This study investigated the implications that the scheduling of a block module for a computer competency course over two weeks, has had on the curriculum. The block module was presented at the start of the first semester, 2001 at the Vaal Triangle Technikon. The objectives were to: develop a flexible, outcomes-based curriculum in which the learners had to demonstrate capability and employability by integrating computer competencies in other modules; design and implement an effective learning and teaching strategy in order to ensure that learners will achieve the learning outcomes within two weeks; and to . implement continuous, integrative assessment methods in order to foster the learning of hands-on skills that can be integrated in the learners' academic programmes. The researcher followed an action research approach, in order to assess the improvement of current educational practices. A target group of first-year learners was divided into a block module-group and a semester-group. The researcher made use of data triangulation, by collecting qualitative and quantitative data comprising structured interviews and open-ended and structured questionnaires completed at different stages of the project. This research report comprises three articles. The first article reports on the high success rate of the block module-group and reveal that these learners could retain. and utilise the computer competencies that they had to utilise for completing assignments, to a larger degree than the semester-group. The second article reports that experiential learning, as an outcomes-based strategy, fosters learning in accelerated learning contexts. The third article concludes that the continuous integrative approach to assessment fosters w-operation, feedback through self-assessment and the ability of learners to apply computer competencies in new situations. It is recommended that lecturers in all the associated departments should collaboratively assign and assess tasks in progressive advanced modules. It concludes that, in order to utilise resources optimally when scheduling block modules, ail associated departments would have to be fully modularised. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education, 2003.

The dissertation discusses the impact of change management during the implementation of an IT system. The theoretical part of the dissertation is aimed at gaining information about human performance, and the implications during the implementation of the system, and also post-implementation. Literature suggests that the human factor is the key to the successful implementation of system projects. The study, which is qualitative in nature, makes use of face-to-face interviews for the collection of evidence, as well as questionnaires as add-on tools to support the underlying constructs and research questions posed within the study. The use of data obtained from the research interviews, as well as survey data, has provided the research study with the necessary validity, reliabilityand trustworthy data to support the research results, findings – and to be able to make some recommendations. The reason for the failure of system implementation projects is often due to poor implementation during the project. It is important to place the importance of people on a par with technology and processes. A holistic approach would be the most likely to result in the acceptance – and the efficient and effective use of the implemented system. Communication, training and management participation are common means of addressingany fears of change, and to build trust. This information should be utilised by project teams during implementation projects, as it should help to provide the necessary framework to ensure the success of the change initiatives.

This study investigated the implications that the scheduling of a block module for a computer competency course over two weeks, has had on the curriculum. The block module was presented at the start of the first semester, 2001 at the Vaal Triangle Technikon. The objectives were to: develop a flexible, outcomes-based curriculum in which the learners had to demonstrate capability and employability by integrating computer competencies in other modules; design and implement an effective learning and teaching strategy in order to ensure that learners will achieve the learning outcomes within two weeks; and to . implement continuous, integrative assessment methods in order to foster the learning of hands-on skills that can be integrated in the learners' academic programmes. The researcher followed an action research approach, in order to assess the improvement of current educational practices. A target group of first-year learners was divided into a block module-group and a semester-group. The researcher made use of data triangulation, by collecting qualitative and quantitative data comprising structured interviews and open-ended and structured questionnaires completed at different stages of the project. This research report comprises three articles. The first article reports on the high success rate of the block module-group and reveal that these learners could retain. and utilise the computer competencies that they had to utilise for completing assignments, to a larger degree than the semester-group. The second article reports that experiential learning, as an outcomes-based strategy, fosters learning in accelerated learning contexts. The third article concludes that the continuous integrative approach to assessment fosters w-operation, feedback through self-assessment and the ability of learners to apply computer competencies in new situations. It is recommended that lecturers in all the associated departments should collaboratively assign and assess tasks in progressive advanced modules. It concludes that, in order to utilise resources optimally when scheduling block modules, ail associated departments would have to be fully modularised. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education, 2003.

