The purpose of this thesis is to substantiate the hypothetical development of a community radio station for a South African National Park, such as the Kruger National Park and to design the programming. As such the thesis has two phases namely a theoretical phase, where the variables and dynamics of the process of community unification, tourism’s ability to alleviate poverty and the central role played by radio are considered, and a creative phase, where the findings of the theoretical phase are applied in the design of the programme. The research leads to a model, and its methodology can be described as applied creative research. In order to arrive at the model, the research investigates a number of dynamics. In the first instance the research investigates a potential audience for such a community radio station. The notion of this potential audience or imagined community is interrogated. The thesis argues that there needs to be a conceptually synthesised audience, consisting of the local ethnic community, and a tourist community and that these two communities have interwoven functions around the provision and exploitation of tourism. Secondly, the thesis argues the demands of the audience synthesis, by investigating the nature of the South African tourism industry, with specific reference to the National Parks. In this section, the interrelatedness of the function and demands of the two communities are posited and developed, so that the groundwork for potential content of the Community Radio Station can be foregrounded. The thesis then interrogates the concept of communication by radio and draws on Marshall McLuhan’s concepts of ‘hot’ and ‘cold’ receivers and Walter Ong’s work around primary and secondary orality, amongst others. Here the thesis argues for the way that radio may be used to exploit and develop the synergy of the ethnic and the tourist community. The thesis then moves into the phase, where, through the recognised research process oftriangulation, which includes the synergised two communities (now a ‘Parks Emergent Radio Community’/ PERC), the shared content around the demands of tourism in National Parks, and the communal form of radio are creatively interwoven into a potential or hypothetical programme layout. The study concludes with a consideration of what might be the stumbling blocks in the way of implementing such a triangulated process and notes finances and budgets, training, and most specifically, bureaucratic intervention by licensing authorities as primary obstacles. The thesis argues for the advantages of the development of such a Community Radio Station for National Parks, given the projected steep increment in the tourist trade in South Africa. / Thesis (DPhil (Community Radio))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Drama / unrestricted

This study sought to answer if the Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) program had a positive academic impact on Hispanic English language learners (ELL). HIPPY is a free, 2-year, home-based early intervention program for 4-and 5-year-old children. The program is intended to provide educational enrichment to at-risk children from poor and immigrant families, increase school readiness, and foster parent involvement in their children's education. A quasi-experimental design and quantitative measures were used to measure the academic success of Hispanic ELL students in reading, mathematics, and language arts. The sample included an experimental group and a purposeful control group. Hispanic students who attended an early childhood school as 4 year olds and participated in the HIPPY 4 and 5 programs were compared to Hispanic students who attended an early childhood school as 4 year olds and did not participate in HIPPY. Results from the Texas-mandated criterion referenced Texas Assessment Knowledge and Skills (TAKS™) Test and the TerraNova® and TerraNova SUPERA® norm referenced tests were used in this study. Results from the TAKS Reading and TAKS Mathematics Grade 3 and the TerraNova reading, language, mathematics, and total composite scores were analyzed using a one-way analysis of variance. The treatment group and control group results from both assessments were measured and compared. A statistically significant difference was found in 5 out of the 6 null hypotheses tested. The treatment group statistically significantly outperformed the control group in the TAKS Reading and the TerraNova and TerraNova SUPERA reading, language, mathematics, and total composite assessments. This study substantiates that the HIPPY program works and can have a positive impact on a child's school readiness. Additionally, a significant range of sustainability was also established since the results were measured from assessments administered in the third grade and 5 years after the treatment group began participating in the HIPPY program.

