och ett om lärares roll i förhållande till IKT (informations- och kommunikationsteknik).Resultatet visar att digitala redskap används i planering, undervisning och som visuella/auditiva minneslappar mellan lektioner. Vanligt förekommande är streamingtjänster och inspelningsprogram. Man framhåller också moderna kommunikationsmöjligheter som viktiga. Ett viktigt argument för användande av ny teknik är elevens chans till inlärning via gehör och härmning tack vare stor tillgång till musik. Vi kan vidare se att lärarnas inställning till ny teknik är överlag positiv, men inte helt utan restriktioner. Det praktiska spelandet och själva mötet med eleverna hålls som viktigast. Tesen om att lärares inställning till ny teknik skulle kunna bero på ålder och yrkeserfarenhet är inget detta arbete kan styrka. / In the present study, digital tools are examined that are used by certain music teachers, how they are used, and what the underlying pedagogical intentions may be. We have also tried to interpret the attitude of the music teachers in regard to the use of these tools, and whether it can be said to be dependent on age and work experience. Five informants in five small or medium-sized Swedish cities with various types of music teaching jobs were interviewed, with the hope in gaining an overall diverse response.In our view, we discuss what makes the subject interesting and relevant: that new technologies are a major part of children’s and young people's lifestyles. We also address some aspects of learning; socio-cultural perspectives - the view of learning as dependent on the individual's interaction with his environment, and also how learning is affected depending on how the material is presented. There is also a section on the investment made in integrating computer technology in Swedish schools, a section on what is presented in the agency's governing documents, and a third section on the teachers' role in relation to ICT (information and communication technology).The result shows that digital tools are used in planning, teaching and visual / auditory memory overlap between classes. Streaming services and sequencer programs are often used. It also points to modern means of communication as being important. An important argument for the use of new technologies is the opportunity for students to learn through hearing and mimicry thanks to much access to music. We can also see that teachers' attitudes towards new technologies are largely positive, but not without restrictions. The actual performance of music and the personal encounter with students will be held as the most important aspects. The question of the teacher's attitude toward new technologies as being dependent upon age and work experience has not been proven in this study.

De senaste årtiondena har det hänt mycket inom digital teknik i vårt samhälle och människan har mer eller mindre gjort sig beroende av dem. Det talas även om att små barn måste lära sig hantera digitala verktyg och många förskolor runt om i vårt land har nu infört surfplattor till sina avdelningar, men det finns delade meningar angående hur och när och om surfplattan används i förskolan. Bakgrunden till undersökningen kom genom att jag upptäckte dessa  splittrade meningar i användandet av digitala verktyg.   Denna kvantitativa undersökning syftar till att få en bild över hur användandet av surfplattan i förskolans verksamhet ser ut i dagsläget. Undersökningen har gjorts med hjälp av enkäter som skickats ut via mail till personal på förskolor runt om i landet. Studien utgår ifrån ett sociokulturellt perspektiv på barns utveckling och samhällets struktur.   Resultatet visar att de som idag har tillgång till surfplattan har en positiv syn på användandet och den används till stor del på ett pedagogiskt sätt men samtidigt också som tidsfördriv. / The last few decades a lot has happened in digital technology in our society, and people have more or less made herself dependent of them. There is also talk about that the young children need to learn how to deal with the digital tools and many preschools across our country have now introduced tablet computers to there departments. But there is disagreements about how, when and if the tablets is used in the preschools. Background to this study came through that I discovered there fragments in the use of digital tools.   This quantitative study seeks to gain a view of how the tablets is used and how the preschool teachers looks at it. The study  was conducted by means of questionnaires sent out by email to staff at preschools around the country. The study is based on a socio-cultural perspective on child development and the structure of society. The results show that those who have access to tablet has a positive view of the use and used largely in an educational way, yet also as a pastime.

