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Mixed richness communications occur when a participant in a conversation receives a different media or combination of media than they transmit. Mixed richness communications occur in the workplace when technical, physiological or practical limitations prevent the use of the same media on both ends of a conversation. Prior research in CMC has focused on same-richness communications, and the design guidelines that are available for same-richness communications may not be applicable to mixed-richness communications. This study attempts to establish a basis for understanding mixed-richness communications by evaluating same-richness communications using concepts and measures previously applied to mixed-richness communications Media Richness Theory (Daft & Lengel, 1984, 1986) defines the richness of a communication medium in terms of its ability to reduce uncertainty and equivocality. According to Daft and Lengel's task-media fit hypothesis, communications are most effective and satisfying when the media richness matches the level of uncertainty and equivocality in a task. Social presence is the perceived ability of a medium to transmit the social cues that lead to a sense that the medium is "warm, personal, sensitive, and sociable" (Short, Williams, & Christie, 1976). Social presence has been suggested to be a predictor of user satisfaction for computer-mediated communications (CMC), and has been used as measure of media richness in previous studies (Rice, 1993; Yoo & Alavi, 2001). This study examined the effects of communication medium and task equivocality on task performance, communication effectiveness and sense of social presence. Pairs of participants were required to complete high and low equivocality collaborative tasks while communicating with each other using CMC. The communication media varied between participants. During some sessions, participants received and transmitted the same media (video-only or text-only). In other cases, participants transmitted text and received video or vice-versa. From the recorded transcripts of each user session was extracted task performance in terms of task time-to-complete and communication effectiveness in terms of the frequency of communication breakdowns. Based on the task-media fit hypothesis, it was expected that task performance and communication effectiveness would be affected by the interaction between communication medium and task equivocality. For the most part, task-media fitness was not confirmed. Only one of the four hypotheses supporting task-media fitness was confirmed for time-to-complete, and none of the four hypotheses supporting task-media-fitness was confirmed for communication breakdown frequency. In the overall analysis of time to complete, Medium was found to have had a significant effect. Sending and receiving text was significantly slower than all other tested media. Sending and receiving video was significantly faster than all other tested media combinations. After completing each task, participants completed a short questionnaire designed to measure the sense of social presence using the original scales developed by Short and Christie. The sense of social presence reported in video communications was significantly higher for all scales than the sense of social presence reported in mixed-richness environments. The sense of social presence reported in text communications was only significantly lower than mixed-richness environments for one scale, with no significant difference for all other scales. / Master of Science

Cette recherche a pour objet de comparer l’identité numérique et les particularités du langage écrit interactif dans des contextes numériques différents. Quelle est la différence entre l’identité numérique de ces deux réseaux sociaux numériques dont l’un est tellement utilisé dans le monde entier (à part quelques pays comme la Chine) et l’autre principalement par les Chinois? Et est-ce que l’identité numérique de la même personne s’exprime pareillement sur ces deux réseaux sociaux numériques ? Comment les utilisateurs s’expriment et interagissent-ils avec différents amis sur les réseaux sociaux numériques différents? Les interactions écrites dans un contexte numérique peuvent-elles manifester des aspects émotionnels? Afin d’éclairer nos questions, la recherche se focalise sur une étude comparative de l’identité numérique, des interactions écrites et des émotions exprimées dans les interactions sur les deux réseaux sociaux numériques. L’analyse des données permet de repérer aussibien les phénomènes d’ordre linguistique que ceux d’ordre social et émotionnel. Des entretiens et des questionnaires viennent éclairer l’analyse du vécu et du ressenti des sujets étudiés. Ce travail tente donc à travers la description de l’utilisation des Facebook et Renren par quatre étudiants chinois nouvellement arrivées en France de mieux comprendre les particularités de l’identité numérique et des échanges interactifs de chacun de ces réseaux sociaux numériques. / This research aims at comparing digital identity and nature of the peculiarities of interactive written language on two digital social networks (Facebook and Renren). We are interested in the difference between the digital identity of these two digital social networks, one is worldwide used (except a few countries such as China) and the other is mainly used by the Chinese. Is that the digital identity of one person is also the same on these two different social network sites? How the users interact and express vis-à-vis different friends in different digital context? Can the online interactions manifest emotional aspects? In order to respond to these problems, this research questions the digital identity and their function in the identity construction, the relational and social aspects of online interaction, the types of emotions expressed in the online interactions, and the role of emoticon in the expression of emotions of these two digital social networks. The data analysis enables to identify the linguistic, social and emotional phenomena in online interactions of the corpus of study. Interviews and questionnaires clarify the analysis of the experience and the feeling of the different actors. So throughout the description of case use of Facebook and Renren by four newly arrived Chinese students in France, this work attempts to better understand the features of digital identity and interactive exchange of these two digital social networks.

