ÖREBRO UNIVERSITYDepartment of Behavioural, Social and Legal SciencesProgram of social workSocial Work CC-essay in Social Work, 15 creditsAutumn term 2013The family is the only way back home? A qualitative study on staff?s view on family involvement in the treatment of adolescentsAuthors: Cakici, Nahrin and Claesson, SandraAbstractThe aim of this study is to investigate how the staff at residential treatment centers works to involve the family and the social network in youth?s treatment and how they experience that the involvement affects the young person. The aim is also to study the difficulties the staff experience in their work to involve the family and the social network. In this study, staff from two residential treatment centers in Sweden participated. The study is conducted based in on qualitative method in which four semi-structured telephone interviews and one group interview have been conducted.

The aim of this thesis is to study preschool-teachers? experiences from using the computertablet as a tool for learning and teaching, in order to gain knowledge of how the integrationalprocess of information and communications technology (ICT) in preschool has progressedsince its instatement. The background that caused interest to make this study was the rapidprogression of the use of ICT-tools in childrens? everyday lives and the troubles that havesurrounded the process of integrating these tools into preschool-practices. The theoreticalbasis for the analysis of the research lies within the socio-cultural perspective.

The impact of classroom enviroment with respect to learning.

Swedish school children's results have deteriorated in recent years and formative assessment is, in accordance with previous research, a way to develop students' learning and performance. A part of formative assessment is based on feedback that students should receive before, during and after a new assignment. In this study, we want to find out how students and teachers apprehend students' development in relation to feedback and what general attitudes towards feedback can be seen in both parties. The literature and theory discussed is linked to formative assessment, both at international and national level where many important aspects of formative assessment are essential in relation to pupils' further development. The theories are based heavily on human interaction and socio-cultural perspective as a concept.

This study is about people with Asperger syndrome and their difficulties in all kinds of communication in society. Through the language we code objects and events to remember and observe the environment. The aim is to compare research with the actual experiences of people with Asperger syndrome, in relation to their difficulties in society / communication. Three questions have been given extra attention. The first is what similarities and differences there are between people with Asperger syndrome.

The purpose has been to investigate leisure-time centers actual work on children with attention deficit disorder. In addition, the study strives to make leisure-time centers way of working, in relation to their assignments, visible. The study has also compared how the leisure-time centers work and what the research says. The survey was conducted with the help of three exploratory interviews with pedagogues and three-piece observations at the leisure-time centers. It was carried out at three different schools in two counties in Sweden.The results of the survey show that the schools are trying to create clear procedures, though the centers succeed with this in varied degrees.

This study will examine if caregivers, working with people with dementia problems, is in need of support and in what way they see how the support should be designed. Previous research shows that there are many factors in elderly care that affect all of the caregivers. Working with people in this sort if dependence, requires a lot of the caregivers, both mentally and physically. To study if the caregivers consider themselves to be in need of support, and in what way they see how the support should be designed, the study employs a qualitative approach using to types of interviews, one focus group with four assistant nurses, and two individual in-depth interviews with the administrative personnel and one nurse. The results show that the need for support for the caregivers exists. Caregivers working with people with dementia problems, daily face difficulties, some more difficult to handle than others.

This paper examines how teachers and librarians are helping children and young people withdyslexia/reading and writing difficulties. The examination has taken place in a small municipalityin Skaraborg County. Seven teachers in the municipal schools and the chief librarian inthe municipal library have been interviewed as well as an advising county librarian.In the municipal schools the pupils have access to literature in easy language and computerswith programs training reading, writing and spelling. In some schools there are textbooks ontape too. In the municipal library and in the county library disabled readers can loan literatureon tape and literature in easy language.The conclusion of the examination is that children and young people with dyslexia/readingand writing difficulties need all sorts of aids in reading and writing.

