Urban Nulden

A study of emergency response work: patterns of mobile phone interaction

This paper presents descriptive accounts of time-critical organizing in the domain of emergency response. Patterns of mobile phone interaction in such work is analyzed showing how the dyadic exchange of mobile phone numbers between the actors plays an important role in the social interactions in the organizing and sensemaking of the emergency. Enacted sensemaking is used as an analytical framework. Implications for design of emergency response information technology are outlined and discussed.

e-ducation: research and practice

This paper proposes an integrated approach for information technology in an educational context. The paper suggests a framework for the design of computer assisted learning activities — e-ducation. The framework captures three contemporary interrelated aspects of teaching and learning and is more pedagogical than it is analytical. The three aspects covered in the e-ducation framework are electronic, engaged and empowered. An implementation of the framework is used to illustrate how e-ducation can be applied in educational research and practice. The paper concludes that the e-ducation framework contributes to both educational research and educational practice.

Talking about tools – investigating learning at work in police practice

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to show how professional tools trigger workplace learning. The daily mundane work of Swedish police officers has been studied to investigate how the use of police tools triggers learning through discussions in police practice.Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected through a field study consisting of extensive observations and interviews. The interviews mainly took place in the actual practice of the officers. Situated learning and communities of practice served as an analytical lens.Findings – The study revealed how the use of specific police tools resulted in conversations among the officers. Theses conversations are claimed to be vital parts of the community, and thus the learning of the community of police practice. The paper shows how tools make the ways of working, i.e. police practice, available for discussion and collective reflection.Originality/value – The paper is an in‐depth investigation of a relatively closed sector of society. The paper can in...

‘Copernicus’ Experiencing a Failing Project for Reflection and Learning

In this article, we discuss an approach to initiate learning and improvement of practice related to complex business processes in corporations. The approach called PIER (Problem-based learning, Interactive multimedia, Experiential learning and Role-playing) uses interactive multimedia scenarios for role-playing in groups. We describe an action research project where PIER was applied as a large-scale competence development initiative in an industrial setting. The purpose was to facilitate experience sharing, discussion and reflection, with the intention of improving project management practices both at the individual level and the organizational level. The results of the evaluation present a situation where PIER supported organizational maintenance but failed to promote organizational change. Hence our study provides support for several key arguments in the debate about organizational learning; in particular, concerning the relationship between learning interventions and organizational development.In this article, we discuss an approach to initiate learning and improvement of practice related to complex business processes in corporations. The approach called PIER (Problem-based learning, Interactive multimedia, Experiential learning and Role-playing) uses interactive multimedia scenarios for role-playing in groups. We describe an action research project where PIER was applied as a large-scale competence development initiative in an industrial setting. The purpose was to facilitate experience sharing, discussion and reflection, with the intention of improving project management practices both at the individual level and the organizational level. The results of the evaluation present a situation where PIER supported organizational maintenance but failed to promote organizational change. Hence our study provides support for several key arguments in the debate about organizational learning; in particular, concerning the relationship between learning interventions and organizational development.

Investigating police patrol practice for design of IT

This paper describes an ongoing research project aiming to find design implications for information technology supporting police patrol work. A field study of approximately 300 hours over a twelve-month period has been conducted. Tentative findings are structured as three design dimensions that are used to discuss a possible IT design.

MobiLearn: competence development for Nomads

Organizations in the new economy are dependent on organizational knowledge and competence. Workers in these organizations are to a large extent mobile. They need new competence development opportunities unrestrained by time and space. We have developed and successfully tested models, applications and activities (e.g. multimedia scenarios) supporting competence development. We are transferring this competence development activity to mobile settings to achieve successful competence development for nomads. The goal is identifying applications and services in the competence development realm suitable for 3G (third generation cellular networks). Combining our models and activities with the new technology we rethink how competence development can be conducted and managed.

Mobile Media: The Convergence of Media and Mobile Communications

With media convergence, new forms of media use have emerged: userscan enhance a media encounter by controlling the streams of informationand have the ability to interact with not only the media itself, but also thecontent provider and other users. Technical developments have alsoresulted in affordable off-the-shelf production equipment. Today it isprobably easier to set up a worldwide accessible radio station on theinternet than it is to get employment in a traditional radio station. Hencecontrol over media production is diverging and new, sometimes lesstraditional, content providers are entering the media industries. However,research on media convergence has mostly addressed stationary settings.But with the growing phenomenon of mobile information technology(IT), it is becoming increasingly important to consider mobility as adimension of media convergence and mobile media as a new researchfield.

Mobile competence development for nomads

Outlines an ongoing research project on training, education and sharing of experiences among mobile people, also referred to as nomads. The importance for professionals to continuously learn is widely recognized. Organizations in the new economy are dependent on organizational knowledge and competence. Mobile workers need alternative educational and knowledge development opportunities that are not restrained by time and space. The goal is providing competence development for nomads using 3rd generation cellular networks-3G, which combines high-speed mobile access with Internet Protocol (IP) based services. This allows mobile high quality multimedia. We present a preliminary study of the competence development situation of nomads. We outline two use cases of possible competence development activities suited for the mobile worker and the 3G platform.

Mandatory participation in asynchronous learning networks

We report on our experiences with an asynchronous learning network (ALN) based course in higher education in which participation was not an option but a requirement. Mandatory participation in collaborative learning was the primary examination that had to be passed in order to qualify for the secondary examination, the authoring of a short essay. The evaluations show that mandatory participation as examination (MPE) is a viable format of examination for ALN based learning. The main strength of this format of examination is that it promotes active participation, which is a main ingredient in the desired learning process. In practice, ALN based learning with MPE was not considered beneficial for learning by the students. This is explained by the problematic shift from teacher-centered to learner-centered education and the traditional view of examination as separated from learning.

Introduction to the mobile informatics mini-track

People become more mobile to increase their opportunities. They rush around in offices, they wander in city centers, and they drive around in cars. But mobility also disconnects them from their surroundings, both nearby and things at a distance. Mobile work is often characterized by disruptions of the work task and limited access to resources such as information and colleagues. Things might be missed if not at the right place at right time with right information. However, mobile information technologies have the potential to reestablish some of the benefits of stationary proximity and allow people to conduct their business or lead their everyday lives while on the move. Three assumptions about mobility seem to be shared by people in general: (1) People are increasingly mobile. (2) Several new types of wireless access will be available in the next few years. And (3) Mobile information technology will offer new possibilities for mobile people. As described in the call for papers, Mobile Informatics is an applied research area exploring mobile people and mobile information technology. Mobile informatics research is often conducted close to the industry. Much of the research is design and future oriented, combining field studies with technological innovations, scenario work with visions of the future. The result is innovative concepts and knowledge for the research community, business value and new opportunities for the industrial partners and services adding value to peoples life. Mobile informatics research is multidisciplinary and takes place in a number of different academic disciplines. The two main fields for the research are CSCW (computer supported cooperative work) and HCI (human computer interaction). Mobile informatics research is therefore commonly conducted, like much of the CSCW research, as a combination of a special form of sociological research (field work studies) and computer science. Sociology is employed for its focus on social interaction and everyday practice, and computer science for its knowledge of technology. For presentation at this mini-track we have selected three excellent papers covering different aspects of mobile informatics. In the first paper, Mobility, by Kakihara and Sorensen the concept of mobility is reconsidered from a theoretical perspective. In their paper they are critical to the tendency to concentrate mobility to corporeal travel, rather they