<p>This thesis explorer how children and adolescence use the Internet as a medium for communication. The study looks at social interactions in chat rooms, where people can communicate with each other online. The empirical focus is on that happens in the encounters on the Net and how children, mainly between the age of 11 and 14, experience this kind of communication.</p>

This thesis explorer how children and adolescence use the Internet as a medium for communication. The study looks at social interactions in chat rooms, where people can communicate with each other online. The empirical focus is on that happens in the encounters on the Net and how children, mainly between the age of 11 and 14, experience this kind of communication.

When performing web searches, users manually open a web browser, direct it to a search engine, input keywords, and finally manually filter and select relevant results. This repetitive task can negatively impact the user's experience, something the automation and personalization of web search can address. This thesis presents PALTask, an Instant Messaging (IM) application that exploits context of both the user and their conversation in order to automate and personalize related web tasks such as web searches relevant to the conversation. PALTask dynamically gathers context and provides feedback from the user and the system at runtime including keywords from the conversation and running them through various search services such as YouTube and Google to retrieve relevant results. This thesis also explores various natural language processing (NLP) tasks such as keyword extraction, sentiment analysis, and stemming. These NLP tasks help in the collection of dynamic context at runtime, identifying personalized context, and analyzing it to improve the user's experience. We also present our keyword ranking algorithm which aims to improve accuracy when retrieving web resources. / Graduate

abstract: Current research shows a positive relationship between the use of written synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC) and oral production (Isenberg 2010; Kern 1995; Payne & Whitney, 2002). No prior investigations specifically analyze the effect of SCMC on the conjugation of simple present tense verbal forms in narratives produced by learners of Spanish in online environments. This semester-long study addressed this issue by systematically analyzing the effect of written SCMC on the oral production of present-tense verb conjugations in two different oral tasks by students in two different intermediate level online Spanish courses. Written chat (WC), a type of synchronous group discussion, was used in the treatment group in order to examine the crossover effects of written SCMC on present tense forms in oral production tasks among intermediate Spanish students in online courses. Both online groups engaged in 30 minutes of concentrated interaction with the instructor and other students each week. The control group engaged in 30 minutes of oral interaction per week while the experimental group was exposed to 15 minutes of oral chat and 15 minutes of WC in the 30 minute session of interaction. Specifically, this study employed a pretest/posttest quasi-experimental design and tested the differential effects of a combination of oral and written SCMC online interaction and SCMC solely oral online interaction on the acquisition of Spanish present tense verb forms. The findings show a significant difference in oral gains among the experimental group. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.A. Applied Linguistics 2012

Previous research indicates a high rate of long distance relationships, especially among young adults. Yet, research in this area is lacking, particularly regarding the role of video chatting. Through the lens of the media richness theory and the hyperpersonal model, this qualitative study explores how video chatting impacts idealization and disillusionment in young adults’ long distance dating relationships. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with both partners of six heterosexual couples. Data was analyzed using the constant comparative approach and following the basic framework of open, axial, and selective coding used in grounded theory research. Results indicate that video chatting helps partners feel close to one another, though partners must still manage the differences between feeling close and actually being close. Couples use idealization and uncertainty management to reduce disillusionment, and couples who anticipate changes manage those changes more successfully. These findings suggest that video chatting mimics in-person communication more accurately than any other technology, though it cannot replace true geographic proximity. Nonetheless, video chatting appears to help minimize disillusionment by promoting healthy idealization for couples who use it throughout their long distance dating relationship.

