Aim/Purpose

The aim of the study is to explore students’ encounters with digital tools and how they account for their experiences of using digital tools within formal education.

Background

While computers have a long history in educational settings, research indicates that digital tools function both as affordances and constraints, and that the role of digital tools in schools continues to be debated. Taking into consideration student perspectives can broaden the understanding of knowledge formation practices.

Methodology

The study is part of a larger ethnographic project, focusing on agency at all levels with respect to digitalization in schools. The present exploratory study is built primarily on interviews with 31 secondary school students at five different schools (15 girls and 16 boys). The analytical framework was a Nexus Analysis, focusing on discourses in place.

Contribution

The paper shows how digital tools are conceptualized as being formed by and fitted into the traditions and habits of the institution, rather than acting as a transformative force to change knowledge formation practices in schools.

Findings

From the students’ narrative accounts, the following key themes emerge: (1) Action in contexts, (2) Agency in contexts, and (3) Equality in contexts. The first deals with the use of digital tools in school and the interaction order as it is accounted for in the use of digital tools in schools. The second frames human agency with regards to usage of digital tools and how agency fluctuates in interaction. The third deals with the compensating role digital tools are supposed to play for students who are identified with special needs and for students with divergent backgrounds, especially socioeconomic standards.

Recommendations for Practitioners

For teachers, the recommendation is to engage in dialogue with the stu-dents on how and when to use digital tools and the affordances and con-straints involved from a student’s point of view.For school leaders, the recommendation is to review how organizational structures, culture, and processes hinder or support the development of new practices in digitalization processes.

Recommendation for Researchers

The three key themes that emerged in this study emphasize the need to reflect upon how a panopticon view of contemporary classrooms can be challenged. Involving students in this work is recommended as a means to anchor ideas and results.

Impact on Society

This study is part of a larger project at Jönköping University, focusing on agency at all levels with respect to digitalization in schools. The overall goal is to increase our understanding of how to improve digitalization and implementation processes in schools.

Future Research

Future studies that address digital technologies in schools need to pay special attention to the interaction between students, teachers, and various kinds of tools to map the nature of the education process, with the aim of challenging the panopticon view of the classroom. Future studies need to focus upon processes themselves, rather than accounts of processes.

A study visit is when an individual or a group visits a site to learn about the context and to exchange knowledge with the people at the site. Study visits are often connected to efforts to create intercultural understanding within a course. Traditionally, study visits are connected to geographical sites: students travel to other countries or visit organisations relevant to their education and training. With the development of online environments, virtual study visits are emerging as an alternative to traditional study visits. This paper explores a virtual study visit. The purpose of the virtual study visit was for students to prepare for a laboratory exercise by getting familiar with the context where the exercise would take place. The virtual environment where the study visit took place was a model of the Foundry School they would visit later in the course. There were nine students in the course, and the results of their evaluation of the virtual study visit are presented in the paper. The discussion centres on the students’ perception of the virtual study visit in the course as well as a general consideration of how a virtual study visit can provide additional value in a higher education course. Some unique features of an educational virtual environment, which cannot be achieved in traditional classroom education, are discussed in the paper. The conclusion is that a virtual study visit can provide flexibility in time and space and the possibility to zoom between micro and macro levels in the model of the building. To achieve educational goals, both teachers and students need to engage in the preparation as well as in the virtual study visit itself.

The demographic changes, with an ageing population in many countries, are usually seen as a financial problem and the solution is to discuss a higher retirement age. In Sweden, the government is working with changes on several levels to make it possible to continue working later in life. This discussion is however paradoxical. People who are sick or worn-out are afraid of being forced to prolong their work life. People, who want to continue working, cannot stay because of employers’ negative attitude towards older employees. To work longer can be a way for individuals to stay active which promotes good health and well-being, but the discussion needs to include alternative solutions and a broader perspective, not just prolonging working life. Work is often equal to fulltime employment and the role of learning throughout (work)life is seldom addressed. In addition, one often forgets to ask the older adults themselves about their experience and opinion in this matter. We talk about them and not with them.

