Train managers face a challenging work environment, characterized by a heightened risk of passenger aggression within spatially confined environments. Further, the rarity of threatening incidents makes skill development difficult. This paper presents the design and development of a Virtual Reality (VR) training artifact aimed at equipping train managers with de-escalation skills through immersive VR simulation of threatening onboard scenarios. Developed in collaboration between SJ (Sweden's largest train operator), University West, and VR developer Tenstar, the project operationalizes Design Thinking (DT) as the micro-level method within an Action Design Research (ADR) framework. Two Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) were developed as boundary objects to surface tacit practitioner knowledge and validate scenarios before committing to costly VR development. A modular JSON-based architecture decouples scenario content from the VR implementation, enabling rapid iterations without modifying the underlying VR environment. Evaluation indicates strong perceived utility and confirms that the design process successfully captured the complexity of real onboard work practices. The paper contributes a methodological approach for developing VR training artifacts in complex, practice-embedded contexts.

Bokinfo:

Antologin du håller i din hand är ett resultat av samarbetet inom nätverket Svenska medieproduktionsakademier (SMEA). Nätverket startade 2012 för att stärka samarbetet mellan högskolor och universitet i Sverige där medieproduktion är en central del av utbildningar och pedagogiska metoder i undervisningen. Syfet med denna antologi är att visa på den mångfald av perspektiv och forskning som ryms inom det breda kunskapsområdet Medieproduktion i Sverige idag. 

This text explores how virtual reality (VR) can be used as a medium to convey experiences, particularly in the context of work-integrated learning (WIL). The author argues that VR, combined with semiotics and narrative theory, offers a powerful platform for creating dynamic and meaningful ”story worlds.” These worlds can help users explore, create, and understand complex information in a more engaging and effective way than traditional teaching methods. 

The primary research objective is to investigate how VR can be used to convey the experience of being in a specific situation. The text specifically examines how semiotics can be used to design and analyse VR environments, and how narrative structures can promote storyfication among users. 

Semiotic principles are employed to analyse and design VR environments. Semiotics, the study of signs and symbols, provides a framework for understanding how meaning is created and conveyed through various elements in the virtual environment. By carefully selecting and placing signs, designers can create specific meanings and experiences for users.

The text emphasises the power of storytelling as a fundamental cognitive tool for structuring and understanding experiences. Narrative structures, such as plot, characters, and conflicts, can be woven into VR environments to create engaging and meaningful experiences. 

Two VR prototypes were developed and evaluated during the project. Both prototypes simulated a situation in palliative care, where the user’s task was to interact with a patient and their relatives. The design processs for the prototypes was iterative and involved steps of initial research, semiotic analysis, prototype development and evaluation. The VR environments were constructed based on the semiotic analysis, focusing on integrating signs identified in the previous steps in a meaningful way. User tests were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the prototypes. Users’ behaviour in the VR environment was observed, and interviews were conducted to gather feedback on their experiences and interpretations.

The studies showed that VR can effectively convey the experience of being in a specific situation. Users reported a strong sense of presence and engagement in the virtual environments. The analysis of users’ behaviour and interviews showed that the VR environments successfully triggered storyfication leading to meaningful reflections and discussions about palliative care. Important factors in the environments included content that introduced cognitive chafing and required participants to fill in the blanks to make sense of the situation. 

The text argues that VR, combined with semiotics and narrative theory, has the potential to contribute to WIL by offering a platform for experiential and narrative learning. By creating dynamic and engaging storyworlds, VR can help students develop important skills, increase their empathetic abilities, and prepare for real-life situations.

