Tese(doutorado) - Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, Programa de Pós–Graduação em Oceanografia Biológica, Instituto de Oceanografia, 2012. / Submitted by Cristiane Gomides (cristiane_gomides@hotmail.com) on 2013-11-18T14:07:49Z No. of bitstreams: 1 anders.pdf: 5772507 bytes, checksum: e763efddc5c877c6fc7d449f1cc01c6d (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Angelica Miranda (angelicacdm@gmail.com) on 2013-11-18T19:18:53Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 anders.pdf: 5772507 bytes, checksum: e763efddc5c877c6fc7d449f1cc01c6d (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2013-11-18T19:18:53Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 anders.pdf: 5772507 bytes, checksum: e763efddc5c877c6fc7d449f1cc01c6d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012 / O caranguejo-uçá, Ucides cordatus, é uma espécie chave para o manguezal, tem grande importância socioeconômica e seus estoques vêm sendo reduzidos por mortalidades em massa. Para subsidiar a gestão deste recurso pesqueiro, este estudo objetivou gerar conhecimento sobre sua reprodução e recrutamento. As ocorrências das chamadas “andadas” reprodutivas foram registradas de 2006 a 2011, sendo que, em 2008 e 2010, a abundância e comportamento de U. cordatus foram monitorados. Um total de 1441 caranguejos foi observado, dos quais 80% exploravam tocas. Em torno de 90% dos caranguejos que estavam explorando tocas eram machos a procura de parceiras. Foram registrados 78 caranguejos escalando árvores, sendo 78% deles, fêmeas realizando extrusão de ovos. Estes movimentos foram utilizados para análise crítica de classificações unificadoras de movimento animal e concluiu-se que é ainda necessária uma nomenclatura que permita uma classificação sem ambiguidades e um agrupamento coerente de movimentos de diferentes taxa, de acordo com suas causas evolutivas. Foi constatado que as andadas podem ocorrer de dia e de noite e que o ritmo de procura de parceiros é ligado ao “ciclo de desigualdade de maré de sizígia”. Em sincronia com este ciclo, as andadas variaram entre lua cheia ou nova, dependendo de qual fase apresentava a maior amplitude de maré. A causa evolutiva mais provável da andada é permitir a maior sobrevivência das larvas através da liberação sincronizada com a maré de maior amplitude, um mês depois. Este conhecimento facilitará a determinação de períodos de defeso, reduzindo conflitos entre os coletores e o órgão gestor. Para estudar o recrutamento, juvenis foram amostrados mensalmente de Abril/08 a Maio/09. Dos 474 recrutas encontrados, 96% estavam associados a tocas de coespecíficos, indicando facilitação ecológica. O recrutamento foi maior em zonas intermediárias do gradiente ambiental, com altura de inundação estimada de 18,5 cm, evitando a alta predação das zonas mais inundadas e o estresse físico-químico das menos inundadas. Amostragens em outras 6 áreas, com diferentes padrões de zonação, também revelaram maior recrutamento em zonas de manguezal arbóreo menos inundadas, próximas à transição para terra-firme. Ressalta-se, portanto, a importância da conservação e da nomenclatura adequada desta zona de transição, sugerindo-se que esta seja definida tendo como critério a estrutura herbácea de sua vegetação e não medições de salinidade e inundação, que podem variar espaço-temporalmente e, portanto, serem subjetivas. O conhecimento sobre recrutamento habitat específico poderá indicar se ações de repovoamento são realmente necessárias para a recuperação de estoques de U. cordatus afetados por mortalidades em massa. / The land crab, Ucides cordatus, is a keystone species for the mangrove, has an important socioeconomic role and their stocks have been reduced by mass mortalities. To support the management of this fisheries resource, the aim of the study was produce knowledge about its reproduction and recruitment. The occurrences of the so-called reproductive andadas (= “walk” in Portuguese), were recorded from 2006 to 2011. In 2008 and 2010, the abundance and behaviour of U. cordatus were also monitored. A total of 1441 crabs were observed, 80% exploring burrows. About 90% of exploring crabs were males searching for mates. We recorded 78 crabs climbing on trees and 78% of them were females extruding eggs. We used these movements for the critical assessment of unifying animal movement classifications. We conclude that a nomenclature allowing an unambiguous classification and a coherent grouping of movements across different taxa, according to their ultimate causes is still lacking. We found that andada occurred during the day and night and that the rhythm of mate searching was linked to the “syzygy tide inequality cycle” (STIC). In sync with this cycle, andada shifted between new and full moon, depending upon which moon phase had the higher amplitude tides. The likely ultimate cause of andada is increased larval survival after synchronous release at highest amplitude spring tides one month later. This knowledge will support the establishment of capture bans and reduce conflicts between fishers and regulatory agencies. To study the recruitment, juveniles were sampled monthly from April 2008 to May 2009. Of the 474 recruits found, 96% were associated with burrows of conspecifics, indicating ecological facilitation. Recruitment was higher in intermediate zones of the environmental gradient, with 18.5 cm of estimated flood height, avoiding high predation at the most inundated zone and the physical-chemical stress at the less flooded zone. Sampling in other 6 areas, with different zonation patterns, also showed higher recruitment in intermediate zones of arboreous mangrove near the transition to hinterland. Therefore it was emphasized the importance of conservation and of a proper nomenclature of this transition zone. It is suggested that the transition zone must be defined based on the herbaceous structure of its vegetation rather than measurements of salinity and inundation, which can vary in space and time and therefore be subjective. Knowledge about habitat-specific recruitment could indicate whether stock enhancement actions are really necessary for the recovery of U. cordatus stocks affected by mass mortalities.

