This mixed-method case study examined effects of high school musicians' participation in the jam session, a student-directed, extracurricular music activity. The single case study site was a rural British Columbia high school exceptional for its support of jamming. Forty-four subjects, including 21 who fully met stated criteria for jammers, and 13 non-jamming subjects, were studied over a period of four months. The general research question was: Does participation in a band room jam session benefit students cognitively and motivationally? Specific research questions were: Do students who informally jam on various forms of music enhance their music skills in the perception and meaningful manipulation of music elements, and if so, how? In what ways does Csikszentmihalyi's flow theory explain the continued participation of students in the jam session? Three quantitative instruments were administered to 13 jammers capable of playing a Bb Concert scale on a melody instrument as well as to a comparable group of 13 non-jammers. These instruments included Gordon's Advanced Measures of Music Audiation (AMMA), Froseth's Test of Melodic Ear-to-Hand Coordination (TMEHC), and a researcher-developed test of ear-to-hand coordination (SOR). An ANOVA test showed no significant difference between jammer and non-jammer groups on AMMA scores (p<0.05). ANOVA showed a notable but not significant difference (p<0.056) between groups on the TMEHC, while a Repeated Measures Analysis of pre/post test TMEHC scores showed no effect of jamming over a period of 10 weeks. ANOVA showed a very clear difference between groups on the SOR (p<0.001). Qualitative data collected via journaling, interviews, observation, and participant-observer tasks indicated that jammers were perceiving and manipulating music elements in meaningful ways, and also supported Csikszentmihalyi's flow theory as an explanation for jam session participation. In particular, flow characteristics including transformation of time, loss of self-consciousness, and challenge/skill balance were both observed and reported. The role of the teacher, the presence of a music subculture, and the pseudo-curricular nature of jamming were noted as possible topics for further research.

A presente pesquisa teve como objetivo investigar as experiências de flow de jovens guitarristas ao jogarem o game Rocksmith. Os objetivos específicos foram identificar as condições e as características das experiências de flow presentes no relato de jovens guitarristas ao jogarem Rocksmith e relacionar as condições e características das experiências de flow de jovens guitarristas ao jogarem Rocksmith com as atividades musicais propostas no game. O referencial teórico desta pesquisa está fundamentado na Teoria do Flow de Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (1992) que investigou as circunstâncias e ambientes que levam um indivíduo a experimentar um estado de imersão e satisfação na realização de determinada atividade, assim como, sistematizou as características daquilo que as pessoas sentem quando vivenciam esta experiência. As experiências de flow têm estreita relação com a motivação intrínseca, a aprendizagem e o desenvolvimento de habilidades cada vez mais complexas. O método desta pesquisa consistiu em um estudo de entrevistas qualitativas com seis jogadores do game Rocksmith que residem em Porto Alegre e Nova Petrópolis, ambas as cidades no Rio Grande do Sul. Como instrumento de coleta de dados, foram utilizadas entrevistas semiestruturadas construídas a partir das sete dimensões da Teoria do Flow. As características reveladas pelos entrevistados ao jogarem Rocksmith mostraram que o game satisfaz as condições e as características das experiências de flow, com exceção das dimensões fusãoação consciência e perda da autoconsciência. O sistema de níveis de dificuldade do Rocksmith foi um aspecto positivo destacado pelos participantes, assim como, o forte sentimento de controle onde os entrevistados afirmaram não sentir diferença entre tocar guitarra fora ou dentro do game. Os dados fornecidos também revelaram que o estado de flow não é uma experiência linear, mas diversa, circunstancial, além de complexa e multifacetada. O sentimento positivo da aprendizagem musical vinculada à diversão de jogar Rocksmith foi evidenciado pelos entrevistados revelando que a dicotomia entre aprender e se divertir deve ser repensada, especialmente para as aulas de música. / The following research aimed at investigating the flow experiences of young guitarists by playing the game Rocksmith. The specific goals were to investigate the preconditions and the characteristics of flow experiences in young guitarists’ reports by playing Rocksmith; and to relate the preconditions and characteristics of flow experiences of young guitarists by playing Rocksmith with the musical activities proposed by the game. The theoretical framework of the current research was based in the Flow Theory proposed by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (1990) who investigated the circumstances and the activities that lead an individual to a state of immersion and enjoyment in what one is doing, as well as, systematized the characteristics of what people feel when they experience this state. The flow experiences have a close relationship with intrinsic motivation, with learning processes and with the development of increasingly complex skills. The method consisted of qualitative interview studies with six Rocksmith players living in Porto Alegre and Nova Petrópolis, both cities sited in Rio Grande do Sul State - Brazil. Data collection was carried out through semi-structured interviews built upon seven dimensions of Flow Theory. The characteristics revealed by respondents showed that Rocksmith satisfied the flow experience’s preconditions and characteristics with the exception of merging of action and awareness, and loss of self-consciousness dimensions. Rocksmith’s dynamic difficulty adjustment system was a positive aspect reported by respondents, as well as, a strong sense of control where participants revealed to feel no difference between playing guitar in or out the game. The results showed that flow state is not a linear experience, but diverse, circumstantial, complex and multifaceted. The subjective well-being of music learning linked with feelings of fun by playing Rocksmith was evidenced by respondents revealing the dichotomy between learn and play should be rethought, specially, in music classes.

