Colombia has some 2.5 million emigrants (KNOMAD 2016), many of whom likely experience diaspora as a state of mind and transnationalism as a feature of their familial interactions. Storytelling constitutes an intersection at which individuals and families create and recreate themselves. Today, much of this process is mediated via information and communication technologies (ICTs). Hence, the central question guiding the thesis is: How do ICTs catalyze and constrain storytelling within transnational families? Drawing from information gathered through in-depth semi-structured interviews with six Colombian families with members who immigrated to Canada from Colombia, this thesis investigates the technologically mediated familial interactions and storytelling of 12 adult Colombians residing in Montreal, and six of their respective family members who remain in Colombia. The participants report that prior to migrating their familial stories were mainly oral and occurred in very warm face-to-face situations whereas after migrating their family narratives and stories are being altered in various ways through the presence, interactive, and multimodal affordances ICTs provide.

With the increasingly salient role of business in development, the bottom of the pyramid (BOP) approach is sparking great interest in multinational corporations, donor agencies, and academic circles. The BOP proposition holds that profit-generating enterprise-based ventures – typically led by multinational corporations – can reduce poverty and improve the standard of living by offering goods and services to the poor or integrating them in the value chain. BOP as a development strategy is predicated on the “inclusion” of the poor into market to enable them to reap the benefits of greater wealth and prosperity. This thesis critically investigates to what extent BOP interventions contribute to the social inclusion of marginalized groups in developing countries like Bangladesh. The thesis analyzes the case of public access information and communication technologies (ICTs) venues such as telecentres. Such venues provide access to ICTs such as Internet that enable people to access, use and share information and knowledge at an unprecedented level, offering great potential for socio-economic development. Overall, the thesis reveals the limitations in the BOP approach in contributing to inclusion, by showing the contradictions between the economic logic of business and the social imperative of inclusion. Through focusing on a broader view of inclusion, the findings highlight the complex relationship between digital inclusion and social inclusion in developing countries. In particular, the thesis problematizes the notion of “inclusive business”, which, by aiming to integrate the poor as consumers and women as entrepreneurs, serves the purpose of extending the reach of business. Thus inclusive business is rather different from a view of inclusion towards meaningfully contributing to one’s social and economic advancement. The thesis also argues that the various dimensions of inclusion are highly contingent on the business strategies and motivations of corporations as well as meso-level organizational formations. The analysis of corporate strategies uncovers how revenue making considerations are driving BOP interventions at the cost of accountability towards their stakeholders. By interrogating some of the issues silent in the discussions on business and development, such as inequality and exclusion, the work provides a counter narrative to the BOP discourse, raising questions about the uncritical repositioning of business as a development agent.

Knowledge is one of the most central driving forces in today’s economy. Thus, organizations need to recognize knowledge as a valuable resource and develop tools for tapping into the collective intelligence and create a greater organizational knowledge base. However, to stay competitive on today’s global marketplace actors must collaborate and share knowledge across organizational boundaries. Companies must therefore consider barriers to knowledge sharing. While the importance of knowledge sharing across organizational boundaries has been highlighted, researchers emphasize that an interesting factor to examine in further research is the role of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to mitigate barriers for knowledge sharing. The purpose with this study is to explore in what way ICT may be used to mitigate barriers for knowledge sharing between individual forest landowners and forest companies within the Swedish forest industry. The study is divided into two research questions: (1) What critical barriers for knowledge sharing exist between individual forest landowners and forest companies within the Swedish forest industry? and (2) In what way may ICT be used to mitigate barriers for knowledge sharing between individual forest landowners and forest companies. To answer the research questions, a multiple case study consisting of 23 interviews was conducted with forest consultants, forest landowners and forest companies. In addition to prior literature regarding individual, organizational and technology barriers, our study emphasize that firms also must consider inter-organizational barriers to knowledge sharing. By mapping the most critical barriers according to individual forest landowners and forest companies, our study assess in what way ICT may be used to mitigate these barriers. In addition, the study contributes with an emerging framework for managers to visualize and prioritize barriers to mitigate, which is useful when planning and evaluating knowledge management activities.

The purpose of this study is to investigate if growth in ICT investments affects output growth differently across four income groups. Our panel data analysis is based on a sample of 101 countries in the period 1995-2015, where we conduct an augmented Cobb-Douglas production function with GDP growth as dependent variable. We divide the regression sample into high-, upper middle-, lower middle- and low-income countries to account for income disparities across countries. The outcomes are measured by estimating both ordinary least square and a fixed effects model. The impact of capital investments is measured by using two variables; growth of ICT capital services and non-ICT capital services. In addition, we control for exports and the growth in labor quality. Our major findings show that there are only significant contributions to growth in the top-three richest countries, with exception for the middle-income countries when controlling for fixed effects.