A regulamentação internacional dos investimentos passa por um contexto de mudanças e, inserido nesse âmbito, encontra -se o Brasil participando ativamente. A mudança de posição brasileira quanto ao regime regulatório dos investimentos será objeto desta dissertação, bem como se o método de solução de controvérsias adotado nos novos acordos brasileiros estimula a negociação entre as partes, em aplicação dos preceitos da teoria da sombra do direito. A análise iniciou-se com a apresentação do regime de proteção internacional dos investimentos e sua evolução e, em seguida, foi descrita a posição do Brasil, que apesar de resistente, tentou adentrar aos acordos de investimento na década de 1990, sem sucesso. Foi demonstrada a atual mudança de paradigma brasileiro, de não mais apenas receptor de investimentos para também investidor e a criação dos Acordos de Cooperação e Facilitação de Investimento que, só em 2015, já foram assinados com 5 países. Descritos o contexto de negociação e as cláusulas materiais do novo acordo, examinou-se os sistemas de solução de controvérsia sobre investimentos existentes, com ênfase na via jurisdicional, pela arbitragem investidor-Estado, consideradas as principais regras e instituições aplicáveis, como o Centro Internacional para Resolução de Disputas sobre Investimentos, entre outros; os sistemas alternativos de solução de controvérsias e os sistemas preventivos de resolução de disputas. Dentro deste estudo, foi trabalhada a teoria da sombra do direito como instrumento para explicar o comportamento dos agentes na negociação na fase pré-contenciosa. Foram analisados os mecanismos de prevenção de controvérsias instituídos nos ACFIs, representados pelo ombudsman ou Pontos Focais e o Comitê Conjunto, e o mecanismo de solução de controvérsias, pela arbitragem entre Estados. No mais, foi estudado o sistema de prevenção e solução de controvérsias sul-coreano, uma vez que o Brasil se inspirou neste para instaurar seu mecanismo preventivo. Assim, feito isso, foi contextualizada a teoria da sombra do direito aos ACFIs, chegando-se ao resultado se a arbitragem entre Estados propugnada estimula ou não a negociação entre as Partes. / The international investment regulation is changing and Brazil is inserted in this context, participating actively in it. The subject of this dissertation is the change in the Brazilian position on the regulatory regime of investments, as well as if the dispute resolution method adopted in the new Brazilian agreements encourages the negotiation between the parties under the precepts of the theory of the shadow of the law. The analysis started with the introduction of the international protection regime for investments and its evolution. Afterwards, the Brazilian position was described, pointing out that, despite its resistance to the model, the country tried without success to engage itself and subscribe a series of investment agreements during the 1990s. Furthermore, the current transition in the Brazilian investment politics has been demonstrated; hence, the passing from solely position of receptor of investments to a position of an investor as well. In that sense, the importance of the analysis of the creation of the Cooperation Facilitation Investment Agreements, which have been signed with five countries in 2015. Once the negotiation context and the material terms of the new agreement have been described and analyzed, the present work examined the dispute settlement systems on existing investments, specially the judicial process, emphasizing the investor-state arbitration, considered its main rules and institutions such as the International Centre for Dispute Resolution Investment, among others; the alternative systems of dispute resolution; and the preventive dispute resolution systems. Within the study of the preventive dispute resolution systems, the theory of the shadow of the law was conceived as a tool to explain the behavior of the agents while negotiating during the prelitigation phase. Thus, the dispute prevention mechanisms within the ACFIs represented by the ombudsman, or Focal Points, and the Joint Committee and the dispute settlement mechanism represented by the between States arbitration have been also analyzed. In addition, the South Korean controversies prevention and resolution system have been studied, since it has inspired the current Brazilian preventive mechanism. Therefore, the theory of the shadow of the law was adapted to the analyses of the ACFIs, coming to the result if the between State arbitration advocated stimulates or not the negotiations between the Countryparties.