Denna studie har undersökt hur ett digitalt gränssnitt kan utformas för att hjälpa redaktörer i det dagliga arbetet, med fokus på förutsättningarna för flow i arbetsprocessen. Termen flow refererar till Csikszentmihalyis teori kring ett tillstånd där personen blir helt uppslukad av en aktivitet utan självreflektion och självmedvetenhet, med en känsla av kontroll över situationen. Fokus i denna studie har varit två av flowteorins grundförutsättningar; snabb, otvetydig feedback samt balans mellan svårighetsgrad och kunskapsnivå. En fallstudie på webbredaktörsgränssnittet Writeous genomfördes där informanterna deltog i en semistrukturerad intervju, en observation med metoden think aloud och enkäten System usability scale. Resultaten analyserades, samt jämfördes med tidigare forskning i området. För att konkretisera resultatet togs även designförslag till redaktörsgränssnittet Writeous fram. Resultatet visade att gränssnitten bör upplevas enkla utan för mycket funktioner, men ändå med de funktioner som krävs för att utföra uppgiften på ett önskvärt sätt. Antalet system som behövs för att utföra en uppgift bör vara så få som möjligt, då användarnas krav på kunskap därmed minskas. Systemet ska även ge användarna den information som behövs för att utföra uppgiften utan större förkunskaper. Gränssnitten som designas för att ge bra feedback enligt de designprinciper och standarder som finns gör användarna mindre förvirrade och ökar därmed den hinderfria interaktionen med systemet. En tillämpning av detta anses stödja två av flowteorins grundförutsättningar; snabb och otvetydig feedback samt balans mellan svårighetsgrad och kunskapsnivå, vilket hävdas öka användarnas möjligheter till flow vid interaktion med redaktörsgränssnittet. / This study has investigated how a digital interface can be designed to help editors in their daily work, focusing on the flow preconditions in the work process. The term flow refers to Csikszentmihalyi's theory about a state where the person is completely absorbed by an activity without self-reflection and self-awareness, with a sense of control. The focus of this study has been two of the flow preconditions; fast, unambiguous feedback and a balance of challenge and skill. A case study on Writeous web-based interface was conducted where the informants participated in a semistructured interview, an observation with the method think aloud and the survey System usability scale. The results were analyzed and compared with previous research in the area. In order to concretize the result, design proposals for the Writeous interface were created. The result showed that the interfaces should be perceived as simple without too much functionality, but still with the functions required to perform the task in a desirable way. The number of systems needed to perform a task should be as few as possible, as users' skill requirements are thus reduced. The system should also provide users with the information needed to perform the task without much prior knowledge. The interfaces are designed to provide good feedback in accordance with the design principles and standards available. This makes users less confused, thus increasing the barrier-free interaction with the system. If done right these implementations are considered to support two of the flow preconditions; fast, unambiguous feedback as well as a balance of challenge and skill, which is claimed to increase users' flow possibilities in interaction with the editorial interface.