The thesis focused on instruments of ICT, their using in educational environment of primary schools and their influence on educational process. In theoretical part, the readers get to know the concept of information literacy, opinions and ICT attitudes in education field over the years. The implementation and using of ICT in Education may have been causes by many reasons and this thesis tries to describe their advantages and disadvantages. The other chapters in this part describe some other methods of education and modern didactic instruments and their own historical development. The end of the theoretical part belongs to possible development in future of modern technologies in whole educational process. The second part presents some selected research studies from different EU countries schools. The research examines the implementation of ICT in educational process and impact of modern technologies on education in general and - basically studying. This chapter deals with the outcomes of the studies and emphasize significant findings and recommandations. The empirical part begins with description of author's own research, its realization, goals, methodics and hypothesis. In main part, author analyzes using of modern technologies and their influence on educational process based on interviews and questionnairies. In the final part, author evaluates the hypothesis and summarize all findings and achievements. Goal of the thesis is to spread information and new point of view on issue which is dealing with whole process of implementation and using of modern technologies in educational process and analysis present influence of ICT on education in selected primary schools.

The aim of this thesis is to analyze and compare hotel systems Hores and Protel. The first part highlights the application of the information and communication technologies in general in tourism. The second part focuses on hotel systems used both worldwide and in the Czech Republic. Subsequently, it concentrates in detail on Hores and Protel systems. In the last part, the beforehand chosen parameters are analyzed and evaluated. In addition, the results of carried out questionnaire are presented and assessed. Furthermore, a SWOT analysis evidences the negatives and positives of both systems. In the end, the thesis states the overall evaluation of the systems and presents proposed changes.

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have been used in several sectors and industries and have generated positive results especially in respect of increasing productivity and collaboration. While the discipline of social informatics has studied the use of ICT in agriculture and in tourism as separate fields, little work has been done to look at ICT use in agritourism – the intersection of agriculture and tourism. Even less (or no) work has been done on ICT use in agritourism in small island developing states, the Caribbean, or Jamaica. This thesis presents the first look at the variables to be considered in applying ICT to agritourism in the Jamaican context. A holistic view of the Jamaican agritourism sub-sector, in the form of the newly crafted Jamaican Agritourism Innovation System (JATIS) model, is presented showing the interactions among the various actors (sectors) required for successful ICT implementation. The JATIS model is an extension of previous Agriculture Innovation Systems (AIS) models and is specifically applied to the Jamaican context. However, as opposed to previous models, the JATIS highlights the critical role of purveyors, or middlemen, operating in Jamaican agritourism. The model formulates a mechanism, different from the current Jamaican agritourism structure, to include all industry players in the supply/demand interaction. The inclusion of all players is done through a series of farm and purveyor groups, enabled and facilitated by ICT. In addition, the model highlights the improved quality of information exchange among the players as a result of the modified interaction proposed. It might be possible to apply the model to other Small Island Developing States, particularly those in the Anglophone Caribbean, where the socio-cultural variables and economies are similar to Jamaica’s. However, further research will have to be conducted to verify, fine-tune, or customize the model for external application.

