The thesis deals with the threat of dehumanization when applying digital technologies and robotics into social work. The work focuses on the history and origin of digital technologies within the context of social changes. It explores the basic rules governing elementary functioning and development of digital technologies and robotics. The thesis describes and summarizes basic information about the possibilities and risks of using digital technologies and robotics within social work. Towards the end it also includes opinions of several professional and political authorities who are active in this topic. This thesis aims to trigger the debate over the possible threats connected to dehumanization of social work and the use of digital technologies and robotics, respectively make it more intensive.

La thèse questionne les facteurs permettant la pratique et l’usage des technologies numériques en soutien à la scolarisation dans le domaine des technologies éducatives au niveau des écoles secondaires. A partir d’un regard croisé entre différents terrains de l’espace francophone et s’appuyant sur les pratiques, le chercheur analyse des éléments comparatifs dans le secteur des technologies de l’information et de la communication (TIC) en éducation entre les pays suivants : le Viêt Nam, la Moldavie, le Burkina-Faso et la République Démocratique du Congo. Un regard croisé permet de comparer les conditions influençant l’usage des TIC au sein de la Francophonie institutionnelle. La recherche s’inscrit dans le cadre d’une thèse de doctorant menée au sein de Laboratoire Éducation et Apprentissage (ea 4071) à l’université Paris René Descartes et présente les résultats de quatre études de cas effectuées de 2010 à 2013 auprès d’élèves (n = 3 236) et des enseignants (n = 467) des pays ciblés membres de l’Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF). Le chercheur décrypte les données collectées en liens aux conditions d’accès, aux pratiques et à l’usage des technologies numériques dans les établissements du niveau secondaire. La recherche a été effectuée par questionnaire pour collecter les données quantitatives. Le chercheur a également eu recours aux groupes d’entretien focalisé pour colliger les données qualitatives. La démarche croise, la territorialité du phénomène d’usage des technologies numériques en soutien à l’apprentissage en milieu éducatif. En Moldavie et au Viêt Nam, la recherche a porté une attention particulière à l’analyse de l’usage des TIC en soutien à l’enseignement et à l’apprentissage du français langue étrangère (FLE). Le champ de la recherche se situe dans l’espace Francophone, dans sa diversité et sa pluralité. Nous analyserons les évolutions et tenterons d’expliquer les raisons des retards pour certains pays ainsi que les nombreux obstacles d’accès aux TIC. Nous chercherons à jeter les voiles de l’usage des TIC dans des contextes qui semblent austères. Les résultats de l’enquête dévoilent que la démarche d’appropriation des TIC par les professeurs de français connaît un processus qui semble s’accroître au Viêt Nam et en Moldavie. Il ressort des pratiques contrastées lorsque l’on croise les résultats des enquêtes. L’analyse de l’accès aux outils informatiques et leur intégration en classe révèlent que les usages sont nettement plus soutenus par les enseignants dans les pays de l’est de l’Europe (Moldavie) et en Asie (Viêt Nam) par rapport aux pratiques observées sur le continent Africain (plus spécifiquement au Burkina-Faso et en République Démocratique du Congo). Enfin, une étude de cas a été menée au sein des espaces publics numériques : Maisons des savoirs de la Francophonie. / The thesis questions the different elements which allows the practice and use og Information and Communication Technologies in educational teaching in secondary schools. From a cross analysis between different fields within the francophone space and by leaning on the educational practices, the rechearcher analyses the comparing elements in the ICT sector in education between the following countries : Vietnam, Moldavia, Burkina-Faso and the Democratic Republic of Congo. A cross analysis allows the comparasion between the different inflencing conditions in the practices and use of the ICTs within the environment composing the diversity of the institutional Francophonie. The research has taken place during a doctorac theses at the Laboratoire Education et Apprentissage (ea 4071) at the Pris René Descartes university and presents the results of four case studies done between 2010 and 2013 with students (n=3236) and teachers (n=467) in target countries within members of the Organisation international de la Francophonie (OIF). The researcher analyze the data that has been collected related to the conditions of access, practises