The purpose of this paper is to study the role of work and learning in older adults lives. A survey was distributed in four pensioner's associations in one of Sweden’s county’s. 232 individuals replied and out of these, 83 (35,8%) have worked in some form after retirement. Only four of these had worked fulltime. About half had worked for payment and the rest had worked for non-profit organizations. The primary context for learning activities was to be involved in a study circle.

Based on the results of this study, there was an expressed need for individual flexibility and adjustment so that pensioners could stay active and productive on their own terms. In today’s working life, flexibility is usually a demand on the workforce but rarely expected from employers. There is also a lack of the systematic integration of education in a lifelong perspective.

In the middle of the post-merger integration process voices expressing a need for innova­tion was heard. What was the reason for this change of focus in the organization and why did they use the concept innovation? This paper is based on a study of a merger between a Finnish and a Swedish company. Both companies had historically been family com­panies but one of them was listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange in 1993 which had changed the business logic in the organization. When talking to the managers after the merger they referred to cultures to explain problematic issues. In this paper, the frame concept is used to analyze organizational cultures, and to compare them with the notion of an innovative organization. It turned out that the two pre-merger organizational cultures had stronger innovative features, compared to the culture in the new, merged company. This is followed by a suggestion that innovation should be seen as a method for integration, rather than a goal for the new organization.

Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) is one of the strategic options available for business growth, and there is an increased research interest in the topic and its relevance to family firms. In this article, post-merger integration is discussed by looking at ownership, family and management as three separate value systems at work in the process. The interplay between these aspects influences what people perceive as organizational culture in terms of norms and values in a specific setting. The paper builds on a field study of two family businesses in a Nordic setting, including over 200 interviews and 40 h of video. The paper contributes to the emerging knowledge about M&A in family business. Furthermore, it contributes to the field of M&A by highlighting that ownership could be included as an aspect in cultural studies to better understand post-merger integration.

It has long been known that mentorship programs can provide both vocational and psycho-social support and development opportunities for program participants. There exist a number of different guides regarding mentorship and mentorship has proven itself to be a superior way to learn ‘on the job’. One explanation is that mentors can provide individual support to mentees so as to help them understand and create meaning from their experiences. Another explanation is that mentors can help mentees to formulate their professional identity. It has been reported that traditional educational approaches are not efficient when it comes to meeting an organizations’ needs. With a traditional training approach (i.e. education that is based on a fixed curriculum that is not adapted to a particular problem or to an organization), it might be difficult, or even impossible, to apply what one has learned when one returns to one’s workplace. The reasons for this are the barriers that can be found at the management and organizational level. These include a lack of strategic clarity, an authoritarian management style, a politically-charged environment, and conflicts between functions. Education and training in mentoring programs are often based on problem-oriented learning in a specific work setting. Problem-oriented learning that takes place at the workplace, as an alternative to traditional courses, has many advantages; for example, such learning can be linked to everyday tasks. In addition to job-specific knowledge and skills, mentorship may require further development of the mentee’s critical thinking skills, social competence, and specific knowledge (for example, technical skills) that are not available within the workplace. Participation in a mentoring program can bring benefits to both the mentor and mentee; including a positive career development and job satisfaction. Moreover, one should not forget that career development and personal growth often involves learning on behalf of both the mentor and mentee; mentoring can develop deeper understanding of different parts of the business and this approach can allow different perspectives on work-related problems to emerge, in relation to, or beyond, the topic being treated.

This paper will focus on E-mentorship as a specific set-up for working with mentorship. E-mentorship and mentorship systems have been studied before but not to a large extent. In one organisation, an ICT system had replaced the middle managers as mentors. The replacement of mentors with such systems is probably something we will see more of in the ongoing digitalization of the workplace. The ICT mentorship system resulted in the responsibility for assimilation into the organization being transferred to the newly employed person (and not middle management, as was previously the case). The digitalization of mentorship, however, can benefit from knowledge gained from traditional mentorship programs. At the same time, this digitalization process can allow for the introduction of new and innovative ways of working with learning in organizations. It can also provide opportunities for further adjustments within mentorship programs, especially in relation to the context in which they are to be implemented. The replacement of mentorship programs with IT systems is something we will probably see more of. Learning in the context of traditional mentorship programs is still required, but in combination with new and innovative ways of working.