Abstract Plant community composition and diversity are determined by the balance between rates of immigration and extinction. Processes of immigration to a local community, i.e. propagule availability and dispersal of propagules between and within habitats, set the upper limit for the pool of species potentially capable of coexisting in a community, while local biotic interactions, i.e., competition, facilitation, herbivory and interactions with below-ground ecosystem components, and environmental factors control colonisation and establishment, and determine the persistence and dynamics of already existing species. In this thesis, I studied (1) the interactions between propagule availability, biotic and environmental constraints on colonisation, and (2) the interdependence between biotic and environmental factors regulating community processes in already established resident vegetation. First, I found that both propagule availability and competition with adult plants limited the rates of colonisation and total community diversity in a relatively low-productive tundra ecosystem. Long-term exclusion of mammalian herbivores and alleviation of nutrient limitation by fertilization increased the intensity of competition with established vegetation, and diminished immigration rates. In addition, I also found that community openness to colonization depended on the initial community properties, i.e., the functional composition and the traits of dominant plants in resident vegetation, which mediate the effects of nutrient addition and biomass removal on immigration rates. Second, adult plants in the resident vegetation experienced an increased extent of neighbourhood competition and herbivory in nutrient enriched conditions and in naturally more fertile habitats. However, the effects were also species-specific. On a community level, release from heavy grazing favoured lichens over graminoids and increased species richness. Furthermore, I also showed that plant community composition was strongly linked with soil organic matter quality and microbial community composition, and that these vegetation-soil-microbe interactions varied along a gradient of soil pH. Overall, my results emphasise that propagule availability, biotic and environmental control over community processes are strongly interconnected in tundra ecosystems. Especially, my findings highlight the role of plant competition and herbivory and their dependence on soil nutrient availability in governing colonisation and resident community dynamics. My results also indicate that plant functional composition and traits of dominant plants are of great importance in channelling community responses to external alterations and dictating plant-soil interactions.

The objective of the thesis is to study the Sri Lankan negotiation process during 2000-2006 sponsored by the Norwegian facilitation and further to analyse the major constraints hin-dering a final solution. The stated purpose is analysed by studying both primary and secondary materials such as official documents, research and newspaper articles. One of the major findings of the thesis is that the Norwegian facilitation has not been very effective mainly due to both domestic and international political developments in recent years. In the case of domestic politics, the Sri Lankan political arena has a tradition of political crisis which is mainly a result of the two major Sinhalese parties fighting for power. These parties have been blocking any sus-tainable solution for Tamil demands while focusing on their political power. Furthermore, international attitudes towards the warring parties are found to have had a huge impact on the Sri Lankan peace process during the studied period. Since one of the major constraints in the negotiation process appears to be that the Government of Sri Lanka seems to have adopted the international “realpolitik” on its domestic issue in the name of the war on terror. This political strategy may further inflate the already existing na-tionalism among the Sinhalese majority and the Tamil minority and thus may intensify the conflict.

The complex, multi-faceted sustainability challenge that society faces calls for a strategic approach to sustainable development. Strategic planning processes towards sustainability in organisations and communities are oftentimes led by a facilitator or facilitative leader. We argue that planning processes of complex and transformational change, call for collaboration among stakeholders and for highly skilled facilitative leaders who are committed to the development of self, others and society. This thesis explores the ‘interior state’ of facilitative leaders as a high leverage point in moving society towards sustainability. We identify nine personal capacities that enable leaders to facilitate collaboration in Strategic Sustainable Development: (1) Being Present, (2) Whole Self-Awareness, (3) Suspension & Letting Go, (4) Compassion, (5) Intention Aligned with Higher Purpose, (6) Whole System Awareness, (7) Personal Power, (8) Sense of Humour, and (9) Holding Dualities and Paradoxes. We identify a range of personal and collective practices that help develop these personal capacities. We propose these capacities are the foundation for a more holistic and authentic facilitation approach applied to strategic sustainable development.