and the use of digital technologies in the secondary school level. The research has be done by questionnaires in order to collect the quantitative data. The researcher has also used focalized group interviews in order to collect quanlitativ data. The compared approach, the territoriality of the phenomenon of the use of digital technology as a support in an educational learning environment. In Moldavia and i Vietnam, the research has paid special attention to the analysis ot het use of ICT as a support in teaching and learning French as a second language, français langue étrangère (FLE). The research fiel is situated within the Francohpone space, with all its diversity and plurality. We analyse the evolution and seek to explain the reasons for the delays of certain countries as well as numerous obstacles to ICT access. We seek to reveal the use of ICT in austere contexts. The results reveal that the CTI appropriation process by French teachers is a growing process in Vietnam and Moldavia. Contrasting practices are standing out when crossing the survey results. The analysys of access to IT tools and the integration in teaching reveals that the user is significantly more sustained by teachers in eastern Europe (Moldavia) and Asia (Vietnam) as to practices on the African continent (specificity Burkina-Faso and the Democratic Republic of Congo). Finally, a study has been done within the public digital space as Multimedia center named : Maisons des savoirs de la Francophonie. / Teza examinează factorii care permit practica și utilizarea tehnologiei digitale pentru susținerea școlarizării, în domeniul tehnologiilor educaționale din școlile de nivel secundar. Plecând de la o nouă perspectivă între diverse teritorii din lumea francofonă și bazându-se pe practicile din mediul educațional, cercetătorul analizează elementele comparative din domeniul tehnologiilor de informație și a comunicațiilor (TIC) în domeniul educației dintre următoarele țări : Vietnam, Moldova, Burkina Faso și Republica Democrată Congo. O nouă perspectivă permite compararea condițiilor care influențează utilizarea TIC în zona care constituie diversitatea Francofoniei instituționale. Cercetarea este parte a unei teze de doctorat din cadrul Laboratorului de Educație și Învățământ (ea 4071) la Universitatea Paris René Descartes și prezintă rezultatul a patru studii de caz efectuate între 2010 și 2013 pe lângă elevii (n=3 236) și profesori (n=467) din țările vizate, membre ale Organizației Internaționale a Francofoniei (OIF). Cercetătorul decriptează informațiile culese cu privire la condițiile de acces, practicile și utilizarea tehnologiei digitale pentru școli la nivel secundar. Cercetarea a fost efectuată printr-un chestionar pentru a culege datele cantitative. Cercetătorul a recurs de asemenea la focus-grupuri pentru a colecta date calitative. Noua abordare combină teritorialitatea fenomenului de utilizare a tehnologiei digitale susținând sistemul educațional. În Moldova și în Vietnam, studiul a acordat o atenție deosebită analizei utilizării TIC pentru susținerea predării și a învățării limbii franceze ca limbă străină (FLE). Domeniul cercetării este în spațiul Francofon, în diversitatea și pluralitatea acestuia. Vom analiza evoluțiile și vor încerca să explicăm motivele întârzierii în anumite țări, precumși numeroasele obstacole de acces la TIC. Vom încerca să influențăm utilizarea TIC în contexte care par a fi austere. Rezultatele cercetării arată că demersul de familiarizare cu TIC a profesorilor de franceză prezintă o creștere în Vietnam și Moldova. Acest lucru reiese din practicile contrastante în momentul în care sunt comparate rezultatele cercetărilor. Analiza accesului la mijloacele informatice și integrarea acestora în clasă arată faptul că utilizările sunt mult mai susținute de către profesorii din țările din estul Europei (Moldova) și Asia (Vietnam) decât din Africa (mai specific în Burkina-Faso și Republica Democratică Congo). În plus, s-a făcut un studiu de caz în cadrul spațiilor publice numerice : Maisons des savoirs de la Francophonie. / Luận văn đặt vấn đề về những nhân tố cho phép thực hành và sử dụng công nghệ số hỗ trợ dạy học trong lĩnh vực công nghệ giáo dục ở khối trung học. Từ một góc nhìn chéo giữa nhiều vùng miền khác nhau của không gian Pháp ngữ và dựa vào thực tiễn trong môi trường giáo dục, người nghiên cứu phân tích các yếu tố so sánh việc ứng dụng công nghệ thông tin (CNTT) trong giáo dục ở những quốc gia sau đây : Việt Nam, Moldavie, Burkina-Faso và Cộng hòa dân chủ Congo. Một góc nhìn chéo cho phép so sánh các điều kiện ảnh hưởng đến việc thực hành và sử dụng CNTT trong một không gian đa dạng của Tổ chức cộng đồng Pháp ngữ. Nghiên cứu thực hiện trong khuôn khổ luận văn tiến sĩ được tiến hành ở Phòng Nghiên cứu Giáo dục và