This thesis explores how massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs), as an exemplary new media form, disrupt practices associated with more conventional media. These intensely social games exploit the interactivity and networks afforded by new media technologies in ways that generate new challenges for the organisation, control and regulation of media. The involvement of players in constituting these games - through their production of game-play, derivative works and strong social networks that drive the profitability of the games - disrupts some of the key foundations that underlie other publication media. MMOGs represent a new and hybrid form of media - part publication and part service. As such they sit within a number of sometimes contradictory organising and regulatory regimes. This thesis examines the negotiations and struggles for control between players, developers and publishers as issues of ownership, governance and access arise out of the new configurations. Using an ethnographic approach to gather information and insights into the practices of players, developers and publishers, this project identifies the characteristics of the distributed production network in this experiential medium. It explores structural components of successful interactive applications and analyses how the advent of player agency and the shift in authorship has meant a shift in control of the text and the relations that surround it. The integration of social networks into the textual environment, and into the business model of the media publishers has meant commerce has become entwined with affect in a new way in this medium. Publishers have moved into the role of both property managers, of the intellectual property associated with the game content, and community managers. Intellectual property management is usually associated with the reproduction and distribution of finished media products, and this sits uneasily with the performative and mutable form of this medium. Service provision consists of maintaining the game world environment, community management, providing access for players to other players and to the content generated both by the developers and the other players. Content in an MMOG is identified in this project as both the 'tangible' assets of code and artwork, rules and text, and the 'intangible' or immaterial assets of affective networks. Players are no longer just consumers of media, or even just active interpreters of media. They are co-producing the media as it is developed. This thesis frames that productiveness as unpaid labour, in an attempt to denaturalise the dominant discourse which casts players as consumers. The regulation of this medium is contentious. Conventional forms of media regulation - such as copyright, or content regulation regimes are inadequate for regulating the hybrid service/publication medium. This thesis explores how the use of contracts as the mechanism which constitutes the formal relations between players, publishers and developers creates challenges to some of the regimes of juridical and political rights held by citizens more generally. This thesis examines the productive practices of players and how the discourses of intellectual property and the discourses of the consumer are mobilised to erase the significance of those productive contributions. It also shows, using a Foucauldian analysis of the power negotiations, that players employ many counter-strategies to circumvent the more formal legal structures of the publishers. The dialogic relationship between players, developers and publishers is shown to mobilise various discursive constructions of the role of each. The outcome of these ongoing negotiations may well shape future interactive applications and the extent to which their innovative capacities will be available for all stakeholders to develop.

Η εργασία αυτή εκτός από το θέμα της, μπορούμε να πούμε ότι χαρακτηρίζεται από τον τίτλο «Κοινωνικά εργαλεία του διαδικτύου: Δημιουργία περιεχομένου για χώρο-ευαίσθητα παιχνίδια από τελικούς χρήστες». Εξετάζει λοιπόν τη χρήση των κοινωνικών δικτύων και των εργαλείων τους ως μέσα για την συνεργατική δημιουργία περιεχομένου για χωρο-ευαίσθητα φορητά παιχνίδια. Τα παιχνίδια αυτά διεξάγονται στον πραγματικό κόσμο και περιλαμβάνουν αλληλεπίδραση των παικτών με αντικείμενα του φυσικού πραγματικού χώρου μέσω φορητών συσκευών. Τα παιχνίδια αυτά ενδείκνυνται για εγκαθιδρυμένη και άτυπη μάθηση. Η δημιουργία περιεχομένου για τις αντίστοιχες εφαρμογές είναι μια διαδικασία που χρειάζεται να συμπεριλάβει ενεργά ανθρώπους όπως εκπαιδευτικούς - παιδαγωγούς και ειδήμονες στην εκάστοτε θεματική του παιχνιδιού, οι οποίοι δρουν ως συντάκτες περιεχομένου για τα παιχνίδια αυτά. Καθίσταται λοιπόν απαραίτητο να υπάρχουν εργαλεία υποστήριξης για χρήστες που δεν έχουν τεχνικές γνώσεις ή δεν είναι σχεδιαστές παιχνιδιών. Στην εργασία αυτή εξετάζεται η κατασκευή ενός εργαλείου, το οποίο μέσω μιας φιλικής διεπιφάνειας δίνει τη δυνατότητα στους συντάκτες περιεχομένου να δημιουργήσουν με συνεργατικό τρόπο, εύκολα και γρήγορα ένα ή και περισσότερα σενάρια παιχνιδιού. Πιο συγκεκριμένα, η εργασία εστιάζει στη συγγραφή περιεχομένου για ένα παιχνίδι που λαμβάνει τόπο στο κέντρο μιας πόλης. Η εφαρμογή συνεργατικής συγγραφής έχει σχεδιαστεί και αναπτύσσεται κάνοντας χρήση δύο βασικών τεχνολογιών: της πλατφόρμας κοινωνικής αλλά και συνεργατικής δικτύωσης στεκιών Google+ καθώς επίσης και την πλατφόρμα παροχής χαρτών Google maps. / In this thesis we discuss the use of social media as tools for collaboratively creating content for location-sensitive mobile educational games. These games are conducted in the real world and include the players interact with objects in the real physical space with the use of mobile devices. Creating content for the respective applications is a process that needs to actively include people like teachers - educators and experts in a particular topic of the game, who act as editorial content for these games. Consequently, it seems necessary to have support tools for users without any technical knowledge. The thesis also examines the development of a tool, which through a friendly interface enables content authors to create in a collaborative way, easily and quickly one or more game scenarios. More specifically, the work focuses on writing content for a game that takes place in the center of a city. The collaborative authoring application designed and developed with the use of two technologies: the platform of collaborative social networking Google+ Hangouts and the Google maps platform.