The utilization of mathematical tools within biology and medicine has traditionally been less widespread compared to other hard sciences, such as physics and chemistry. However, an increased need for tools such as data processing, bioinformatics, statistics, and mathematical modeling, have emerged due to advancements during the last decades. These advancements are partly due to the development of high-throughput experimental procedures and techniques, which produce ever increasing amounts of data. For all aspects of biology and medicine, these data reveal a high level of inter-connectivity between components, which operate on many levels of control, and with multiple feedbacks both between and within each level of control. However, the availability of these large-scale data is not synonymous to a detailed mechanistic understanding of the underlying system. Rather, a mechanistic understanding is gained first when we construct a hypothesis, and test its predictions experimentally. Identifying interesting predictions that are quantitative in nature, generally requires mathematical modeling. This, in turn, requires that the studied system can be formulated into a mathematical model, such as a series of ordinary differential equations, where different hypotheses can be expressed as precise mathematical expressions that influence the output of the model. Within specific sub-domains of biology, the utilization of mathematical models have had a long tradition, such as the modeling done on electrophysiology by Hodgkin and Huxley in the 1950s. However, it is only in recent years, with the arrival of the field known as systems biology that mathematical modeling has become more commonplace. The somewhat slow adaptation of mathematical modeling in biology is partly due to historical differences in training and terminology, as well as in a lack of awareness of showcases illustrating how modeling can make a difference, or even be required, for a correct analysis of the experimental data. In this work, I provide such showcases by demonstrating the universality and applicability of mathematical modeling and hypothesis testing in three disparate biological systems. In Paper II, we demonstrate how mathematical modeling is necessary for the correct interpretation and analysis of dominant negative inhibition data in insulin signaling in primary human adipocytes. In Paper III, we use modeling to determine transport rates across the nuclear membrane in yeast cells, and we show how this technique is superior to traditional curve-fitting methods. We also demonstrate the issue of population heterogeneity and the need to account for individual differences between cells and the population at large. In Paper IV, we use mathematical modeling to reject three hypotheses concerning the phenomenon of facilitation in pyramidal nerve cells in rats and mice. We also show how one surviving hypothesis can explain all data and adequately describe independent validation data. Finally, in Paper I, we develop a method for model selection and discrimination using parametric bootstrapping and the combination of several different empirical distributions of traditional statistical tests. We show how the empirical log-likelihood ratio test is the best combination of two tests and how this can be used, not only for model selection, but also for model discrimination. In conclusion, mathematical modeling is a valuable tool for analyzing data and testing biological hypotheses, regardless of the underlying biological system. Further development of modeling methods and applications are therefore important since these will in all likelihood play a crucial role in all future aspects of biology and medicine, especially in dealing with the burden of increasing amounts of data that is made available with new experimental techniques. / Användandet av matematiska verktyg har inom biologi och medicin traditionellt sett varit mindre utbredd jämfört med andra ämnen inom naturvetenskapen, såsom fysik och kemi. Ett ökat behov av verktyg som databehandling, bioinformatik, statistik och matematisk modellering har trätt fram tack vare framsteg under de senaste decennierna. Dessa framsteg är delvis ett resultat av utvecklingen av storskaliga datainsamlingstekniker. Inom alla områden av biologi och medicin så har dessa data avslöjat en hög nivå av interkonnektivitet mellan komponenter, verksamma på många kontrollnivåer och med flera återkopplingar