A presente pesquisa teve como objetivo investigar as experiências de flow de jovens guitarristas ao jogarem o game Rocksmith. Os objetivos específicos foram identificar as condições e as características das experiências de flow presentes no relato de jovens guitarristas ao jogarem Rocksmith e relacionar as condições e características das experiências de flow de jovens guitarristas ao jogarem Rocksmith com as atividades musicais propostas no game. O referencial teórico desta pesquisa está fundamentado na Teoria do Flow de Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (1992) que investigou as circunstâncias e ambientes que levam um indivíduo a experimentar um estado de imersão e satisfação na realização de determinada atividade, assim como, sistematizou as características daquilo que as pessoas sentem quando vivenciam esta experiência. As experiências de flow têm estreita relação com a motivação intrínseca, a aprendizagem e o desenvolvimento de habilidades cada vez mais complexas. O método desta pesquisa consistiu em um estudo de entrevistas qualitativas com seis jogadores do game Rocksmith que residem em Porto Alegre e Nova Petrópolis, ambas as cidades no Rio Grande do Sul. Como instrumento de coleta de dados, foram utilizadas entrevistas semiestruturadas construídas a partir das sete dimensões da Teoria do Flow. As características reveladas pelos entrevistados ao jogarem Rocksmith mostraram que o game satisfaz as condições e as características das experiências de flow, com exceção das dimensões fusãoação consciência e perda da autoconsciência. O sistema de níveis de dificuldade do Rocksmith foi um aspecto positivo destacado pelos participantes, assim como, o forte sentimento de controle onde os entrevistados afirmaram não sentir diferença entre tocar guitarra fora ou dentro do game. Os dados fornecidos também revelaram que o estado de flow não é uma experiência linear, mas diversa, circunstancial, além de complexa e multifacetada. O sentimento positivo da aprendizagem musical vinculada à diversão de jogar Rocksmith foi evidenciado pelos entrevistados revelando que a dicotomia entre aprender e se divertir deve ser repensada, especialmente para as aulas de música. / The following research aimed at investigating the flow experiences of young guitarists by playing the game Rocksmith. The specific goals were to investigate the preconditions and the characteristics of flow experiences in young guitarists’ reports by playing Rocksmith; and to relate the preconditions and characteristics of flow experiences of young guitarists by playing Rocksmith with the musical activities proposed by the game. The theoretical framework of the current research was based in the Flow Theory proposed by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (1990) who investigated the circumstances and the activities that lead an individual to a state of immersion and enjoyment in what one is doing, as well as, systematized the characteristics of what people feel when they experience this state. The flow experiences have a close relationship with intrinsic motivation, with learning processes and with the development of increasingly complex skills. The method consisted of qualitative interview studies with six Rocksmith players living in Porto Alegre and Nova Petrópolis, both cities sited in Rio Grande do Sul State - Brazil. Data collection was carried out through semi-structured interviews built upon seven dimensions of Flow Theory. The characteristics revealed by respondents showed that Rocksmith satisfied the flow experience’s preconditions and characteristics with the exception of merging of action and awareness, and loss of self-consciousness dimensions. Rocksmith’s dynamic difficulty adjustment system was a positive aspect reported by respondents, as well as, a strong sense of control where participants revealed to feel no difference between playing guitar in or out the game. The results showed that flow state is not a linear experience, but diverse, circumstantial, complex and multifaceted. The subjective well-being of music learning linked with feelings of fun by playing Rocksmith was evidenced by respondents revealing the dichotomy between learn and play should be rethought, specially, in music classes.