Submitted by Fabio Sobreira Campos da Costa (fabio.sobreira@ufpe.br) on 2016-04-19T13:20:56Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) Luciano França de Lima_DISSERTAÇÃO.pdf: 4237415 bytes, checksum: 8d2b9c611b7bd5c862287647bf7d5231 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-19T13:20:56Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) Luciano França de Lima_DISSERTAÇÃO.pdf: 4237415 bytes, checksum: 8d2b9c611b7bd5c862287647bf7d5231 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-07-16 / Esta pesquisa tem como tela de fundo uma política pública voltada para a inserção de Tecnologias da Informação e da Comunicação, TIC, na educação formal, a saber, o Programa Aluno Conectado, recentemente implantado em escolas públicas de Pernambuco. Trata-se de uma pesquisa de caráter exploratório, cujo percurso investigativo procurou delinear-se pelos princípios de um estudo qualitativo, tendo sido alicerçado teoricamente por abordagens críticas do letramento trazidas pelos Novos Estudos do Letramento (NLS), revisitados em autores como Street (2012, 2010, 2007, 1984), Heath (1983), Barton (1994), Hamilton (2000a), entre outros. Diante da constatação de usos escassos dos computadores franqueados pelo programa no ambiente escolar, apesar da escola possuir condicionantes técnicos favoráveis e os estudantes declararem fazer usos intensivos daqueles em outros espaços, dedicamo-nos a identificar razões que pudessem estar relacionadas a essa assimetria. Por meio do cotejamento de práticas sociais letradas dentro e fora da esfera escolar e de recortes de falas dos sujeitos engajados, partimos do pressuposto de que um dos fatores que implicaria no pouco aproveitamento que esses equipamentos, resultantes de dispendiosos investimentos públicos, tem tido nas escolas pode estar relacionado também com o modelo de letramento radicado nessas instituições, como já registrado na literatura por autores como Warschauer (2006) e Buzato (2007). Operando a partir desse pressuposto, este estudo se propôs a compreender valores que referenciam o discurso de estudantes do ensino médio, ao se reportarem as próprias práticas letradas apoiadas ou intermediadas por artefatos digitais. Os dados empíricos foram coletados a partir da utilização de um software de monitoramento eletrônico (Spymaster), instalado nos computadores de cinco estudantes e de entrevistas semiestruturadas. O corpus foi tratado em um software para análise qualitativa (NVIVO10), com base em técnicas de Análise de Conteúdo (AC), como descrito por Bardin (2011). Como resultado, verificamos que os informantes se engajam em uma diversidade de eventos e práticas letradas apoiadas ou intermediadas pelos artefatos digitais em diferentes esferas em seu cotidiano, entretanto, ao se reportarem a esses empregam um discurso profundamente arraigado em valores que compreendemos serem oriundos do modelo de letramento dominante no âmbito escolar. Em vista disso, reproduzem uma fala desqualificadora em relação a outros letramentos de outras esferas da vida cotidiana, mas que são pouco vivenciados nas salas de aula, notadamente aqueles apoiados ou intermediados pelas TIC. / This research has as a backdrop a public policy for the integration of Information and Communication Technologies, ICT into formal education, namely the Connected Student Program recently implemented in public schools in Pernambuco. It is an exploratory study, whose investigative route delineates by the principles of a qualitative study, having been theoretically grounded for critical literacy approaches brought by the New Literacy Studies (NLS), revisited in authors like Street (2012 2010, 2007, 1984), Heath (1983) Barton (1994), Hamilton (2000a), among others. Given the fact of limited use of computers franchisees by the program at school, although the school has favorable technical conditions and students declare to intensive uses of those in other areas, we are dedicated to identify reasons that could be related to this asymmetry. Through the read back of literate social practices inside and outside the school sphere and speeches of the subjects engaged clippings, we assume that one of the factors that would involve little use in such equipment as a result of expensive public investments, has had on schools It may also be related to the literacy model rooted in these institutions, as reported in the literature by authors such as Warschauer (2006) and Buzato (2007). Operating from this assumption, this study aimed to understand values that reference the high school students of speech when reporting their own literacy practices supported or carried out through digital artifacts. Empirical data were collected from the use of an electronic monitoring software (Spymaster), installed on the computers of five students and semi-structured interviews. The corpus was treated in software for qualitative analysis (NVIVO10), based on content analysis techniques (AC), as described by Bardin (2011). As a result, we found that the participants engage in a variety of events and literacy practices supported or mediated by digital artifacts in different spheres in their daily lives, however, when reporting these employ a deep-seated discourse on values that we understand be derived from the model dominant literacy in schools. As a result, they reproduce a line disqualifying relative to other literacies of other spheres of everyday life, but are somewhat experienced in classrooms, especially those supported or mediated by ICT.

