Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-28T18:22:37Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Maria Cristina Ataide Lobato.pdf: 1414701 bytes, checksum: 6c76e090ca9df70ec2c7e45c0ab1db12 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-11-23 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This study was motivated by the demands of knowledge about the relationships of teaching and learning in interactive virtual spaces, in search of more adequate strategies and to promote, among students, the construction of knowledge. The research is an exemplar of Applied Linguistics and it focuses on teacher mediation in virtual education forums of the Federal University of Pará Letters Course Specialization in Portuguese with the purpose of advancing knowledge about challenges of teaching in distance education. The investigative work was developed in the light of Vygotsky (1934/2007, 1934/2008) socio-cultural-historical conception of the human development, particularly the concepts of mediation, and with the theoretical support of the research model developed by Garrison and Anderson (2003), in particular those pertaining to social presence and teaching presence. The theoretical tools for analyzing the teachers lexicogrammatical choices in the forum are the concepts of Systemic Functional Linguistics, particularly those relating to interpersonal metafunction. The study showed that the forums are privileged spaces for interactions between teachers and students in distance courses and that the learning, in these environments, can be motivated and directed by teachers interventions, with a particular focus on the motivation of learning, encouraging interaction and promotion of community practices. The results suggest that the appropriate action planning and teacher training for mediation in virtual forums are predictive of better results in student learning / Este estudo foi motivado pelas demandas de conhecimento sobre as relações de ensinoaprendizagem nos espaços interativos virtuais, em busca de estratégias e condutas mais adequadas para promover, junto aos alunos, a construção do conhecimento. A pesquisa é um exemplar da área da Linguística Aplicada e focaliza a mediação docente em fóruns educacionais virtuais, do Curso de Licenciatura em Letras Habilitação em Língua Portuguesa - modalidade a distância, da Universidade Federal do Pará, com o propósito de avançar sobre o conhecimento dos desafios pedagógicos na educação a distância. O trabalho investigativo foi desenvolvido à luz da concepção sócio-histórico-cultural do desenvolvimento humano de Vygotsky (1934/2007; 1934/2008), em especial os conceitos de mediação; e com o suporte teórico do modelo de investigação prática desenvolvido por Garrison e Anderson (2003), em especial os referentes à presença social e à presença de ensino. Os instrumentos teóricos para analisar as escolhas léxicogramaticais dos professores nos fóruns são os conceitos da Linguística Sistêmico- Funcional, particularmente os que se referem à metafunção interpessoal. O estudo permitiu observar que os fóruns são espaços privilegiados para interações entre professores e alunos em cursos na modalidade a distância e a aprendizagem, nesses ambientes, pode ser motivada e direcionada pelas intervenções do professor, com particular incidência na motivação da aprendizagem, no estímulo à interação e na dinamização das práticas da comunidade. Os resultados sugerem que o planejamento de ações adequadas e a formação docente para a mediação em fóruns virtuais são preditivos de melhores resultados na aprendizagem dos alunos