The focus of Narrative Gerontology is placed on stories about the aging process. In the present paper, the learning of older adults in a Senior University context is captured by means of stories written by the participants themselves. The examination of older adults' stories, as they look back on life or any narrative that connected to a specific area of life, can contribute to our understanding of growth later in life. The aim of the study is to examine how growth manifests itself later in life. Participants at Senior University were asked to share their experiences of education later in life. Participation was voluntary and the identity of each participant was kept anonymous for the purpose of the research project. Fifty-three stories written by Senior University participants (n = 38 women and 15 men) were analyzed according to: (i) an inductive analysis of the stories that resulted in a description of the main topics addressed in the stories, and (ii) a deductive analysis that invoked a theoretical framework concerning the existential aspects of older adults' learning, including “corporeality,” “relationality,” “spatiality,” “temporality,” and “materiality.” The two analyses were compared, and it was noted that “relationality” and “spatiality” corresponded to the educational experiences in the stories. “Relationality” was observed to be concerned with the social dimensions of life; but in the context of Senior University, “relationality” was strongly intertwined with the learning process. “Spatiality” addressed how older adults relate to physical- and mental space. Participation at Senior University entailed an expansion of both physical- and mental space for the participants. A number of tensions were identified in the stories. One the one hand, the stories can be interpreted as illustrations of moving forward and embracing continued growth and development. On the other hand, the stories can be interpreted as illustrations of resistance toward aging and decline. Since life is complex and contradictory, multiple, and even contradictory plots, co-exist in life stories.

This paper conceptualizes a post-merger integration process as a quest for semantic fit in the process of changing meaning in international business; a study of how meaning is constructed in the creation of a new social setting after a merger. The analysis showed how the integra­tion discourse consisted of dualistic tensions in several dimensions, and how management worked towards homogenization to deal with these tensions, which in itself created a tension in the dimension heterogeneity – homogeneity. The paper is based on a longitudinal field study of post-merger integration meetings in a mangement group.

Lifelong learning is a concept which is used in many different contexts and in many different ways. Three perspectives of ‘lifelong learning’ will be introduced: (i) lifelong learning as policy; (ii) lifelong learning as theory; and (iii) lifelong learning as an education system. What all three perspectives have in common is the assumption that learning takes place throughout the duration of a person’s life. The three perspectives also assume that learning takes place in various contexts in a person’s everyday life. The meanings which have been associated with the concept of lifelong learning can be differentiated via the three perspectives mentioned above, but there is also an interrelation between political intentions (as expressed in policy), philosophy of pedagogy (as expressed in theoretical frameworks), and practical arrangements (in the form of an education system). While the lifelong learning concept is most pronounced in policy work, it is primarily lifelong learning as a philosophy of pedagogy which can provide us with important insight into the development of lifelong learning in a professional context and in society. What does this mean for higher education? The difference between working with full programs and individual courses will be addressed, and concrete examples of how actors in the surrounding society have found innovative solutions based on collaboration with higher education to meet their competence development needs will be highlighted.

The connection between education and wellbeing is presented as a general argument for the participation of older adults in education, but is this reason why older adults themselves choose to engage in education activities? This paper combines the results from two previous empirical studies and addresses how older adults account for their participation in education activities. The first empirical data set comprises a survey completed by 232 Swedish pensioners. The second empirical data set comprises stories by 53 Swedish pensioners about their participation at Senior University. The same dominant arguments for their participation in education emerged in both studies; namely (i) staying active and (ii) socialising. However, this observation can be understood in terms of motives and benefits, something which indicates a possible fusion of extrinsic- and intrinsic motivation. A closer reading of the narratives reveals that many participants enrolled in Senior University because other family members, friends, and former work-colleagues had enrolled. This suggests that what on the surface may appear as an individual’s choice could, in fact, be explained by social factors.