Học tập (ea 4071) ở trường Đại học Paris René Descartes và trình bày kết quả của bốn trường hợp nghiên cứu thực địa từ năm 2010 đến 2013 đối với học sinh (n=3.236) và giáo viên (n=467) các quốc gia nói trên là thành viên của Tổ chức quốc tế Pháp ngữ (OIF). Người nghiên cứu giải mã các dữ liệu thu thập liên quan đến những điều kiện tiếp cận, thực hành và sử dụng các công nghệ số ở trường trung học. Nghiên cứu đã được thực hiện bằng bảng câu hỏi để thu thập dữ liệu định lượng. Người nghiên cứu cũng đã phỏng vấn một nhóm giáo viên và học sinh nhằm thu thập các dữ liệu định tính. Phương pháp tiến hành gặp nhau ở tính lãnh thổ của hiện tượng sử dụng công nghệ số hỗ trợ học tập trong môi trường giáo dục. Ở Moldavie và Viêt Nam, nghiên cứu đã đặc biệt lưu tâm phân tích việc sử dụng CNTT trong dạy và học tiếng Pháp ngoại ngữ (NN). Trường nghiên cứu trong phạm vi không gian Pháp ngữ đa dạng và đa chiều. Chúng tôi sẽ phân tích sự tiến triển và cố gắng giải thích lý do chậm trễ của một số quốc gia cũng như nhiều trở ngại khi tiếp cận CNTT. Chúng tôi cũng tìm hiểu việc sử dụng CNTT trong những bối cảnh tưởng như khó khăn. Kết quả điều tra hé lộ rằng tiến trình chiếm hữu CNTT của các giáo viên tiếng Pháp có gia tăng ở Việt Nam và Moldavie và làm nổi bật thực tế tương phản khi giao hòa các kết quả điều tra. Phân tích việc tiếp cận và đưa công cụ tin học vào lớp học đã tiết lộ rằng việc sử dụng CNTT nhận được sự ủng hộ rõ nét của giáo viên các nước Đông Âu (Moldavie) và châu Á (Việt Nam) so với thực tế quan sát được ở châu Phi (đặc biệt là ở Burkina-Faso và CHDC Congo). Cuối cùng, việc nghiên cứu trường hợp cụ thể đã được tiến hành ở các không gian số công cộng : các Nhà tri thức Pháp ngữ.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-27T14:31:39Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Valdirene Gomes dos Santos de Jesus.pdf: 5598545 bytes, checksum: bf62d5b0433dcb74bf94333c011674e3 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-09-30 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The present research aims to analyze how the planning and management dynamics was established in the continued formative process of the UCA Project Tocantins (from 2010 through 2013) using ICDT. The approach used for the analysis is qualitative and drew from the documentary research, which was based on data collected from minutes of both on-site and online meetings, agendas of work meetings and formative encounters, plannings, reports produced by the participants of the project and of CNPq (Brazil) researches, scientific production using data and projects developed during the formative process, and logs of the virtual environment. The formative documents were organized and grouped in three axes: the first included the official documents; the second had documents generated in the formative process; and the third viewed the developers' logs both during the process and in their classroom practice. The analysis allowed us to learn that the formative process happened in a dialogic, collaborative and cooperative manner, with the sharing of productions, reflection and reviewing of ideas, the collective search for solutions, the consensus, and the constant rethinking of actions enabled by the use of digital technology for data circulation, communication and collective decisions among the network members. This movement was shaped in a circular and ascending manner which was potentialized by the planning and management of the formative process as represented by the Project's Spiral. This process is represented by an ascending spiral movement, in which both individual and collective growth are developed by the participants. Such process is represented by the Spiral of the Formative Team in the Network of the UCA Project Tocantins, suggesting an innovation process to be considered for teacher development courses using ICDT. By understanding these processes, we can contribute for actions in teacher development courses - which use digital technologies as a basis - to potentialize the collective construction of knowledge, the development in networks, the participants' continuity and success, and also to promote technology integration with the curriculum heading towards the constitution of a formative web curriculum / A presente pesquisa tem o propósito de analisar a constituição das dinâmicas de planejamento e de gestão da formação contínua no Projeto UCA Tocantins (ocorrido de 2010 a 2013) com uso das TDIC. A abordagem da análise é qualitativa e se deu a partir da pesquisa documental, tendo como dados coletados as atas de reuniões presenciais e a distância, pautas de reuniões de trabalho e de encontros de formação, planificações, relatórios elaborados pelos participantes do Projeto e de pesquisas CNPq, produção científica elaborada a