L’éventail de concepts disponibles aujourd’hui, n’est plus pertinent pour comprendre les nouveaux enjeux auxquels sont confrontés les acteurs qui agissent au sein de la coopération internationale pour le développement. La fin du contexte bipolaire d’où elle est le résultat, l’affirmation politique des « pays émergents » et l’activisme croissant des acteurs non-étatiques (ONG, secteur privé, fondations, universitaires, etc…) bousculent les dynamiques depuis les années 90. Puis, l’importance des flux privés face à la stagnation relative des montants d’APD redéfini le rôle des donateurs traditionnels. Dans ce sens, il est nécessaire de reconsidérer le cadre d’analyse afin de comprendre ce phénomène international. Malgré les nombreux défis en termes d’inégalités et de pauvreté auxquels ils doivent encore faire face, ces « Coopérants du Sud » sont en train d’étendre leurs programmes de coopération. Par conséquent, la Coopération Sud-Sud n’a cessé d’augmenter depuis les années 2000. C’est ainsi qu’en 2013, ces flux ont représenté un total de $23,5 milliards de dollars, tandis que l’Aide Publique au Développement des pays de l’OCDE s’est élevée à $135,1 milliards de dollars pendant la même année. Ce constat peut parfois être perçu par les donateurs traditionnels comme une menace. A l’intérieur de ceux qu’on appelle les « Coopérants du Sud », l’ampleur des politiques de coopération est souvent méconnue voire ignorée. C’est le cas du Mexique, où l’entrée en vigueur d’une loi en 2011 a mis en place un nouveau système de coopération internationale pour le développement. Formulée pour asseoir sur des bases juridiques les projets qu’il mène en Amérique Centrale (considérée par les acteurs politiques mexicains comme leur « zone d’influence naturelle »), cette loi prévoit d’étendre ce type d’actions au-delà. Face à ces ambitions renouvelées, il y a un besoin pour mieux comprendre ce qui est fait par le Mexique dans ce domaine. A ce titre, on estime qu’en 2013 la coopération du Mexique s’élève à environ $551 millions de dollars.De ce point de vue, la mise à jour du clivage entre la coopération traditionnelle et la Coopération Sud-Sud soulève plusieurs problématiques. Si les pratiques des donateurs traditionnels sont discutées et font l’objet d’une concertation au sein du Comité d’Aide au Développement de l’OCDE, celles relatives aux Coopérants du Sud restent hors de sa portée. De ce fait, l’architecture classique de l’aide internationale pour le développement est en train d’être bouleversée. Proposer de nouveaux cadres d’analyse devient alors nécessaire. De ce point de vue, le nouvel environnement issu de l’adoption de l’Agenda de Développement Post-2015 nécessite d’adopter de nouveaux cadres théoriques. Dans cette thèse, la notion de « configuration », formulée par Norbert Elias, nous permet d’appréhender le phénomène autrement. Dans ce sens, analyser la nouvelle configuration de la coopération internationale pour le développement, c’est tenter de comprendre une nouvelle répartition des forces entre tous les acteurs présents. La « configuration » actuelle est de nature dynamique, et elle est modelée par les stratégies des acteurs qui la constituent afin d’augmenter leur marge de manœuvre. Il s’agit d’une configuration qui est définie par la position des acteurs dans l’espace commun qu’est la scène internationale. / Theoretical frameworks no longer explain our understanding of the new challenges faced by international development cooperation stakeholders. The end of the Cold War, the political affirmation of “emerging countries”, and the growing activism of non-state actors (NGOs, private sector, foundations, academia, etc.) are shattering the traditional paradigm. Furthermore, the increasing importance of private flows alongside the relative stagnation of ODA is redefining traditional donor’s role. In this sense, it is necessary to revitalize the analysis to comprehend this international phenomenon.Over the last twenty years, the economic success of emerging economies contrasts with the persisting inequalities and marginalization problems that they shelter. Despite the various challenges that they still face, these “Southern Providers” are increasing their cooperation programs. South-South Cooperation has risen steadily since the year 2000. In 2013 these flows represented a total of $23.5 USD billion, while Official Development Assistance of OECD countries attained $135.1 USD billion during the same year.Inside the so-called "Southern Providers”, the scope is often overlooked or ignored. In Mexico for instance, the approval of a law in 2011 implemented a new international development cooperation system. The wide range of projects in Central America (considered by Mexican stakeholders as their “natural influence zone”) are formulated to sit within a legal framework, while the law is planned to be extended beyond these type of projects. Given these renewed ambitions, there is a need to better understand what is