Esta dissertação procurou analisar a atuação e o funcionamento do Fórum Estadual Permanente de Apoio à Formação Docente do Rio Grande do Sul (FÓRUM) visando fundamentar as políticas adotadas por esse órgão no seu plano estratégico para a formação docente no estado do RS. Os Fóruns Estaduais são órgãos colegiados criados pelo Governo Federal com o intuito de promover ações que supram as necessidades de formação inicial e continuada dos profissionais do magistério, conforme determinado pelo Decreto n° 6.755 (BRASIL, 2009a). Esses órgãos têm como principais tarefas a elaboração, acompanhamento e revisão dos planos estratégicos de estabelecimento das políticas públicas de Educação Superior, tendo em vista a formação de profissionais do magistério. Para a realização desta pesquisa foi necessário efetuar inicialmente um estudo dos documentos que instituem e constituem a política adotada para a formação de professores no Brasil. As atas de reuniões do FÓRUM foram examinadas e se constituíram uma ferramenta fundamental para o conhecimento do trabalho que vem sendo desenvolvido. A situação dos professores da Educação Básica do RS foi estudada a partir dos dados do Censo Escolar da Educação Básica. Foram utilizados procedimentos metodológicos qualitativos e quantitativos, de forma complementar, pois a diversidade de materiais utilizados exigia abordagens diferenciadas. Parte das argumentações teóricas utilizadas para a análise de dados e discussões foi embasada em referenciais teóricos de políticas públicas educacionais. Nessa perspectiva procuramos utilizar o ciclo de políticas proposto por Ball e Bowe (1992). Outra perspectiva teórica utilizada relaciona-se à formação de professores, a qual foi fundamentada nas ideias de diversos teóricos conceituados na área. O plano estratégico de formação de professores, documento elaborado pelos representantes do FÓRUM, serve para organizar as ações e estratégias criadas pelo grupo para promover a formação inicial e continuada dos professores da rede pública da Educação Básica do Estado. Os estudos realizados evidenciaram que não está havendo compatibilização entre a demanda por formação e a oferta de vagas das Instituições de Ensino Superior, via Plataforma Freire. Os dados do Censo Escolar apontaram que a situação da formação de professores no Estado é preocupante, principalmente no que se refere à formação continuada, e carece de investimentos, assim como as condições de trabalho dos profissionais docentes. Podemos concluir que o FÓRUM não tem sido muito organizado com os documentos que se constituem em registro histórico de seu funcionamento nem tem realizado a revisão e reestruturação do plano estratégico de formação docente inicialmente elaborado. É necessário que o FÓRUM se organize para oferecer formação inicial e continuada concomitantemente, pois é uma urgência do Estado qualificar seus professores. Como a presidência do FÓRUM é de responsabilidade do representante da SEDUC/RS, os interesses e planejamentos do Governo Estadual têm influenciado diretamente as discussões que acontecem nas reuniões. As análises presentes nesta dissertação indicam que ainda há muitos desafios a serem superados pelo FÓRUM para alcançar os objetivos propostos na legislação. / This dissertation sought to analyse the role and functioning of the Permanent State Forum for Teacher Training Support in Rio Grande do Sul (FORUM) in order to support the policies adopted by this organisation in its strategic plan for teacher training in the state of Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Brazil. State Forums consist of collegiate bodies created by the Federal Government in order to promote actions that meet the needs of initial and continuing training of professional teachers, as determined by Decree No. 6755 (BRAZIL, 2009a). These bodies have as core tasks preparing, monitoring and reviewing strategic plans for the enforcement of public policies on higher education with a view to training professional teachers. For this research to be carried out it was initially necessary to conduct a study of the documents which establish and constitute the policy adopted for the training of teachers in Brazil. FORUM’s meeting minutes were examined and proved to be a primary tool for gaining insight into the work being developed. The situation of teachers of Basic Education in RS state was analysed based on data from the School Census of Basic Education. This study employed both qualitative and quantitative methodological procedures as complementary, since the diversity of sources required diverse approaches. Part of the theoretical claims used for the data analysis and discussion was based on theoretical frameworks of public educational policies. With this perspective in mind we sough to adopt the policy cycle as proposed by Ball and Bowe (1992). Another theoretical perspective adopted concerns the training of teachers and is based on the ideas of various scholars renowned in this field of study. The strategic plan for teacher training, a document drawn up by FORUM representatives, serves to organise the actions and strategies created by the Group to promote the initial and continuing training of teachers in public basic education in the state. The study results showed that there has been no compatibility between the demand for training and the supply of places within Higher Education Institutions via the ‘Freire Platform’ (Plataforma Freire). Data from the School Census showed that the situation of teacher training in the state is alarming, especially in regard to continuing education. In addition, teacher training lacks investment, as do working conditions for professional teachers. We can conclude that FORUM has not been quite organised with the documents that constitute the historical record of its operation, nor has it performed reviews and restructuring of the strategic plan of teacher training that had been initially prepared. It is necessary that the FORUM be structured toward providing initial and continued training simultaneously, as it is urgent for the state to provide quality training for their teachers. Since the SEDUC/RS representative is entrusted with the chair of FORUM, the interests and plans of the State Government have directly influenced the discussions taking place in its meetings. The analysis presented in this dissertation indicates that there are still many challenges to be overcome by FORUM to achieve the goals proposed in the legislation.

