Research
Methodological support within the area of Human-Computer Interaction. When the task is to find appropriate user interfaces for interactive systems yet on their planning stage, how should one go about to understand how users will understand a system? In particular, this research centres around methodologies based on a tool developed at Karlstad University.
User-centred methods and aspects within some special areas:
- IT support for crisis exercises. Especially the asynchronous question: when and how can exercises across organisational boundaries be facilitated by anytime-anywhere technology without losing the point of exercising cooperation in a meningful way for Crisis Management Teams.
- Usable privacy. That is, usability questions around privacy-enhancing technologies and accountability for cloud computing.
- ICT for Development, not the least mobile technology for development; see the international conference series M4D arranged with various universities around the world.
Teaching
Manager of the undergraduate course Business by Web and Web Analytics, 7.5 ECTS, directed to students in marketing, international business, information, IT, and similar areas, but the course is accessible also for students from other areas. Master students can choose it as an elective course if their programme permits.
Third-year course Practical Training, 7.5 ECTS, can be given in English if the student has found a suitable internship. Note that the International Practical Placement, 15 ECTS, can be done in Sweden if the student normally studies outside Sweden.
Human-Computer Interaction and general methodological courses at Master and PhD level (in English).
From autumn 2024 we have two courses together with the Law department: Rules-as-Code applications, 7.5 ECTS credits, and AI applications in Law, 7.5 ECTS credits.
Former programme director of the Master Programme in Information Systems. (Now contact associate professor Ala Sarah Alaqra.)
Undergrad courses taught:
Applied games development, 15 ECTS, summer course hold jointly with The Great Journey and digital games developers in the Karlstad area.
(In Swedish: Prototyping - Att pröva och kommunicera designconcept, 7,5 hp)
User testing, prototyping and evaluation, 7.5 ECTS
Interaction Design, 7.5 ECTS
Accessibility of Digital Services and Digital Documents, 7.5 ECTS
Supervising at Practical placement 7.5 ECTS, International Practical Placement, 15 ECTS, and thesis works on all levels: Bachelor, "magister" (i.e. 1-year Master) and 2-year Master (these three levels are often referred in Swedish as C, D, E levels) as well as on PhD projects.
Collaboration
Within research projects, there are both local and international businesses; see e.g. For the usability lab there is a special partner for the tool development while for the use of the tool Ozlab or the lab premises various organisations have approached us through the years and everyone is welcome! For the development of research and education we rely in particular on the local game dev node The Great Journey.
For certain courses we use IT consultancies while for the joint course with the Law programme we colaborate with the Swedish Tax Agency. We also conduct study visits at companies and organisations outside the field when this can illustrate the contents of courses.
Bio
2009-2012 Dean for the former Faculty of Economics, Communication and IT
2008 Appointed full professor in Information Systems
2000-2006 Director for research center "HumanIT"
1998 Permanent position at Karlstad University
1997 Oracle Svenska AB, Kista
1996 PhD in General Linguistics (Uppsala)
1987 BA in Mathematics (Uppsala)
Prof. Pettersson initiated and led the development of Ozlab, a system for making non-programmed prototypes interactive, 2001-2003. Presently, a web-based version has been developed by which co-design activities can be made on distance as well as ordinary walkthroughs and usability tests. www.kau.se/en/ozlab
Pettersson has also taken part in Karlstad University's continued participation in large European Union consortia (2004-):
PRIME – PRivacy and Identity Management for Europe (lead IBM France/Belgium)
FIDIS – Future of Identity in the Information Society (lead Frankfurt Universität)
PrimeLife – Privacy for Life (lead IBM Zürich)
A4Cloud – Accountability for Cloud and other future internet services (lead HP Labs, Bristol)
PrismaCloud – PRIvacy and Security MAintaining services in the CLOUD (lead AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH)
CREDENTIAL – Secure Cloud Identity Wallet (lead AIT Wein)
PAPAYA – PlAtform for PrivAcY preserving data Analytics (lead Eurocom)
Also active in projects on IT for Crisis Management Training:
INCREDILAB - INcreased Climate Resilience Education and DIgital transformation Lab, running 2024-2026.
During 2016-2818 & 2019-2021 involved in CriseIT – two Interreg projects between Värmland (County of Karlstad) and Hedmark in Norway.
Project leader May 2024 - January 2025 Pilot study computer games and gamification, co-financed by Tillväxtverket and Region Värmland, within the RV+KAU Academy for Smart Specialisation.