partir de dados e projetos desenvolvidos durante a formação e registros do ambiente virtual. Os documentos da formação foram organizados e agrupados em três eixos: 1º eixo - documentos oficiais; 2º eixo - documentos gerados no processo de formação; 3º eixo - registro dos formadores no processo de formação e na sua atuação na escola. A partir da análise foi possível identificar que o processo de formação ocorreu de forma dialógica, colaborativa e cooperativa, com o compartilhamento das produções, a reflexão e a depuração das ideias, a busca coletiva das soluções, o consenso, o repensar constante das ações, viabilizadas pelo uso das tecnologias digitais, possibilitou a circularidade das informações, da comunicação e das decisões coletivas entre os membros da rede. Esse movimento se constituiu de forma circular e ascendente potencializada pelo planejamento e a gestão da formação representado pela Espiral do Planejamento e da Gestão da Formação Contínua do Projeto UCA Tocantins e se realiza a partir de um processo em espiral ascendente, onde há um crescimento individual e também coletivo dos participantes representado a partir da Espiral da Equipe de Formação em Rede do Projeto UCA Tocantins, sinalizando um processo de inovação a ser considerado para cursos de formação de professores com o uso das TDIC. A compreensão desses processos pode contribuir para que as ações de formação de educadores que têm as tecnologias digitais como estruturante para a sua realização potencializem a construção coletiva do conhecimento, a formação em rede, a permanência e o sucesso dos participantes bem como, promovam a integração das tecnologias ao currículo rumo à constituição de um Web currículo da formação

This master's thesis Multimedia support of teaching mathematics aims at supporting teachers in introducing innovations in teaching and support in their own teaching materials. It is dedicated to supporting the pupil in self-education. It also serves as an overview of selected resources to support the use of technology and software in teaching. This master's thesis includes examples of the use of mathematical programs in mathematics classes, and a proposal to engage pupils in teaching, by implementing the "Teach Your Fellow" project, which aims to create learning videos for pupils.

The scrip involves a literature study to determine how the covenant child / teenager is accommodated in the Reformed church today versus his/her actual need. The question is posed: Is the covenant child accommodated in any way in our current format of church liturgy, or not? Globalisation has made such an impact on the youth of today (postmodern youth or Mosaics) that digital technology has become their focus. Has the church adapted to this? The findings in this script show that the Reformed churches are losing particularly the youth because they have not adapted fast enough to this technology and to the cultural change that is evident in the postmodern child / teenager. The study is not only about the child in the church, but what the child looks like (his / her postmodern attitude / lifestyle) that we want in the church service and what change we need to make to the liturgy of the Reformed church in order to accommodate them. During this study it was also very evident that we need to change the way in which we spread the Word, and not the Word itself. The Truth remains the same – the culture, technology, attitudes, communication methods and intellectual and emotional needs change constantly. And the change is happening at such an alarming rate that we cannot ever think that we have reached the perfect solution. Before we have found the answer, it has changed. We therefore need to constantly re-look at our presentation style. This however does not excuse us from making changes. We need to change with the times and much faster than is currently the norm. The study reveals that the Reformed church currently has a mono-perspective of the liturgy. What is needed is a multi-disciplinary approach when we worship God. It is not only about the child in the church, it is about the place of the church service in the child’s life amidst the enormous impact of culture and digital technology that they are faced with everyday. How can we attempt to be relevant if we still preach as we did 100 years ago? Although the majority of the information that is available on this subject comes from America, the writer believes that it is very relevant to the Reformed churches in South Africa. Further study and research will be needed to determine the exact needs of the South African child / teenager and how to address this. / Dissertation (MA (Theology))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Practical Theology / unrestricted