being done by Mexico in this area. As such, it is estimated that Mexican cooperation flows accounted for $551 USD millions in 2013.In this respect, the current discrepancies between traditional and South-South Cooperation raises several issues. If traditional donors’ practices are discussed within the Development Assistance Committee of the OECD, those of Southern Providers remain out of reach. Therefore, the classic international aid architecture is being eroded.Proposing new analytical frameworks has become necessary. In this regard, the international environment following the adoption of the Post-2015 Development Agenda cannot be capitalised upon with outdated concepts. As a central part of this thesis, the concept of “configuration” formulated by Norbert Elias allows us to understand the phenomenon further. In this sense, the analysis of the new configuration of international development cooperation aims to understand a new distribution of power between relevant stakeholders. While the “architecture” needs to be conceived and planned, a “configuration” has a dynamic nature, and is shaped by the players’ strategies to increase their power. The result is a configuration defined by the positioning of actors within the common space, and the international scene.This research is structured in three parts. First, it explains the new configuration of international cooperation for development. Second, it analyses Mexico’s "systemic responsibilities" as an emerging country towards Central American countries. Finally, it addresses Mexican South-South Cooperation, in the context of the implementation of its new international development cooperation system. / La gama de conceptos disponibles ya no es suficiente para comprender los nuevos retos que enfrentan los actores que operan dentro de la cooperación internacional para el desarrollo. El fin de la Guerra Fría, la afirmación política de los “países emergentes” y el creciente activismo de los actores no-estatales (ONG, sector privado, fundaciones, universidades, etc…) han modificado la dinámica que regía las relaciones internacionales durante los años 90. Aunado a esto, la importancia de los flujos privados ante el estancamiento de la Ayuda Oficial al Desarrollo (AOD) está redefiniendo el rol de los donantes tradicionales. En este sentido, es necesario proponer nuevos marcos conceptuales que nos permitan analizar este fenómeno internacional.A pesar de los múltiples desafíos en términos de desigualdad y pobreza a los que se enfrentan, los “Cooperantes del Sur” están ampliando sus programas de cooperación. En consecuencia, la Cooperación Sur-Sur ha aumentado en forma constante desde el año 2000. En el 2013, estos flujos representaron un total de $23,5 mil millones de dólares, mientras que la AOD ascendió a $135 mil millones durante el mismo año. Esta tendencia puede a veces ser percibida por los donantes tradicionales como una amenaza.Al interior de los llamados « Cooperantes del Sur », el alcance de las políticas de cooperación a menudo se pasa por alto o es ignorado. Es el caso de México, en donde la entrada en vigor de una ley en el 2011 estableció un nuevo sistema de cooperación internacional para el desarrollo. Formulada para aumentar la eficacia de los proyectos llevados a cabo en Centroamérica (subregión considerada la “zona natural de influencia” de México), la ley favorece la implementación de proyectos de cooperación en otras partes del mundo. Frente estas ambiciones renovadas, es necesario estudiar las acciones del país en el campo. Como tal, se estima que la cooperación mexicana se elevó a aproximadamente $551 millones de dólares en el 2013.Desde este punto de vista, la actualización de la escisión entre la cooperación tradicional y la Cooperación Sur-Sur plantea varios problemas. Si las prácticas de los donantes tradicionales son discutidas y son objeto de concertación dentro del Comité de Asistencia para el Desarrollo de la OCDE, aquellas relativas a la Cooperación Sur-Sur permanecen fuera de su alcance. Por lo tanto, nos encontramos ante la erosión progresiva de la arquitectura clásica de la ayuda internacional para el desarrollo.Proponer nuevos puntos de referencia se vuelve necesario. A partir de aquí, la coyuntura que resultó de la adopción de la Agenda de Desarrollo post-2015 requiere la adopción de marcos teóricos alternativos. Para esta tesis, la noción de “configuración”, formulada por Norbert Elias, nos permite entender el fenómeno desde otro enfoque. El análisis de la “nueva configuración de la cooperación internacional para el desarrollo post-2015”, es un intento por comprender la nueva distribución del poder entre los actores que la conforman. La “configuración post-2015” es de naturaleza dinámica, moldeada por las estrategias de los actores que la constituyen, cuyo objetivo es aumentar su margen de maniobra. Se trata en definitiva de una “configuración particular”, definida por el posicionamiento de los actores internacionales.