In 2002 University West was commissioned by the government to develop forms for work integrated learning (WIL) as part of the work with pedagogical renewal of higher education. As a result of this assignment, WIL is now a deeply rooted philosophy and cornerstone of the university but also the main principle for pedagogical approach. We believe that knowledge, both theoretical and practical, is acquired everywhere and not only in institutions of higher learning. In other words, we are striving to connect university studies with everyday work life and the surrounding society. The purpose of this paper is to describe and evaluate a strategy for improving student awareness and skills for problem solving, reflection and lifelong learning in the junction between theory and practice. At the center of our focus are students from our bachelor's degree programme 3D-animation and visualization and a course on simulation and particle based effects. This is a challenging subject to teach since knowledge, tools and process is evolving rapidly and we rewrite the course curricula every year. The strategy consists of adding five themes focused on reflection and problem solving spread over the weeks of the course, in addition to the more direct subject-related areas. For each theme the students recieved reading material giving an overview of each theme, and then reflection based questions aimed at connecting the theme of each week to the subject of the course. The themes were Lifeling Learning, MoSCoW prioritisation, Schöns desriptions of design challenges and wicked problems and finally Fraylings ideas of Research through design and Schöns Conversation with the material. For the last week, the students wrote a summary of the entire course using the themes they had studied. At first there was some resistance among the students, and it was not easy for them to see the value of these assignments, instead their focus was on the more technical aspects of the course. However, as the course progressed a majority of the students started to see the point of these more reflective based assignments. One example where this became apparent was during the weekly presentations of the technical assignments. While some of the students still struggled with integrating the reflective assignments with the more technical parts of the course, others started to use the terminology and reasoning from the reflective assignments when talking about how they approached the problems they faced when solving the technical assignments. Having the students equipped with these new approaches also facilitated talking about problem solving and learning strategies, both during the course where this strategy was tested, as well as a subsequent course.The strategy was evaluated by analysing the written and oral presentations and reflections of the students, with special attention being paid to their problem solving and their strategies when approaching new technologies and tools. In addition to this, we also observed their reasoning about the theories that was embedded in the tools, i.e not just talk about how to do things in the software, but also the theories and principles underlying the software.Overall, the aim of the strategy was to train the students on problem solving and learning through experimentation, design and reflection. While one single course is a very short time to practice this, differences in reasoning andstrategies in the students from the beginning of the course to the end could be seen. This was both in their written reports as well as their oral presentations. Areas where improvements could be seen was more abstract reasoning, reflection on problem solving, priorities, and the ability to connect and compare different areas of the course. One theme that also was recurring in the texts was the balance between chaotic exploration and structured learning. These are skills that are valuable in a changing industry where they will need to learn new tools and develop new workflows constantly. Overall, a conclusion here is that learning to learn is far more important than learning a specific tool or skill.

Having prior knowledge and experience in 3d-graphics or visual effects can give you ahead start when embarking on an education within that field. However, experience shows that it is common that those students that have worked with 3d-graphics on a hobby level are stuck in a certain way of working. They have developed methods and workflows that are suitable under hobby-like circumstances, which means that they  have worked in isolation, on a single computer and often without any specific deadlines or time restraints. However, work life is seldom this structured. Instead it is complex and disordered, and requires constant new learning (Bruno et al, 2017).

This is a qualitative study where students from a three year program are interviewed regarding their process of going from a hobbyist to a professional, if any. The results are compared with the concept of the Deliberate Professional, as described by Trede and Jacksson (Trede et al, 2019) The results of this pilot study suggests that the students to a large extent still are in the “hobbyist”-mindset, and have a low insight in the different requirements of beingin the workplace. However, some mentions of constant learning, and the importance of knowledge outside of specific 3d-technology. Some implications for the program isto focus and emphazise what it means to be a professional, and not only expose the students to work-like projects, but also have more occasions for reflection excercises, as described by Bruno and Dell’avarsana (Bruno et al, 2017).

This article is a pilot study on the relationship between performance in online classes and behavior in online discussion forums. Measuring student activity on the discussion forum, the collected data is then analyzed and mapped to the performance of the students on the course. The student activity was dividedinto a number of parameters, and during the study these parameters were compared to the performance of the students.The significance of each parameter was also analyzed through a Kruskall-Wallis-test Overall there was a strong tendency thatstudents with more activity and engagement received higher grades. This is in the future useful for developing some kind of monitoring to identify and support students on the verge of failing the course.

This article uses binary logistic regression to create models for predicting course performance. The data used is the data-trail left by students activities on a discussion forum while attending an online course. The purpose of the study is to evalute how well models based on binary logistic regression can be used to predict course completion.Three sets of data was used for this. One set collected at the end of the course, one collected after 75% of the course and one set collected after half the course. The result of the study says that it's possible to design models with an accuracy of between 70% and 80% using these methods, regardless of what time is used.

The purpose of the study is to explore particular challenges faced when designing virtual environments for children with autism, with the purpose of training social skills. Our findings are based on studying autistic behaviour during three years (primary and secondary sources), analysis of related system and other computer mediated assistive technology, as well as general game design. From these studies we have identified eight critical design parameters that need to be adjustable in a system suitable for autistic persons. The parameters importance, their variation range, as well as the need for independent adjustment of these were estimated and verified by experienced expert pedagogues.

The aim of the study was to explore particular challenges faced when designing virtual environments for children with autism, with the purpose of training social skills. Our findings are based on studying autistic behavior during three years (primary and secondary sources), analysis of related system and other computer mediated assistive technology, as well as general game design. From these studies, we have identified eight critical design parameters that must be adjustable in a system suitable for autistic persons. The importance of the parameters, their variation range, as well as the need for independent adjustment of these were estimated and verified by experienced expert pedagogues. Copyright © Freund Publishing House Limited.