Il s’agit de l’emploi de la technologie numérique dans la mise en scène de la tragédie grecque antique, en d’autres termes, de la réception de la tragédie grecque au sein du théâtre digital. En tant que performance digitale la tragédie grecque semble fonctionner comme un kaléidoscope du temps ; tout à la fois comme une lentille ou un miroir écrasé, où se développent  un jeu, un « aller-retour » entre les identités et les qualités : spectateur / citoyen, politique / religieux, espace-temps du mythe / temps actuel, présence / absence. Grâce à l’emploi de la technologie et d’équivalents digitaux, les artistes reconceptualisent une série de notions de la tragédie telles que la communauté, la cité, l’hybris, le masque, le conflit, le tragique, et ils proposent des expériences sensorielles équivalentes au spectateur contemporain : les médias numériques deviennent un équivalent de la parole. Oikos, le palais royal, lieu devant lequel et au sein duquel se déroulent la plupart des événements et conflits, est remplacé par l’écran palimpseste ; on est dans l’image dans laquelle on vit désormais, c’est au sein de l’écran que l’on produit l’Histoire. La convention du masque conduit à l’expérimentation avec des technologies sonores. La fonction politique de la tragédie grecque et la création de l’effet de communauté, se produisent désormais par le biais de la technologie numérique. Les spectateurs forment des communautés éphémères lors de leurs réunions dans l’environnement technologique, la fragmentation rhizomatique de la scène « cache » la communauté, pour la transformer en une communauté virtuelle. Enfin, c’est le tragique qui se développe sur scène en tant qu’idée et phénomène performatif. / The thesis focuses on the use of digital technology in the staging of Greek Tragedy that is, the reception of Greek tragedy in the digital theatre. Greek tragedy, when digitally staged, seems to function as a kaleidoscope of our times; sometimes a lens and at others a shattered mirror, where a game, a "toing and froing" between identities and qualities exists: spectator/citizen, political/religious, time-space of myth/actual current time, presence/absence. With the use of technology and of digital equivalents, artists re-conceptualize a series of key notions such as the community, the city, the hubris, the mask, the conflict, the tragic and create equivalent effects for the contemporary spectator: Digital media becomes the equivalent of discourse. The “oikos”, the royal palace, in front of and within which most events and conflicts occur, is replaced by the screen-palimpsest: it is within the image that we live, we clash, we make history. The mask convention leads to experimentation with sound technologies. The much-discussed political function of tragedy in the context of democratic Athens and the building of a sense of community is now realised through digital technology. Spectators form ephemeral communities in their meeting within the technological environment, the rhizomatic fragmentation of the theatre stage, "hides" the community to transform it into a virtual community. In the end, it is the tragic that is being developed as an idea and a performative phenomenon. / Στο επίκεντρο βρίσκεται η χρήση της ψηφιακής τεχνολογίας στη σκηνοθεσία της αρχαίας ελληνικής τραγωδίας, δηλαδή η πρόσληψη της αρχαίας ελληνικής τραγωδίας στο ψηφιακό θέατρο. H αρχαία ελληνική τραγωδία ως ψηφιακή παράσταση, μοιάζει να λειτουργεί ως καλειδοσκόπιο του καιρού∙ άλλοτε ως φακός και κάποιες φορές ως θρυμματισμένος καθρέπτης, όπου ένα παιχνίδι, ένα «πήγαινε-έλα» αναπτύσσεται ανάμεσα στις ταυτότητες και τις ποιότητες : θεατής/πολίτης, πολιτικό/θρησκευτικό, ο χωροχρόνος του μύθου/ο πραγματικός τρέχων χρόνος, παρουσία/απουσία. Με τη χρήση της τεχνολογίας και των ψηφιακών ισοδυνάμων, οι καλλιτέχνες επανοηματοδοτούν στο παρόν μια σειρά κομβικών εννοιών για την τραγωδία, όπως η κοινότητα, η πόλις, η ύβρις, η μάσκα, η σύγκρουση, το τραγικό και δημιουργούν ισοδύναμες αισθήσεις και εντυπώσεις στον σύγχρονο θεατή: Τα ψηφιακά μέσα γίνονται ισοδύναμο του λόγου. Ο οίκος, το βασιλικό ανάκτορο μπροστά και εντός του οποίου συντελούνται τα περισσότερα γεγονότα και οι συγκρούσεις, αντικαθίσταται από την οθόνη παλίμψηστο: μέσα στην εικόνα ζούμε, συγκρουόμαστε, παράγουμε ιστορία. Η σύμβαση της μάσκας οδηγεί στον πειραματισμό με τις τεχνολογίες του ήχου. Η πολυσυζητημένη πολιτική λειτουργία της τραγωδίας στο πλαίσιο της δημοκρατικής Αθήνας και η δημιουργία του αισθήματος κοινότητας δημιουργείται πλέον μέσα από την ψηφιακή τεχνολογία. Oι θεατές σχηματίζουν εφήμερες κοινότητες στη συνάντησή τους μέσα στο τεχνολογικό περιβάλλον, η ριζωματική θραυσματοποίηση της θεατρικής σκηνής, «κρύβει» την κοινότητα, για να τη μετατρέψει σε εικονική κοινότητα. Τέλος, είναι το τραγικό που αναπτύσσεται ως ιδέα και ως επιτελεστικό φαινόμενο.