L’un des aspects les plus percutants des avancées de la technologie des quinze dernières années a trait à la communication médiée par ordinateur : clavardage, messagerie instantanée, courrier électronique, forums de discussion, blogues, sites de réseautage social, etc. En plus d’avoir eu un impact significatif sur la société contemporaine, ces outils de communication ont largement modifié les pratiques d’écriture. Notre objet d’étude est le clavardage en groupe qui offre la possibilité aux scripteurs de communiquer simultanément entre eux. Cet outil de communication présente deux caractéristiques importantes aux plans discursif et communicationnel. Premièrement, on admet de façon générale que le clavardage est une forme de communication hybride : le code utilisé est l’écrit, mais les échanges de messages entrent dans une structure de dialogue qui rappelle l’oral. Deuxièmement, le caractère spontané du clavardage impose la rapidité, tant pour l’encodage que pour le décodage des messages. Dans le cadre d’une étude comparative réalisée sur les pratiques scripturales des clavardeurs francophones (Tatossian et Dagenais 2008), nous avons établi quatre catégories générales pour rendre compte de toutes les variantes scripturales de notre corpus : procédés abréviatifs, substitutions de graphèmes, neutralisations en finale absolue et procédés expressifs. Nous voulons maintenant tester la solidité de notre typologie pour des langues dont le degré de correspondance phonético-graphique diffère. En vertu de l’hypothèse de la profondeur de l’orthographe (orthographic depth hypothesis [ODH]; Katz et Frost 1992) selon laquelle un système orthographique transparent (comme l’italien, l’espagnol ou le serbo-croate) transpose les phonèmes directement dans l’orthographe, nous vérifierons si nos résultats pour le français peuvent être généralisés à des langues dont l’orthographe est dite « transparente » (l’espagnol) comparativement à des langues dont l’orthographe est dite « opaque » (le français et l’anglais). Pour chacune des langues, nous avons voulu répondre à deux question, soit : 1. De quelle manière peut-on classifier les usages scripturaux attestés ? 2. Ces usages graphiques sont-ils les mêmes chez les adolescents et les adultes aux plans qualitatif et quantitatif ? Les phénomènes scripturaux du clavardage impliquent également l’identité générationnelle. L’adolescence est une période caractérisée par la quête d’identité. L’étude de Sebba (2003) sur l’anglais démontre qu’il existe un rapport entre le « détournement de l’orthographe » et la construction identitaire chez les adolescents (par ex. les graffitis, la CMO). De plus, dans ces espaces communicationnels, nous assistons à la formation de communautés d’usagers fondée sur des intérêts communs (Crystal 2006), comme l’est la communauté des adolescents. Pour la collecte des corpus, nous recourrons à des échanges effectués au moyen du protocole Internet Relay Chat (IRC). Aux fins de notre étude, nous délimitons dans chacune des langues deux sous-corpus sociolinguistiquement distincts : le premier constitué à partir de forums de clavardage destinés aux adolescents, le second à partir de forums pour adultes. Pour chacune des langues, nous avons analysé 4 520 énoncés extraits de divers canaux IRC pour adolescents et pour adultes. Nous dressons d’abord un inventaire quantifié des différents phénomènes scripturaux recensés et procédons ensuite à la comparaison des résultats. / One of the most sticking aspects of technological progress over the last fifteen years is computer- mediated communication (CMC): chatting, instant messaging, e-mail, discussion forums, blogs, social networking sites, etc. In addition to having significantly impacted contemporary society, these communication tools have greatly modified writing practices. The object of this study is group chatting which offers many writers the possibility of communicating simultaneous amongst themselves. This communication tool shows two important discursive and communicational characteristics. First, chatting is generally a hybrid form of communication: the code used is written, but the exchange of messages forms a dialogue structure resembling oral speech. Second, the spontaneous character of chatting imposes speed, both in encoding and decoding messages. Within the framework of a comparative study on writing practices in Francophone chatters (Tatossian and Dagenais 2008), four general categories for all writing variations in the corpus were established: abbreviatory processes, grapheme substitutions, word final neutralisations and expressive processes. Now we are interested in testing the rigueur of this classification in languages where the phonetico-graphical degree of correspondence differs. According to the Orthographic Depth Hypothesis [ODH] (Katz and Frost 1992), in which a transparent orthographic system (such as in Italian, Spanish or Serbo-Croatian) directly transpose phonemes into the orthographic system, we seek to verify whether our results for French can be generalised both to languages with a “transparent” orthographic system (Spanish) and to languages whose orthographic systems are “opaque” (French, English). For each language, two questions were asked: 1. How can attested scriptural practices be classified? 2. Are these graphic practices qualitatively and quantitatively similar amongst both adolescents and adults? The scriptural phenomena related to chatting also imply a generational identity. Adolescence is a period characterised by the quests for an identity. A study by Sebba (2003) on English shows that a relationship exists between “modified spelling” and the construction of identity in adolescents (i.e. graffiti, CMC). In addition, in these communication realms, we see the creation of a community of users based on common interests (Crystal 2006), such as in the adolescent community. A corpus was constructed from exchanges accessed through the Internet Relay Chat protocol. For each language in the study, two sociolinguistic distinct sub-corpora were defined: the first was made up of adolescent chat forums, the second, of a forum for adults. For each language, 4520 sentences, taken from various IRC channels for adolescents and adults, were analysed. First, a quantified inventory of the different scriptural phenomena collected was created and then the results were compared.