Identity always presupposes a sense of location and a relationship with others and the representation of identity most often occurs precisely at the point when there has been a displacement (Bhabha cited in Papastergiadis 1995:17, emphasis added). In this study I focus on the condition of displacement, placing emphasis on the disjunctures of identity arising from temporal and physical dislocations and relocations in historical and postapartheid South African contexts. Displacement, and the attendant senses of dislocation and alienation it may evoke, is explored with reference to three selected female personae. For each persona, displacement is shown to provoke transmutations in subjectivity and identity, resulting in disjunctive identities and relationships with place. Their individual narratives raise questions around the consequences of displacement for a sense of (un)belonging and the (re)making of identities across geographical, cultural, temporal, ethnic and environmental borders. The pivotal role displacement plays in the processes of formation and transformation of subjectivity and identity is foregrounded. Familial histories of diasporic displacement, together with colonial legacies that have shaped my subject position as a white, middle-class, female South African woman, are interlaced with a recounting of personal experience of displacement in postapartheid South Africa. This personal sense of displacement, experienced between the years 2000 to 2006, is extended to a discussion on what is argued to be collective forms of white, English-speaking South Africans’ dislocation during the same time period. I suggest that their sense of displacement was experienced in relation to the uncertainty of their subject positions in postapartheid South Africa. In the practical and theoretical components of the degree, I consider how the three personae’s subjectivities are practiced and lived from their different space-time continuums. This exploration prompts further questions around how the effects of displacement on subjectivity and new identity formations are contingent upon each persona’s relation to the Other of colonial discourse, or the other-strangerforeigner within. Although there are marked differences between their colonial, diasporic and postcolonial contexts, a central theme that underpins the study is that the three conditions of displacement are linked by disjunctures arising from processes of dislocation, alienation, relocation and adaptation. Each persona’s epistemological reality is shown to comprise multiple ambivalences and ambiguities, and is marked by processes of cultural contestation and inner conflict. Their ambivalences and ambiguities encompass slippages between positions of inclusion and exclusion; insider and outsider; inhabitant and immigrant; alienation and belonging; placelessness and locatedness; homely and unhomely that the experience of uprooting and relocating foregrounds. While displacement is understood in terms of trauma and conflict, this condition is also regarded as a generative space of possibility for the emergence of new identity formations. Using my experiences of self-transformation and renegotiation of my identity through processes of cultural contact and exchange as a departure point, I consider ways in which collective white, English-speaking South Africans’ cultural identities are being reformulated, renegotiated or ‘hybridised’ in postapartheid South Africa as a transforming, postcolonial society. / Thesis (DPhil)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Visual Arts / unrestricted

Daar bestaan nie duidelike riglyne waarvolgens Afrikaanse leesreekse wat in die grondslagfase gebruik word, geëvalueer kan word nie. Hierdie studie was verkennend van aard met die doel om kriteria te identifiseer wat aangewend kan word om Afrikaanse leesreekse in die grondslagfase te evalueer. Ek het ʼn interpretivistiese metateoretiese paradigma gevolg aangesien ek diepgaande kennis wou verkry oor die onderwerp. Daarvoor het ek gebruik gemaak van ʼn gevallestudie gerig deur Chall (1990) se model van leesontwikkeling. Daarby het ek uit die literatuur ʼn rubriek ontwikkel wat ek aangewend het om die drie leesreekse wat in die studie ondersoek is, se teoretiese onderbou te bepaal. Die literatuur het my ondersteun om vrae te onwikkel wat ek tydens drie fokusgroeponderhoude gevra het. Die fokusgroeponderhoude het by drie Afrikaanse laerskole binne die Tshwane-metropool in verskillende sosio-ekonomiese gebiede plaasgevind. Twaalf onderwysers het deelgeneem (n=12; vroue=12). Die deelnemende onderwysers is doelgerig geselekteer. Om my data te versterk, het ek ook gebruik gemaak van observasienotas verkry van 57 studente in die Vroeë Kinderontwikkeling en Grondslagfaseprogram, aan die Universiteit van Pretoria. Ek het die data gedokumenteer as oudio-opnames, verbatimtranskripsies en veldnotas. Verder het ek tematiese analise gebruik om die verbatimtranskripsies te analiseer, waarvolgens temas en subtemas geïdentifiseer is. Die volgende vier temas is geïdentifiseer: (i) relevansie van leesreekse, (ii) belangrike aspekte by die gebruik van leesreekse, (iii) onderwysers se gebruik van leesreekse tydens leesonderrig, (iv) wetenskaplike ontwikkeling van leesreekse vir grondslagfaseleesonderrig. Ek het inhoudsanalise gebruik om die leesreekse en observasienotas te analiseer. Bevindinge uit die studie dui daarop dat van die deelnemende skole verouderde leesreekse gebruik waarvan die inhoud nie relevant is vir die hedendaagse leerder se leefwêreld nie. Dit blyk ook dat onderwysers moontlik ʼn gebrekkige kennis van leesteorieë het. Verder het ek bevind dat onderwysers hul eie stories skryf om persepsie en fonologiese bewustheid te