Introduction to next-generation engineering: Being human in the information society
While adopting Information Technology (IT) may have been a goal in itself in the past, during the last decade the emphasis has shifted, and IT has instead become a tool that enables us to realize other needs. This also sets new requirements for IT education: skills in software engineering and computer science alone do not provide students with the professional abilities they will need after graduation. To answer this call, the University of Jyväskylä launched in autumn 2021 a new engineering B.Sc. and M.Sc. degree program in Information and Software Engineering with close ties to the Humanities. The degree program was established on three cornerstones: 1) the ability to implement IT systems…
Meaningfulness in the work of language professionals
This qualitative study explores the changes that a specific group of knowledge workers – language professionals in Finland – have undergone in their work and how they perceive the meaningfulness of their work as a result. The data presented in this article has been collected through group interviews and is part of a larger data set. To make sense of our data, we use thematic analysis and the framework of meaningful work presented by Rosso et al. For some of our research participants, the factors of meaningful work are present. For others, changes in work, such as platform work and outsourcing, have reduced autonomy and development possibilities. We conclude by discussing the implications of…
Minimalism for the Win : User-Centered Design for Guidance in Industrial Maintenance
Background: We conducted an exploratory study to test the delivery of technical instructions built on the principles of minimalism. The aim was to investigate how we could support target users’ skill levels in a context-sensitive manner. Literature review: Related work examines minimalism, user needs and profiling, and industrial maintenance and technician experience. Research questions: 1. How can the semantic structure of DITA XML be utilized in delivering technical information to users based on their skill levels? 2. How would a layered system of information support the principles of minimalism? Methodology: We created material and tested the concept in user studies with maintenance pers…