L’un des aspects les plus percutants des avancées de la technologie des quinze dernières années a trait à la communication médiée par ordinateur : clavardage, messagerie instantanée, courrier électronique, forums de discussion, blogues, sites de réseautage social, etc. En plus d’avoir eu un impact significatif sur la société contemporaine, ces outils de communication ont largement modifié les pratiques d’écriture. Notre objet d’étude est le clavardage en groupe qui offre la possibilité aux scripteurs de communiquer simultanément entre eux. Cet outil de communication présente deux caractéristiques importantes aux plans discursif et communicationnel. Premièrement, on admet de façon générale que le clavardage est une forme de communication hybride : le code utilisé est l’écrit, mais les échanges de messages entrent dans une structure de dialogue qui rappelle l’oral. Deuxièmement, le caractère spontané du clavardage impose la rapidité, tant pour l’encodage que pour le décodage des messages. Dans le cadre d’une étude comparative réalisée sur les pratiques scripturales des clavardeurs francophones (Tatossian et Dagenais 2008), nous avons établi quatre catégories générales pour rendre compte de toutes les variantes scripturales de notre corpus : procédés abréviatifs, substitutions de graphèmes, neutralisations en finale absolue et procédés expressifs. Nous voulons maintenant tester la solidité de notre typologie pour des langues dont le degré de correspondance phonético-graphique diffère. En vertu de l’hypothèse de la profondeur de l’orthographe (orthographic depth hypothesis [ODH]; Katz et Frost 1992) selon laquelle un système orthographique transparent (comme l’italien, l’espagnol ou le serbo-croate) transpose les phonèmes directement dans l’orthographe, nous vérifierons si nos résultats pour le français peuvent être généralisés à des langues dont l’orthographe est dite « transparente » (l’espagnol) comparativement à des langues dont l’orthographe est dite « opaque » (le français et l’anglais). Pour chacune des langues, nous avons voulu répondre à deux question, soit : 1. De quelle manière peut-on classifier les usages scripturaux attestés ? 2. Ces usages graphiques sont-ils les mêmes chez les adolescents et les adultes aux plans qualitatif et quantitatif ? Les phénomènes scripturaux du clavardage impliquent également l’identité générationnelle. L’adolescence est une période caractérisée par la quête d’identité. L’étude de Sebba (2003) sur l’anglais démontre qu’il existe un rapport entre le « détournement de l’orthographe » et la construction identitaire chez les adolescents (par ex. les graffitis, la CMO). De plus, dans ces espaces communicationnels, nous assistons à la formation de communautés d’usagers fondée sur des intérêts communs (Crystal 2006), comme l’est la communauté des adolescents. Pour la collecte des corpus, nous recourrons à des échanges effectués au moyen du protocole Internet Relay Chat (IRC). Aux fins de notre étude, nous délimitons dans chacune des langues deux sous-corpus sociolinguistiquement distincts : le premier constitué à partir de forums de clavardage destinés aux adolescents, le second à partir de forums pour adultes. Pour chacune des langues, nous avons analysé 4 520 énoncés extraits de divers canaux IRC pour adolescents et pour adultes. Nous dressons d’abord un inventaire quantifié des différents phénomènes scripturaux recensés et procédons ensuite à la comparaison des résultats. / One of the most sticking aspects of technological progress over the last fifteen years is computer- mediated communication (CMC): chatting, instant messaging, e-mail, discussion forums, blogs, social networking sites, etc. In addition to having significantly impacted contemporary society, these communication tools have greatly modified writing practices. The object of this study is group chatting which offers many writers the possibility of communicating simultaneous amongst themselves. This communication tool shows two important discursive and communicational characteristics. First, chatting is generally a hybrid form of communication: the code used is written, but the exchange of messages forms a dialogue structure resembling oral speech. Second, the spontaneous character of chatting imposes speed, both in encoding and decoding messages. Within the framework of a comparative study on writing