integreer, aangesien leesreekse nie dié leesvaardighede aanspreek nie. Ek het ook bevind dat onderwysers sekere aspekte belangrik ag by leesreekse, naamlik (i) leesreekse moet binne die leerder se leefwêreld wees, (ii) illustrasies moet die leerder uitnooi om te lees, (iii) progressie moet voorkom, (iv) herhaling van sigwoorde is belangrik, (v) uitgewers moet die volgorde van die aanleer van klanke in gedagte hou tydens die skryf van leesreekse, (vi) uitgewers moet die skriftipe, woordkeuses en korrekte spelling in ag neem, (vii) die behavioristiese benadering word algemeen aangewend tydens leesonderrig en (viii) slegs een leesreeks (leesreeks C) het voldoen aan meeste van die kriteria. <ul> “To learn to read is to light a fire; every syllable that is spelled out is a spark” Victor Hugo</ul> ENGLISH : No definite guidelines exist which can be used to evaluate Afrikaans graded readers in the foundation phase. The main goal of this study was to identify criteria which can be implemented within the foundation phase to evaluate graded readers. I made use of an interpretative metatheoretical paradigm, since I anticipated gaining in-depth knowledge regarding the subject by means of this method. Chall’s Model of Reading Development (1990) was used as a basis for this case study. I developed a rubric, which was used to identify the theoretical aspects related to the three graded readers used in the study. The literature furthermore supported me in the formation of questions which were posed to the focus groups. The focus group meetings took place at three Afrikaans primary schools within the Tshwane Metropole in different socio-economic areas. Twelve teachers participated (n=12; women=12). The participating teachers were selected using stratified sampling. In order to enhance the validity of the data, I made use of observation notes, obtained from 57 students in the Early Childhood Development and Foundation Phase programme at the University of Pretoria. The data was documented as audio-recordings, transcriptions and field notes. Thematic analysis was employed to analyse the transcriptions, whereafter themes and sub-themes were identified. The following four themes were identified: (i) The relevance of graded readers; (ii) important aspects related to the use of graded readers; (iii) the use of graded readers by teachers during reading instruction; and (iv) scientific development of graded readers for use during foundation phase reading instruction. The graded readers and observation notes were analysed by means of content analysis. The findings indicated that participating schools used graded readers of which the content is not relevant for the learner of today. It would also seem that teachers possibly lack knowledge of reading theories. In addition, teachers are writing their own stories in order to integrate perception and phonological awareness, since graded readers do not incorporate it. The findings further illuminated the fact that teachers value certain aspects in graded readers as important, namely: (i) Graded readers must fall within the context of the child’s world; (ii) illustrations must invite the learner to read, (iii) there must be progression, (iv) repetition of sight words are vital, (v) when publishers write graded readers, the range pertaining to how sounds are learned must be borne in mind, (vi) publishers must pay attention to the font type, word selection and spelling in readers, (viii) the behaviouristic approach is frequently used during reading instruction, and (viii) only one graded reader (graded reader C) met most of the set criteria. <ul>“To learn to read is to light a fire; every syllable that is spelled out is a spark” Victor Hugo</ul> / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Educational Psychology / unrestricted

<div>Strong electronic correlations in many-body systems are cradles of new physics. They give birth to novel collective states hosting emergent quasiparticles as well as intriguing geometrical charge patterns. Two-dimensional electron gas in GaAs/AlGaAs under perpendicular magnetic field is one of the most well-known hosts in condensed matter physics where a plethora of the collective states appear. In the strong magnetic field regime, strong Coulomb interactions among the electrons create emergent quasiparticles, i.e. composite fermions and Cooper-paired composite fermions. In the weak magnetic field regime, modified Coulomb interactions drive electron solid phases having geometrical charge patterns in the shape of stripes and bubbles and lower the spatial symmetry of the states.</div><div><br></div><div>The fascinating charge order in bubble geometry is the electron bubble phase predicted first by the Hartree-Fock theory. In a bubble phase, certain number of electrons cluster as an entity called bubble and the bubbles order into a crystal of triangular lattice. In addition to the Hartree-Fock theory, the density matrix renormalization group and the exact diagonalization methods further support the formation of electronic bubbles.</div><div><br></div><div>Reentrant integer quantum Hall states are commonly accepted as the manifestations of the bubble phases in transport experiment. Soon after the first prediction of the Hartree-Fock theory, the reentrant integer quantum Hall states were observed in the third and higher Landau levels. Since then, the association to the bubble phases has been tested with different experimental techniques for decades.