Para comenzar quisiera dar una breve idea de cómo entiendo a Borges –al respecto me he manifestado en un buen número de publicaciones desde 1989, pero no sobre los motivos o puntos de arranque – y describir así cómo llegué a mi interpretación sobre Borges y a considerarlo como uno de los fundadores de la teoría de "muchos mundos" ("Many Worlds Theory"), de mundos virtuales y de medios virtuales/digitales y de los "New Media". Su escritura representa un acto de percepción, comprensión, implosión y expansión, ésta es una "encicopledia navegante", Borges es así el primer navegador o "user in the web".:Borgesvirtual o cuatro etapas de un viaje de descubrimiento. - "Teoría de Mundos Diversos": Borges y Everett III. - Borges y los "New Media" (mundos virtuales-digitales)

Durch den Einsatz digitaler Technologien ergeben sich auch im Rahmen der beruflichen Bildung neue Möglichkeiten zur digitalisierten Dokumentation von Wissen und Verfügbarmachung von Informationen für die beteiligten Alteurinnen und Akteure. Dieser Beitrag zeigt, inwiefern eine digitale Lernortkooperation unter Gesichtspunkten des Wissenstransfers mithilfe eines Online-Berichtsheftes umgesetzt werden kann. Dazu wird das vom BMBF geförderte Verbundprojekt ‚Diffusion digitaler Technologien in der beruflichen Bildung durch Lernortkooperation‘ (DiBBLok) vorgestellt und inblicke in die Ergebnisse einer quantiativen Strukturdatenanalyse des Online-Berichtsheftes BLok gegeben.

Text in English / In recent years, there have been tremendous advances in information technology, robotics, communication technology, nanotechnology, and artificial intelligence, resulting in the merging of physical, digital, and biological worlds that have come to be known as the "fourth industrial revolution”. In this context, the present study engages such technology in the green economy and to tackle the techno-economic environmental impact assessments challenges associated with floating solar system applications in the agricultural sector of South Africa. In response, this exploratory study aimed to examine the development of a Geographical Information System (GIS)-based support platform for Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and due-diligence analyses for future planned agricultural floating solar systems, especially with the goal to address the vast differences between the environmental impacts for land-based and water-based photovoltaic energy systems. A research gap was identified in the planning processes for implementing floating solar systems in South Africa’s agricultural sector. This inspired the development of a novel GIS-based modelling tool to assist with floating solar system type energy infrastructure planning in the renewable energy discourse. In this context, there are significant challenges and future research avenues for technical and environmental performance modelling in the new sustainable energy transformation. The present dissertation and geographical research ventured into the conceptualisation, designing and development of a software GIS-based decision support tool to assist environmental impact practitioners, project owners and landscape architects to perform environmental scoping and environmental due-diligence analysis for planned floating solar systems in the local agricultural sector. In terms of the aims and objectives of the research, this project aims at the design and development of a dedicated GIS toolset to determine the environmental feasibility around the use of floating solar systems in agricultural applications in South Africa. In this context, the research objectives of this study included the use of computational modelling and simulation techniques to theoretically determine the energy yield predictions and computing environmental impacts/offsets for future planned agricultural floating solar systems in South Africa. The toolset succeeded in determining these aspects in applications where floating solar systems would substitute Eskom grid power. The study succeeded in developing a digital GIS-based computer simulation model for floating solar systems capable of (a) predicting the anticipated energy yield, (b) calculating the environmental offsets achieved by substituting coal-fired generation by floating solar panels, (c) determining the environmental impact and land-use preservation benefits of any floating solar system, and (d) relating these metrics to water-energy-land-food (WELF) nexus parameters suitable for user project viability analysis and decision support. The research project has demonstrated how the proposed GIS toolset supports the body of geographical knowledge in the fields of Energy and Environmental Geography. The new