ICT4Learn
ICT4Learn is a research group within educational sciences at the University of Gävle, investigating how information and communication technologies (ICT) can be understood and utilized in, with, and for learning.
The group focuses on analyzing the pedagogical, technological, and organizational conditions that influence the role of digitalization in education, with particular emphasis on critical and inclusive perspectives.
The research is conducted in close collaboration with schools and societal stakeholders and is supported by two specialized environments: the Digital Learning Lab and the Exploratory Learning Lab. These laboratories form an innovative research infrastructure for exploratory and critically reflective studies of education digitalization—including how game-based learning, virtual reality, and data-driven tools affect teaching, student well-being, and digital competence in K–12 schools.
Within the framework of national collaborations, such as Grade, Upgrade, and Liked, the research group contributes leading expertise in design-based and practice-oriented research on how digital technologies are implemented in learning environments, and how they shape the conditions for students’ learning, well-being, and future agency in a digitalized world.
Focus Areas
ICT4Learn is involved in several national and international research projects within six focus areas.
- Digital learning environments and instructional design
- AI and adaptive learning
- Interactive technologies (AR, VR, simulations)
- Digital competence and critical thinking
- Datafication and learning analytics
- Digital well-being and its impact on students and teachers
Ongoing research projects
Here is a selection of the research projects conducted within the framework of the research group
Virtual Reality in different educational contexts
Within the framework of the Digital Learning Lab (DLL), exploratory studies are carried out together with teachers to investigate the challenges and opportunities of using VR for teaching and learning. The studies concern, for example, teaching in higher education and in different subject contexts in upper secondary school. In the latter case, we currently collaborate with teachers in Gävle and Sandviken, including within the framework of the so-called ULF collaboration.
Survey of teacher and student perceptions of one-to-one teaching
As part of an external evaluation assignment, the research team is investigating the experiences and perceptions of primary school teachers and pupils of the so-called one-to-one initiative launched by a municipality in the region just over a decade ago (one-to-one means that each pupil has access to their own digital device for their studies).
Digital systems in quality work in preschools
Amelie Nebes (PhD student UPGRADE), Studying the use of digital systems in quality work in preschools.
Learning in digital transformation
Linus Ellström (PhD student in Education) studies how learning is interpreted, understood and represented within organizations that are in a digital transformation process.
Completed research projects
Making IT happen - A study of advanced use of digital technologies in Swedish upper secondary school
Göran Fransson in collaboration with partners at Umeå University (Ola J. Lindberg and Anders D. Olofsson). The project ran during the years 2015-2020 and was funded by the Swedish Research Council.
Research program Responsible digitalization
A central hub of the research group's activities is the Responsible Digitalization research programme, which is part of the Strategic Research Area (SRA) Innovative Learning.
Can virtual reality be used in school teaching?
A filmed lecture recorded by SVT/UR in early April 2021. Jörgen Holmberg and Göran Fransson talk about possible uses of Virtual Reality (VR) in school teaching and how practice-oriented research can be a viable way to investigate the opportunities and challenges of such use. The recording is in Swedish.
Members IT in learning
Members of the research group
Maryam Bourbour, Senior Lecturer in Didactics
Cresantus Biamba, Senior Lecturer in Education
Johan Neander Christensson, Senior Lecturer in Swedish
Amelie Elm, PhD student in Education
Linus Ellström, PhD student in Didactics
Tobias Fredlund, Senior Lecturer in Didactics
Jörgen Holmberg, Senior Lecturer in Didactics
Rhode Holmkvist
Ludmila Ivanova
Henrik Lundström, Lecturer in Didactics
Davoud Masoumi, Associate Professor in Didactics (Research Leader)
Amelie Nebes, PhD student in Education
Jessika Nilsson, Lecturer in English
Jan Sjölund, Lecturer in Swedish Language
Elisabeth Taube, Lecturer in Didactics
Maria Uggla, Lecturer in Didactics
Kristina Walldén-Hillström, Lecturer in Didactics
Claes Westelius, Lecturer in Didactics
The publications of each researcher can be found in their researcher presentation (click on the name)
This page was last updated 2025-06-09