This study seeks to understand how collaborative information communication technologies (cICT) are used to support knowledge translation and optimize physician’s roles in chronic pain management. A survey was developed and distributed to 170 physicians in two chronic pain mentoring networks in Ontario and Nova Scotia. With a response rate of 74.1% the study identified the use of a broad variety of cICTs; with email as the most used. A majority of respondents (85.0%) used email to support discussions and 69.8% found it to be valuable in learning about chronic pain management. A higher frequency of email (adjusted OR=10.70, 95% CI: 2.84-40.33) and number of cICTs (adjusted OR=2.93, 95% CI: 1.19-7.21) used to communicate in the networks were associated with more interactions. These results highlight how cICTs can support the interactions and learning that are part of the knowledge translation process in optimizing the roles of physicians in chronic pain management.

This study seeks to understand how collaborative information communication technologies (cICT) are used to support knowledge translation and optimize physician’s roles in chronic pain management. A survey was developed and distributed to 170 physicians in two chronic pain mentoring networks in Ontario and Nova Scotia. With a response rate of 74.1% the study identified the use of a broad variety of cICTs; with email as the most used. A majority of respondents (85.0%) used email to support discussions and 69.8% found it to be valuable in learning about chronic pain management. A higher frequency of email (adjusted OR=10.70, 95% CI: 2.84-40.33) and number of cICTs (adjusted OR=2.93, 95% CI: 1.19-7.21) used to communicate in the networks were associated with more interactions. These results highlight how cICTs can support the interactions and learning that are part of the knowledge translation process in optimizing the roles of physicians in chronic pain management.

Australian Government policy has sought to decrease university reliance on federal support through the re-allocation of funding. Access to this pool of funding is based on teaching and learning performance and the subsequent comparison with similar education institutions. The concept of community has been promoted as a strategy for responding to these government demands whilst facilitating the student learning experience. Despite an intensive investment in strategic initiatives to enhance sense of community among the student cohort, there is a lack of scaleable evaluative measures to assess the overall effectiveness and accomplishment of intended outcomes. Contemporary methods for the assessment of community primarily rely on the establishment of pre-defined characteristics and the subsequent content analyses of communication artefacts to identify presence or absence. These studies are often small in sample size and limited in scalability and therefore the generalisation of research findings is impeded. This study aimed to examine the relationship between student sense of community (SOC) and communication interactions. To achieve this aim the study first developed a scaleable quantitative methodology that can be used to benchmark current pedagogical performance and guide future implemented practices relating to the establishment of a student community. The study juxtaposes an established scale of SOC with student online communication behaviours to identify potential relationships. In developing this methodology the study confirmed that the Classroom Community Scale (CCS) was a valid and robust instrument. The study incorporated a mixed methods paradigm to investigate the research questions. Quantitative data were derived from an online survey (N= 464), student online communication interactions and social network analyses. These data were further explored using more qualitative approaches such as content analyses of the discussion forum transcripts (n = 899) and student interviews (N = 4). The findings demonstrate that students and teaching units with greater frequencies of communication interactions possess stronger levels of SOC as determined by the CCS (R2 = .24, F = 14.98, p < .001; R2 = .83, F = 16.53, p < .01, respectively). A significant correlation was observed between discussion forum interaction types (learner-learner; learner-content; system) and SOC. Although learner-to-learner interactions demonstrated a positive correlation (r = .48, p < .05), system posts (isolated contributions) illustrated a negative correlation (r = - .50, p < .05). Quantity of discussion forum postings alone was not observed to be a significant indicator of SOC. Social network analyses demonstrated that the centrality measures closeness and degrees are positive predictors of an individual's reported SOC (t = 3.02 and t = 3.24, p < .001 respectively). In contrast, the centrality measure betweenness revealed a negative correlation (t = -3.86, p < .001). Discussion forum content analyses illustrated the fluid transition of discourse between social and learning oriented communities. Student interviews suggested that pre-existing external networks influence the type of support and information exchanges required and therefore, the degree of SOC experienced. The study also recognised that a key challenge in the implementation of data mining practices to monitor lead indicators of community lies in the notion of surveillance. This study examined the impact of technologically mediated modes of surveillance on student online behaviour. The findings demonstrate that students' unaware of the surveillance technologies operating within the institution modify their online behaviour more than their cognisant peers. The results of this study have implications for educational theory, practice, monitoring and evaluation. This research supports the development of a new model of community that illustrates the inter-relationships between student SOC and the education environment. Furthermore, the developed methodology demonstrates the capacity for cost effective data mining techniques to guide and evaluate implemented teaching and learning practices. Consequently, alignment with other theoretical constructs such as student satisfaction and engagement provides the institution with a lead indicator of teaching and learning performance. As the findings from this study illustrate the relationship between communication interactions and SOC, educators have the capacity to monitor communication trends and alter the teaching and learning practices to promote community among the student cohort in a just-in-time environment.