Altos investimentos são feitos na área de tecnologia da informação (TI), especialmente em sistemas de gestão empresarial (ERP). Entretanto, tais investimentos não garantem o sucesso do sistema. Estudos indicam que o sucesso de um sistema de informação pode ser avaliado através da satisfação dos usuários do sistema. O tema deste estudo é a satisfação do usuário final e do usuário-chave de um sistema de gestão empresarial (ERP) como forma de avaliar o sucesso do sistema. O objetivo da pesquisa é medir a satisfação dos usuários do sistema. O método utilizado é a pesquisa Survey, realizada a partir da combinação de dois modelos apresentados pela literatura, um para o usuário final e o outro para o usuário-chave. A pesquisa foi realizada em duas etapas: o estudo piloto e a pesquisa final. O processo de validação e refinamento do instrumento utilizou diferentes técnicas, como: Validade de Face e Conteúdo, Análise de Confiabilidade (Coeficiente Alfa de Cronbach), Análise de Item Total Corrigido (CITC), Análise Fatorial Exploratória Convergente (Teste de Unidimensionalidade) e Discriminante. Foi verificado que as variáveis Acuracidade e Confiabilidade se agruparam em uma única variável (Exatidão). As demais variáveis permaneceram iguais e nenhum item precisou ser excluído. Através da Análise de Regressão, foi possível constatar que existe uma relação entre as variáveis 'Percepção de Sucesso do Sistema’ e ‘Satisfação com o Sistema’. A principal contribuição desta pesquisa tanto para a prática gerencial como para o meio acadêmico e empresarial é a validação de um instrumento de pesquisa adaptado para a realidade brasileira, capaz de medir a satisfação do usuário de um sistema de gestão empresarial (ERP), através da percepção dos usuários do sistema. / Large investments are made in Information Technology (IT), specially in Enterprise Resource Planning Systems (ERP). But such investments are not a success guarantee. Previous researches show that the Information System (IS) success might be evaluated by determining the system users’ satisfaction. The subject of this paper is the ERP end-users’ and key-users’ satisfaction as a mean to evaluate ERP success. The purpose of this research is to measure ERP users’ satisfaction. The method used is a survey, which was based on a combination of two previous models, one about end-users’ and the other about key-users’ satisfaction. The survey was conducted in two steps: pre-test study and final study. The instrument was validated and refined through the use of qualitative and quantitative procedures such as face and content validity, reliability analysis (Cronbach Alfa), corrected item total correlation (CITC), exploratory factor analysis within and among blocks. As a result, the variables Accuracy and Reliability merged into a new variable (Exactness). All other variables remained the same, and none had to be excluded. Through the Regression Analysis it was possible to verify that there is a relationship between ‘System Perceived Success’ and ‘System Satisfaction’. The main academic and managerial contribution of this paper is a research instrument, duly validated and adapted to Brazilian reality, to measure ERP users’ satisfaction.

In current times, to function successfully in the work environment, the ability to use a computer is essential. The introduction of computers into organisations has often met with resistance. The reason for this resistance must be identified and overcome if businesses are to realise the productivity gains of full computer usage. On the basis of the abovementioned problem the objective of this study is to test the relationship between age, sex, locus of control and personality type and attitudes toward computer use. A theoretical investigation was carried out to gather information on the variables under study which was used to compare with the results of the empirical study. From this study of 68 white collar respondents from a financial institution it can, in general, be concluded that peoples' attitude toward the personal use of computers is positive and not affected by the individual variables tested. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M. Com. (Industrial Psychology)