Aim – The paper at hand has three aims which are based on the recent adjustments made to the Swedish curriculum which take effect in summer 2018 and stipulate the implementation of digital competence in all subjects. Firstly, the study examines the effect of ICT and digital media/ aids on the WTC and motivation of second language learners. Secondly, a look is taken at how ICT and digital media/ aids are implemented in teaching today and thirdly, the challenges teachers face by the diverse interpretation and definition of the term digital competence and its realization in the classroom are investigated. Design/methodology/approach – The study is a literature review in which recent literature and research papers in the field of ICT in teaching with focus on second language teaching and learning were examined. Findings – According to the results, the author found that the use of ICT and digital media/ aids have a positive effect on the WTC and motivation of second language learners when used appropriately. The challenges teachers face in this respect is a lack of methods and strategies as well as technical support that are needed to successfully implement ICT in their lessons. Especially the lack of technical support is viewed as a time consuming one as it requires teachers to have a back-up-plan which in effect means more lesson planning on their part. Additionally and in regard to the implementation of digital competences in all subjects, teachers are faced with new challenges which comprise a technical; theoretical and didactical knowledge of the term and its practical realization. Due to the recency of the changes made to the curriculum, the investigation of the challenges that present themselves to the teachers open up for new research that can be made in this field.

The purpose of the study was to investigate the prevalence and quality of on-line friendships, to find which individual characteristics differentiate people who look for and form on-line friendship(s) from those who don't, and to discover factors which are of importance for the development of on-line friendship(s). 574 Internet users completed an on-line questionnaire. The results showed that: (1) almost 50% of respondents had on-line friendship(s); (2) off-line friendships were better developed than on-line friendships. However, there was only a minor difference between the quality of the best off-line and best on-line friendships; (3) the Internet was a safe place for building personal relationships, especially for shy individuals; (4) people who felt lonely were more likely to turn to the Internet to find friends; (5) Internet usage and attitudes to the Internet were significant factors that differentiated those who looked for and formed friendship(s) on-line from those who didn't. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

This paper explores value co-creation and value co-destruction with a focus on the social practices embedded in the online brand community “My Starbucks Idea (MSI).” The objectives of the research are accomplished through a detailed explanation of the study’s stages, starting with the Research design/Planning, and followed by the Community Entry (Entrée), Data collection, Limitations, and Ethical implications. Since the study is exploratory in character, the qualitative research strategy was used. As Bryman and Bell (2011) note, qualitative research gives particular attention to words rather than numbers in the gathering and interpretation of data. This study applied a modified ‘netnographic’ approach, a new qualitative method devised specifically to investigate consumer behaviour vis-à-vis cultures and communities present on the Internet (Kozinets 1998). This study identifies three elements of practice: stalking, gossip, and exhibitionism. It also supports the idea stated by Echeverri & Skålén (2011) that there is no positive without a negative in interactive value formation. Although those authors’ work was focused on the provider-customer interface, the idea proves applicable to the online brand community (OBC) used for illustration in this study. The present study also draws attention to a vital characteristic of practice often forgotten: ‘Language’ as an enabler of all other elements (Whittington 2006). The paper contributes to the knowledge in the practice theory domain, and thus consumer culture, especially relating to OBCs. When using OBCs as a marketing tool, considerable ingenuity must be employed by business managers to gain strategic information and feedback from online forum discussions. Such information can help in the company’s strategic decision making. By building relationships and gaining new customers through the process of collaboration, managers can become more like brand storytellers. Also, such communication can be channelled as a means to create greater awareness, both of the brand and the users’ experiences, along with aiding in the development of better services and products to meet customers’ needs. In the current study, consent was an ethical concern that limited the scope and path taken by the paper. The ten-week research period was another limiting factor in properly covering all of the contextualized consumption activities and gaining sufficient experience within the MSI community.

本研究以台大批踢踢實業坊（PTT）政治類看板為例，企圖評估電子布告欄（BBS）系統是否為承載政治意見的理想論域。 在文獻探討的過程中可知，「政治參與」對於民主發展至為重要，而其中透過網際網路進行的政治意見表達，在數位時代來臨後的重要性與日俱增。因此本研究以哈伯瑪斯的公共領域與溝通行動理論為核心，建立「理想意見論域」的三項標準：開放性、公共性、理性。並據此三項標準，對研究場域PTT政治類看板進行評估。 本研究以量化的內容分析法為主，輔以直接觀察，對研究場域及其中政治意見的性質，進行客觀的描述與分析。研究結果發現，PTT政治類看板進入和參與的門檻低、互動熱絡頻繁、討論規範也並未限制理性發言空間，在「開放性」上表現佳；至於「公共性」的部分，在討論規範與看板管理者的約束下，討論的議題多能與公共事務相關；然而在「理性」面向上，論證嚴謹程度普遍不足，亦僅有半數的發言能完全保持冷靜平和。 另外，在把政治意見的各項性質進行交叉分析後，可歸納出「理想網路論域」中的「理想政治意見」，應該具有的條件包括：沒有明顯的政黨傾向、篇幅充實、切合討論主題、以事實陳述輔助個人意見、不純粹批評而是褒貶參半或持平而論、情緒冷靜平和、論證深入而嚴謹等。