Med utgångspunkt i variationsteorin valde vi ett naturvetenskapligt lärandeobjekt (materians egenskaper) och genomförde en så kallad Learning study. Elevernas förståelse av lärandeobjektet före och efter undervisning har undersökts med hjälp av intervjuer. Elevernas lärande har jämförts med de möjligheter som erbjudits i den videofilmade undervisningen. Två klasser i skolår fem har deltagit i studien. Efter genomförd undervisning i den första klassen analyserades lärandet med avseende på specifika kritiska aspekter.

The largest project at the AICG lab at Linköping University, Cognitive models for virtual characters, focuses on creating an agent architecture for intelligent, virtual characters. The goal is to create an agent that acts naturally and gives a realistic user experience. The purpose of this thesis is to develop and implement an appropriate learning model that fits the existing agent architecture using an agile project methodology. The model developed can be seen as an online unsupervised reinforcement learning model that enhances experiences through reward. The model is based on Maes model where new effects are created depending on whether the agent is fulfilling its goals or not.The model we have developed is based on constant monitoring of the system.

The purpose of my study is to examine how four preschool teachers go about using the term play in children's early mathematical development. In order to fulfill the purpose of this study, I have the following questions:How the preschool teachers visualize mathematics in children?s play?What reflections have the preschool teachers about the importance of play for children's mathematical learning in preschool?How do the preschool teachers see on their own role in the children's play?In this study, I have conducted a semi-structured qualitative interviews based on the interviews with four preschool teachers from various departments in a preschool. I have also conducted some observations to complete my study. Whereas in my analysis of the researched material, I have used Vygotsky's theory.The survey shows that the preschool teachers are aware of the use of mathematical language and concepts in children?s different activities which were conducted daily in the preschool.

Facial expressions are a part of our body language that helps us to clarify the verbal communication between humans. We use our facial expressions every day, both consciously and unconsciously, to express emotions and attitudes depending on the situation. The hypothesis of the study is: Given a facial expression, how well can Microsoft Kinect, as an input method, determine a person?s feelings with the two algorithms Naive Bayes and Sequential Minimal Optimization? The feelings are limited to happy, sad, surprised and disgusted. With the help of Kinect, a person?s facial data, both coordinates of the face and parameterized data, were saved and used for machine learning.

The main purpose of this essay is to study how classroom interaction can take place in a class for Second Language Learners (SLL).1 I have applied a case study methodology on a linguistic method used by a Teacher in Swedish as Second Language working on a primary school situated in the Southern suburbs of Stockholm. The learning method is based on extensive reading of books which comprehend several learning techniques organized into a process that support the development of linguistic skills such as discussing in a group, writing, reading and thinking in a second language. The methodology applied is based on observations, on an interview with a Teacher in Swedish as Second Language and on a questionnaire answered by 11 students that participated on ?Boksamtal?.Based on a theoretical framework about socio cultural theories on learning and scaffolding,2 I attempt to integrate theory and practice to investigate how the Teacher succeed on applying effective methods for second language learning. Through the analyses of the data is also my intention to emphasize the advantages and disadvantages of such a method.

This paper investigates how students in the humanities in four universities in Sweden reflect on their education and the current view on the humanities as an education and a science. I want to investigate what impact the past few years public debate about the humanities have had on the students. What kind of beliefs and identities do the students of the humanities form and how do they discuss the universities, the choices they made in life and how do they feel about the future.This study is based on interviews with seventeen students in Sweden from four different universities. The research is also based upon a report that The Confederation of Swedish Enterprise (Svenskt Näringsliv) published in 2011 and the debate following that report. I have also made participant observations on the four universities to make a broader description for the reader.

What impact has volunteering on the individual and their career development? For the young man about to enter the world of work, for the non-profit organization that needs to recruit new volunteers or employers who are facing hiring new staff. This study may provide a new approach in their search for work, volunteers or employees. The purpose of this study is to highlight the experiences of volunteering for individuals' personal learning and development, and the importance of volunteering for their career development. The study has a qualitative approach.