Higher Education and E‑Learning (HEEL)

Mid Sweden University's research group Higher Education and E-Learning (HEEL) is a research group based in the subjects of education (UTV) and informatics (DSV). At the intersection of competence from these two subjects is technology-supported learning (TEL) and digitalization of education, the research field that the group works with. Interdisciplinary collaborations between researchers from different subjects are therefore natural for those researchers who are interested in issues related to this field. The ambition is to broaden the group's subject base at Mid Sweden University.

HEEL has sprung from the research that UTV has built up since the year 2000 when 4 doctoral students were employed in the project Flexible Learning and Educational Leadership. These doctoral students have since contributed to building up the university's research competence in TEL and digitalization of the education system. Since then, the field has been explored in various forms in many of the division's dissertation projects.

Activities
Since 2013, HEEL has run a workshop for research in technology-supported learning, called the HEEL seminar. Researchers from Mid Sweden University, Aalborg University, the Royal Institute of Technology and Umeå University take turns presenting and discussing current ongoing research projects. The seminar has an international base with English as the working language. The seminar takes place three times per semester and takes place via Zoom, which means that the opportunity to participate is location-independent.

Date of HEEL seminar 2026
Tuesday 10 March JU MSU Abstract by 10 February
Tuesday 28 April UmU UW Abstract by 28 March
Wednesday 17 June AAU OUNL Abstract by 17 May
Tuesday 1 September MSU OUNL Abstract by 10 August
Tuesday 20 October JU UW Abstract by 20 September 
Tuesday 8 December AAU UmU Abstract by 7 November

HEEL also organizes symposia where prominent international researchers present their research in the areas the group operates. Since 2015, three have been arranged.

HEEL is active within GRADE, a national interdisciplinary graduate school on digitalization and education. In addition to Mid Sweden University, the graduate school, which is funded by Mid Sweden University, also includes Umeå University, the University of Gävle, the Royal Institute of Technology, University West and the University of Gothenburg. HEEL currently has four doctoral students affiliated with GRADE. Funding for additional doctoral students linked to teacher education is under application.

Research projects
HEEL's activities also consist of a number of development projects within TEL and digitalization of the education system, such as ALC, BLAD, BUFFL, DUVKOM, Networked Professional Learning and Pokémon in the school world. Previous projects the group has worked on include HEALTH, MUML and the C/D project. Many projects are strategic university-wide projects that also have support from the university's management and contribute to resource and competence development. Furthermore, HEEL leads a number of major international research projects as editors of books and journals. The group has a strategic collaboration built up with Aalborg University, KTH and Umeå University. Furthermore, they work interdisciplinary to strengthen the university's education. In addition to informatics and pedagogy, HEEL has a collaboration with the Centre for Research on Economic Relations (CER), Mid Sweden University, through the BUFFL project.