有鑒於英文寫作能力日趨重要，英文寫作的教學也愈來愈受到重視。然而在高職英文寫作教學方面來看，其成效卻往往不彰。基於這個原因，研究者運用透過電子郵件之「過程寫作」教學法，期能對高職學生在英文寫作能力的提升上有所裨益。 本研究以北縣某高職綜高學術學程部五十八位二年級學生為研究對象，研究者教導實驗組學生運用「過程寫作」的策略，配合在電子郵件的環境下加強英文寫作的能力；控制組學生則僅接受「過程寫作」策略之教學。實驗前，對實驗組及控制組學生施予前測來檢視學生英文寫作能力之起點行為；實驗後，對實驗組及控制組學生施予後測來檢視學生英文寫作能力之進步情形。實驗終了，再以一問卷來探討實驗組學生對實驗之態度及其自評成效。 研究結果如下： 一、 透過電子郵件之「過程寫作」教學法對學生英文寫作能力確有助 益。實驗組後測成績高於控制組；再者，實驗組在其前後測比較 下，整體寫作能力有顯著之進步。 二、 在電子郵件的環境下運用「過程寫作」的策略幫助學生在作文中之 內容、組織、文法、用字體例方面有所助益。實驗組與控制組之進 步情形雖無顯著差異，實驗組進步情形仍大於控制組。 三、 實驗組學生對透過電子郵件之「過程寫作」教學法，持正面的態 度。 四、 實驗組學生認為在接受透過電子郵件之「過程寫作」教學法之後， 自己的英文寫作能力進步了。 最後，研究者根據上述研究結果，對高職英文作文教學提出建言，作為未來從事英文寫作教學之教師及研究人員參考。 / Owing to the importance of English writing ability on various purposes, teaching writing has received more and more attention nowadays. However, the traditional teaching and then learning process does not work on vocational high school students. This failure inspires the researcher to resort to alternative methods to upgrade his students' English writing ability. The present study was intended to prove that the instruction of process writing via E-mail is effective in enhancing students' English writing ability. Fifty-eight second-year students from two intact classes of Academic Oriented Course in a comprehensive high school in Taipei County participated in this study. The experimental group was taught to apply the strategies of process approach in an E-mail environment at every stage during the experiment while the control group was instructed in process writing strategies solely. Before the experiment, the pretest was used to indicate the starting points of students' writing proficiency. After the experiment, the posttest was administered to examine the effectiveness of process writing via E-mail. In addition, a response questionnaire was given to the experimental group to probe students' attitudes and their self-evaluation of the experiment. The results were as follows. First, the instruction of process writing via E-mail enhanced students' overall English writing ability. The experimental group outperformed the control group in total scores of the posttest. In addition, concerning the total scores between pretest and posttest, the experimental group made a significant progress. Second, the experimental group outperformed the control group in content, organization, grammar, diction, and mechanics after the experiment although the results showed no significant difference. Still, the experimental group made more progress in all five subskills than the control group did. Third, the majority of students in the experimental group responded positively to the instruction of process writing via E-mail. Last, most students in the experimental group considered they made a progress in their English writing ability after the experiment of process writing via E-mail. The present study concluded the effects of process writing via E-mail. Based on the results, the researcher provided writing teachers and educators with constructive suggestions for conducting a writing class or further studies.

This study examined the effects of a computer-mediated intervention on "at-risk" preschool students' receptive vocabulary development, computer-literacy skills, and enthusiasm for leaning. Twenty-two preschool-aged children attending an urban primary public school and participating in government subsidized school lunch program participated in the study. A pretest/posttest control-group design and case-study participant observations were used for data collection. Students were assigned to one of two treatment groups. Eleven preschool students with pretest School Readiness Composite (SRC) standard scores of 80, or below, on the Bracken Basic Concept Scale-Revised (BBCS-R), were assigned to the intervention group. Eleven pre-school students matched by age level and teacher comprised the comparison group. The intervention group received computer-mediated instruction while the comparison group received classroom teacher instruction. The first research question examined the effect of the intervention on students' receptive vocabulary analyzing groups' pretest and posttest BBCS-R School Readiness Composite mean scores. Combined analysis of a Two-Factor Repeated Measures and a Posttest only ANCOVA revealed that computer-mediated instruction was as effective as classroom teacher instruction in helping "at-risk" students acquire readiness receptive vocabulary. The second research question examined the effect of the intervention on "at-risk" student's computer-literacy skills analyzing participants pretest and posttest mean scores on the Computer Input Observation Rubric (CIOR), a rubric developed by the researcher. Analysis of One-Factor ANOVA and of Two-Factor Repeated Measures indicated that computer intervention significantly increased students' computer literacy skills. The third research question examined the impact of computer-mediated intervention on preschool students' enthusiasm for learning and followed descriptive case study methodology. Students' level of task involvement and positive-self statements confirmed enthusiasm for learning with technology.