Relationships and learning between generations are central to people's lifelong learning. Intergenerational learning is a way to create attractive and meaningful learning contexts for different generations (Boström, 2003, 2012, 2014, 2017; Lüscher et al., 2017; Malec Rawiński, 2014; Schmidt-Hertha, Jelenc Krasovec, & Formosa, 2014). The generational perspective can also be valuable for understanding transformative changes, such as a study of how previous generations of Polish immigrants have built on their culture, traditions and values in the Swedish context (Malec-Rawiński, 2017). In Australia, so-called Men’s shed was started which involved involving older men with a low level of education in a developing community (Golding, 2015). A recent study also shows that in addition to age, well-educated older men also relate to their (altered) masculinity (Malec-Rawiński, 2019). This paper will present a proposal for a study of intergenerational learning in a hunting community, including glimpses from a pilot study. The theoretical perspective is narrative, and the focus is on how they use stories as a way to share knowledge in the hunting community.

This conceptual paper focuses on variations in the preferred learning spaces of knowledge workers and resulting implications for the construction of an effective knowledge management technology system. The discussion in the paper is based on the cross-reference of ideas from literature on Knowledge Management (KM) and Experiential Learning Theory (ELT). When developing a Knowledge Management Technology (KMT) system, the technological possibilities are often the point of departure. Based on the discussion in this paper, I propose that the knowledge workers’ learning styles should be the proper point of departure. The paper presents a conceptual model based on the concept of learning spaces. An important finding is that data base technology is over-emphasized. Instead, more attention should be given to the role of ICT and social media in managing knowledge. This paper answers to calls for a focus on the knowledge worker in KM.

First paragraphs: Those of us who work in higher education have an important task to fulfil, namely, to promote lifelong learning. Consequently, it can be of benefit to understand the concept of ‘lifelong learning’ and the various dimensions it encompasses. Lifelong learning does not merely entail that we can or should engage in learning throughout our lives – it also involves continuously learning new knowledge and skills whether we actively choose to do so or not. As a result, those of us who work in the field of education and learning are tasked with an additional responsibility: to ensure that such learning is rewarding for the individual and contributes to the long-term development of society.

When lifelong learning is demanded in the context of higher education, this signifies a shift from viewing oneself as a post-secondary institution catering to young adults to acting as a partner in the individual’s lifelong learning journey. Establishing a lifelong relationship with an individual who is constantly evolving naturally entails increased complexity but also additional opportunities. As early as twenty years ago, the Swedish National Agency for Higher Education noted that lifelong learning was politically, organizationally, and attitudinally embedded in the Swedish higher education system. Notwithstanding this, the agency also noted that it was perhaps time for a deeper understanding of what lifelong learning truly entails. The difference now compared to then is the increase in the proportion of the population who hold higher education degrees, the increased demand in the job market for skilled labour, and changes in work methods based on technological advancements. While we can learn from past events, we must also be prepared to observe what is happening in society right now.

This essay introduces the concept of ‘lifelong learning’ and highlights different ways how the concept can be considered. To this end, I pose the following questions: What has lifelong learning entailed in different time periods? What ideologies guide the direction of learning? and How do different perspectives regarding learning relate to each other? Taken together, answers to these questions can contribute to deepening our understanding of lifelong learning in higher education and thereby enhancing our work with lifelong learning.

This chapter demonstrates that ‘lifelong learning’ is a concept which is used in different contexts and in different ways. Two intertwined perspectives of ‘lifelong learning’ are highlighted here: (i) ‘lifelong learning’ as policy; and (ii) ‘lifelong learning’ as theory. What they have in common is the assumption that learning takes place throughout the duration of a person’s life and that learning takes place in various contexts in a person’s everyday life. The meanings which have been associated with the concept of ‘lifelong learning’ can be differentiated via the perspectives mentioned above, but there is also an interplay between political intentions (as expressed in policy) and philosophy of pedagogy (as expressed in theoretical frameworks). While the ‘lifelong learning’ concept is most frequently occurring in policy work, it is primarily ‘lifelong learning’ as a philosophy of pedagogy which can provide us with important insight into the development of lifelong learning in a professional context and in society.

I samband med Encells 20-årsjubileum hölls ett seminarium med titeln 'Livslångt lärande för välbefinnande, mångfald och delaktighet'. Programmet spelades in och här hittar du första delen, där Cecilia Bjursell adresserar livslångt lärande i ett internationellt perspektiv.