Despite considerable expenditure by school systems on ICT in terms of hardware, software, and related professional development programs, the impact on classroom practice remains disappointing to many. Current models of teacher professional learning in ICT appear to have had minimal impact. Based in the interpretative paradigm, this thesis describes the experience of the participants in a unique professional development program in which students in Grades 3 and 4 mentored teachers in their school in the use of ICT. The study was undertaken in two schools in Melbourne, Australia, and involved the professional development of teachers in the use of digital cameras and related software. Following their initial training with the researcher in one school and a focus teacher in another, the children worked in pairs to conduct three semi-structured sessions with a teacher, mentoring them in the use of the technology. The children were also available to the teachers for further consultation or assistance. It was intended that the mentoring program would enhance teachers’ knowledge of the technology and also their classroom practice. This thesis reports the benefits of student mentors in ICT as seen by teacher mentees involved in the project. In particular, the focus of this study is on the teachers’ perceived effect of the student mentoring approach to professional development in relation to their skills and confidence with ICT, their classroom practice with ICT and their recognition of other values inherent in the program. Data were collected throughout the project in the form of surveys, interviews, observations and student and teacher journals. Using NVivo, these data were analysed into themes to ascertain teachers’ reported benefits of the program in relation to their skills, confidence and classroom practice with ICT. Findings of the project included the improvement in teachers’ skills and confidence and an impact on their thinking and practices with technology in the classroom. As well as these intended outcomes, teachers also reported a greater knowledge of their personal learning preferences, which influenced the way they saw the children’s learning and therefore their classroom practice. Child mentors flourished in the mentoring relationships, showing their prowess in mentoring teachers with ICT, with several surprising their teachers with their capabilities. Overall, the teachers were very positive about the mentoring experience and the influence it had on their confidence, skills and classroom practice. This study showed the potential impact of children as mentors of teachers in ICT, and offers a model for consideration by schools and school systems in the way in which they approach professional learning in ICT of their teachers.

The New Zealand construction supply chain today is inefficient. From a literature review it is found that non value adding activities including waste of time and materials are caused by islands of information with ineffective communication between supply chain participants. This represents an opportunity for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to provide a strategic supply chain management model for the industry enabling interaction and shared information between all parties. To evaluate the performance of ICTs in the New Zealand construction supply chain, this thesis uses as a case study newly launched software---BlueSky. BlueSky was developed by the Building Integration Software Company located in AUT Technical Park. BlueSky was designed to integrate the fragments of the current information flow of the chain from architect through to the end property owner. Supporting Data was gathered by distributing a structured questionnaire designed to find the opportunities and inhibitors for utilizing ICTs to facilitate the synthesis of the chain. 200 responses were received. The study was funded by a TEC grant. The BlueSky case study is based on two pilot sites; one is an architectural design company and the other is a master contractor company in Auckland. The case study also evaluated the potential problems which may bring risks to supply chain members and provide possible recommendations for future research. The study found from the results of the questionnaire that a significant shift in the mindset of participants of the supply chain will be necessary in terms of collaboration and team work if mutual benefits are to be achieved. It is found that in the two pilot sites BlueSky did make a significant difference in terms of reduced cost, accuracy of information, improved documentation management, and overall increased speed and clarity of information. In the wider community of the industry as a whole considerable education is needed to break down mistrust between members. In general each member appears to be determined to secure the best result as individuals rather than considering the overall outcome for the whole chain. This reluctance to co-operate is coupled with a reluctance to utilize ICTs. Recommendations are made to overcome this mindset.