Face aux crises sociales, écologiques et politiques liées au processus d’urbanisation, on assiste au développement d’une sorte de consensus international autour de la « démocratie participative » comme une des meilleures pratiques (best practices) de gestion politique pour relever les défis. L’objet de cette thèse consiste à convoquer à la fois la sociologie des réseaux de politiques publiques pour voir dans quelles conditions et par quelles catégories de groupes d’acteurs se diffuse à l’échelle mondiale et locale ce principe participationniste à prétention universelle, et le courant des instruments d’action publique pour questionner l’idée d’une convergence des dispositifs participatifs conçus comme des outils stabilisés voire labellisés de gestion publique locale. C’est à ces questions que va tenter de répondre la présente recherche à partir de l’analyse de la « démocratie participative » dans trois politiques municipales de trois communes à la périphérie de grandes métropoles : Nanterre (en région parisienne), la Commune I (du District de Bamako) et Yeumbeul-Nord (dans la région de Dakar). Ces trois villes populaires sont toutes membres d’un réseau transnational d’élus locaux de périphérie — Le Réseau FALP - dont le discours politique antilibéral préconi des étropo1es plus inclusives. / The generalization of the urban phenomenon in the early 21st century is accompanied by a globalization of slum areas and forms of socio-spatial segregation in major metropolises. Therefore, global networks of mayors from popular suburbs such as the Forum of the Peripheral Local Authorities (FALP) created an alter-globalization movement against the global trend spread by the neoliberal ideology. This thesis analyses the emergence of the FALP network as a transnational actor promoting norms and models with a universal vocation and playing a major role in the local governance of urban policies. Several sub-disciplines of political science have been mobilised from a comparative perspective: a specific methodological approach combining local surveys of different suburban areas, members of FALP, in France, Mali and Senegal, and a multi-sited research of various international events organized by the FALP network. The first part of the thesis examines the asymmetries of power and political influence in suburb issues from a global point of view. The second part sets out the challenges of FALP’s universalist project for decentralisation and participatory democracy in both Mali and Senegal. The third part explores the influence of alternative solutions advocated by the FALP network in the management of domestic waste, focusing on two case studies in Bamako and Dakar.

Cette recherche relève de la didactique des langues et des TIC, de la formation à distance en langues et du FLE. Un cadre épistémologique socioconstructiviste et énonciativiste a été choisi puis situé par rapport à la perspective actionnelle. Cette réflexion théorique sert de fondement au scénario pédagogique Fictif, une formation à distance en FLE de neuf semaines, destinée aux étudiants vietnamiens de l'Institut de la Francophonie pour l'informatique à Hanoi. Le forum de discussion y occupe une place importante. Fictif peut être considéré comme une mise en œuvre de la perspective actionnelle, enrichie de concepts énonciatifs. Suite aux expérimentations de Fictif en 2008 et 2009, nous montrons dans un premier temps l'adéquation du scénario au cadre théorique. Dans un deuxième temps, nous montrons que les diverses collaborations et l'activité réflexive auquel le scénario pédagogique invite (réflexion interculturelle, réflexion sur le fonctionnement de la langue), permettent, d'une part, grâce à l'effet mobilisateur du scénario, de maintenir, voire de faire évoluer les compétences langagières des apprenants, de développer, entre autres, des connaissances relatives aux cultures et aux langues et, d'autre part, que certaines activités permettent d'améliorer les compétences à collaborer des petits groupes. C'est, en particulier, le cas de l'activité de résolution d'énigmes linguistiques de façon collaborative, par groupe de quatre et à distance, qui permet de marier pratique langagière, réflexion métalinguistique et développement de la compétence à collaborer.

<p>Den miljökommunikation som sker internt i ett företag grundar sig i organisationens val och genomförande av miljöstrategi. Kommunikation kan beskrivas som processen för människors kontaktmed varandra och i denna process kan olika typer av hinder uppstå. I denna studie är mitt syfte att undersöka hur den interna miljökommunikationen ser ut och fungerar uppåtriktat, nedåtriktat och horisontellt inom Coop Forum i förhållande till vald miljöstrategi, samt att föreslå hur kommunikationen skulle kunna förbättras om behov av detta ses. Projektet har utförts som en kvalitativ fallstudie och i huvudsak genom metoden kvalitativ, semistandardiserad intervju. </p><p>För att Coop Forum helt skall kunna förverkliga sin allomfattande hållbarhetsstrategi krävs vidare implementering i all verksamhet. Tydliga direktiv från ledning är viktigt för att alla medarbetare i en organisation skall ha möjlighet att ta miljöansvar i sitt arbete. Den interna organisationskommunikationen gällande miljöfrågor mellan Coop Sverige och Coop Forum stormarknad fungerar väl och sker i huvudsak genom miljöchefen för Coop Forum och miljögruppen på stormarknaden. Informationsteknik som medel är av stor betydelse i denna kommunikation. Trots att miljöarbetet upplevs väl integrerat i verksamheten på stormarknaden kan tidsbrist och låg prioritering av miljöfrågor vara problem som uppstår. Slutligen kan också sägas att den horisontella kommunikationen mellan stormarknader bör ökas för att utnyttja den kunskap som finns tillgänglig inom organisationen.</p>