A presente pesquisa teve por objetivo analisar os conteúdos dos blogs utilizados por escolas públicas, identificar estratégias que definem a elaboração e escolha de seus conteúdos e conhecer os aportes teóricos que dão sustentação para sua prática no âmbito educacional. Foram utilizadas as abordagens qualitativa e quantitativa bibliográfica. Trata-se de pesquisa básica e exploratória realizada em escolas jurisdicionadas a uma Diretoria de Ensino da região do Vale do Paraíba. O estudo foi realizado em etapas que contemplaram um número específico de unidades escolares. Na primeira etapa, foi utilizada a pesquisa documental em dezoito (18) escolas. Na segunda etapa, aplicou-se um questionário a quarenta e cinco (45) gestores/professores de treze (13) unidades escolares. Na última etapa, foram realizadas entrevistas com três (03) professores em apenas uma (1) unidade escolar. A análise dos dados obtidos foi organizada e categorizada de acordo com Bardin (2011). A discussão desta pesquisa é fundamentada em estudiosos da área como Vani Kenski (2007); Moran (2007); Pensky (2001), Pierri Lévy (2007); Ene e Querido (2003). Esses teóricos apóiam as reflexões dentro deste estudo sobre as Tecnologias (Conceito); a relação entre Tecnologias e Educação; a comunidade virtual blog e seus desdobramentos no âmbito educacional e as comunidades de aprendizagem. Os resultados revelaram que as unidades escolares utilizam o blog como um objeto pedagógico, mas que ainda precisam de apoio em relação a planejamento, conteúdos e formas metodológicas que viabilizem todas as potencialidades deste ambiente. Espera-se que os resultados desta pesquisa possam produzir conhecimentos que favorecerão uma melhor compreensão do cenário estudado, norteando futuras ações na utilização de blogs para fins educacionais. / This study aimed to analyze the contents of blogs used by public schools to identify strategies that define the design and choice of their content and understand the theoretical contributions that support for their practice in the educational field. The literature qualitative and quantitative approaches were used. It is basic and exploratory research conducted in schools to a jurisdictional Educational Board of Paraíba Valley region). The study was performed in steps contemplated that a specific number of school units. In the first stage, we used the documentary research in eighteen (18) schools. In the second stage, we applied a questionnaire to forty-five (45) managers / thirteen teachers (13) school units. In the last step, interviews were conducted with three (03) teachers in only one (1) school unit. The data analysis was organized and categorized according to Bardin (2011). The discussion of this research is based on scholars in the field as Vani Kenski (2007); Moran (2007); Pensky (2001), Levy Pierri (2007); Ene and Honey (2003). These theoretical support the reflections in this study of Technology (USA); the relationship between technology and education; the virtual community blog and its developments in the education sector and the learning communities. The results revealed that school units use the blog as a teaching object, but still need support with regard to planning, content and methodological ways that enable the full potential of this environment. It is expected that the results of this research may produce knowledge that will favor a better understanding of the studied scenario, guiding future action in the use of Internet for educational purposes.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-07-18T17:54:20Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Luciana Dissertacao Mestrado_16_09_2013.pdf: 408167 bytes, checksum: 07b4dcf61c35029d6e252ee0298af92e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-09-27 / This thesis aims to analyze the role of play and games in the context of early childhood education and how does the media influence and media in children s play; tensed verify the actions of teachers and management team on the possible influence of ICT on the behavior of children aged 4-6 years, both electronic games, such as media characters. Given the infancy of the digital era, sporting, thinks and acts in direct contact with ICT, justified the need for this research, based on Kamii Moyles and on the stages of human development and the importance of play for children full training. The research adopted procedures and qualitative case study design as for being an approach that can substantiate the situations experienced within the Institution of Child Education. Survey participants were the director and coordinator of school and four teachers Childhood Education network of the Municipality of the City of Birigüi-SP. Data interpretation was developed through content analysis. The survey conducted showed that ICTs are part of everyday life for children, since children participate less of traditional sports and games in school and are more interested in handling electronic devices such as games, phones, internet and also watch TV at home. The teachers recognized the importance of play, however, that reputation was assigned only in discourse, because we did not observe the actual practice within the speeches collected through interviews. We found that the teacher lacks solid theoretical foundation to pursue their practice, through training teachers, in order to provide quality learning resources for their students. / A presente dissertação teve como objetivo analisar o papel das brincadeiras e jogos no contexto da Educação Infantil e como ocorre a influência da mídia e multimídia no brincar infantil; Tencionou verificar as ações dos professores e equipe gestora diante das possíveis influências das TIC no comportamento de crianças na faixa etária de 4 a 6 anos, tanto por jogos eletrônicos, como por personagens midiáticos. Considerando a infância da era digital, que brinca, pensa e age em contato direto com as TIC, justificou-se a necessidade dessa pesquisa, baseando-se em Kamii e Moyles sobre as fases do desenvolvimento humano e a importância do brincar para a formação integral infantil. A pesquisa adotou procedimentos de natureza qualitativa e o estudo de caso como delineamento, por ser uma abordagem que pode fundamentar as situações vivenciadas no interior da Instituição de Educação Infantil. Os participantes da pesquisa foram: a diretora e a coordenadora escolar e quatro professores de Educação Infantil da rede da Prefeitura Municipal da Cidade de Birigui - SP. A interpretação dos dados foi desenvolvida por meio da análise de conteúdo. A investigação desenvolvida evidenciou que as TIC fazem parte do cotidiano infantil, já que as crianças participam menos das brincadeiras e jogos tradicionais na escola e se interessam mais pelo manuseio de artefatos eletrônicos como games, celulares, internet e também em assistir TV em casa. Os docentes reconheceram a importância do brincar, no entanto, esse prestígio foi atribuído somente no discurso, pois não observamos a efetiva prática dentro das falas colhidas mediante entrevista. Constatamos que o professor carece de fundamentação teórica sólida para exercer a sua prática pedagógica, por meio de capacitações docente, de modo a prover meios qualitativos de aprendizagem para seus educandos.