både mellan och inom varje nivå av kontroll. Tillgång till storskaliga data är emellertid inte synonymt med en detaljerad mekanistisk förståelse för det underliggande systemet. Snarare uppnås en mekanisk förståelse först när vi bygger en hypotes vars prediktioner vi kan testa experimentellt. Att identifiera intressanta prediktioner som är av kvantitativ natur, kräver generellt sett matematisk modellering. Detta kräver i sin tur att det studerade systemet kan formuleras till en matematisk modell, såsom en serie ordinära differentialekvationer, där olika hypoteser kan uttryckas som precisa matematiska uttryck som påverkar modellens output. Inom vissa delområden av biologin har utnyttjandet av matematiska modeller haft en lång tradition, såsom den modellering gjord inom elektrofysiologi av Hodgkin och Huxley på 1950‑talet. Det är emellertid just på senare år, med ankomsten av fältet systembiologi, som matematisk modellering har blivit ett vanligt inslag. Den något långsamma adapteringen av matematisk modellering inom biologi är bl.a. grundad i historiska skillnader i träning och terminologi, samt brist på medvetenhet om exempel som illustrerar hur modellering kan göra skillnad och faktiskt ofta är ett krav för en korrekt analys av experimentella data. I detta arbete tillhandahåller jag sådana exempel och demonstrerar den matematiska modelleringens och hypotestestningens allmängiltighet och tillämpbarhet i tre olika biologiska system. I Arbete II visar vi hur matematisk modellering är nödvändig för en korrekt tolkning och analys av dominant-negativ-inhiberingsdata vid insulinsignalering i primära humana adipocyter. I Arbete III använder vi modellering för att bestämma transporthastigheter över cellkärnmembranet i jästceller, och vi visar hur denna teknik är överlägsen traditionella kurvpassningsmetoder. Vi demonstrerar också frågan om populationsheterogenitet och behovet av att ta hänsyn till individuella skillnader mellan celler och befolkningen som helhet. I Arbete IV använder vi matematisk modellering för att förkasta tre hypoteser om hur fenomenet facilitering uppstår i pyramidala nervceller hos råttor och möss. Vi visar också hur en överlevande hypotes kan beskriva all data, inklusive oberoende valideringsdata. Slutligen utvecklar vi i Arbete I en metod för modellselektion och modelldiskriminering med hjälp av parametrisk ”bootstrapping” samt kombinationen av olika empiriska fördelningar av traditionella statistiska tester. Vi visar hur det empiriska ”log-likelihood-ratio-testet” är den bästa kombinationen av två tester och hur testet är applicerbart, inte bara för modellselektion, utan också för modelldiskriminering. Sammanfattningsvis är matematisk modellering ett värdefullt verktyg för att analysera data och testa biologiska hypoteser, oavsett underliggande biologiskt system. Vidare utveckling av modelleringsmetoder och tillämpningar är därför viktigt eftersom dessa sannolikt kommer att spela en avgörande roll i framtiden för biologi och medicin, särskilt när det gäller att hantera belastningen från ökande datamängder som blir tillgänglig med nya experimentella tekniker.

Top predators in aquatic ecosystems often have strong top-down effects on the ecosystem. Northern pike (Esox lucius) has been documented to cause whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus) populations to diverge into different ecomorphs. This can facilitate piscivory in other predators as a novel resource becomes available to them in the form of dwarf whitefish. The aim of this study is to examine whether the presence of pike causes Eurasian perch (Perca fluviatilis) to shift their diet from insectivory to piscivory, and whether this is directly driven by whitefish polymorphism. Stomach contents of 147 perch from lakes with and without pikes were analyzed. The results show that the presence of pike has a clear influence on the diet of the perch. In lakes without pike, perch are mostly insectivorous, and in lakes with pike, they are mostly piscivorous. This diet shift appears to be driven by whitefish availability, as a majority of the diet of perch in pike lakes consisted of whitefish, while none of the fish eaten by perch in non-pike lakes was whitefish. In addition, the results showed that perch undergo the diet shift from insectivory to piscivory at a smaller size when coexisting with pike. This study can be added to the growing body of evidence for the ecological significance of pike.