practices in Francophone chatters (Tatossian and Dagenais 2008), four general categories for all writing variations in the corpus were established: abbreviatory processes, grapheme substitutions, word final neutralisations and expressive processes. Now we are interested in testing the rigueur of this classification in languages where the phonetico-graphical degree of correspondence differs. According to the Orthographic Depth Hypothesis [ODH] (Katz and Frost 1992), in which a transparent orthographic system (such as in Italian, Spanish or Serbo-Croatian) directly transpose phonemes into the orthographic system, we seek to verify whether our results for French can be generalised both to languages with a “transparent” orthographic system (Spanish) and to languages whose orthographic systems are “opaque” (French, English). For each language, two questions were asked: 1. How can attested scriptural practices be classified? 2. Are these graphic practices qualitatively and quantitatively similar amongst both adolescents and adults? The scriptural phenomena related to chatting also imply a generational identity. Adolescence is a period characterised by the quests for an identity. A study by Sebba (2003) on English shows that a relationship exists between “modified spelling” and the construction of identity in adolescents (i.e. graffiti, CMC). In addition, in these communication realms, we see the creation of a community of users based on common interests (Crystal 2006), such as in the adolescent community. A corpus was constructed from exchanges accessed through the Internet Relay Chat protocol. For each language in the study, two sociolinguistic distinct sub-corpora were defined: the first was made up of adolescent chat forums, the second, of a forum for adults. For each language, 4520 sentences, taken from various IRC channels for adolescents and adults, were analysed. First, a quantified inventory of the different scriptural phenomena collected was created and then the results were compared.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-27T14:32:34Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Valdenice_Minatel_Melo_de_Cerqueira.pdf: 1371758 bytes, checksum: 26d34f789203cbc9d4fbbe73aaa1101f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2005-06-10 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This work deals with the pedagogical mediation in digital environments for distance learning. More specifically, it tries to understand which characteristics of pedagogical mediation, at web studying chattings, open up conditions to collective contribution. The focus of the research s analysis is an academic subject known as "Teachers formation at digital environments", carried out in 2003, at PUCSP, as part of a major for a stricto sensu Master s degree, and made available to student teachers through TelEduc software. The qualitative research was conducted as a study of case. For the interpretation of chats, the theories of Edgard Morin, José Armando Valente, Mikhail Bakhtin, Paulo Freire and Lev Semenovitch Vygotsky were used as analytical support. The theoretical concepts were articulated so as to establish the analysis foundation as well as to understand the net involving the data and joining the mentioned interpretation. As result of this joint between practice and theory, there have been identified "embroideries" whose texture shows the characteristics of the pedagogical mediation applied in the scope of contribution practices between participants of the referred subject: intermediation, co-mediation, encourage to contribution as well as to reaching autonomy, organization and joint of information, coherence between practice and theory, dialogueness, affection, collaborative work and spiral of learning. The analysis made possible to glimpse the broadness and the limits of educational use of chat, besides the role of mediation in the context of the use of such tool, and the adequacy of this same device to the application of distance learning in postgraduate studies intended for research developments. / O presente trabalho trata da mediação pedagógica em ambientes digitais de ensino e aprendizagem a distância. Mais especificamente, procura entender quais as características da mediação pedagógica, em situações de chat educacional, que criam condições para a colaboração, tendo como foco de