<p>ABSTRACT</p><p>Citizendialogue in the District of Rasbo</p><p>A Case Study in the Municipality of Uppsala</p><p>Author: Camilla Östlund</p><p>Supervisor: Stig Montin</p><p>The essay is written inside the scope of Örebro Universitys evaluation of the new organisation in the municipality of Uppsala.</p><p>The purpose of this essay is to study the citizendialogue in the district of Rasbo. This will be done partly by an examination of how the participants themselves</p><p>perceive citizendialogue. Their descriptions are put in relation to deliberative democracy and its critics amongst other. Partly by study how those involved have choosen to put it into practice. The opponents of the reorganization chose to start a non-profit association, Rasbo in co-operation, to carry on local mobilization and it will be compared with other similar groups. The municipality of Uppsala arranged a citizens forum in the district of Rasbo and the essay will examine how the participants experienced it.</p><p>The study is based upon a total of 19 semistructured interviews with politicians and officials in the municipality of Uppsala and also working members of Rasbo in co-operation.</p><p>The overall result of the analysis is that the politicians and the officials as well as the members of the association support the form of actions that endorse the representative system and look att citizendialogue as a tool to regenerate it and make it better. Rasbo in co-operation has almost everything in common with similar groups including a contradictory view on politics. The association has the important requirements for local mobilization, dedicated people, a positive collective identity and a constructive relation to the municipality. The participants of the citizens forum liked the way the forum was arranged and enjoyed the evening. But there was some problem between the unicipality and the association in connection with the preliminaries before the event. There is also some deficiency in the follow-up.</p><p>Keyword: local democracy, citizendialogue, deliberative democracy, local mobilization, citizens forum, Uppsala, Rasbo, Rasbokil, Stavby, Tuna.</p>

This thesis focuses on the creation of a systems architecture to help inform development of next generation knowledge-building environments. The architectural model consists of three components: an infrastructure layer, a discourse layer, and a visualization layer. The Knowledge Space Visualizer (KSV), which defines the top visualization layer, is a prototypic system for showing reconstructed representations of discourse-based artifacts and facilitating assessment in light of patterns of interactivity of participants and their ideas. The KSV uses Latent Semantic Analysis to extend techniques from Social Network Analysis, making it possible to infer relationships among note contents. Thus idea networks can be studied in conjunction with social networks in online discourse. Further, benchmark corpora can be used to determine knowledge advances, and systems of interactivity leading to them. Results can then provide feedback to students and teachers to support them in obtaining continually higher level achievements. In addition to visual representations, the KSV provides quantitative network metrics such as degree and density. Data drawn from 9- and 10-year-old students working on a six-week unit on optics were used to illustrate some of the functionality of the KSV. Three studies show ways in which new visualizations can be used: (a) to highlight relationships among notes, (b) as a way of tracking the development of discourse over time, and (c) as an assessment tool. Implications for the design of knowledge building environments, assessment tools, and design-based research are discussed.