Doctor Legum - LLD / The Member States of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) have set as their objectives, amongst others, the facilitation of cross-border movement of goods between the territories of the Member States and the promotion of the integration of Member States into the global economy through enhanced trade and investment. Different approaches to the recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments by Member States and the risk of non-enforcement may lead to legal uncertainty and increased transaction cost for prospective traders, which ultimately act as non-tariff barriers to trade in the region. Trade is critical to Southern Africa, and the ideal is that barriers to trade, of which uncertainty concerning the recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments among Member States is one, should be removed. Certainty, predictability, security of transactions, effective remedies and cost are important considerations in investment decision-making; and clear rules for allocating international jurisdiction and providing definite and expedited means of enforcing foreign judgments will facilitate intraregional as well as interregional trade. In addition to trade facilitation, a harmonised recognition and enforcement regime will consolidate economic and political integration in the SACU. An effective scheme for the mutual recognition and enforcement of civil judgments has been regarded as a feature of any economic integration initiative likely to achieve significant integration. While the harmonisation of the rules on the recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments has been given priority in other regional economic communities, in particularly the European Union, any similar effort to harmonise the rules on recognition and enforcement of Member States have been conspicuously absent in the SACU – a situation which needs to receive immediate attention. The thesis considers the approaches followed by the European Union with the Brussels Regime, the federal system of the United States of America under the ‘full faith and credit clause’; the inter-state recognition scheme under the Australia and New Zealand Trans-Tasman judicial system; as well as the convention-approach of the Latin American States. It finds that the most suitable approach for the SACU is the negotiation and adoption by all SACU Member States of a multilateral convention on the recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments, comparable to the 1971 Convention of the Hague Conference on Private International Law; the EU Brussels I Regulation and the Latin-American Montevideo Convention, as complemented by the La Paz Convention. It is imperative that a proposed convention should not merely duplicate previous efforts, but should be drafted in the light of the legal, political and socio-economic characteristics of the SACU Member States. The current legislative provisions in force in SACU Member States are compared and analysed, and the comparison and analysis form the basis of a proposal for a future instrument on recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments for the region. A recommended draft text for a proposed Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Judgments for the SACU is included. This draft text could form the basis for future negotiations by SACU Member States. / South Africa

While online students should take charge of their own learning and form collaborative learning communities, constructivist instructors should scaffold online learning without dominating course discussions. This research continues the longitudinal investigation of web-based courses at the Faculty of Education, University of Pretoria. The mixed methodological approach this investigation followed consisted predominantly of qualitative methods, augmented with quantitative approaches. I used two distinct online tools to explore student participation in an eight-week online Masters’-level course delivered via the WebCT™ platform. First, I reviewed the use of metaphors in the literature by a framework of requirements for successful online learning. The use of metaphor supports constructivism, facilitates course interaction, helps to avoid students’ initial inertia in online discussions, and contributes to the development of virtual learning communities. I researched how an explanatory metaphor as tool supported online participation and indicated that metaphors eased students’ communication of important and difficult issues. Secondly, I used the tool of a covert virtual student that also acted as an additional facilitator and course helper. I examined the ethical implications of the carefully concealed real identity of the mythical online helper, methical Jane. As she took part in all course activities and assignments, as well as providing her co-students with cognitive and technical support, the students accepted and integrated her presence in their virtual learning community. I consequently analysed students’ reactions to her identity after disclosure of her origin after the course. Although the exposure precipitated students’ shock, disbelief and dismay as she was a convincing virtual student, they did not object to the presence of a virtual student, but rather felt betrayed due to her hidden real identity. The benefits of this teaching intervention include experts supplying technical expertise, multiple faculty enriching the learning experience, and support and teaching assistants and tutors participating with smaller groups in large online classes. I further examined how frequency of course access, discussion postings, collaborative behaviour and integration into a virtual learning community relate to learning and course completion. Quantitative indices indicated highly significant differences between the stratifications of student performance. Absent and seldom-contributing students risked missing the benefits of the online learning community. Students were discontent with peers who rarely and insufficiently contributed to group assignments. Low participation varied from only reading, skimming, or deliberately harvesting others’ contributions, to high student contributions of little value. Conclusions on the formation of an online learning community indicate that the passport to membership of the community is quality participation, rather than prior peer acquaintance. I indicated that students’ learning benefited from contributing high quality inputs to online learning communities while students with poor participation did not benefit from the online learning community. Online facilitators contribute to students’ learning through the timeliness and quality of tailored scaffolding. Recommendations for future research include uncovering the reasons for students’ stressful experiences of online learning; the effect of online assessment on student course participation; the alignment of learning metaphors in multi-cultural learning environments; and the support of non-participating online students. / Thesis (PHD)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Curriculum Studies / unrestricted

Online innovations have been growing rapidly in the past number of years. The integration of online learning with these technological advancements creates significant challenges in determining how the use of technology can contribute to the delivery of learning materials. An area where little research has been undertaken is in determining the skills and attributes online facilitators need to be effective. This study is based on inputs gathered from both online facilitators and online learners. These inputs provided empirical information pertaining to the roles and tasks of both facilitators and learners in an ideal online learning environment. Of what benefit would this study be to future online learning? Taking cognisance of an ideal online environment, the outcomes of this study are categorised into unique groups that will provide insight to the future development of online facilitators and the tasks to be executed in addressing the diverse needs of the online learner in the knowledge era. / Dissertation (MEd (CIE))--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Curriculum Studies / unrestricted