This is an investigation of the diffusion of new information and communication technologies (ICTs), particularly the Internet, by community broadcasting organisations. In order to understand ICT diffusion processes in community radio stations, this study focuses on a particular project which saw a large scale diffusion of Internet technologies across Australian community radio stations at the beginning of 1998. The Community Access Network (CAN) project was an initiative of the Australian government, and saw funding for the provision of an Internet ready computer to every licensed community radio station in Australia. In approaching this subject, this research employed social constructivist assumptions, expecting that ICT use, and in particular the CAN workstations, would vary from station to station, reflecting the cultural and organisational conditions in each environment. As such the study aimed to understand the ways in which ICT technologies have been used and understood by community ralo station management and their participants. Since community radio stations are organisations, this study employed Everett Rogers' framework for understanding diffusion of innovation processes within organisations, acknowledging that organisational variables act on innovation behaviour in a manner over and above that of the aggregate of individual members of the organisation. This approach provided scope for the investigation and comparison of organisational factors, as well as meaning making on the part of individual participants. The research was based on data collected from two case studies, chosen on the basis of their divergent social, cultural and organisational environments; 4EB in Brisbane, a metropolitan, ethnic community radio station; and 2NCR-FM in Lismore, a regional, generalist community radio station. Ethnographic methods of observation and interviews were employed to collect qualitative data, providing insider accounts of community broadcaster's use, experience, and understanding of the new technologies in their day-to-day broadcast practices. By looking at two different community radio stations, this research acknowledges points of similarity and difference across these organisational situations, identifying factors that contribute to variation in technology take-up in particular station programming emphasis, perception of need, organisational resources, role of innovation champions, training, ICT policy and broadcaster variables. Evidence drawn from these case studies, and the specific ICT investigated, contributes to a general understanding of factors in the diffusion of ICT technologies across the community broadcast sector, providing a frame of reference for anticipating subsequent innovation diffusion. In particular, there are implications for future diffusion projects which plan to deploy new technologies across the community radio sector. It also contextualises community broadcasting and ICT use within the field of new technology uptake by broadcast sectors in general.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Umeå : Umeå universitet, 2005. / Härtill 8 uppsatser och 3 appendix.

Η εν λόγω διπλωματική εργασία πραγματεύεται ένα νέο και καινοτόμο θέμα που αφορά την εξέλιξη στο καθεστώς πρόνοιας και υγειονομικής περίθαλψης της τρίτης ηλικίας στο εξωτερικό και κατ’ επέκταση στην Ελλάδα. Εισαγωγικά, η επόμενη δεκαετία αναμένεται να παρουσιάσει σημαντική αύξηση στον αριθμό των ηλικιωμένων πολιτών με ταυτόχρονη μείωση του αριθμού των εργαζομένων στους τομείς φροντίδας των ηλικιωμένων καθώς, επίσης, και στους τομείς της υγειονομικής περίθαλψης. Η Ευρώπη αντιμετωπίζει ήδη τις προκλήσεις και τις απαιτήσεις που δημιουργεί η κατάσταση αυτή. Ένα από τα μέτρα που μπορεί να χρησιμεύσει για την αντιμετώπιση των ραγδαίων αλλαγών που παρατηρούνται, είναι η ανάπτυξη νέων τεχνολογιών με σκοπό την εξυπηρέτηση των ηλικιωμένων ατόμων στην καθημερινή τους ζωή. Ως “Ambient Assisted Living (AAL)”, λοιπόν, χαρακτηρίζεται το ευρωπαϊκό πρόγραμμα, κύριος στόχος του οποίου είναι η βελτίωση της ποιότητας ζωής των ηλικιωμένων πολιτών μέσω της ανάπτυξης ηλικιο-ευαίσθητων λύσεων ICT (ΤΠΕ) (ΤΠΕ: Τεχνολογίες Πληροφορίας και Επικοινωνιών). Η παρούσα εργασία πραγματεύεται το συγκεκριμένο ευρωπαϊκό πρόγραμμα, αναλύει την τεχνολογία που υιοθετεί και εξελίσσει το κάθε κράτος ξεχωριστά, αλλά και τη διακρατική συνεργασία, καθώς, επίσης, και τις αντίστοιχες ελληνικές προσπάθειες στο εν λόγω πεδίο της τεχνολογίας πρόνοιας. Αναφέρεται λεπτομερώς στη διακρατική συνεργασία κυρίως μεταξύ των ευρωπαϊκών χωρών σε σχέση με την τεχνολογία πρόνοιας (welfare technology), που είναι ήδη σε εξέλιξη, καθώς και σε πολλές νέες εταιρικές σχέσεις που ενδεχομένως θα δημιουργηθούν στο άμεσο μέλλον. Επιπροσθέτως, αναφέρεται στην προσπάθεια του ευρωπαϊκού οργανισμού AGE που εξελίσσεται στο ίδιο πλαίσιο με αφορμή το έτος 2012 ως Ευρωπαϊκό Έτος για την Ενεργό Γήρανση και την Αλληλεγγύη μεταξύ των Γενεών. Γίνεται συζήτηση με αναφορές στο κέρδος και την οικονομική εξέλιξη μέσω αυτού του τομέα σε άλλα ευρωπαϊκά κράτη. Εκτός της ανάγκης για εξέλιξη τεχνολογιών που θα κριθούν επιβοηθητικές στην ποιότητα ζωής της Τρίτης ηλικίας, ο συγκεκριμένος τομέας παρέχει σε άλλες