Altos investimentos são feitos na área de tecnologia da informação (TI), especialmente em sistemas de gestão empresarial (ERP). Entretanto, tais investimentos não garantem o sucesso do sistema. Estudos indicam que o sucesso de um sistema de informação pode ser avaliado através da satisfação dos usuários do sistema. O tema deste estudo é a satisfação do usuário final e do usuário-chave de um sistema de gestão empresarial (ERP) como forma de avaliar o sucesso do sistema. O objetivo da pesquisa é medir a satisfação dos usuários do sistema. O método utilizado é a pesquisa Survey, realizada a partir da combinação de dois modelos apresentados pela literatura, um para o usuário final e o outro para o usuário-chave. A pesquisa foi realizada em duas etapas: o estudo piloto e a pesquisa final. O processo de validação e refinamento do instrumento utilizou diferentes técnicas, como: Validade de Face e Conteúdo, Análise de Confiabilidade (Coeficiente Alfa de Cronbach), Análise de Item Total Corrigido (CITC), Análise Fatorial Exploratória Convergente (Teste de Unidimensionalidade) e Discriminante. Foi verificado que as variáveis Acuracidade e Confiabilidade se agruparam em uma única variável (Exatidão). As demais variáveis permaneceram iguais e nenhum item precisou ser excluído. Através da Análise de Regressão, foi possível constatar que existe uma relação entre as variáveis 'Percepção de Sucesso do Sistema’ e ‘Satisfação com o Sistema’. A principal contribuição desta pesquisa tanto para a prática gerencial como para o meio acadêmico e empresarial é a validação de um instrumento de pesquisa adaptado para a realidade brasileira, capaz de medir a satisfação do usuário de um sistema de gestão empresarial (ERP), através da percepção dos usuários do sistema. / Large investments are made in Information Technology (IT), specially in Enterprise Resource Planning Systems (ERP). But such investments are not a success guarantee. Previous researches show that the Information System (IS) success might be evaluated by determining the system users’ satisfaction. The subject of this paper is the ERP end-users’ and key-users’ satisfaction as a mean to evaluate ERP success. The purpose of this research is to measure ERP users’ satisfaction. The method used is a survey, which was based on a combination of two previous models, one about end-users’ and the other about key-users’ satisfaction. The survey was conducted in two steps: pre-test study and final study. The instrument was validated and refined through the use of qualitative and quantitative procedures such as face and content validity, reliability analysis (Cronbach Alfa), corrected item total correlation (CITC), exploratory factor analysis within and among blocks. As a result, the variables Accuracy and Reliability merged into a new variable (Exactness). All other variables remained the same, and none had to be excluded. Through the Regression Analysis it was possible to verify that there is a relationship between ‘System Perceived Success’ and ‘System Satisfaction’. The main academic and managerial contribution of this paper is a research instrument, duly validated and adapted to Brazilian reality, to measure ERP users’ satisfaction.

Les systèmes d'information d'entreprise actuels s'articulent autour d'applications centrales lourdes, qui ne fournissent pas l'agilité nécessaire pour survivre dans un environnement économique hautement concurrentiel. De nombreux acteurs (unités commerciales, individus, équipes et communautés) doivent introduire leurs propres applications pour pallier à ces limitations, avec pour résultat un système d'information fragmenté, incohérent et impossible à gouverner. Cette étude propose un paradigme d'architecture d'entreprise alternatif, qui s'appuie sur une décomposition plus fine du système d'information et une distribution différente des responsabilités. Il permet à tout acteur de contribuer au système d'information en introduisant des fragments, privés ou partagés avec d'autres acteurs, qui peuvent ensuite être composés pour former des applications dédiées à un profil. Les récents mécanismes de l'informatique sociale sont proposés pour gérer les volumes potentiels importants de fragments émergeant de la communauté d'employés. L'objectif des systèmes d'informations sociaux est à la fois d'améliorer la cohérence et la gouvernabilité du système d'information de l'entreprise et d'exploiter l'intelligence et l'énergie collective de l'entreprise à des fins d'agilité métier maximale. / Present enterprise information systems are centered on heavy corporate applications, which cannot and indeed do not provide the agility required to survive in todays' competitive business landscape. Actors (business units, individuals, teams and communities) must introduce their own applications to work around these limitations, resulting in a fragmented, inconsistent and ungovernable information system. This thesis proposes an alternative enterprise architecture paradigm based upon a finer-grained decomposition of information systems and a different distribution of responsibilities. It empowers all actors to contribute fragments to the information system, private or shared with other actors, which can then be composed to form profile-specific applications. Consumer-space social mechanisms are proposed to manage the potentially huge resulting numbers of fragments emerging from the employee community. The aim of social information systems is both to improve the overall consistency and governability of the enterprise information system and to leverage the collective intelligence and energy of the corporation towards maximum business agility.

With the rise of the Web, there is more interest among end-users to create different kinds of software that use elements from the Web or allow for networked interaction between users. Currently however, many available tools for this purpose are hard to use or lack a sufficient level of expressiveness. To provide new insights on the construction of tools that allow end-users to create their own Web-enabled software, this thesis explores design issues and consequences of applying the Turtle metaphor from the Logo-programming language to an end-user programming environment for Web-enabled applications. In order to explore this, CrawLogo was created - a programmable end-user tool that supports the creation of Web-enabled applications using a Turtle-like control metaphor and language adapted from Logo. As a proof-of-concept, several Web-enabled applications were created using this new tool, including CrawLogo Pong, a somewhat alternative version of Atari’s classic Pong game, and a collaborative browsing environment, in which users can browse the Web together. The resulting CrawLogo environment allows for creating Web-enabled applications that - using more traditional programming languages - would be quite complex and require deep technical programming skills. Further, while utilizing a Turtle-like control metaphor in CrawLogo allows for the creation of some new types of applications and some new ways of interacting with the Web, it also raises new problems such as how to successfully design within the CrawLogo metaphor and how to create a meaningful representation of Turtle- geometry-based navigation on the Web.