Master thesis Project - Karlstads University - Information Systems - Game Development

Pass with Distinction for Information Systems - Game Development Master Thesis 

Julia Andersson receives the grade Pass with distinction (VG) for her Information Systems - One-year Master's Thesis in Game Development thesis entitled ”The Architecture of Becoming: Immersive Virtual Reality and the Conditions of Educational Participation for Students with High Absenteeism due to Special Needs. An Exploratory Mixed-Methods Study” defended 2026-06-10.

The author has collected data through a digital survey, follow-up interviews, and in-depth interviews with three experts (in different fields). The thesis is well-structured, though somewhat lengthy. The writing is clear, with references handled effectively, and the thesis follows a clear line of argumentation. The thesis could have been strengthened by a clearer critique of how the sampling may have affected the outcome and the interpretation of the results (there is a certain positive attitude toward IVR that permeates the work). Nevertheless, the author has worked diligently on the theoretical analysis and weaves together several explanatory models. The connection to game development (which is the thesis’s focus) is limited, but the student has put together contributions for practice, schools and even developed her own framework to be used in future studies.

The author passed the requirement to act as opponent on another student’s thesis at the same seminar.

John Sören Pettersson

Examiner