χώρες, όπως για παράδειγμα στη Γερμανία, μία δυνητικά πολύ σημαντική δυνατότητα για την ανάπτυξη του εμπορίου και της βιομηχανίας. Το γεγονός αυτό αποτελεί έναν ακόμη λόγο για περαιτέρω συζήτηση στην εξέλιξη αυτών των τεχνολογιών που δεν μπορεί να παραβλέψει κανείς, ειδικά σε κρίσιμες οικονομικές περιόδους. Επομένως, οι παραπάνω κινήσεις, επιβάλλεται να είναι το αποτέλεσμα της στενής συνεργασίας μεταξύ του Ερευνητικών Κέντρων/Πανεπιστημίων, Υπουργείων, Δήμων και Περιφερειών. Εν κατακλείδι γίνεται μια σύγκριση στην παραγωγή και υλοποίηση των ΤΠΕ σε Γερμανία και Ελλάδα, ενώ παράλληλα παρουσιάζονται νεότερες ιδέες και προτάσεις μέσα από τις πιο σύγχρονες τεχνολογίες που εκθέτονται. / This thesis addresses new and innovative questions concerning the development status and health care in old age abroad and hence to Greece. The next decade is expected to show a significant increase in the number of senior citizens while the number of employees in the area of elderly health care is significantly reducing. Europe is already facing the challenges and demands that this situation creates. One of the measures that can be used to address the rapid changes is the development of new technologies able to serve the elderly in their daily lives. As "Ambient Assisted Living (AAL)", stands the European project, whose main objective is to improve the quality of life of senior citizens through the development of age-sensitive solutions ICT (ICT: Information and Communication Technologies). This work discusses this European project, by analyzing the technology adopted and developed by the individual countries, and the transnational cooperation, and refers also to the corresponding Greek efforts in this field of technology assistance. Detailed transnational cooperation is analyzed, particularly among European countries in terms of technology assistance (welfare technology), which is already underway, and also the new partnerships that will be created in the near future. Furthermore, the effort of the European Agency AGE in the same context is addressed, also in terms of the fact that the year 2012 is marked as the European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations. There is also discussion with reference to the profit and economic development through this area in other European countries. Besides the need for development of technologies that is already highlighting the quality of seniors’ life, this sector provides to other countries, like for example Germany, a very significant potential for development of trade and industry. This is another reason for further analysis on the evolution of these technologies, especially during the times of economic crisis. Thus, the above investments should become the result of close cooperation between research centres / universities, Ministries, Municipalities and Regions. In conclusion, a comparison is made in the production and implementation of ICT in Germany and Greece whilst presenting newer ideas and suggestions displaying today’s latest technologies.

Orientador: Elisa Tomoe Moriya Schlünzen / Banca: Ana Maria da Costa Santos Menin / Banca: Renata Portela Rinaldi / Resumo: O presente trabalho é fruto de uma investigação de mestrado vinculada à linha de pesquisa Práticas e Processos Formativos em Educação. Os índices de analfabetismo no Brasil ainda são altos e as estatísticas demonstram que muitos alunos não estão aprendendo a ler e escrever e, consequentemente, obter condições de viver conscientemente no mundo letrado. Por outro lado, as Tecnologias de Informação e Comunicação (TIC) são cada vez mais utilizadas nos sistemas de ensino, como recursos pedagógicos que podem contribuir com o processo de ensino e aprendizagem, se utilizados com objetivos coerentes. O computador possui recursos que despertam o interesse, como as multimídias, programas que articulam jogos, informações educativas e oportunidades de uso que possibilitam uma forma diferente de acesso às informações e à construção do conhecimento. Diante disso, o objetivo norteador desta pesquisa investigou o uso do computador e seus recursos no processo de alfabetização por meio da formação de professores alfabetizadores. Recorreu-se, como aporte teórico, a estudos sobre alfabetização e letramento, processos de aquisição da língua escrita e formação de professores alfabetizadores, assim como a teorias sobre Informática Aplicada à Educação. Para tanto, desenvolveu-se uma pesquisa qualitativa, do tipo pesquisa-ação com intervenção, em uma sala de alfabetização, sendo os sujeitos vinte e oito alunos, um professor da sala de alfabetização e um professor da Sala Ambiente de Informática (SAI). Inicialmente, realizaram-se observações das aulas na SAI para diagnosticar o contexto e a abordagem do professor diante do uso do computador. Com o diagnóstico obtido, efetuou-se a intervenção por meio de uma formação continuada dos professores ... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: This work result of a Master investigation linked to the line of research Practices and Training Processes in Education. Illiteracy rates in Brazil are still high and statistics show that many students are not learning to read and write and, therefore, they are not able to live consciously in the literate world. On the other hand, the Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are becoming more and more used in the education system, such as teaching resources that can improve the teaching and learning process, if used with consistent goals. The computer has resources which are attractive, such as multimedia, programs that combine games, educational information and opportunities of use that enable a different form of access information and knowledge building. Thus, the guiding objective of this research was to investigate the use of computers and their resources in the process of literacy through the training of literacy teachers. Studies on literacy, acquisition processes of written language and training of literacy teachers as well as theories of Informatics Applied to Education were used as theoretical base of this research. For this purpose, we developed a qualitative research, the kind action-research with intervention in one class room, with twenty-eight students, one teacher of literacy and one teacher of Informatic. Initially, there were observations of lessons in the Informatic class to diagnose the context and the approach of the teacher in front of computer use. With the diagnosis obtained, the intervention was made through a continuous training of teachers in a differentiated teaching practice, mediated by computer resources. This practice consisted in the presentation of resources, manipulation of these by the teachers ... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

Orientador: Miriam Godoy Penteado / Banca: Arlindo José de Souza Junior / Banca: Marcus Vinicius Maltempi / Resumo: Trata-se de uma pesquisa com uma abordagem qualitativa, um estudo de caso, cujo objetivo foi analisar a constituição do trabalho da equipe de Matemática da Universidade Federal de Uberlândia - UFU - participante do Projeto RIVED (Rede Interativa Virtual de Educação), que foi um projeto governamental que visava promover e incentivar o uso da informática na educação por meio da produção de módulos educacionais na forma de Objetos de Aprendizagem - OA. O foco da pesquisa foi a configuração da equipe, sua produção e dificuldades para se atingir as metas propostas. Para a coleta de dados foram realizadas entrevistas com os alunos de graduação e com professores de Matemática da escola básica que atuaram no Projeto. Os resultados foram analisados a partir da aproximação dos dados da pesquisa com os objetivos presentes no edital do Projeto RIVED, gerando assim três eixos de discussão: o primeiro eixo "A produção dos objetos de aprendizagem" que se refere ao processo de implementação coletiva dos objetos e a aprendizagem dos participantes; o segundo eixo intitulado "Trajetória da equipe" onde se discute o trabalho coletivo, a capacitação, a interação entre os participantes e a divisão do trabalho e do tempo; o terceiro e último eixo "Disseminação" refere-se a disseminação dos OA nas escolas de Uberlândia e na Universidade Federal de Uberlândia. A discussão é feita a partir da perspectiva teórica da produção de softwares educacionais, da produção de design, da aprendizagem dos participantes apoiada no construcionismo, do trabalho coletivo e da disseminação dos objetos. Os resultados permitem afirmar que a contribuição do Projeto foi além da produção de materiais pedagógicos, pois incentivaram os participantes ao trabalho colaborativo, à pesquisa e à extensão / Abstract: This is a survey with a qualitative approach, a case study, which was analyzed the formation of the team work of Mathematics, Federal University of Uberlandia - UFU - Project participant of RIVED (Interactive Virtual Education Network), which was a government project aimed at promoting and encouraging the use of information technology in education through the production of educational modules in the form of Learning Objects - LO. The research focus was the team configuration, production and difficulties in achieving the goals proposed. Then, the collect of data, interviews were conducted with undergraduate students and mathematics teachers of primary school who worked on the project. The results were analyzed based on the approximation of the survey data with the present objectives in the announcement of Project RIVED, thus generating three areas of discussion: the first axis "The production of learning objects" which refers to the process of collective implementation of the objects and learning of the participants, the second strand entitled "Journey of the team" which discusses the collective work, training, interaction between participants and the division of labor and time, the third and last axis "Spread" refers to the spread of LO in schools in Uberlândia and University of Uberlândia. The discussion is made from the theoretical perspective of the production of educational software, production design, the learning of the participants supported by the constructionism, group work and the dissemination of the objects. The results indicate that the contribution of the project was in addition to producing teaching materials, as encouraged participants to collaborative work, research and extension / Mestre