This research investigated whether Group Information Behavioural Norms (GIBNs) are correlated with the effective use of a collaborative information system. Previous research seeking to conceptualize ‘social influence’ in technology adoption has not attempted to include GIBNs. The dependent variable, ‘Effective Use’, comprised two subjective Effectiveness Judgments and three objective Actual Use measures. A mediating variable, ‘Group Adoption’ (GA) of the information system, was conceived as a behavioural expression of group norms and hypothesized to correlate with both GIBNs and Effective Use. It was also hypothesized that GIBNs would have a stronger relationship with Effective Use than the widely used Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) dimensions of Perceived Usefulness and Perceived Ease of Use. A mixed-methods case study approach was used because measurement of stable norms in workplace groups was required. A medium-sized engineering firm was chosen, and the collaborative information system studied was Knowledge Forum (KF), an educational research tool that was implemented to promote the exchange of information. There were both expected and unexpected results. GIBNs outperformed the TAM in explaining all three Actual Use variables, although the TAM was the sole significant correlate for one Effectiveness Judgment variable. Information Sharing and Proactive Information Use had opposite correlations with Effective Use, suggesting the existence of distinct information ‘sharing’ and ‘proactive use’ group norms. In addition, the TAM and GIBNs seem to have complementary influences on Effective Use. GA was unexpectedly observed to have the strongest relationship with Effective Use, having a significant relationship with four of five Effective Use measures. GA was also observed to mediate the TAM but not GIBNs. The results of a case study cannot be extensively generalized. However, the findings are important in three ways. First, this research provides evidence that GIBNs and the TAM exert complementary influences on Effective Use, and that Effective Use is best explained by also including GA. Second, GA may represent a valuable ‘social influence’ extension to the TAM, as a behavioural expression of group norms for collaborative information systems. Finally, this study illustrates the importance of a multi-dimensional conceptualization of ‘Effective Use’ of an information system.

This thesis focuses on the creation of a systems architecture to help inform development of next generation knowledge-building environments. The architectural model consists of three components: an infrastructure layer, a discourse layer, and a visualization layer. The Knowledge Space Visualizer (KSV), which defines the top visualization layer, is a prototypic system for showing reconstructed representations of discourse-based artifacts and facilitating assessment in light of patterns of interactivity of participants and their ideas. The KSV uses Latent Semantic Analysis to extend techniques from Social Network Analysis, making it possible to infer relationships among note contents. Thus idea networks can be studied in conjunction with social networks in online discourse. Further, benchmark corpora can be used to determine knowledge advances, and systems of interactivity leading to them. Results can then provide feedback to students and teachers to support them in obtaining continually higher level achievements. In addition to visual representations, the KSV provides quantitative network metrics such as degree and density. Data drawn from 9- and 10-year-old students working on a six-week unit on optics were used to illustrate some of the functionality of the KSV. Three studies show ways in which new visualizations can be used: (a) to highlight relationships among notes, (b) as a way of tracking the development of discourse over time, and (c) as an assessment tool. Implications for the design of knowledge building environments, assessment tools, and design-based research are discussed.

This research investigated whether Group Information Behavioural Norms (GIBNs) are correlated with the effective use of a collaborative information system. Previous research seeking to conceptualize ‘social influence’ in technology adoption has not attempted to include GIBNs. The dependent variable, ‘Effective Use’, comprised two subjective Effectiveness Judgments and three objective Actual Use measures. A mediating variable, ‘Group Adoption’ (GA) of the information system, was conceived as a behavioural expression of group norms and hypothesized to correlate with both GIBNs and Effective Use. It was also hypothesized that GIBNs would have a stronger relationship with Effective Use than the widely used Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) dimensions of Perceived Usefulness and Perceived Ease of Use. A mixed-methods case study approach was used because measurement of stable norms in workplace groups was required. A medium-sized engineering firm was chosen, and the collaborative information system studied was Knowledge Forum (KF), an educational research tool that was implemented to promote the exchange of information. There were both expected and unexpected results. GIBNs outperformed the TAM in explaining all three Actual Use variables, although the TAM was the sole significant correlate for one Effectiveness Judgment variable. Information Sharing and Proactive Information Use had opposite correlations with Effective Use, suggesting the existence of distinct information ‘sharing’ and ‘proactive use’ group norms. In addition, the TAM and GIBNs seem to have complementary influences on Effective Use. GA was unexpectedly observed to have the strongest relationship with Effective Use, having a significant relationship with four of five Effective Use measures. GA was also observed to mediate the TAM but not GIBNs. The results of a case study cannot be extensively generalized. However, the findings are important in three ways. First, this research provides evidence that GIBNs and the TAM exert complementary influences on Effective Use, and that Effective Use is best explained by also including GA. Second, GA may represent a valuable ‘social influence’ extension to the TAM, as a behavioural expression of group norms for collaborative information systems. Finally, this study illustrates the importance of a multi-dimensional conceptualization of ‘Effective Use’ of an information system.