análise a disciplina Formação de professores em ambientes digitais , realizada na PUCSP em 2003, como parte do curso de mestrado stricto sensu, por meio da plataforma TelEduc. Nesse contexto, a pesquisa qualitativa ocorreu na modalidade estudo de caso. Para a interpretação dos chats, foram utilizadas as teorias de Edgard Morin, José Armando Valente, Mikhail Bakhtin, Paulo Freire e Lev Semenovitch Vygotsky. Os conceitos teóricos foram articulados para dar prosseguimento à fundamentação das observações, bem como para entender as tramas que envolvem os dados e que se corporificam na respectiva interpretação. Como resultado dessa articulação entre teoria e prática, foram identificados bordados cujas tessituras evidenciam as características da mediação pedagógica realizada no âmbito das práticas de colaboração entre os participantes da já referida disciplina: intermediação, co-mediação, encorajamento à colaboração e à busca da autonomia, organização e articulação de informações, coerência entre teoria e prática, dialogicidade, acolhimento, trabalho colaborativo e espiral de aprendizagem. A análise possibilitou vislumbrar a abrangência e os limites do uso educacional do chat, o papel da mediação no contexto de uso dessa ferramenta, bem como a adequação desta às iniciativas de EaD na pós-graduação orientada para o desenvolvimento de pesquisas.

Det finns ett gap mellan tanke och handling i mindre organisationer. Omedvetenhet om den egna verksamheten har lett till att både lyckad och misslyckad organisering getts missvisande förklaringar. Studiens syfte är därför att utveckla kunskap om och förståelse för organiseringsprocesser i mindre organisationer och specifikt i popband. Forskningsdesignen är en longitudinell fallstudie av ett popband. Metodologin har inspirerats av etnografi och har en abduktiv ansats. Den huvudsakliga datainsamlingstekniken har varit observation av chattande, men direkta observationer, intervjuer och reflektionsmöte har också genomförts. Resultaten visar hur popbandet organiseras i projekt och på vikten av komplexitet och den gemensamma mening som det kan skapa. Stöd har tagits i Czarniawskas organiseringsteori och Weicks teori om meningsskapande. Slutsatsen dras att ihållande och sammanhängande organiseringsprocesser är förbundna med kollektiva meningsprocesser. Strävan efter gemensam mening är en strävan efter att förverkliga organisationen som ett kollektiv. Implikationerna för välfungerande verksamhet i mindre organisationer föreslås vara att sträva efter komplexitet genom att involvera alla deltagares mest meningsfulla projekt i varandra, att schemalägga träffar och att sätta multipla deadlines, samt att undvika enväldigt ledarskap, att undvika konkurrerande kompiskollektiv, att undvika delegering och tilldelning av ansvarsområden och att undvika strävan efter en gemensam syn på verksamheten. / There is a gap between thought and action in smaller organizations. Unawareness of its own activities has led to misleading explanations for both successful and unsuccessful organizing. This study therefore aims to develop knowledge and understanding of processes of organizing in smaller organizations and specifically in pop bands. The research design is a longitudinal case study of a pop band. The methodology was inspired by ethnography and has an abductive approach. The main source for data collection has been observation of chatting, however direct observations, interviews and a meeting of stimulated recall has also been conducted. The results show how the pop band is organized in projects and the importance of complexity and the collective sense that it can make. Analysis is based on Czarniawska's theory of organizing and Weick's theory of sensemaking. It is concluded that sustained and coherent processes of organizing are associated with processes of collective sensemaking. An endeavor for collective sense is an endeavor to realize the organization as a collective. The implications for well-functioning activities in smaller organizations proposed to be to endeavor for complexity by involving the most sensible projects according to all participants into one another, and to schedule meetings and to have multiple deadlines, and avoid authoritarian leadership, avoid competing buddy collective, avoid delegation and allocation of areas of responsibility and avoid the pursuit of a common view.