本篇論文主要探討股利支付率與未來獲利能力成長的關聯性。過去相關文獻專注在股利變化率與未來盈餘成長的關係，股利支付率的文獻則較少。本研究以1991至2016年台灣上市、上櫃公司為樣本，利用固定效果模型來進行分析，實證結果發現股利支付率與未來獲利能力成長的關係呈顯著正相關。本研究根據文獻在迴歸模型中加入成長機會代理變數來檢驗股利支付率與未來獲利能力成長的正向關係是否能以自由現金流量假說解釋，實證結果與文獻一致，說明當成長機會愈低，台灣上市櫃公司之股利支付率與未來獲利能力成長之關聯性愈強，透過將剩餘的自由現金流量以股利發放的形式返還予股東，能減少公司之代理成本，市場上的投資機會未受到市場的競爭而使報酬率高於預期，因此出現公司股利支付率愈高，未來獲利能力成長愈高的現象。 / This study examines the relationship between dividend payout ratio and the growth of future profitability. Previous literatures mainly focused on the relationship between dividend change rate and future earnings growth instead of dividend payout ratio. The sample of this study includes companies listed on Taiwan Stock Exchange and the OTC market from 1991 to 2016. Results of the fixed effect model shows that there is a significantly positive relationship between dividend payout ratio and the growth of future profitability. Proxy variables for growth opportunities are used in the　fixed effect model to further verify whether the positive relationship can be explained by free cash flow theory. Our results support the explanation, indicating that the positive relationship between dividend payout ratio and the growth of future profitability is stronger when growth opportunities are low. Companies can reduce agency costs by paying out dividends to shareholders, and the returns of investment opportunities on the market are unaffected by competition force, which results in the counter-intuitive phenomenon of higher dividend payout ratio and subsequent growth of future profitability.

A presente pesquisa teve como objetivo investigar as experiências de flow de jovens guitarristas ao jogarem o game Rocksmith. Os objetivos específicos foram identificar as condições e as características das experiências de flow presentes no relato de jovens guitarristas ao jogarem Rocksmith e relacionar as condições e características das experiências de flow de jovens guitarristas ao jogarem Rocksmith com as atividades musicais propostas no game. O referencial teórico desta pesquisa está fundamentado na Teoria do Flow de Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (1992) que investigou as circunstâncias e ambientes que levam um indivíduo a experimentar um estado de imersão e satisfação na realização de determinada atividade, assim como, sistematizou as características daquilo que as pessoas sentem quando vivenciam esta experiência. As experiências de flow têm estreita relação com a motivação intrínseca, a aprendizagem e o desenvolvimento de habilidades cada vez mais complexas. O método desta pesquisa consistiu em um estudo de entrevistas qualitativas com seis jogadores do game Rocksmith que residem em Porto Alegre e Nova Petrópolis, ambas as cidades no Rio Grande do Sul. Como instrumento de coleta de dados, foram utilizadas entrevistas semiestruturadas construídas a partir das sete dimensões da Teoria do Flow. As características reveladas pelos entrevistados ao jogarem Rocksmith mostraram que o game satisfaz as condições e as características das experiências de flow, com exceção das dimensões fusãoação consciência e perda da autoconsciência. O sistema de níveis de dificuldade do Rocksmith foi um aspecto positivo destacado pelos participantes, assim como, o forte sentimento de controle onde os entrevistados afirmaram não sentir diferença entre tocar guitarra fora ou dentro do game. Os dados fornecidos também revelaram que o estado de flow não é uma experiência linear, mas diversa, circunstancial, além de complexa e multifacetada. O sentimento positivo da aprendizagem musical vinculada à diversão de jogar Rocksmith foi evidenciado pelos entrevistados revelando que a dicotomia entre aprender e se divertir deve ser repensada, especialmente para as aulas de música. / The following research aimed at investigating the flow experiences of young guitarists by playing the game Rocksmith. The specific goals were to investigate the preconditions and the characteristics of flow experiences in young guitarists’ reports by playing Rocksmith; and to relate the preconditions and characteristics of flow experiences of young guitarists by playing Rocksmith with the musical activities proposed by the game. The theoretical framework of the current research was based in the Flow Theory proposed by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (1990) who investigated the circumstances and the activities that lead an individual to a state of immersion and enjoyment in what one is doing, as well as, systematized the characteristics of what people feel when they experience this state. The flow experiences have a close relationship with intrinsic motivation, with learning processes and with the development of increasingly complex skills. The method consisted of qualitative interview studies with six Rocksmith players living in Porto Alegre and Nova Petrópolis, both cities sited in Rio Grande do Sul State - Brazil. Data collection was carried out through semi-structured interviews built upon seven dimensions of Flow Theory. The characteristics revealed by respondents showed that Rocksmith satisfied the flow experience’s preconditions and characteristics with the exception of merging of action and awareness, and loss of self-consciousness dimensions. Rocksmith’s dynamic difficulty adjustment system was a positive aspect reported by respondents, as well as, a strong sense of control where participants revealed to feel no difference between playing guitar in or out the game. The results showed that flow state is not a linear experience, but diverse, circumstantial, complex and multifaceted. The subjective well-being of music learning linked with feelings of fun by playing Rocksmith was evidenced by respondents revealing the dichotomy between learn and play should be rethought, specially, in music classes.