toolset, called EIAcloudGIS, was developed to assist in solving challenges around energy and environmental sustainability analysis when planning new floating solar installations on farms in South Africa. Experiments conducted during the research showed how the geographical study in general, and the toolset in particular, succeeded in solving a real-world problem. Through the formulation and development of GIS-based computer simulation models embedded into GIS layers, this new tool practically supports the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA Act No. 107 of 1998), and in particular, associated EIA processes. The tool also simplifies and semi-automates certain aspects of environmental impact analysis processes for newly envisioned and planned floating solar installations in South Africa. / Geography / M.Sc. (Geography)

Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka sfi-lärares erfarenheter av distansundervisning under våren 2020. Studiens fokus ligger på att undersöka hur digitala verktyg anpassades till elevernas olikheter, hur kommunikationen med eleverna etablerades och vilka arbetssätt och metoder som kännetecknade sfi-lärares distansundervisning.  Genom att beskriva omställningen till distansundervisning orsakade av pandemier som SARS och Covid-19, redogörs för de utmaningar och möjligheter som lärare ställs inför i den digitala klassrumsmiljön. Därefter lyfts teoretiska aspekter kring kommunikation och lärarrollen i att skapa relationer med eleverna i den digitala lärmiljön. För att förstå fenomenet med distansutbildningen i sin helhet redovisas vidare utgångspunkter som bör tas hänsyn till när en sådan utbildning utformas och designas. Detta är en empirisk studie där metodtriangulering har använts med både kvantitativa och kvalitativa undersökningar. Totalt deltog 126 respondenter i webbenkät och sex respondenter i semistrukturerade intervjuer. Resultatet pekar på att lärarnas förhållningssätt till distansundervisning under pandemin och ojämlikhet i elevers digitala kompetens och elevernas bristfälliga tillgång till digitala teknik i samband med omställningen, var avgörande för hur nya arbetssätt och undervisningsstrategier formades. Sfi-lärarna använde sig av de digitala verktyg och digitala resurser som redan var inarbetade i klassrumsundervisningen. Både synkron och asynkron kommunikation tillämpades i stor utsträckning, där synkron kommunikation värdesattes tack vare dess likhet med det fysiska klassrummets upplägg och asynkron kommunikation ökade tillgänglighet till undervisningsmaterial. Sfi-lärarnas utmaningar bestod av svårigheter att vara tillgängliga för de elever som behövde stöd och att följa upp elevernas lärandeprocesser på distans. / The purpose of this study is to investigate sfi-teachers’ experiences of distance education in the spring of 2020. The study focuses on examining how digital tools were adapted to students’ differences, how communication with students was established and what teaching methods characterized sfi teachers’ distance education. By describing the transition to distance education caused by pandemics such as SARS and Covid-19, the challenges and opportunities that teachers face in the digital classroom environment are described. Thereafter, theoretical aspects of communication and the teacher’s role in creating relationships with students in the digital learning environment are highlighted. In order to understand the phenomenon of distance education in its entirety, further points of departure are presented that should be taken into account when such education is designed. This is an empirical study where method triangulation with both quantitative and qualitative studies. A total of 126 respondents responded to the online survey and six respondents participated in semi-structured interviews. The results indicate that the teachers’ approach to distance education during the pandemic, and the inequality in students’ digital competence and the students’ inadequate access to digital technology in connection with the transition, were decisive for how new teaching methods and teaching strategies were formed. Sfi teachers used the digital tools and digital resources that were already incorporated in the classroom education. Both synchronous and asynchronous communication were applied to a large extent, where synchronous communication was valued thanks to its similarity to the physical classroom layout and asynchronous communication because of the increased accessibility to teaching materials. The sfi teachers’ teaching challenges consisted of difficulties in being available to the students who needed support and in following up the students’ learning processes at a distance.