Bakgrund: Invandring till Sverige ökar. Enligt hälso- och sjukvårdslagen har alla rätt till lika sjukvård. Patienter har rätt till information och självbestämmande. För att uppnå delaktighet krävs att sjuksköterska och patient kan kommunicera. Det är därför av stort värde att beskriva förutsättningar i vården för patienter som har otillräckliga eller inga kunskaper i svenska. Syfte: Att undersöka förutsättningarna för en patient, som har otillräckliga eller inga kunskaper i svenska, att få god somatisk slutenvård samt att undersöka hur kommunikation mellan patient och sjuksköterska kan underlättas. Metod: En kvalitativ studie baserad på semistrukturerade intervjuer där åtta sjuksköterskor från ett universitetssjukhus i Sverige har intervjuats. Intervjuerna blev inspelade, transkriberade och analyserade med kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Resultat: Sjuksköterskan får ofta hitta egna lösningar och verktyg. Ett av de mest använda verktygen är det digitala verktyget Google Translate. Tolk används sällan även om sjuksköterskorna gärna ser att det används mer. Att inte kunna förstå personalen och inte ha möjlighet att kommunicera effektivt leder till att patienten förlorar mycket av sitt sociala liv, informationen blir bristfällig och delaktigheten blir lidande. Detta kan eventuellt leda till att patientens säkerhet påverkas. Slutsats: Språkbarriären påverkar patientens sociala behov, delaktigheten och informationsflödet. Mer användning av tolk efterfrågas men är omständligt. Digitala verktyg är ibland det enda alternativet, dessa verktyg är dock varken medicinskt anpassade eller säkra att översätta med. / Background: Immigration to Sweden is increasing. According to the Swedish Health Care Act, everyone is entitled to equal health care. Patients have the right to information and self-determination. To achieve participation requires that the nurse and patient can communicate. It is therefore of great value to describe the conditions of the care of patients who have inadequate or no knowledge of Swedish. Aim: To investigate conditions for a patient, who have inadequate or no knowledge of Swedish, to receive good somatic inpatient care and how communication between patient and nurse can be facilitated. Method: A qualitative study based on semi-structured interviews where eight nurses from a Swedish university hospital was interviewed. The interviews were recorded, transcribed and analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Result: Nurses often find their own solutions and tools. One of the most used tools is the digital tool Google Translate. Interpreters are rarely used even if the nurses would like to see the interpreter and telephone interpreting being used more. Not being able to understand the staff and not having the ability to communicate in a good way causes the patient to lose much of their social life, insufficient information and lack of participation, this may have an impact on the patient safety. Conclusion: The language barrier affects the patient's social needs, participation and the information flow. More use of interpreters is requested but is cumbersome. Digital tools are sometimes the only option, however, these tools are neither medically customized nor secure to translate with.

In a society dependent on knowledge, information and information technology (IT), studying IT-oriented knowledge intensive firms becomes particularly interesting. Previous research has for the most part studied management consulting firms as well as how knowledge management and knowledge management initiatives can support or inhibit the growth of organizations. To further progress this line of research the study intends to fill a gap in research concerning consultants focusing on IT-solutions. Consequently, this study has two equally important purposes. Firstly, the study intends to investigate the application of Ikujiro Nonaka’s Organizational Knowledge Creation Theory on new empirical data. Secondly, this study aims to explain learning processes in the IT-consulting trade. The empirical data used is taken from eight interviews and three qualitative surveys from three different IT-consulting firms in Sweden. By using a multiple-case study design this study simultaneously presents a broad perspective of the IT-consulting trade and a deeper understanding of the knowledge sharing processes used in the different cases. The study has resulted in three major conclusions. (1) There are different types of digital tools that are important for knowledge sharing in organizations. These are digital conversation-rooms, digital pin boards and internal databases. (2) The authors also identify six conditions that are important for knowledge sharing. These conditions are proven to have a complex relationship with the context in which knowledge is shared and the consultants’ choice of digital tools. (3) Lastly the Organizational Knowledge Creation Theory is found to be insufficient in describing the knowledge sharing processes in IT-consulting firms, especially regarding the relation between the socialization and externalization processes. Proposals for future research in relation to the findings are presented.

Digitaliseringen i skolan har lett till att det blivit allt vanligare med 1:1-satsningar, det vill säga införande av en dator per elev. Detta görs för att öka elevernas digitala kompetens, men också ofta med förhoppning om ökad motivation till skolarbete. I studien har 17 elever inom årskurs 4–6 intervjuats. Syftet har varit att undersöka hur eleverna upplever att användningen av datorn under matematiklektionerna påverkar deras motivation, samt vilka faktorer eleverna lyfter fram som för-och nackdelar vid användningen av datorn. Dessa faktorer har sedan analyserats utifrån motivationsteori för att se hur olika typer av motivation kan påverka lärande. Resultatet visar att användningen av datorn under matematiklektionerna kan bidra både till elevernas yttre- och inre motivation, men att motivation för datorn bör skiljas från motivation för matematikinnehållet. Resultatet visar även på en brist i lärarstöd och att datorn ofta inkluderas i undervisningen på ett sätt som inte främjar elevernas inre motivation och lärande i matematik. / The digitization in school has led to an increase in 1: 1 investment, also known as the introduction of one computer per pupil. This is to enhance students' digital competence, but also often with the hope of increased motivation for schoolwork. In the study, 17 students in grades 4–6 were interviewed. The purpose has been to investigate how the students feel that the use of the computer during lessons in mathematics affects their motivation, as well as what factors the students highlight as the pros and cons of using the computer. These factors have then been analysed against motivation theory to see how different types of motivation can affect learning. The result shows that the use of the computer during lessons in mathematics can contribute both to the students' extrinsic and intrinsic motivation, but that motivation for the computer should be separated from the motivation for the mathematical content. The result also shows a lack in teacher support, and that the computer is often included in a way that does not promote the students' intrinsic motivation and learning in mathematics.