O modelo tradicional de ensino está pautado em uma educação bancária, prioritariamente informativa, desestimulante e descontextualizada de seu momento histórico, que é caracterizado pela informação de fácil acesso e comunicação em esfera global. Neste panorama, pesquisas apontam que os estudantes vêm apresentando baixo desempenho em ciências. Há, portanto, a necessidade de estudos que levem em consideração esta realidade educacional no intuito de propor estratégias inovadoras de ensino. Neste cenário, games digitais apresentam grande potencialidade, pois são atrativos, contribuem para o desenvolvimento cognitivo e podem propiciar o desenvolvimento de preceitos científicos. O grande problema é que, apesar de atraírem legiões de jogadores, games digitais comerciais geralmente não apresentam grandes preocupações pedagógicas, uma vez que não são desenvolvidos para esta finalidade. Ainda que se pense nos games digitais educativos, estes apresentam características antagônicas aos comerciais, pois são normalmente constituídos de um arcabouço excessivo de informações, sem muita preocupação com aspectos imersivos. Assim, na tentativa de correlacionar ensino de ciências com os aspectos epistemológicos presentes nos games digitais educativos e com os aspectos imersivos presentes nos games digitais comerciais, o objetivo deste trabalho consiste no desenvolvimento de uma tipologia e na criação de uma matriz de análise para jogos com potencial para uso educacional. Na etapa teórica do projeto, desenvolvemos a fundamentação da matriz, baseada em três elementos constituintes. São eles: Referencial educativo, baseado na Teoria Antropológica do Didático; Imersão, baseada na Teoria do Flow; e Mecânica Lúdica. Posteriormente, verificamos a aplicabilidade da tipologia e da matriz na análise de jogos e das interações entre jogadores e situações de jogo. É importante destacar que a pesquisa foi desenvolvida com alunos do ensino médio de uma escola pública da rede estadual de ensino de São Paulo. Dentre os resultados obtidos, destaca-se correlação entre aspectos imersivos e praxeológicos das plataformas de jogos. / The traditional Teaching model is based on a banking education, primarily informative, discouraging and decontextualized of its historical moment, which is characterized by information of easy access and communication in global sphere. In this panorama, research shows that students have been performing poorly in science. Therefore, there is a need for studies that take into account this educational reality in order to propose innovative teaching strategies. In this scenario, digital games present great potentiality, as they are attractive, contribute to cognitive development and can foster the development of scientific precepts. The big problem is that, despite attracting legions of players, commercial digital games generally do not present major pedagogical concerns as they are not developed for this purpose. Although digital educational games are thought of, they present characteristics antagonistic to the commercial ones, since they are usually constituted of an excessive information framework, without much concern with immersive aspects. Thus, in an attempt to correlate science with the epistemological aspects present in digital educational games and with the immersive aspects present in commercial digital games, The objective of this work is the development of a typology and the creation of an analysis matrix for games with potential for educational use. In the theoretical stage of the project, we developed the foundation of the matrix, based on three constituent elements: Educational Reference, based on the Didactic Anthropological Theory (TAD); Immersion, based on Flow Theory; And playful Mechanics. Subsequently, we verified the applicability of typology and matrix in game analysis and interactions between players and game situations. It is important to highlight that the research was developed with high school students of a Public School of the State of São Paulo. Among the results obtained, there is a correlation between immersive and praxeological aspects of gaming platforms.