</div><div><br></div><div>Although the experimental results from different methods support the bubble phase picture of the reentrant integer quantum Hall states, the electron confinement under the quantum well structure hindered direct scanning of bubble morphology. Thus none of the experiments could showcase the bubble morphology of the reentrant integer quantum Hall states. Meanwhile, a significant discrepancy still remained in between the bubble theories and the experiments. Even though the bubble theories predict the proliferation of bubble phases with increasing orbital index, none of the experiments could observe multiple reentrant integer quantum Hall states in a high Landau level, which signify the multiple bubble formation. Therefore, the proliferation of bubble phases with increasing Landau level index was pessimistic. </div><div><br></div><div>In this Dissertation, I present my research on solving this discrepancy. In chapter 4, we performed a magnetotransport measurement of reentrant integer quantum Hall states in the third and higher Landau levels at various different temperatures. Then, we scrutinized how each of the reentrant integer quantum Hall states develops with the gradual increase of the temperature. As a result, we observed multiple reentrant integer quantum Hall states in the fourth Landau level which are associated with the two- and three-electron bubble phases. This result strongly supports the bubble phase picture of the reentrant integer quantum Hall states by confirming the possibility of the proliferation of bubble phases in high Landau levels.</div><div><br></div><div>In chapter 5, I analyzed the energetics of newly resolved two- and three-electron bubble phases in the fourth Landau level as well as those of two-electron bubble phases in the third Landau level. Here, I first found, in the fourth Landau level, the three-electron bubbles are more stable than the two-electron bubbles indicating that the multi-electron bubbles with higher electron number are more stable within a Landau level. Secondly, I found distinct energetic features of two- and three-electron bubble phases which are independent of Landau level index throughout the third and the fourth Landau levels. These results highlight the effect of the number of electrons per bubble on the energetics of multi-electron bubble phases and are expected to contribute on improving the existing Hartree-Fock theories.</div>

ICT development and deployment and supporting policies take place within a fiercely contested globalised political economy. For organisations there is a pervasiveness of change processes, often externally imposed, which are rising with these globalising effects. This not only implies that the context in which organisations are situated is continuously changing, but also that the nature of the organisation itself is subject to change (Van Tonder, 2004). However, the external influences imposed on an organisation are often heterogeneous and make the management of adapting to the external environment extremely complex. This thesis explores such an externally imposed change on an organisation around the implementation of a contentious national policy. This entails not only dealing with the more usual dimensions of change in an organisation, but also the implications of the national debate and contentions around the national policy playing out in the local setting of the organisation. In this thesis the change explored is within a government department from a proprietary Enterprise Content Management (ECM) system to an open source ECM system. An interpretative approach was followed, using a longitudinal case study. Two main aspects of this change process are explored. The first is the impact of the national open source policy on government departments - an externally imposed change of mission, vision and values. The second is how internally the government department changed its internal work processes and information systems to comply with that policy. These two aspects are intertwined. Alignment of the organisation mission, values and objectives, with the proposed technological innovation and change management models emerges as a necessary condition for managing change. However, what emerged as a more challenging issue was whether internal organisational changes can be aligned with contentious national policy imperatives. Three theoretical lenses are used to explore this contentious issue: the HEM model of Du Plooy’s (1998); the improvisational change management model of Orlikowski and Hofman (1997); and institutional theory as it applies to Information Systems. The improvisational change model of Orlikowski and Hofman (1997) in combination with Du Plooy’s (1998) HEM model, was used to understand the change process unfolding in the implementation of an OS ECM system in a Government department in SA. The result of this application is some practical recommendations for government officials on future OS implementations, as well as a theoretical add-on to extend the change management model applied. The researcher found that models can increase our understanding and reveal how one can ‘cultivate’ the human environment within which technology is to be implemented. However, the process of developing an understanding of how national policy was developed and the rationale for it was also found to be important, as is developing an understanding of the rationale of this particular department for choosing to implement the OS ECM system. By adding to, or expanding on Orlikowski and Hoffman’s (1997) model to include a fourth element, indicating the external forces in the environment, such as government regulations; government policy; and the debate on global and national FOSS versus PS, highlights the need for this external alignment as well as prevents the focus on internal alignment only. Institutional theory was consequently applied in an attempt to unpack the organisational and change management dimensions of the change model, aiming