Det står på Schoolsoft... : En kvalitativ studie av hur elever i årskurs 6 och 7 upplever användningen av skolappar.

Sammanfattning

This thesis examines the experiences of 6th and 7th grade students in elementary schools in Sweden concerning the use of digital applications for communicating school information. In Swedish society information is generally communicated digitally and elementary schools make no exception. Children as well as adults need to learn how to use digital devices and how to find information digitally. Applications on computers and smart phones are used frequently, and schools are expected to educate the children in becoming digitally literate. The question at hand concerns how digital applications for communication, as well as the way teachers and school management communicate with students and guardians, reach families and foremost the children. The thesis aims to determine whether these applications are developed in a way to meet the needs of the students according to their digital literacy and age, as well as if the school communicates important information concerning schoolwork so that the students can benefit from it and use it to stay informed. The study examines through focus groups with students of 6th and 7th grade as well as through interviews with guardians how the school application SchoolSoft meets the needs of the students. The focus of the study is the experience of the students and how they find the information they need in the app. The way the information is communicated from the school as well as whether the app is developed and built up in a way that meets the needs is debated in the analysis and discussed in the closure. The results show that the students as well as their guardians need better user experience and clarity, more instructions as well as education in handling SchoolSoft. There is also a need for better development of the app in order to meet the needs and reduce the amount of stress it entails to the children. This is a two-year master’s thesis in Library and Information Science.