Influencer Marketing är relativt nytt och ingen naturlig del av de flesta företags strategier. Däremot ökar det i popularitet. Detta innebär att företag behöver ett hjälpmedel, en slags nybörjarguide, för att förstå grunderna i Influencer Marketing på Instagram. Denna uppsats ämnar att undersöka hur marknadsföringsstrategin kan användas av företag som vill marknadsföra miljövänliga livsmedel på Instagram, till Millennials. Med detta är målet att bidra till forskning och marknadsföring av Influencer Marketing och den hållbara konsumtionen. All teori som använts kan på något sätt kopplas till Influencer Marketing. I teoridelen redogörs det för Stealth Marketing, Product Placement, Celebrity Endorsement, electronic word-of-mouth, Influencer Marketing, visuell kommunikation samt Two-step flow theory. För att få både konsumenternas och influencernas åsikter och attityder har en trianguleringsmetod används. Den kvalitativa datan har utgjorts av intervjuer med influencers, eko-experter och expert på Influencer Marketing. Den kvantitativa datan samlades in med hjälp av en enkät för Millennials som följer influencers på Instagram. Empirin ger bland annat en tydlig bild av vad influencers värdesätter i ett samarbete med ett företag, vad eko-experterna säger om Influencer Marketing av miljövänliga produkter och hur påverkade Millennials anser att de blir av strategin. I analysen sammanfattas intervjuobjektens åsikter och jämförs med Millennials attityder. Detta diskuteras tillsammans med de teorier som tas upp i studien. Ändringar i den tidigare strukturen som presenteras i den teoretiska referensramen diskuteras i samband med Millennials attityd och hur samhället har förändrats. Ett stort fokus ligger på den dolda marknadsföringen, hur den idag är olaglig och ineffektiv på målgruppen. Studiens slutsats är att Influencer Marketing är en effektiv strategi för den utvalda målgruppen, som har en positiv attityd till strategin så länge marknadsföringen är ärlig och transparent. Studien sammanfattas i en ny demonstrerande figur av den teoretiska referensramen, med förslag på hur teorierna borde diskuteras i framtiden. Dold marknadsföring är inte längre relevant att diskutera, då både Millennials och influencers har en negativ attityd till en sådan marknadsföring. Celebrity Endorsement föreslås även ses som en del av Influencer Marketing, istället för enbart föregångaren, då Influencer Marketing idag skapar nya kändisar på en ny sorts plattform. Analysen sammanfattas även i en modell vars syfte är att visa hur företag, influencers och Millennials kommunicerar sinsemellan, följt av rekommendationer till företag eller andra intresserade som enkelt vill ta del av och använda vad studien kommit fram till.

This mixed-method case study examined effects of high school musicians' participation in the jam session, a student-directed, extracurricular music activity. The single case study site was a rural British Columbia high school exceptional for its support of jamming. Forty-four subjects, including 21 who fully met stated criteria for jammers, and 13 non-jamming subjects, were studied over a period of four months. The general research question was: Does participation in a band room jam session benefit students cognitively and motivationally? Specific research questions were: Do students who informally jam on various forms of music enhance their music skills in the perception and meaningful manipulation of music elements, and if so, how? In what ways does Csikszentmihalyi's flow theory explain the continued participation of students in the jam session? Three quantitative instruments were administered to 13 jammers capable of playing a Bb Concert scale on a melody instrument as well as to a comparable group of 13 non-jammers. These instruments included Gordon's Advanced Measures of Music Audiation (AMMA), Froseth's Test of Melodic Ear-to-Hand Coordination (TMEHC), and a researcher-developed test of ear-to-hand coordination (SOR). An ANOVA test showed no significant difference between jammer and non-jammer groups on AMMA scores (p<0.05). ANOVA showed a notable but not significant difference (p<0.056) between groups on the TMEHC, while a Repeated Measures Analysis of pre/post test TMEHC scores showed no effect of jamming over a period of 10 weeks. ANOVA showed a very clear difference between groups on the SOR (p<0.001). Qualitative data collected via journaling, interviews, observation, and participant-observer tasks indicated that jammers were perceiving and manipulating music elements in meaningful ways, and also supported Csikszentmihalyi's flow theory as an explanation for jam session participation. In particular, flow characteristics including transformation of time, loss of self-consciousness, and challenge/skill balance were both observed and reported. The role of the teacher, the presence of a music subculture, and the pseudo-curricular nature of jamming were noted as possible topics for further research. / Education, Faculty of / Curriculum and Pedagogy (EDCP), Department of / Graduate

No description available.