at understanding the institutional forces which legitimates or contradicts the technical/rational ideas and actions of the change. The findings were threefold. Firstly, the role played by IS as an institutional process in and of itself and the way in which this could have affected the implementation of the new OS ECM system was discussed, pointing to the possibility that the new system was not necessarily being implemented to streamline the work practices, but rather due to its institutional status of being a ‘rational myth’; something which had to be done as ‘it’s just the right thing to do.” Secondly, OSS and PS were argued to be different ‘types’ of institutions. Using the institutional pillars it was argued that OSS and PS were driven by different institutional forces, with PS leaning towards the regulative pillar and OSS being more in line with the normative pillar. These two institutions were found to mainly differ with regard to their basis of compliance and the logic behind them. The insights offered by this argument revealed that when changing from OSS to PS, it would be very valuable to recognise that OSS and PS are two different ‘types’ of institutions, and to not only understand that the new system could therefore change the organisational processes when it is implemented, but to also acknowledge the change which will take place within the IS/IT institution itself – moving from the regulative to the normative. The change should thus be understood both within the two different IS innovations themselves, and in how these two innovations interact. Lastly, the research in this thesis went beyond the technical/rational actions of the stakeholders, and included an in depth analysis of the institutional forces at play in the broader social context of the Government department. It explained the institutions which were at play on the international, national and organisational levels, pointing out which of these forces worked in favour of or against the technical/rational actions, and in the process contributed to the unexpected outcome of the new OS ECM implementation process. / Thesis (PhD-- University of Pretoria, 2014 / Informatics / unrestricted

This paper presents a comparative study on two Tabletop Roleplaying Games, Dungeons &amp; Dragons and Blades in the Dark. This paper takes a look at the narrative differences within the two systems. More specifically investigate if Blades in the Dark is more playerdriven than Dungeons &amp; Dragons. The two tested as closely as possible and will be compared with each other. This is a close reading on the rules and player agency rather than a one-on-one comparison. The comparisons were made regarding the mechanics and narrative differences within the systems rather than quality of the story. This study was conducted by running two sessions, one for each system, played by separate groups with the same game scenario and premise. Meaning that the background for both games, character and plot for the session were the same. Comparisons were made by observing player decisions, situations that arose and the influence that the gamemasters had on the game. It was found that there is a clear difference between the two systems, this difference regarding whether the players were reacting to the gamemaster, or the other way round. In Dungeons &amp; Dragons, it was observed that the players reacted and acted according to what the gamemaster explained and played out, whereas in Blades in the Dark it appeared to be the opposite. Here we found that it was the Gamemaster who was reactive to the players instead. The paper concluded that Blades in the Dark is the more player-driven system. This short study could later be built upon and used by game developers to keep in mind and plan their future game systems around. Taking these observations on emergent narrative in Tabletop Role-playing Games into account can be used to create more player-centric and player-driven games. Meaning that the players are more in influence and decisions to make in the story and game. / I detta papper presenteras en jämförande undersökning av två rollspelssystem, Dungeons &amp; Dragons och Blades in the Dark. Det här papperet kollar på skillnaderna när det kommer till spelar-drivet berättande inom de två spelen. Mer specifikt så utreds om Blades in the Dark är mer spelar-drivet än Dungeons &amp; Dragons. De två kommer att testas så likt som möjligt och jämföras med varandra. Detta är en noggrann läsning av reglerna och spelarnas påverkan på spelets berättande, där vad som undersöks är spelets funktioner och skillnader i hur de berättas och presenteras, snarare än kvalitén på spelen eller berättelserna. Denna studie genomfördes genom att hålla två sessioner, en för varje system, spelad av separata grupper men med samma scenario och förutsättningar. Jämförelser gjordes genom att observera spelarbeslut, situationer som uppstod, samt det inflytande som spelmästare hade på spelet. En tydlig skillnad blev synlig mellan de två systemen var gällande huruvida spelarna reagerade på spelmästaren eller tvärtom. I Dungeons &amp; Dragons observerades att spelarna reagerade och agerade enligt vad spelmästaren förklarade och spelade ut. I Blades in the Dark studerades en motsatt effekt, här upptäcktes att det var spelmästaren som reagerade på spelarna istället. Med denna undersökning kom vi fram till att Blades in the Dark är det mer spelar-drivna systemet. Den här studien kan i framtiden användas och byggas på av spelutvecklare för att göra nya spelsystem, med dessa observationer som framkom, kan komma till användning för att göra fler spel med mer spelar-drivet fokus. Vilket innebär att spelaren har mer inflytande på historiens som berättas och spelet i sig.