I Sverige har diskussionen om livslångt lärande allt mer kommit att handla om hur arbetsgivare kan stödja medarbetarnas ständiga lärande. Ett övergripande resultat i denna rapport är att det finns evidens, det vill säga vetenskapligt baserad kunskap, vad gäller individens motivation och lärande, organisationen som lärandemiljö, och hur utbildningar kan utformas med eller utan digitalt stöd för att ge goda effekter. Däremot konstaterar flera forskare i sina studier och litteraturgenomgångar att trots att kunskapen finns, sker få ändringar i praktiken för att arbeta utifrån dessa kunskaper.

Den här rapporten är en tvärvetenskaplig forskningsöversikt som tagits fram inom ramen för projektet Digital pedagogik och kompetensutveckling för industrin. Projektet leds i sin helhet av RISE – Research Institutes of Sweden, tillsammans med Teknikföretagen och IF Metall som partners i gemensam styrgrupp. Encell – Nationellt centrum för livslångt lärande fick uppdraget att gå igenom tidigare forskning utifrån den gemensamt formulerade frågan: ”Hur behöver lärinsatser i arbetslivet designas - för att skapa lust till ökat och digitalt skalbart lärande som engagerar många och ger påvisbar effekt?”

För att vaska fram forskning om lärande i arbetslivet som kunde bidra med kunskap utifrån den övergripande frågan valde vi ut följande nyckelord: 1) arbetsliv, 2) motivation, 3) digitalisering och 4) effekter. Ett annat val var att arbeta med litteraturgenomgångar som har granskat studier inom ett område, eftersom de ger ett koncentrat av vetenskapligt baserad kunskap. I rapporten redogörs för den litteratur som utgör urvalet i var och en av de fyra sökningarna. Rapporten avslutas med en modell som ska stödja den som vill arbeta med lärande på arbetsplatsen genom att erbjuda insikter i vilka antaganden och utgångspunkter en satsning har.

En återkommande framgångsfaktor som nämns i studierna är att ha personal med pedagogisk kompetens som kan stödja upplägg och genomförande av utbildningoch lärande i arbetslivet. Det tillvägagångssätt som ger bäst effekt enligt den forskning som behandlats i denna rapport är när deltagarna aktiveras för att lära sig. När en sådan lärandesatsning ska utformas kräver det att det, utöver innehållslig kompetens, finns förståelse för individens utgångspunkt och förutsättningar, samt att det finns handlingsutrymme och stöd under lärandeprocessen.

Den här rapporten är en tvärvetenskaplig forskningsöversikt som tagits fram inom ramen för projektet Digital pedagogik och kompetensutveckling för industrin. Projektet leds i sin helhet av RISE – Research Institutes of Sweden, tillsammans med Teknikföretagen och IF Metall som partners i gemensam styrgrupp. Encell – Nationellt centrum för livslångt lärande fick uppdraget att gå igenom tidigare forskning utifrån den gemensamt formulerade frågan: ”Hur behöver lärinsatser i arbetslivet designas - för att skapa lust till ökat och digitalt skalbart lärande som engagerar många och ger påvisbar effekt?"

The merger process is often described as a turbulent situation where cultures collide. For the people involved, this can be a time of crisis, but in this crisis there is also an opportunity for growth. This paper describes how a management group worked in a project to develop a new corporate identity during the integration process after the decision to merge. The first step in this process was to describe the characteristics of the previous cultures using words and images. After this, a shared corporate identity was developed, together with a vision, mission and core values.

The idea of this paper is to discuss a further use of the descriptions of culture made in the identity project. By using the conception of managers in the two organizations, the stereo­types, I will take a look at possible strategies for socially identity-based impression manage­­ment when working in a merged company. To further enhance the interactive aspect of management, I will use the term artefact, instead of stereotype. In the empirical illustration I will show how the management group worked with identity construction after the merger, and what the charac­ter­istics for corporate identity were before and after the merger. Furthermore, I will use the managers’ description of the other and see how this is related to corporate identity (social identity), and how this can be used when thinking about oneself as an artefact. Could managers improve the understanding of their professional identity, when working with a corporate identity? If so, what aspects of corporate identity are used when relating to professions within the company? And can the change of corporate identity be a way to improve management during a post-merger integration process?