Syftet med studien är att undersöka hur estetiska lärprocesser kan bidra till en inkluderande undervisning i elevers utvecklande av literacy. Frågeställningarna berör begreppet estetiska lärprocesser, hur lärare beskriver att estetiska arbetsformer integreras med literacyhändelser och vilka möjligheter lärare ser i sådan undervisning ur ett inkluderande perspektiv. Studiens teoretiska ram utgörs av New Studies Literacy och empirin analyseras utifrån The four Literacy Model, resursmodellen (Freebody &amp; Luuk, 1990). Studien är baserad på intervjuer med semistrukturerade forskningsfrågor. Fem lärare, med olika erfarenhet av estetiska lärprocesser som berättade fritt utifrån frågorna, intervjuades. Det huvudsakliga resultatet av studien synliggör hur elever, i literacyhändelser med estetiska arbetsformer, kan erbjudas praktiker som stödjer de fyra delarna i att utveckla literacy samt de möjligheter lärare ser i undervisning med estetiska lärprocesser, ur ett inkluderande perspektiv. / The purpose of the study is to investigate how aesthetic learning processes can contribute to an inclusive teaching in students' development of literacy. The questions concern the concept of aesthetic learning processes, how teachers describe that aesthetic forms of work are integrated with literacy events and what opportunities teachers see in such teaching from an inclusive perspective. The theoretical framework of the study consists of New Studies Literacy and the empirics are analyzed on the basis of The four Literacy Model (Freebody &amp; Luuk, 1990). Five teachers were interviewed. The main result of the study shows how students, in literacy events with aesthetic forms of work, can be offered practice that support the four parts of developing literacy and the opportunities teachers see from an inclusive perspective.

Nous proposons, par voie théorique, une sonde ayant la capacité de détecter et de caractériser les états de surface d'une chaîne Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH). Cette sonde consiste d’un qubit interagissant avec un environnement, et exploite le phénomène de la décohérence afin de retirer de l’information sur l’environnement. Une approximation de faible couplage permet de démontrer analytiquement que le taux de décohérence du qubit est proportionnel à la densité d’états locale de l’environnement. Dans le cas d’un environnement possédant des états discrets, une mesure de la densité d’états locale peut être équivalente à une mesure de l’amplitude d’un état, permettant donc une caractérisation spatiale des états de l’environnement. Un système tripartite consistant d'un qubit couplé à une chaîne SSH discrète muni de canaux conducteurs aux extrémités est étudié afin de valider l’utilité de la sonde pour inférer et caractériser les états de surface. L’espace des paramètres de la sonde est discuté en détail. En étudiant l’impact du couplage des canaux conducteurs, nous notons l’émergence d’états de type-surface sur des sites interdits ainsi que dans des phases topologiques ne supportant pas d’états de surface dans le modèle SSH isolé. Ces excitations, que nous appelons états fantômes, apparaissent dû à un décalage des frontières de la chaîne SSH. / We propose a novel probe with the ability to detect topological edge states in lowdimensional materials. This probe, consisting of a qubit interacting with a system of interest, utilizes the dynamics of decoherence to study the qubit’s environment. We show analytically that, under a weak-coupling approximation, the decoherence rate of the qubit is proportional to the local density of states of the environment. In studying environments featuring finite subsystems with discrete states, the local density of states mapped by the qubit probe can extract state amplitude profiles, resulting in a full spatial characterization of states. We explicitly study a tripartite system consisting of a qubit coupled to a finite SSH chain with conducting leads attached to each end and demonstrate the probe’s ability to infer the presence of, and characterize, edge states. The parameter space of the probe is studied. Notably, we show the lead coupling strength effectively shifts the SSH chain boundaries resulting in emergent edge-type states, dubbed ghost states, with support on sites which are forbidden in an isolated SSH chain for a given topological phase.